Stihl Breaks Into The Commercial Battery-Powered Zero-Turn Lawn Mower Market
A few months back, I got the opportunity to test out the Stihl RZ 760i Zero-Turn Lawn Mower, and let’s just say, I was sad to see it go back on the trailer. Now, I’ve got my sights set on the Stihl RZA 748 Battery-Powered Zero-Turn Lawn Mower to see what it has to offer for the commercial landscaping market.
Pros
- Blazing fast top speed
- Heavy gauge steel deck
- All day runtime
- Multiple deck options
- Compatible with Stihl RZA app
- LED lights on the roll bar
- Dual ETO ports
Cons
- No front or rear suspension
Stihl Battery-Powered Zero-Turn Lawn Mower Performance
- Top Speed: 16 mph (forward), 5 mph (reverse)
- Number of Blades: 3
Cutting Power
When it comes to raw power, the RZA 748 has plenty of it, and even some to spare. It has a top speed of 16 mph in forward and 5 mph in reverse. The controls are incredibly smooth and there’s almost no play in the lap bars, making it very easy to maneuver around landscaping and other obstacles.
The three stout blades are powered by their own individual brushless motors, eliminating the need for belts, pulleys, and other typical maintenance items. Stihl doesn’t specify an exact blade tip speed, but from what I can tell, it’s right in line with what I’ve experienced from other commercial mowers.
Runtime
A fully charged battery provides up to 8 hours of run time and the potential to mow up to 21 acres on a single charge. During our testing, I mowed roughly 3 acres of very thick Bahia grass and only managed to use up about 10% of the battery life. Although runtime numbers will vary slightly based on your specific mowing conditions, these numbers inspire a lot of confidence in the RZA 748’s abilities as a true gas replacement.
Our Cutting Experience
It’s always exciting when we get a new zero turn mower around the shop because it means I get to spend some time zipping around the property. Even though we’re not exactly in peak growing season, one of our close neighbors had fortunately (for us) been unable to mow in quite some time due to a breakdown. This gave us a great opportunity to help a friend in need and reclaim an overgrown lawn.
I set the deck height to 3 inches and got to work on the mixed Bahia and St. Augustine grass…I affectionately refer to it as “St.Bahiagrass”. Ordinarily, when dealing with overgrowth, I’d cut the yard twice so the mower can keep up the RPMs, but the RZA 748 handled the taller grass like a champ.
This battery-powered mower left a clean, even cut in its wake and left very few stickups. The only time I noticed a lower quality cut was when I ran at top speed through thicker grass. With that said, if you’re conducting regular maintenance cuts, there shouldn’t be any issues concerning cut quality.
My only real complaint about this mower is the ride quality. The adjustable seat tensioner dial does a pretty good job of absorbing the shock, but even with that, the ride is still pretty bumpy on uneven terrain. With that said, I had a much better experience when mowing the more manicured areas around our shop, but I think adding some type of coil-over suspension would make a huge difference.
Stihl Battery-Powered Zero-Turn Lawn Mower Design Notes
- Model: Stihl RZA 748
- Power Source: 24 kWh Lithium-Iron Phosphate battery
- Deck Size: 48 in.
- Deck Construction: Fabricated
- Cut Height Options: 1-5 in.
- Front Tires: 13×6.5-6
- Rear Tires: 24×9.50-12
- Gross Weight: 1550 lbs.
Creature Comforts
The Stihl RZA 748 is equipped with a high-back seat with dual armrests, and a seat suspension adjustment knob for increased comfort.
The seat is also adjustable forward and backward, and Stihl included a retractable seatbelt added safety.
LCD Control Panel
When it comes to the control panel, Stihl didn’t stray far from the norm for battery-powered mowers, but there are some pretty cool things you ought to know.
First and foremost, the LCD touchscreen displays your battery life, drive speed, blade speed, and current energy consumption. You can navigate through several menu pages using the orange arrow buttons to the right of the screen. This is how you activate the ETOs, lights, adjust settings, view fault codes, and driving statistics.
Not surprisingly, it is a little hard to see in direct sunlight, but the brightness is adjustable, which helps a little bit, but you may still need to use your hand for a little shade at times.
Lights
If there’s one thing this mower is NOT short on, it’s lights! Being that this is a commercial grade mower, visibility is a big deal for the sake of safety.
There are bright LED headlights on the front end and fenders, and it even comes with tail lights that flash while reversing to alert bystanders. Additionally, there are hazard lights on the roll bar for increased visibility.
Deck Construction
Looking down at the business end, Stihl opted for a beefy 7-gauge fabricated steel deck. There’s also a reinforcement plate running around the lower edge of the deck for added strength and durability.
Deck Height Adjustment
As with most Pro-focused mowers, Stihl opts for a foot-operated deck lift on the RZA 748. With deck sizes 60 inches or less, many Pros prefer the simplicity of manual over hydraulic systems. The adjustable pedal lets you set the cut height between 1.0 and 5 inches in 1/4-inch increments.
To adjust the heights, press the pedal forward until it locks in place. Then, set the cotter pin to your desired cut height. Last, depress the pedal, move the safety lever to the side, and slowly lower the deck.
Electric Take Off (ETO)
This mower is attachment compatible thanks to the front and rear ETO ports. The accessories are specifically designed for use with this mower and mount directly to either the front or rear hitch and draw power through the ETO socket.
Charging
The RZA 748 features an onboard 24 kWh battery and utilizes an EV style charger that works with both 110V and 220V. Charging time depends on a number of factors, including battery health, ambient temperature, and battery temperature. Stihl tells us that a full charge could take up to 18 hours on 110V, but should never exceed 25 hours.
Be sure to cover the battery charging port when you’re finished charging to prevent foreign objects and debris from entering the port.
Additional Features
- IPX4 rated
- Automatic parking brake
- USB-A and USB-C charging ports
- Rear storage shelf carries up to 250 lbs.
- Folding ROPS
- Integrated cup holders
Stihl Battery-Powered Zero-Turn Lawn Mower Price
The Stihl RZA 748 lawn mower retails for $26,499. Stihl backs it with a 5-year, or 1,500 hour warranty, whichever comes first. Alternatively, Stihl also offers a 2-year, unlimited hours warranty on this mower.
This mower is also available with a 52-inch deck for $26,999, and a 60-inch deck for $27,499.
If you’re reeling from a little sticker shock, Stihl does offer some pretty attractive financing options to help make things a little more affordable.
The Bottom Line
More and more manufacturers are diving into the battery-powered zero-turn market which create some serious competition as the industry continues its shift away from gas. The Stihl RZA 748 battery-powered zero-turn lawn mowers is well-designed and offers an easy transition for professional crews who are hesitant about making the switch. It showed off more than enough cutting power to be competitive in real world scenarios and is definitely built to last. While the price tag is a bit hard to swallow, the hard-core gas crews owe it to themselves to give this mower a demo and feel what battery power is capable of.
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