I've tested this compact Greenworks lawn mower, which is ideal for small lawns – and those final autumn cuts

Designed for the small garden, up to 140 m², the Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower is an essential tool that you'll need to add to your gardening arsenal this year.

I say this because over the past few weeks I've been trying out the Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower in my own back garden on a freshly laid lawn that I have managed to keep green through the drought (phew!). It's a mower that has been challenged because our lawn area is larger than its limit, so the battery has been well run, and the collection bag has been well filled.

I'm on a mission to find the best lawnmowers because I want to encourage growth, keep weeds away and have the grass looking healthy through a drought (where there's no hosepipe ban). Could it be the best cordless lawnmower? Let's see...

In a nutshell

The Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower is a small, lightweight cordless lawnmower suitable for lawns up to 140m². It is powered by one 2Ah battery to provide a runtime of up to 20 minutes.

As I did, you'll have the option to either collect clippings in the 30L bag or mulch into fine cuttings to return nutrients back to the lawn. This can be controlled with the installation of the mulch plug or addition of the grass clippings bag.

You can also decide on the cutting height. It has a single lever that can be moved by hand to select one of five cutting heights, ranging from 25- 70 mm. This can be helpful if your lawn is uneven or freshly laid turf (as mine is), or as you use the mower throughout the seasons, because the grass will need to be cut at different heights in early spring compared to mid-autumn as grass growth slows down.

Measuring 115(H) x 37(W) x 96.5(D)cm and with a 33cm deck, I felt it was miniature compared to other lawnmowers I've tested, including today's best robot lawnmowers, which come up BIG, so, with that, it was easy to manoeuvre around the garden. It'll get even smaller when the handlebar is folded for storing in the shed, too.

Specifications

Unboxing

The Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower arrived in a large branded delivery box, part folded with evidently very little set up required. With the mower itself measuring 115(H) x 37(W) x 96.5(D)cm, as I'm sure you can image, the box was bulky to carry and manoeuvre so you may need a helping hand to carry it to the space where you'll be assemblying it.

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Inside the box, you'll find: a 30L collection bag, lower handle, upper handle, handle knob (x2), screws (x2), handle bolt (x2), 2Ah battery, charger, mulch plug, operator manuals (x3) and safety instructions.

The lower handle will need to be inserted into the mounting post and secured with screws, whereas the upper handle is attached to the mower by a cable and is to be secured to the lower handle with the included bolts. The 30L grass collector bag also arrives detached, so unless you plan to mulch, this will need to be hooked onto the slots at the rear.

Cardboard and plastic packaging were used to secure all parts in the box, and there was very little of it, too.

Who will it suit?

The Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower is designed for small-sized lawns up to 140m². It has a 33cm deck and a 20-minute runtime. A lawn size greater than the recommended size could be too ambitious for this cordless mower.

Weighing only 19kg it's also one of a few lawnmowers that I would recommend for those who may struggle to lift or manoeuvre objects. An adjustable handlebar will also make it feel more comfortable to push, although at 5 ft 8 in I felt that I was a little hunched over it on the highest setting.

What is it like to use?

I used the Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower to cut two-week-old turf three times. I've found it easy to manoeuvre, owing to its 19kg weight, which is one of the lightest I have used and, overall, it's achieved an impressive mowing performance.

The 2Ah battery arrives flat as a pancake, so it'll need to be charged before heading out on its maiden voyage. I received a charger with a plug for a US fitting, but it has been confirmed that all models bought in the UK should come with a UK plug — I checked. It'll take three hours to fully charge, and I recommend fully charging it so you don't run out of juice partway through a mow.

The battery slots under the battery door on the top of the mower, so it's protected from the elements and a challenge for children to release. The battery performance remained consistent throughout my test until the battery was nearing depletion, and it kept stalling. I found it no good to "quickly charge" the battery for 10-or-so minutes either, because that wasn't enough to prevent the stalling. I'd advise fully charging the battery if you do ever run out of juice before finishing what you started.

I found that a fully charged battery and 33 cm-wide cutting deck cut the grass laid in our back garden in circa 25 minutes. With a battery runtime of 20 minutes, this cordless mower really is better suited to the smaller garden.

The width of the deck achieved a superb cutting performance along the lawn edges next to the patio, with only a small strip left over next to the fence, which would be a struggle for any lawnmower.

The first cut on our new turf was at the highest cutting height, with subsequent cuts being lower. I liked that I could adjust the cutting height fivefold. This ranges from 25- 70 mm. It's easy to do with the height-adjusting lever on the side of the mower; just pull out and lift. Adjusting the cutting height is also a good thing to do if the ground is uneven and the season, of course.

It also has the flexibility to either mulch or collect grass clippings in the 30L grass bag. You can either keep the mulch plug inserted (as it is) or remove it and attach the bag. I opted to collect the grass clippings because our new lawn was growing mushrooms (?!) and weeds were beginning to see the light, so I didn't want to spread all that about. If you prefer to mulch, just keep the plug in, and there's no need to attach the collection bag.

To mow our rear garden, I emptied the grass bag five times on each expedition. Notably, the grass was long/ish and thick between mows. However, the bag did fill quicker than expected, so this interrupted the grass cutting as I detached and carried the bag to the garden waste bin some way across the garden.

Overall, it was incredibly easy to operate; just press and hold the power button and grasp the lever towards the handlebar to engage the blades. It cut the grass well and collected all the clippings. It is small and lightweight but with that, I felt that it's not as robust as some other cordless lawnmowers I've tested, with the upper handlebar loosening itself as I mowed. Still, if it's used to mow a small garden or small patch of lawn on a larger plot, then it should be more than sufficient.

A battery-powered lawnmower is also quiet (much quieter than my petrol mower). I used a decibel meter app on my phone to record the noise level. This peaked at 81dB, equivalent to a car. In comparison, my petrol mower is 90dB.

Cleaning, storage & maintenance

The Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower requires very little cleaning and maintenance, although there are a few things that you'll need to do to keep it in good working order.

It's advised by the brand that you clean the lawnmower after every use with water, neutral detergent and a soft cloth. This won't take long, but it'll increase the machine's longevity.

After each use, you may wish to also clean out the grass cuttings bag so that it stays fresh and there's no decaying material inside.

At the beginning and/or end of the lawn mowing season, you may want to sharpen the lawnmower blade so you can continue to achieve a clean cut. Lawnmower blade sharpeners can be easily picked up, and they don't cost too much either. For example, I'm looking at getting the SHARPAL 121N Dual-Grit Diamond Sharpening Stone (£19.99 on Amazon) to sharpen the blades on this Greenworks mower.

Don't forget: you'll also need to charge the battery after each use so it's ready to mow when you next need to. It'll take three hours to fully charge the battery from flat.

If you're unsure how much battery is remaining, you can check the power levels by pressing and holding the button on the battery. A green light signifies the battery level.

If storing the mower, I'd also remove the batteries to avoid any damage. The lawnmower is being stored in the shed between uses, and it can get hot in there. In any case, the batteries are removed for charging, so I'm just keeping them in our utility room for safekeeping.

The handlebar folds save space in the shed. You will need to loosen the bolts connecting the lower and upper handle so that it can be collapsed. The grass collector bag can also be detached and perched on top of the mower during storage to save yet more space and keep everything together.

How does it rate online?

The Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower can be bought directly from the brand or through resellers such as Amazon. It appears that Greenworks aren't currently collecting reviews on their product listings, but Amazon are, and they echo what I have found.

The battery life and cutting performance have received mixed reviews — while some say it lasts for ages and cuts well, others report it only runs about 15 minutes and doesn't work at all. I found that I achieved 20 minutes, yet on the run-down, the mower kept stalling.

This brings me on to my next point: multiple customers have reported that this lawnmower stops working after a few minutes of use. As I've found, this is likely because the battery needs a full recharge — not just a quick top-up.

That said, it looks like customers align with the quality of the cut, with one recently sharing that they 'can’t fault this mower, easy assembly, great cutting results' and another adding that it's 'very lightweight and easy to manoeuvre. Ideal for small gardens like mine and doesn't take up much space.'

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

Greenworks has been a household name for two decades in the UK and the States, specialising in tools for the home and garden. Their biggest point of difference to competitors is the battery. The Greenworks POWERALL battery is available in 24 or 48 volts and can be used throughout their product categories, including lawnmowers, hedge trimmers and vacuum cleaners.

The above is worth mentioning because this is the highest voltage available in battery-powered tools. For comparison, a 4Ah Worx battery is just 20V. A higher voltage makes for an enhanced delivery of power.

With that, the Worx 20V 33cm Lawn Mower is its closest rival. This also has a 33cm deck yet comes with a 4Ah battery as standard, so it will achieve a greater runtime straight off the bat. You'll even have the option to swap in a whopping 80V battery for even longer performance. It's also similarly priced at £169.99.

I have also recently tested the Webb 40V 38cm Rear Roller Lawnmower, which was released early this year. This excelled in our back garden and provided a fantastic cut. The deck and overall size would also be suitable for small to medium-sized gardens, so could be an option if you're looking to cut time on the mow.

It also had the longest run time that I have tested on a cordless lawnmower thus far, achieving 50 minutes on a single charge.

The Husqvarna Aspire LC34-P4A lawn mower is also worth a mention. Our reviewer, Joanne Lewsley, loved how light and manoeuvrable it was during our testing. The battery power is perfect for small to medium lawns, and for those who struggle with storage space, the fold-away telescopic handles and sturdy hook for hanging are a game-changer. However, you can only expect to achieve a 25-minute runtime, and it costs double that of the Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower (£349, Amazon).

Should you buy the Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower?

From set-up through to its cutting performance, the Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower has been a delight to use in our back garden. With its 33cm deck and battery runtime of up to 40 minutes, it has been specifically designed for the smaller garden. This means that if you have an outdoor space any greater than 140m2, then an alternative, such as the Webb 40V 38cm Rear Roller Lawnmower, would be the better option.

Alternatively, swap the included 2Ah battery for a 4Ah battery. The Greenworks 4Ah battery can be bought separately on Amazon for £46. This will provide a greater cutting distance of up to 280m², although I appreciate that this is extra money that you may not be looking to spend.

Other things to note are that the 30L grass clippings bag filled up quickly and the upper and lower handlebars felt a little loose after a mow.

I like how easy it was to use and manoeuvre, and it ultimately cut the grass as expected. Being a Greenworks product, you can also interchange the 2Ah battery with other tools in the cordless range, which could save you money long-term, should you ever wish to add to your arsenal.

For a lawnmower priced at a very respectable £174.99 (when not on sale) with a 36-month warranty, I would happily recommend buying the Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower to anyone with a small garden in need of a new lawnmower.

About this review, and the reviewer

Jennifer Oksien

I regularly test home and garden products for UK and US websites, including Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, and Trusted Reviews, evaluating the quality and, ultimately, their value by trying them out in the real world.

I tested the Greenworks POWERALL 24V Lawn Mower on our medium-sized lawn with new turf that I'd kept watered and green through drought conditions for two weeks.