Hart Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Maintains Lawns at a Budget-Friendly Price
There are a TON of battery-powered lawn mower options these days and the field is growing every season. It’s possible to spend well over $700 getting started (and more than $25,000 for a professional battery ZTR!). However, not everyone who wants the benefits of battery power has that kind of budget. We brought in the Hart 40V brushless self-propelled lawn mower to see who should take advantage of this sub-$400 mower.
Hart 40V Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Price
There’s no question Hart targets budget-conscience folks and our entire opinion of this mower revolves around the fact that it’s a $378 kit that comes with a 5.0Ah battery. It’s one of the least expensive models you can get that comes with a brushless motor and a self-propelled drive system.
Just because it’s inexpensive, doesn’t mean that it’s cheaply built, though. The Hart 40V brushless self-propelled lawn mower comes with a 5-year warranty and they expect it to hold up season after season.
Hart Mower Cutting Performance
We have a combination of Bahia and St. Augustine grasses around our shop to test in. From late winter to late fall, our grass is growing fast enough to require a weekly cut. It left us with a nice variety of thicknesses and heights to cut for our tests.
When you’re tackling a typical maintenance cut (removing ~2 inches of grass height), the Hart 40V self-propelled lawn mower does a nice job of cutting confidently and evenly. If you’re taking off more than that, we recommend you switch to bagging as mulching becomes tougher for the brushless motor to keep up with. Side discharge isn’t an option with this design.
This isn’t the kind of battery mower you want to tame overgrowth with. If the lawn does get out of control, start by cutting at the tallest deck height and then followup with a second cut the following day to get it back in check.
Making those deck height adjustments is simple thanks to the single-point system.
Self-Propelled Drive
Hart places the self-propel controls in the center of the handle as a slider. It’s a convenient position to reach on the fly and each member of our testing team was able to find a comfortable walking pace.
There are no detents or stops on the slider. While you get infinite positions, it can be challenging to get it back to that “just right” position if someone changes it.
Some self-propelled lawn mowers have trouble releasing the drive wheels when you pull the mower back. The rear wheels lock up and you have to push the mower forward a hair to disengage them. That’s not the case for Hart’s self-propelled mower, however. Even in tight spots with quick direction changes, the wheels released every time.
Runtime and Battery Life
With ideal cutting conditions, you can get up to 30 minutes of runtime out of the 5.0Ah battery included in the kit. Real-world cutting on a Florida lawn like ours lands closer to 20 minutes. Other parts of the country that have thinner grass species should get you in the 25–30-minute range if you’re cutting when the grass is dry.
The self-propelled drive definitely lends the Hart 40V self-propelled mower to covering Florida-style lawns up to a 1/4-acre or so. Plan on having two batteries to cover an area that large. With one battery, you’re looking at 1/8-acre lawns.
Fortunately, Hart includes a storage bay for a second battery right on the mower. Instead of going back to the garage or shed to swap them, you have your spare onboard. It does require a manual swap as the mower only draws power from the rearmost battery compartment.
Charging times vary based on the size of the battery you’re using. The 5.0Ah pack takes several hours, so you’ll want to make sure you charge it up before you’re ready to mow.
Additional Field Notes
- 20-inch poly deck
- 1 1/2 – 4-inch deck height with single-point adjustment
- Lightweight at 58 pounds
- Battery is compatible with all Hart 40V tools
- Folds up for vertical storage
Hart 40V Self-Propelled Lawn Mower: The Bottom Line
If you’re in the market for a self-propelled battery mower under $400, your options are pretty limited. The $378 Hart 40V brushless self-propelled mower puts together a package that’s suitable for smaller lawns, can cut up to a 1/4-acre if you have a spare battery in your budget, and has better overall quality than other mowers competing around the same price.
While it doesn’t have all the bells, whistles, and muscle of premium models, it’s certainly capable of maintaining your lawn and it’s easy to use. If getting the job done on a budget is your highest priority, Hart’s reachable price and 5-year warranty should put it on your radar.
