This affordable, futuristic lawn mower is the most unique model I've ever used – it's perfect for small yards, as long as you don't mind short grass

To be honest, there's something quite relaxing and lethargic for me about mowing the grass. I look forward to spring and summertime in part because it means I get to spend more time soaking up some sunshine while I cut the lawn. And in the southern United States, where I live, the stubborn St. Augustine grass grows thick and fast in those months.

As such, making sure I have one of the best lawn mowers around that's solid, reliable, and powerful, is crucial to helping me get the job done efficiently, especially when I have to cut it twice a week during the peak of summer.

I recently spent some time with the EasySurge 2, available from Amazon, a battery-powered, sci-fi-looking lawn mower from Litheli, and it's certainly the most unique mower I've ever used. It's powerful and the intuitive control panel makes it easy to use, and would work well on small, simple yards. However, the frustrating self-driving features, limited battery life, and low cutting height is just not quite enough for my tough corner lot.

Specifications

Set up

Setting up the Litheli EasySurge mower was extremely simple. It comes fully assembled, so all you have to do is unfold and extend the handle, and you're ready to go. The batteries will likely come with some charge, but it's recommended to fully charge them before using it for the first time.

The included charger can charge both batteries simultaneously, which is nice. Oddly, the mower can hold up to four of the company's new U20 batteries at a time, so to get the claimed 100-minute run time, you'll need to fork over an extra $120 for two more batteries.

On the plus side, the batteries can also be charged via USB-C. It's a bit slower and takes about two hours this way, but that also means they double as standalone power banks that can charge your phone or tablet as well.

It also comes with a bagger and mulcher that attaches the same way as on any other mower.

How does it cut?

I was pleasantly surprised at how well the EasySurge cut my grass. I live in the southern United States where the grass grows thick and tall during the summertime, and I was taking about 1.5 inches off every time I mowed.

I'm happy to report that the EasySurge had no problem handling my yard over the several weeks I used it. I did not notice any missed blades or areas of the grass that weren't uniform across the lawn, and didn't have to go back over anything either.

I'm impressed.

However, there is one major caveat to this: the maximum cutting height is 2.95 inches, which is likely fine for small yards or places where the grass doesn't get too tall, but it really doesn't work for my lawn. Most homeowners in the south typically keep their grass about 3.5-4 inches, so it just would not work for me. The backyard would be fine, but I don't want two mowers.

Also, keep in mind that the cutting deck is only 18.5 inches wide, which is a tad small for medium-large yards. If you have a small yard, it's great.

Battery life was fine for me. I didn't get anywhere near 100 hours, but Litheli even admits that is a theoretical number at low speed and no load. The actual run time under normal mode will likely be closer to about 30 minutes, with all four batteries. Don't ask me how it can get away with advertising a 100-minute run time, but there we are.

There is an EasySurge mode, which cranks up the performance a bit for tougher parts of the lawn. That also cuts the run-time by about 10 minutes, so I'd only use it when needed.

Ease of use

The EasySurge mower not only looks different from every other mower I've used, it also works a bit differently. When I spoke with the company, it mentioned the design was inspired by race cars, which is clear by the driving-wheel style handle and control panel. Part of the idea is that you have all the controls you need at your fingertips, without having to take your hands off the wheel.

The handle at the stop of the single, central shaft houses all the controls, including the safety handle, self-propelled switch, power button, mode selector, speed adjustment, and even height adjustment. Simply turning the knob on the left will adjust the mower automatically between the six height settings.

Operating the mower is a bit of a mixed bag. It cuts well, but the cheap plastic build and low cutting height make it more difficult to turn than other mowers. And there's a noticeable delay between releasing the self-driving switch and the wheels unlocking, so you either just force it to turn or wait for them to unlock.

At times, it was up to four or five seconds before they unlocked, which adds up over the course of mowing. If your yard is small without many obstacles, it may not be a problem, but for my large, corner lot with several trees, it was frustrating.

H&G Verdict

Overall, if you have a small, simple yard that doesn't require a lot of upkeep, and you want a battery-powered mower with a couple of interesting features, the EasySurge might be a good option. It's not the most affordable battery-powered lawn mower around, but it's also not too expensive.

It's not something I could use personally, however. My larger yard, the need to keep my grass taller than 2.95 inches, and the lackluster build quality and steering annoyances mean it's just not fit for my needs. You can find more of the essential things to look for when it comes to knowing how to buy a lawnmower in our dedicated guide.