Hybrid Remote Control Mower B Class

Might be the coolest thing I've ever purchased. Works incredibly well, appears to be well constructed, and is quite powerful with the 8.75 hp Briggs & Stratton. Just did my first cut and it was a blast. Takes a bit to get used to the controller.... it's sensitive, but you really want it to be sensitive. After a few more cuts I'll be a pro at it. Tip: Watch a Zamboni driver and the pattern they use to resurface the ice. Do it like they do. This mower will turn on a dime but it's easier to do concentric circles.

I loved this mower when I first got it. It was able to power up and down my 40% inclined lawn. After the first winter, it just wasn't the same. At first the engine wouldn't start. That was fixed by a local small engine repair shop, but then the electronics started to go. This season I got one mow in, and the electronics fried themselves.I love the concept of this mower, but just couldn't keep it running.

An impressive, robust mower. It has minor damage by FedEx during shipment (and I did not realize it was damaged due to how it was wrapped), but even damaged it performs well and does its job. Since I did not catch the damage soon enough, it is past the date where FedEx is responsible. The electronics failed when I hit a tree at full speed (it was my fault, some wires came loose during the hit because I did not secure batteries well enough.) The manufacturer repaired the unit for free no questions asked, though I had to pay shipping both ways.I consider it well worth the money. The 6hp engine directly running the mulching blade can cut through extremely high, extremely thick grass if you take it slowly. 6hp is enough power for a riding lawnmower. It is a well done mechanical design. I would suggest putting a screen mesh over the on-board alternator which supplies the 24volts for the electric drive motors, to keep grass clippings out.

Let me start by saying this machine is just what the doctor ordered. I have used the mower a few times now and it has performed just as I was hoping it would.I have a bad lower back and pushing or riding a mower is just out of the question where I live in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia.Nothing about my yard is flat and the drop off at the back side of my yard is about 1000 feet down this machine has gave me a way to cut the grass safely.There is a few things I will be changing the tires for one.Where I live I need a little more aggressive tire tread to eliminate spinning when working my slopes.Without the tires spinning I believe it will give me more control on turns so hoping the new tires will eliminate that.The units are built to order so it took a little longer to receive it, But in this case it was well worth the wait. I would like to add Luis of Evatech has been very helpful while building the mower.I requested the machine to be upgraded to the S class to give me the electric start and a little bigger engine and Luis was glad to do so.And he was very helpful in answering some questions about the machine.So all and all He was great to do business with. I am looking forward to using this machine for a long time.

Great little unit

On April 22, 2010 I purchased the Evatech S Class lawn mower. This is their "top-of-the-line" mower. When it arrived it did not include the required batteries; for such an expensive mower to arrive without the necessary batteries is terrible customer service. The poorly written owner's manual states "There is a need to obtain two 12Volt 7A-hr batteries. They can be purchased at any local RadioShack store, part number 23-275." The part number was not valid. Later in the same section the instructions stated to "Connect the blue wire to join the two batteries together." The mower has no blue wires.The manual makes false statements such as "The transmitter requires 8 AAA batteries (it actually uses 6 AA); the FM transmitter comes with a rechargeable battery pack (it does not)." Another gem is "The radio has a range of approximately 1000ft." If you let the mower get more than 150 feet from you it is on its own.Although the "hybrid" unit is supposed to keep the batteries charged, this functionality ceased working after a few hours of operation. (The limited warranty is for one year and you will incur substantial shipping costs.) This mower cannot be serviced by anyone other than Evatech so you can't simply call a small engine specialist or take it to the local mower repair shop. I called Evatech and spoke with Luis. He said the belt could be slipping and sent parts to "upgrade" the mower. I mounted these per his instructions and it made no difference. With new, fully charged 9Ah batteries the mower runs out of electrical power after only 45 minutes (this is in ideal, dry conditions with no belt slippage). Once power dips to a certain level the unit is very hard to control. If you do not carefully monitor how it is reacting to the controls and drive it back to yourself the mower will simply wallow around in an area and refuse to follow any more commands. At that point you have no choice but to walk over to it and push it back to the garage.Since I'm in a wheelchair that's not possible. Thankfully my wife was patient enough to fetch the failed mower again and again and again. This is the sort of tool that can break up families.If you look at the photos of the mower you will see that the alternator is mounted in an ideal position for catching dust and debris; it is uncovered and there is an uninsulated power connection at the top. At the first sign of rain you must race for cover as the alternator will short out because it is so exposed. The belt which drives the alternator loops across a pulley mounted between the blade and the engine, meaning that all of the mulched grass coats the belt on its journey.This mower is marketed as an ideal tool for the disabled homeowner. I disagree. From a seated position it is very difficult to see what the mower is doing once it is more than 15-20 yards distant. If you have a problem with the mower you are pretty much on your own. Tech support from Evatech is minimal, they have no user forum and the owner's manual is next to useless. The idea behind this mower is great; the execution is poor.

What a disappointment! I needed a lawnmower that would mow the incline on the backside of my pool. I thought I had found the perfect solution. However, this machine requires me to follow along close behind it in order to maintain any kind of control. I might as well saved my money ($3500) and either kept mowing myself or hired it done, I contacted the manufacturer and tried to return it but was denied. In conclusion, before spending a ton of money on this machine, make sure to research all of your options before like myself, you're stuck with a very pricey, useless mower!