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Picture Review:
Overview from Ryobi
When you first look at the Ryobi RM480 you will see a lot of plastic. But the plastic is just covers – like the plastic fenders on your car. Underneath is a fully welded, rigid, tube steel frame.
The Ryobi RM480 is about the same length and a little narrower than your typical lawn tractor. Most of the weight is in the rear which makes it very easy to steer and gives it more rear traction than a typical lawn tractor.
The rear tires on the Ryobi RM480 are smaller than the rear tires on a lawn tractor but sized well for the width of the mower.
Ryobi RM480 is just like driving your car. Brake on the left, accelerator on the right and a comfortable steering wheel in between.
The seat on the Ryobi RM480 is not bad. It has a backrest and is padded well. It’s easily adjustable with the lever in front of the seat for short and tall operators. The spring suspension makes it comfortable for the hour or two you will mow with it every week.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the Ryobi RM480’s rear hitch is robust. It will handle your yard cart, dethatcher, and lawn sweeper well.
The Ryobi RM480 rear axle is a steel axle inside a steel tube. The gearbox and electric motor use an aluminum housing.
The rear wheels on the Ryobi RM480 are attached to a cast iron hub with four lug bolts. No keyways to line up or steel keys to lose if you have to remove a tire to fix a flat.
I like this picture from Ryobi better than the one I took. The operator’s console is well laid out and uses commercial grade switches for long life. Everything is right in one place. The console even has a USB port and slot for your phone! Charge your phone and listen to your favorite music using your wireless headphones while you mow!
The Ryobi RM480 has a 12 position mowing height. The lever is solid and lifts the deck easily. There is even a green marking tab so you can remember the height you cut the deck. I like to raise the deck when putting the mower in my storage shed the tab will help me remember what height I mow at.
The rear drum brakes on the Ryobi RM480 are variable like the brakes in your car so you can use them to keep a constant speed when going downhill. They are fully adjustable for wear using the nut you see in the picture. These brakes are true brakes unlike the tiny disc parking brake found on your lawn tractor.
When you get your new Ryobi RM480 the battery will be disconnected. Flip up the seat and remove the black plastic cover under the seat. Push the two gray pieces together to connect the battery.
When you get the Ryobi RM480 there will also be a cardboard box. Inside the box are the mulch cover and the battery charger. Please read the operator’s manual on where to put the charger.
To charge your Ryobi RM480 plug the black triangular plug into the rider – it only goes in one way. Then plug the charger into a 110-volt wall receptacle. You can use an extension cord but the charger can draw up to 15 amps so you need a 12 or 14 ga cord less than 50 feet long. When the light is green on the charger it is charging.
The front bumper is small but strong
The Ryobi RM480’s Steering is robust and uses heavy-duty connecting rods and links. It has a heavy-duty welded steel axle and a strong automotive type front yoke and axle components. I like this steering a lot and it will hold up to many years of use.
New owners are saying the Ryobi RM480 LED Headlights are quite bright!
The Ryobi RM480 Mowing Deck is a two blade steel cutting deck with metal blades and independent brushless electric motors that power each blade. It is aerodynamically designed to side discharge, mulch, and bag well. Consumer Reports has tested the deck and they state it mows very well.
The anti-scalp wheels are adjustable so you can lower them if you have a lot of obstructions that you may catch the deck on. these are not gauge wheels that wet the cut height so you don’t have to move them if you don’t want to. The cut height is controlled by the 12 position lever on the left side of the operator’s area.
The Ryobi RM480 Mowing Deck safety discharge cover is zip tied out of the way for shipping. Just cut that zip tie and it’s ready to mow.
The Ryobi RM480 Mowing Deck’s motors are covered to keep grass and debris from clogging the cooling fins. On the mowers I have seen so far the baked on powder coat paint is very even and will last.
The mowing blades on the Ryobi RM480 Mowing Deck are standard combination blades. They are a little lighter than the blades you find on many other lawn tractors but their light weight is a factor in making the mower battery last long enough to mow your 2-acre lawn. The blades shown are side discharge – mulching blades and bagging blades are included when you buy the bagger.
Last picture. I like this mower a lot and it would be a great choice for my one-acre yard. I know my wife would love it for hauling here landscaping supplies. It’s the right mower for me but is it the best mower for you? Click below to go to the next page.
Click on the Next Page Button below to see a complete picture review of the Ryobi RM480 Electric Riding Mower
Charles Chenot
Paul,
I’m looking to buy a battery operated lawn mower for my wife, as she says the Toro self propelled power SHE selected last year is to heavy for her…she says it’s difficult to pull backwards and the self propelled feature doesn’t provide enough oomph…go figure.
I let my fingers do the walking and came upon the Ryobi RY 40190 self propelled battery operated mower. What can you tell me about this mower. From all that I have read it does a good job and is light weight.
Any and all information will be greatly appreciated. I’m not too keen on the EGO…to me it seems over priced.
So this is what the wife is interested in:
Self propelled
Light weight
Plenty of oomph
NOTE: the area for mowing has a slight hill, but overall footprint is not large.
Thank you for your time
Paul Sikkema
Hi Charles, The Ryobi 20 in. 40-Volt Brushless Lithium-Ion Cordless Battery Self Propelled Lawn Mower with 5.0 Ah Battery at Home Depot is the lightest self-propelled mower on the market right now. It’s only 45 lbs with the battery. Even without the self-propel feature it’s less than half the weight of the Toro.
A few features that really make it a good mower. The handle adjusts for different users. The handles slide into bottom section and the whole handle folds neatly for storage. The start button is easy to use.
A few things to be aware of. It mulches ok, but it may “hold” grass under the deck so when your stop the mower be sure you are on the lawn – not on an area that you will have to clean the grass clippings off of. It’s not a don’t buy, it’s just something to be aware of. It’s really quiet compared to the gas powered ones.
For weekly mowing the battery will last up to an hour but when the grass is growing quickly or you are trying to mow the thick southern grasses you will get less mowing time. The hill will have no effect of the battery life. If you have problems finishing the lawn on one battery I suggest buying another tool/battery instead of just another separate battery. i.e., String trimmer, leaf blower etc. You get a better deal when you bundle the battery with a tool.
I agree, there is a lot of hype with the EGO products right now and they are able to charge what they want for them.
william Buchan
Hi Paul,
We have just purchased a RM480e and note the mention of a mulching plug in the manual, i see no picture or actual description of the plug, just wish to ensure that i do not leave it in place before i start mowing.
Regards!
Bill..
Paul Sikkema
Hi William, The mulch plug should be in the cardboard box with the charger.
Neil Dwyer
What a terrific review. Looking at options for replacing a well-used 17 year old rear-engine rider, and this was super helpful.
Tom Depner
Paul,
Excellent Q & A review. I purchased a RM4803 3 months ago and love it – sturdy construction, excellent grass cut, mulch, etc. A minor issue: I have not been able to understand the battery level indicator. It’s a beautiful color bar display with a digital numeric display but the bar display doesn’t seem to change despite using the mower for over 2 hours. According to customer support it’s supposed to show the %charge, voltage and hours of use. No description in the manual and nothing online. Looking for other users experience, explanation.
Tom
Neil Dwyer
Also, have you reviewed the Raven unit you mentioned.
Paul Sikkema
Hi Neil, Yes, but it’s now obsolete. You can read my reviews about it at todaysmower.com
rich
Do you have any pictures on the bagging system? I live in N.E. any issues with picking up leaves with the bagger? Assembly and attaching bagging system. Additional pictures and comments are appreciated
Paul Sikkema
Hi Rich, Here is a link to the bagger: Ryobi 38 in. 2-Bin Soft Bagger
Larry Moore
I have read all the reviews and am very interested in purchasing the Ryobi RY48110 electric riding mower. My local Home Depot does not have it, nor can they get it. I emailed Home Depot direct and they tell me that the mower is on backorder, and they won’t be ordering any more??????? I sure hope someone can shed some light on this.
Paul Sikkema
Hi Larry, Yes, It’s that time of year. Everyone is now filling up their warehouses with snow blowers and bread makers for the Christmas rush. In fact my local Farm Store’s Christmas season kicks off in 3 weeks.
I was down in the Chicago area the first of August and all the THD’s I stopped at had 3-4 RM480e’s left. I know Florida and Texas have been short all year.
Knowing how the system works I expect to see new stock down south in January and the MidWest in March.
Larry Moore
Thanks Paul, I actually am not far from Chicago. Do you know of any Home Depots south of Chicago that may have stock left?
Paul Sikkema
Hi Larry, I was just traveling through and Rockford, Peru and Yorkville had some yet.
Peru is a pretty small store and my be your best bet.