Echo 58V Mower CLM-58V4AH Review

4 Years Later, Echo 58V Mower is Being Passed By Newer Options

We tested out 24 different mower models recently, taking a gander at your standard residential gas mowers as well as commercial models. We looked at many of the best battery-powered options available, both push and self-propelled. The 58V Echo mower showed up for our head-to-head battery-powered push mower testing, and while there are several new contenders, Echo hasn’t made any changes since we tested this mower back in 2015.

Pros

• Excellent cutting power
• Excellent warranty
• Largest cutting height range in its class
• True 21″ cutting swath

Cons

• The design has a lot of flex
• Price is high for what you get
• Side discharge chute not included
• 4-point height adjustment

Performance

Want the details about how we tested? Check out our cordless mower shootout!

Cutting Power

The Echo cordless lawn mower showed us some serious power when we tested blade tip speeds. Under no load, the Echo generated a-middle-of-the-pack-worthy 2776 RPM, but a class-leading 173.3 MPH blade tip speed. That’s the benefit of using a 21″ blade when most of your competition using 18″ and 19″ blades.

We then hooked all the mowers up to a lighter load designed to simulate the stress put on a motor for a weekly maintenance cut. Generally, a brushless motor will sense more resistance on the blade and ramp up the power to compensate. It’s an advantage of electronics that even some brushed motors employ.

Such was the case for the Echo cordless mower. Under maintenance load, we saw the RPMs bump up to 2832 and blade tip speed nudge up to 176.8 MPH. That was still significantly higher than every other push mower. Stihl came the closest at 167.8 MPH.

The performance continued to rise when we strapped a heavy load to the mower blades. It ramped up to 3005 RPM and 187.6 MPH blade tip speed, finishing just behind Stihl’s 191.7 MPH.

We like to see blade speeds at least 160 MPH to effectively cut. Echo’s ability to start above that mark and rise as the load increases tells us it’s one of the more capable battery-powered lawn mowers across a wide range of cutting conditions.

Cutting Area

Manufacturers have to balance power and runtime with battery-powered mowers. Today’s batteries and brushless motors could rival some gas engines, but if it only runs for 3 minutes, it doesn’t really matter.

It all comes down to efficiency. Truth told, Echo doesn’t use its battery super-efficiently. It comes with a 58V 4.0Ah battery, which means we’re talking about 204-watt hours.

With a maintenance load runtime of 33 minutes, 7 minutes less than we like to see in a kit. This works out to 62 square feet per watt hour – the lowest in its class.

Its larger blade makes up for some of that, though. Walking at a constant speed of 2.5 MPH, you can expect to mow up to 12,705 square feet – just under a third of an acre – on a charge. That’s not terrible for one battery, but several of Echo’s main competitors include a second in their kits and move ahead.

That’s a moot point if you don’t mind ponying up for a second battery. The mower also comes with an inactive extra battery storage bay, so if you’ve got a couple of the batteries, you can at least swap them out quickly.

Noise

The Echo cordless mower is the middle of the pack for noise. At the ear, we measured it at 82 dB(A) under no load. Considering the range for cordless mowers was between 74dB(A) and 88 dB(A), we’ll take it.

Feature Set

A self-propelled drive is something we’d all love to have, but push mowers have their place in the OPE lexicon too. The 58V Echo mower doesn’t include self-propelled drive, but it’s light enough at 57 lbs, that it isn’t too taxing to shove around the yard.

Plastic Composite Deck

Aaaand, the main reason that it’s so light is that Echo uses a plastic composite deck. There are plenty of other brands using plastic poly instead of steel, and it’s really a weight vs durability call.

However, the thickness of the deck on this model seems a bit lower than some of the other models, leading us to wonder how well it will hold up over time. As long as you’re not slinging around rocks, it should be fine. Echo also puts a lifetime warranty on the deck.

On the other hand, there’s more flex in this model than most of the others.

Height Adjustment and Range

The Echo cordless mower is the only model from the push mower testing that has a 4-point height adjustment for the deck. Everyone else goes for the more convenient single-point height adjustment.

A couple of things are concerning here. The levers are plastic and there’s no metal plate reinforcing the detents. This combined with the deck thickness and/or material is a pretty easy target for Echo to adjust in their next mower.

The silver lining is that it has the best range of all the cordless cutting heights for its class. Its 7 height levels range from 0.75″ – 4″.

Handle Positions

3 handle positions are available on the Echo cordless mower. So, whether you’re short or tall or in between, you ought to be able to find a handle position that’s comfortable.

Discharge Options

Out of the box, you can mulch or bag clippings and that should cover most of us. If you prefer side discharging, you’ll need to buy that accessory separately.

Vertical Storage

We love a cordless mower’s ability to stand and store vertically. Echo joins the group of mowers that have the ability, giving it a smaller footprint in your garage.

Value

I think the big question for me about the Echo cordless mower’s value revolves around the price vs. the build quality. The cutting power is there and the cutting area meets my base expectations.

However, this largely plastic composite mower runs you $519 for the kit with just one battery (we’ve seen it a little lower at Acme Tools). It’s the second most expensive mower in this category behind Makita’s (including 2 sets of batteries), but it feels like you can throw the Makita through a brick wall and it’ll come out the other side just fine.

 

It does, however, come with a 2-year commercial warranty and 5-year residential warranty. Echo also guarantees the deck for life.

The Echo 58V lineup isn’t terribly deep, but it covers the basics. With a couple of string trimmers, a blower, a chainsaw, and a hedge trimmer, most homeowners can complete their lawn chores on this battery platform.

 

The Bottom Line

It’s not that the Echo 58V cordless mower is a bad tool, it’s just that most of the cordless world has moved ahead in the last 4 years. Echo has an excellent brushless power plant and we’re impressed with its cutting power. Moving up to a 6.0Ah battery or adding a second 4.0Ah to the kit would improve how much area you can cut on a charge.

As long as I’m putting together a wish list, making the change to a steel deck really shifts the entire feel of what it’s like to use this mower. If Echo is going to stay on the high side of pricing, just making those two improvements will see it quickly rise higher in the rankings.

If you like what you see, it has the power to handle maintenance cuts all the way through a week’s worth of overgrowth or more. Stick to lots that are 1/3 acre or pick up an extra battery to extend your runtime.

Echo Cordless Lawn Mower Specs

• Model Number: Echo CLM-58V4RH
• Voltage: 58V
• Battery: 4.0 Ah Lithium-Ion
• Recharge Time: 1 hour
• Run Time: Up to 40 minutes
• Motor: Brushless
• Cutting Width: 21″
• Height Adjustment: 4-Point
• Cutting Range: 3/4″ to 4″
• Weight: 57 lbs
• Warranty: 2-year commercial; 5-year residential
• Price: $519

For more information about the 58V Echo cordless mower, click here.