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Senegal, Dakar
1 Level
739 Review
56 Karma

Review on Enhanced Greenworks Lithium Ion Battery Charger with 40V Power - Model 29482 by Steven Darkshnar

Revainrating 2 out of 5

Frustrating and poor design

I have two of these chargers, plus two 4Ah batteries and two 2Ah batteries that I'm trying, a Greenworks electric mower (model 25302) and a Greenworks -Blower (Model 24282) to power ). I live outside of Dallas and like a normal person, I keep this gear in my garage. Our property is 0.3 acres with approximately 8300 square feet of lawn. The mower came with a 4Ah battery and a 2Ah battery and then I got two more. When the batteries died, I tried to charge them. They are hot when I put them on which shouldn't be a problem. I drive two electric cars and have many cell phones and tablets that I can charge at any time and at any temperature. Normally, when I connect Greenworks batteries to the charger, two green lights immediately come on to indicate that the battery is fully charged. But it's empty - that's why I'm charging it. Now I have a dead battery that the charger won't charge. According to the instructions (which admittedly I still haven't read - it's a basic charger so you don't need to read the instructions) the charger should show a green light if you insert a battery that's too hot to charge and a orange light. This doesn't happen with any of my chargers. Instead, it lies and indicates that the battery is charged instead of pointing out a real problem. So if I run out of battery, I can't replace it with a full battery and charge the empty one while I keep mowing. The battery has to cool down first. If you let the battery cool down and try again, the charger will eventually recognize that the battery is low and charge it. But it shouldn't be that hard. I learned a few more things while researching the Greenworks battery and charger system. In addition to cooling requirements, they also advise you to: 1) Store batteries in a cool place. Common people keep their gardening tools in a garage or shed, so it doesn't seem very practical. 2) Do not leave batteries in the charger when fully charged. This is normal for cell phones, iPads, electric vehicles and other devices with lithium-ion batteries, but apparently Greenworks has chosen not to add this capability to this charger. 3) Unplug the charger when not in use. Obviously, resetting the charger helps to see the battery health better. All three of these claims seem unreasonable for garden tools and indicate poor product design. All four batteries are empty. Initially I was able to easily mow an entire garden and blow off hard surfaces with just the two batteries that came with the mower. I have now used up the two original batteries PLUS the two spare batteries before I was done. So I have to stop halfway, let the batteries cool down, charge them up and then drive on. It's a little frustrating. If you have a small garden and use rechargeable batteries and a charger as described above, the Greenworks system may be for you. If you damage batteries by not following the instructions, or if you have more space than batteries, you must allow for cool down and battery recharge breaks. like I've used for years, or try a drum mower.

Pros
  • 1 year trial
Cons
  • Only available in white