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By now, there’s a good chance you’re aware of the Ryobi 80V iDrive Zero-Turn Riding Lawn Mower. Its unusual drive system has caught the attention of nearly everyone who’s seen it. 6 Volt Golf Cart Batteries
More than 5 years ago Ryobi released its first battery-powered riding mower, the RM480E. It featured a lead-acid battery and a 38-inch stamped steel deck. That was followed by a Ryobi RY48ZTR100 48-inch zero turn mower and, eventually, the 54-inch brushless ZT with a fabricated deck. So this isn’t Ryobi’s first rodeo with a battery-powered riding lawn mower and the design team has plenty of real-world experience to draw from.
Let’s start with the models and deck sizes. You can get a Ryobi 80V iDrive zero-turn with a 30-, 42-, or 54-inch deck.
Ryobi continued the use of a fabricated steel deck on the 54-inch mower and uses 10-gauge steel for it. The 30-inch and 42-inch models use a stamped steel design made from 12-gauge steel.
The blades on the 54-inch and 42-inch models include CrossCut stacked blades. That means you have six 18-inch blades in the 54-inch and four 21-inch blades in the 42-inch. The result is an extra-fine cut that grabs a lot more grass during bagging and leaves finer clippings when mulching.
These mowers operated using an 80V battery platform that has an interesting twist. Each 80V pack resembles a small suitcase and features 100 individual battery cells. A small LCD screen next to the handle shows you the percentage of the charge remaining.
The 42-inch and 54-inch models support up to three 80V batteries and four 40V auxiliary batteries. The 30-inch mower supports two 80V batteries and two 40V auxiliary batteries. That’s the twist—you can use Ryobi’s 40V batteries to boost the overall capacity and supplement the 80V packs.
So how do the Ryobi 80V riding mowers mix 40V and 80V batteries together? That’s a great question. While the mowers prioritize the 80V packs for operation, they use any additional 40V packs to add more runtime.
And lest you think it needs to operate these 40V batteries in pairs—it doesn’t. Ryobi uses electronics to step up their 40V packs to 80V and deliver the required voltage. Think of it as doubling the voltage and cutting the amp-hour capacity in half. The point is, you can add just a single 40V battery and extend your runtime.
Each Ryobi 80V Lithium-ion battery pack operates at 72 nominal volts and specs out at 10Ah (amp-hours). That gives it a capacity of 720 Wh (watt-hours). Each 12Ah 40V battery pack yields 432 Wh once you factor in the 36V nominal voltage.
Do the math, and you can fully load either a Z42Li or Z54Li with 3,888 Wh of lithium-ion battery power!
Since the 30-inch only holds two 80V and two 40V batteries, its highest capacity is 2304 Wh. That’s not a big concern considering it’s made for smaller lawns.
Where the older lead-acid battery-powered mowers took a long time to charge, the new 30-, 42-, and 54-inch zero-turns use a 120V external fast charger that you can mount on your garage or shed wall. It’s super quick—and yes, it charges both the 80V batteries and the 40V batteries at the same time. Here’s what those charge times look like:
Even if you don’t plan to use the 40V ports to extend your runtime it might make sense to make use of the fast charger for the rest of your handheld 40V power tools.
Right off the bat you can’t help but notice these mowers don’t use either a steering wheel or lap bars. Instead, Ryobi spent over a year developing a single iDrive joystick that lets you maneuver the mower quickly and easily. You have complete 360° control in your right hand, including direction, acceleration, and speed adjustments.
Ryobi dialed in the sensitivity and control to help make it an easier transition from other riding mower styles. At a launch event, we were able to run through slaloms, maintain straight lines, and even execute 360-degree turns in place without much of a learning curve.
Back at our shop with more hands-on time to work with, we dug deeper. The controls are very natural for folks used to using a joystick or analog sticks on a game controller. Drone operators also have an easy time getting used to the system. For those folks, 15 – 30 minutes of practice time should have you in good shape to mow comfortably. For others, give yourself 1 – 2 hours for the muscles in your hands and arms to get used to the movements.
At first, it’s best to make your turns, arcs, and cuts close to equipment and vehicles slowly while you get used to the sensitivity of the joystick. We found that after 2 or 3 mowings, our team was pretty well dialed in and comfortable with the iDrive system.
If that weren’t enough, Ryobi updated the control system on these mowers as well. Now, an LCD screen lets you independently configure Low, Medium, and High drive and blade speeds. The screen shows you the remaining runtime and battery life. It also displays whether the vehicle is in Drive or whether the center-mounted golf cart-style parking brake is engaged.
The air-ride seat suspension on the 42-inch and 54-inch models makes for a very comfortable ride. A dial on the front lets you adjust for your weight—which works well since I weigh significantly less than Kenny and we both have been using the mower regularly.
You pull up on a red knob to activate the blades—just as you would with a gas zero turn. It’s also keyed, so not just anyone can jump on and start it up.
Deck height is adjustable using a side pull lever from 1.5 to 4.5 inches. You also get LED headlights that activate with the push of a button underneath the LCD panel. Finally, a USB port lets you recharge your smartphone or other electronics as needed. And, yes, you get a couple of cupholders.
Ryobi is offering several bagging systems and releasing them alongside the mowers. Notably, there’s a “Bagger Boost” system. Bagger Boost works with both the 30-inch and 42-inch models (the 54-inch does not have a bagging option):
The Bagger Boost button is located on the control panel. With just the press of a button, Bagger Boost sends a powerful gust of 700 CFM into the bagger chute. This helps clear out clogs and clumps of grass. This keeps you from having to stop mowing and manually clear out the chute.
The Ryobi Bagger Boost accessories are sold separately and run $599 for the 42-inch or $500 for the 30-inch.
Below is a breakdown of the pricing and the batteries that come with each mower. Keep in mind that the mowers have a 5-year warranty. The 80V batteries have a 5-year warranty if you register them and a 3-year warranty if you don’t. At $899 each, they’re worth registering to get the extra two years of coverage. The 40V batteries have a 3-year warranty.
The Ryobi Z30Li 30-inch mower fits through most gates and presents a great solution for delivering a rider that fits where most zero turns can’t. Ryobi even designed the bagging system to fit completely within the width of the body so it doesn’t expand the footprint. The side-discharge grass chute is made from rubber and won’t damage your shed or gates when you get too close. It’s a solid solution for anyone who wants a smaller battery-powered zero-turn mower that can tackle properties up to an acre in size.
Stepping up to the 42-inch Ryobi Z42Li, you get a mid-size option with all of the same great controls, max battery loadout, and features of the 54-inch but with a lighter-gauge stamped deck. Out of the box, it’s a good fit for lawns up to 3 acres and we expect it to be the most popular size of the three.
The 54-inch Z54Li is the way to go when you want to get your lawn cut the fastest thanks to its larger cutting deck. It’s the most expensive, but you get a fully-loaded battery set and the ability to cut up to 4 acres on a charge.
If you’re looking for a battery-powered riding mower with zero-turn capabilities, there aren’t many options on the market. Fortunately, the Ryobi iDrive series has you covered not only with joystick controls but with three size options to cover multiple lawn sizes. While the joystick drive system does take some time to get used to, it’s not a steep or long learning curve.
When he's not playing with the latest power tool, Clint DeBoer enjoys life as a husband, father, and is an avid reader—especially the Bible. He loves Jesus, has a degree in recording engineering, and has been involved in multimedia and/or online publishing in one form or another since 1992.
Clint’s career has covered nearly the entire realm of audio and video production. After graduating at the top of his class with an Associates Degree in Recording Engineering, he began working for the famed Soundelux studios in 1994, one of the largest post-production companies specializing in audio for feature films & television. Working on a myriad of feature films, Clint honed his skills as a dialogue editor, foley editor, and sound designer. Years later, he moved into the expanding area of video editing, where he served as the company’s senior AVID video editor for three years.
Working for such clients as Universal Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Paramount Home Entertainment, NASA, Universal Studios, Planet Hollywood, SEGA, NASCAR, and others, Clint DeBoer dealt extensively with client management as well as film & video editing, color correction, and digital video & MPEG compression. He also carries several THX certifications (Technician I and II, THX Video), and is ISF Level II Certified.
After founding the CD Media, Inc. publishing company in 1996, he went on to help start or grow several successful online publications, including Audioholics (as Editor-in-Chief for 12 years) and AV Gadgets. In 2008, Clint founded Pro Tool Reviews followed by the landscape and outdoor power equipment-focused OPE Reviews in 2017. He also heads up the Pro Tool Innovation Awards, an annual awards program honoring innovative tools and accessories across the trades.
Crediting God and his excellent staff for the success of what is now the largest power tool review publication in the industry, Clint DeBoer hopes to see continued growth for the company as it rapidly expands its reach. Pro Tool Reviews critically reviews hundreds of hand tools, power tools, and accessories each year to help inform users about the best and newest products in the industry. Reaching everyone from the construction industry professional and tradesman to the serious DIYer, Pro Tool Reviews helps tool consumers shop better, work smarter, and stay aware of what tools and products can help put them at the top of their game.
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