WORX NITRO 40V Lawnmower Review
WORX NITRO 40V Brushless 21″ Self-Propelled Lawnmower (Model WG753)
WORX NITRO 40V Brushless 21" Self-Propelled Lawnmower
Manufacturer: WORX
Model number: WG753
Power source: Cordless
Motor size: 40V
Weight: 63.3 lbs (bare tool)
The WORX NITRO 40V 21″ self-propelled mower is a fully-featured mower comparable in most ways to a standard gas mower. But I was skeptical that a battery mower platform would actually meet my expectations. My lawn is a good testbed, not only because of size (1/2 acre), but also because of multiple spots with protruding roots, crushed-rock edges, and soil rippling near my leach field. Let’s start with the Specifications and Features for the WG753.
Specifications & Features | WG753
Specifications:
- Cutting Height: 1.6 – 4 in.
- Deck Size: 21 in. (20″ cut diameter)
- Height Adjustments: 7-Positions, single-side
- Functions: Side-discharge, Bagging, or Mulching
- Estimated Run time: 35-40 Mins (2x 5Ah batteries)
- Weight 63.3 lbs (bare tool)
Features:
- Integrated folding handle
- Brushless Motor
- Variable-speed, self-propelled
- Auto-Intellicut feature auto adjusts motor performance
- LED light
Power & Performance
The WORX WG753 40V mower has very good overall power. It achieves its overall 40V power level by simultaneously using 2x 20V batteries. I was concerned a battery-based mower would be underpowered. This one isn’t. And I was concerned that 2x 20V batteries wouldn’t be comparable to other 40V cordless mowers. It was. And there are some definite benefits in the overall performance of a cordless mower. First, it was considerably quieter than a traditional gas-guzzling mower. I had no issues completing all the cutting I needed to get done.
Auto-Intellicut
You know because you can hear the Auto-intellect feature ramp the motor power. It does this to draw max power when required and conserve power when cutting conditions are easy.
Auto-IntelliCut is smart technology inside the lawn mower’s motor. It automatically senses when grass conditions are higher and thicker. Instead of bogging down during these conditions, the lawn mower cutting capabilities speed up to cut more efficiently. On the other hand, when the grass conditions are less demanding, the lawn mower will utilize its lower setting to conserve battery runtime.
I also loved the mower’s reliability vs. gas platform. With the WG753 there was never a question of how many pulls to get it going? or do I need to clean the carbs? or did I winterize it correctly when I stored it in the unheated shed? This is the case for any battery-based mower though. Where the WG753 really sets itself apart is its simple yet highly adjustable design and overall good performance for an easy to use machine.
The ability to easily switch (more on ergonomics later) between 3 different cutting modes is fantastic. Most of the mulching mowers I’ve used before require a mulching plug insert. The WG753 does not. It’s one less piece to lose and didn’t affect the mulching performance at all.
Battery Status Indicator
Another great feature on this Worx mower is the location of the battery charge indicator light. Most cordless tools now include a battery charge indicator on the battery itself. Old news. But Worx took it a step farther and built an indicator panel onto the back of the tool so you can see it while mowing. It makes for a very convenient way to see how much juice you’ve got left. Although between both batteries, I was able to cut most but not all of my 1/2 acre lawn (website said 1/4 on 2x 5Ah batteries).
Adjustable Self-Propelled Design
The Worx WG753 also features an adjustable self-propelled design. It’s pretty straightforward to operate and has 2 advantages. First, it allows you to match the cutting speed to the shape of the lawn. Rough or long lawn? drop the cutting speed down. Trying to mow before the light runs out? crank the speed up to max. Second, it also allows you to conserve battery life by lowering the self-propelled speed. It’s not a huge battery saver but gives you increased functionality so I thought it was worth a mention. While I didn’t see the top speed listed on the specifications or in the owners manual, the mower feels quick when set to max speed.
Ergonomics & Adjustability
So there were some ergonomics design features I really liked and some that I didn’t.
Positives
- Ease of reaching switches and levers
- Effectiveness of the mode changing lever
- Design of the height adjustment handle
I liked the placement of the switches and levers. This seems minor but it allowed me to easily adjust the self-propelled speed without having to stop cutting. Their placement also allowed me to comfortably and quickly adjust the deck height. The mode lever let me effortlessly switch between cutting modes. When you switch to mulch mode, the handle slides a metal gate over the rear bag chute hole. No plug required! The height adjustment handle is placed off to the operators right when changing the setting. This means your body position is naturally centered over the height gauge arrow with a perfect line of sight. It also allows you to use your weight to adjust the height even with the resistance of taller grass.
Drawbacks
- Angle of the grip
- Max height of the push handle setting
- Need to tip mower back to see battery indicator status lights
My biggest gripe with this mower’s ergonomics are the design and angle of the handle. It feels awkwardly vertical and not positioned at a natural wrist angle. It wasn’t as uncomfortable on the lowest handle height setting or when gripping the handle off to the sides. But it was definitely less comfortable than other mower handle designs I’ve used before. I was also curious how tall someone would have to be to comfortably use the tallest handle height setting. It seems angled extremely high but since it’s adjustable this is no big deal. Lastly, while I love the thought that went into the inclusion of the battery status indicator light, the LEDs are not angled back enough or bright enough. The only way i could see them on a partly sunny day was to tip the mower back 20 or 30 degrees. And with dogs and kids running around that not a safe decision! But the fact that it has this feature when many competitor models don’t means its not really a knock on Worx.
Overall Impression | WG753
The WORX NITRO 40V lawnmower is their flagship self-propelled mower. The overall quality and design features are very good but not great. It combines the 3 essential mowing functions (side discharge, bagging, and mulching) into a light yet powerful mower. And the WG753 stores vertically when not in use to take up minimal space. It is perfect for lawns up to 1/4 acre in size. There are a few things that could be redesigned to make it truly reach its full potential. And at $440 it feels slightly overpriced. But if the handle grip angle feels comfortable to you when you test it out, then you should definitely consider the WG753. Especially if you already have other WORX 40V tools in your kit!
WORX WORX NITRO 40V Brushless 21" Self-Propelled Lawnmower
About the author
Ben Fecteau
Benjamin is a former project manager, CNC-designer, and AWS-certified welder with experience running a commercial and industrial steel design and fabrication company. Before making the jump to commercial construction, he spent years renovating houses and building furniture where he became skilled in the art of home wiring, flooring, siding, and custom tool modifications. Benjamin has a Masters Degree in Education and is passionate about sharing his love of design with his sons and through community-based outreach. He resides in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and enjoys spending time with his family, in his workshop, and serving as an Air Force Officer.
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We are in a quandary.We purchased this mower. We do not see a start button. Can you please tell me how to get it started.
Patsy, always glad to help solve a quandary. It’s a 2 step process. First press and hold the orange run/start button. Then, while holding the run/start button pull the black lever against the handle. There are also 3 pictures near the start button and picture 1 outlines this process. Picture 2 illustrates the orange handle controls the self-propelled feature. And picture 3 shows how the orange levers on the bottom of the handle allow you to fold down the handle for storage. Hope this helps! And as always, thanks for reading! Benjamin
Mine will keep cutting out every 50 feet or so, requiring a re-start which is really annoying.
Robert,
I reached out to Worx and the product line manager reported that “Early production of the WG753 mower ‘had excessively flexible handles’. If the user were to push on the handle quickly (ie pushing uphill or pushing to accelerate the mower), this excessive handle-flex could cause the mower to unintentionally shut down (ie act as if the user was letting go of the bail handle…there are shared internal components and linkages that impact each other).” My advice is to reach out to Worx with this info so they can send a replacement mower or at least a replacement handle to correct the issue. Hope this helps. And, as always, thanks for reading! Ben
My Worx electric mower sat out in Florida for over a year and now will not start…..the batteries are good…the mower indicator shows good to go,,,but it will not go.
Please advise.
T Y
need to know in inches what 1-7 means on the wheel adjustment lever for cutting the grass. Instructions do not give the relationship to inches. Do not know what number to put it on if I do not know the inches.
it’s just a graduated visual. just measure it on your driveway
So I bought one of these mowers and I don’t know how to use it. I realize that wasn’t the purpose of your review but it would have been nice if WORX had included an instruction manual, or made one available online. Inside the box they included a little comic book with some pictures that I can’t figure out. I can’t get the thing to turn on, and basically I’m furious. What object arrogance on their part. It doesn’t matter how well designed this mower is, if I can’t use it. This is really unbelievable
Jeff,
You have to hold the safety bar (orange) down and then hit the start button while it’s down. The pictures on the mower try to depict it. Good luck and thanks for reading!
Ben