HART Battery-Powered 30-inch Riding Lawn Mower Review

HART Enters the Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mower Game with 30-inch Model

When HART invited us to Anderson, South Carolina, for an OPE event, we knew we were going to see something brand new. We didn’t know that the Walmart-exclusive brand was jumping into the riding mower segment, though. We were able to spend some time cutting and discovering who the HART battery-powered riding lawn mower is a good fit for.

$2997 at Walmart

HART Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mower Performance

Power Source

One of the big deals for HART is this mower jumps up to a completely new voltage level for them: 80-volt. Twin 15-inch blades handle the cutting while three brushless motors take care of driving them and the rear wheels.

Cutting

Hart Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mower | Jen from Belts and Boxes

With acres of grass to test on, we got to work. The size and overall design remind me of the old Snapper rear-engine model I used to use as a kid. Even at 6 feet, 2 inches, I was able to find a reasonably comfortable fit by putting the seat all the way back.

You control the speed with an accelerator pedal on the right. To reverse the mower, there’s a secondary pedal right behind the main one rather than having a forward/reverse switch on the control deck.

Even though I wasn’t able to GPS test it, the forward speed is impressive. Full throttle is more of a traveling speed than a cutting speed, as there was some clear loss of cut quality with the pedal to the metal.

All of the cutting we did was in grass well over what we expect on a normal weekly cut. The mower’s motors did an excellent job of keeping the blade RPMs up and I didn’t experience any blade stops due to clogging. I even dropped the mower deck down to its lowest position and was able to effectively keep cutting, though I did slow down to maintain good cut quality.

Runtime

There are two internal 80V batteries powering the mower. Expect to run up to an hour and cover an acre on one charge. HART includes a super charger that plugs directly into the mower and gets your batteries back up to full in two hours.

HART Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mower Design Notes

Controls

HART uses a mercifully simple control system. Just turn the key to the “on” position, release the parking brake, and you’re off. The blades engage by pulling the red button up.

If you shift into reverse, the blades automatically stop. If you want them to keep running, hit the “Reverse Mode Option” button. You only have to hit it once and it will stay in that mode until you shut the mower off again.

Side Discharge, Mulch, or Bag

Like most riding mowers, the default cutting mode is side discharge. HART includes a mulch plug and there are a couple of optional baggers. One is a traditional bag and the other has a blower assist. The assisted bagger adds a 700 CFM blower that clears the tube if it gets clogged with wet grass or high volume. Just press the “Clear Bagger Chute” button on the control panel to open it back up.

Comfort

Hart Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mower Seat

HART’s seat is cushioned and sits on springs to deal with the natural bumps in your lawn. There are no armrests and there are more comfortable seats out there. However, that’s not too big of a deal considering this mower is designed for smaller lawns than many of the other riders on the market.

Additional Highlights

LED headlight for early morning or late evening cutting
1 1/2 to 4 1/2-inch deck height with single-point adjustment
Fits through 42-inch gates
Maintenance-free design

HART Battery-Powered Riding Lawn Mower Price

HART is putting its riding lawn mower in select Walmart stores and online for $3999 starting May 1, 2022. Both the mower and the battery have a 5-year warranty.

$2997 at Walmart

The Bottom Line

The HART 80V battery-powered riding lawn mower does its best work on lawns from 1/4 to a full acre. It’s an easy mower to learn and use, and it’s not as intimidating as moving all the way to a zero-turn mower. If you’re a homeowner who wants to make your weekly lawn chores easier than using a walk-behind mower and leaving gas behind sounds appealing, this is a good fit for you.