Greenworks 2 in 1 Lawn Mower (Open Box)

This product went from 5 stars, to 3, and now just 1. Update 2021 08 17: Beware if you get this model! The #1 motor (right side) is defective, and they can't keep parts in stock to repair them. This was my 2nd TwinForce, and I loved them - until this one broke on its 4th use. I get it, things break sometimes, but it comes down to how the company stands behind their product - Greenworks does NOT - in my opinion. I was told to take my brand new mower to a repair facility an hour away (I live in a very populated and industrialized area. and hour away? Really??). The motor was said to be back-ordered a month. It has now been 6 weeks and I just got word that they have no clue if a part will ever be in for it. AND, this place said they now have multiple identical mowers with the same exact motor that went bad. I called Greenworks back and they said that maybe in October they'll have a part. This is a lawnmower and it's the middle of summer! I really couldn't wait the 4 to 6 weeks (my lawn is a mess now), but October? They gave me 2 choices: wait for a part (that might still not be available), or to take a replacement - NOT another TwinForce, but some model half the price and no refund on the difference. I asked about a full refund so I could just buy something else (even one of theirs but from a local retailer), but they could not do that since I paid Amazon. So, I called Amazon. After getting stuck on-hold for higher management for over an hour, I finally got a hold of the right people and they gave a full refund (Amazon gets 5+ stars here!!! Great service!) This first part is for my first purchase in 2014. I've since bought another in 2021 - updated review below. Newer update from 2021 July, at the bottom of this, contains frustration with needing service. First review (of first mower) I've had this for a couple of months now and can finally give my review. As you can see, I love it. The setup couldn't have been easier unless someone else did it for me. Slice the box open at the 4 corners to make it easier to remove from the box (my back was bothering me at the time of delivery), unfold the handle and away you go. The batteries even had a half charge or more in them so I was able to try it out right away. After a little test, I put both batteries on the chargers (I bough an extra charger - I highly recommend this) and they were ready when I was able to cut the grass a couple of days later. The first cut. Before the Twin Force arrived, the yard had only been cut once this season - by a gas mower that to be thrown out due to the metal deck having rotted out (I've had it for more than 10 years). The grass in the back yard is much different than the grass in the front. I started in the back (about 3,600 square foot), which has stronger grass blades, and a large amount of broad-leaf weeds, and several places where the grass growth is very dense. Having read that this mower isn't meant for hacking away at overgrown lots, I took it pretty easy this first cutting. I used the bagger and had the deck height up to 4, and I overlapped about 2/3 each pass, and walked fairly slow. It cuts most of the yard quite well, but the dense area looked like it needed a second pass. Just before finishing the back yard, the big battery ran out. But, I had been running the motor without cutting while I let the dogs try to get use to it, and other things. It's very light! My last mower was a self-propelled, but that was really only needed due to its weight, and maybe navigating around some obstacles on a tough hill. The Twin Force is so light that I don't miss the propulsion at all. It's like pushing a seed broadcaster. The bagger is nicely balanced and easy to carry to the bin and empty. For the front yard first cut, I put the little battery in and used the mulcher. The grass in the front yard is rather whispy and I lowered the deck down to 3. The mower feels lighter without the bag (especially since it doesn't get heavier as you go), but it seemed to not have as much suction to lift the grass. The front is about 1/4 the size of the back yard and the battery lasted without issue. A word about noise. I kept reading about how very quite this is, yet when I watch the videos, it sounds quite noisy. Well, microphones do pick up a lot, and they all seemed to be done inside of some structure with bare floors and walls. My experience is that it is much quieter than the gas engine it replaced, but maybe a little louder than I imagined it would be. Down side is that I can still hear the neighborhood dogs barking and the neighbors' gas engine mowers over this. The second cut: I was nervous taking the mower out of the shed. Some other reviews mentioned that after the first real use. a wire pulls a connector loose and the mower doesn't work. This did not happen to me. This time I used the mulcher in the back yard with a deck height of 3. I again felt like it wasn't getting as much suction, so I tried deck height of 2 and it seemed to improve. But, I prefer bagging and stopped using the mulcher after this cutting. This trip had less interruptions (not having to stop for bag emptying and dogs, etc.) and the battery lasted just fine. I got about 5 minutes into the front yard on this battery before I had to switch. I walked a little faster in the back yard this time, and overlapped about 3/4. The cut was mostly clean but I think there is still a little lack of suction to pull the blades all the way up for cutting when mulching. I''m curious how the suction (with the bagger) will be in the fall when we normally use the mower to chop up leaves and bag. The front yard cut better this time with a deck height of 2 and the bagger on. Third cut: I started in the front yard this time, but the battery only lasted for half of it. I put the big battery in and it worked fin. The only thing I could think of was that I didn't have the battery fully seated in the charger. I have a couple of issues with the chargers. You really have to push to make sure the battery clips fully into position (harder than you have to do in the mower I think). And I wish that I didn't have to use both hands to remove the batter from the charger. You have to depress the latch completely to the bottom while pulling the battery out at the 40° ish angle. So, I used the big battery to do the front yard and was able to complete the back yard with that same battery. Both yards were cut with a height of 2 and the bagger. The grass seemed to cut cleaner this time. I walked a normal pace and overlap was closer now. Fourth cut: This time I put both batteries in the mower to start off. I don't know which battery was in use, but about 1/3 the way through with the back yard, I heard it switch over to the other battery, so I guess it used the little one first. I don't know why, but I think I prefer having only one battery in at a time. Fifth and sixth cuts have been completed and all accomplished with ease thanks to the light weight and not having to put gas in the tank or check the oil. I'm a gear-head, so I like engines and things, but it sure is nice not having to mess with a finicky engine on a lawn mower. A Tip: Wear gardening or work gloves. The foam handle leaves a strange smell on your bare hands. It's better than having gasoline smell on your hands though. Part of me wishes that my corded string-line trimmer would die so that I could buy the Greenworks 40v trimmer. I would buy it with the extra battery and charger - basically the trimmer is free when you buy the battery and charger. I wonder if there are any plans for a snow thrower? UPDATE - 2021: Well, after 7 years, it was time to get a new mower, and I could not bare the thought of going back to gas. And, since I already have a pair of 40v batteries and chargers, I decided to stay with this model (besides, the 60v models look weird). My original mower was suffering from a bad motor bearing for about a year before finally going out last week. Looking back, I wonder if that bearing had always had a problem as the mower was never quite as quiet as I had heard others talk about. It was still much quieter than my other gas machines, but I thought it should have been quieter. My old one wore pretty well, motor bearing aside - even with the abuse it was sometimes subjected to (forcing it to mulch mounds and mounds of leaves in the fall, for example). New one (2021): WOW!!! I really believe now that the first one had a slightly bad bearing based on how quiet this new one is. This is exactly how I thought it should sound all along. This new one seems to have had an update to the software that controls the motors. My old one would lower the speed of the motors when it detected lighter grass and speed up when the grass got heavier (until it exceeded a certain percentage of battery remaining, then it would speed up on its own - like the Turbo mode on the newer 60v models). This new one stays at one speed all the time. I think it's in between low and high. At first this bothered me, but then I recall wishing that I could keep the mower speed higher as it seemed to not have enough suction to raise my lighter grass up to get clipped properly. So, I think I like this new method. Since it comes with new batteries (a 2a and a 4a) and 1 charger, I now have 4 batteries and 3 chargers (2 & 2 from my first purchase). So I added a new string trimmer to my arsenal and will have enough power after cutting with the mower to finish off with edging (I have an electric one but didn't use it as often having to deal with the power cord). Now I'll run the 2 4a batteries in the mower and use one of the 2a for the trimmer (a 4-star device, I'll review that separately). UPDATE: 2021 07 06. I was in the middle of my 4th cutting with the new mower, when motor #2 started smoking. I could tell something was wrong as the mower was noticeably noisier than it had been, but then it got better. But a little bit later it started to slow down and then I saw smoke coming from it. Checking the blades, motor #2 was harder to turn that #1 was, and it felt like marbles in it. I looked up the warranty information and found their hours of M-F, 9a-5p Eastern had just expired for the holiday weekend. I called on Monday and was told to take the mower and all accessories (batteries, charger,etc) to a qualified shop about 45 minutes away - ugh! I got it there today (July 6, they were closed yesterday) and they rattled off a list of problems they had dealing with Greenworks - all of it in parts availability. They said that in most cases, the part is discontinued. They looked for my motor and found it out of stock. They called and found the motor is back-ordered until the end of July! So now I have to go at least a full month without the mower.