DeWalt 21 in. 2x20V Brushless Cordless Push Lawn Mower Kit

Why I reached for this mower

I’ve been steadily moving my yard over to battery power, and the last holdout was the mower. I wanted a 21-inch deck, true mulching capability, and a design that wouldn’t eat half the garage. This DeWalt 21-inch mower checks those boxes on paper: dual blades, a steel deck, a single-lever height adjust, and a handle that collapses with one button and stores vertically. After a season of weekly cuts and a handful of out-of-routine tests, here’s how it actually performs.

Setup and first impressions

Out of the box, it’s straightforward. The telescoping handle locks with one touch, the mulch plug clicks into the rear port, and the safety key lives under the dash. Two 20V 10Ah packs drop into the top; the mower uses them one at a time and automatically switches when the first is depleted, so there’s no mid-mow battery shuffle.

The LED dashboard is a nice surprise. I appreciate the quick battery state-of-charge display and the load indicator that spikes when you hit dense patches. There’s also a blade life indicator—handy as a nudge to check sharpness, even if you still want to inspect the edge yourself.

The deck is 15-gauge steel, which lends the machine a reassuring solidity compared to plastic-deck competitors. That said, more on the wheel hardware later.

Ergonomics and controls

The single-point, six-position height adjuster is one of the reasons I like using this mower. One lever moves all four wheels from 1.5 to 4 inches. I mostly cut cool-season turf at 3.25–3.5 inches, then drop to 3 inches when growth surges. The handle has three usable heights via its telescoping mechanism and folds flat in seconds for vertical storage—a small joy when garage space is tight.

It’s a push mower (no self-propel), and you feel that on longer sessions. On flat ground, the weight balance is good and it rolls easily. On slopes or bumpy sections, you will earn your stripes. The push-button start and bail work as expected, and blade stop time after releasing the handle is quick.

Cutting performance and cut quality

The dual-blade setup is the headline feature, and it delivers a fine, even cut across most of the deck. In normal weekly mowing—dry turf, 1/3-of-the-blade rule respected—the clippings are finely chopped and disappear into the canopy. When growth gets away from you or you hit thick, lush patches, the motor audibly ramps, which helps keep blade speed up, but you can still leave some speckling of clippings. You’ll clear that up by slowing down a touch or doing a second pass, but it’s not the “vacuum-cleaner” effect a strong gas unit can produce in heavy conditions.

Bagging performance is decent. The rear-mounted bag fills impressively full—around 90–95% in my experience—so you make fewer trips to the compost bin than you might expect from a battery mower. Wet clippings and very lush spring growth will still challenge the chute; that’s the nature of the beast. The included rear discharge chute works, though I mostly used mulch or bag.

This isn’t a stump-puller; it’s a residential battery mower. If you regularly mow tall, wet, or wildly uneven areas, expect to modulate your pace and take a second pass in the toughest spots. On the flip side, in typical weekly maintenance, it’s clean, consistent, and kinder to turf than throttling a high-vacuum gas deck.

Power and runtime

The headline runtime is “up to 100 minutes” on the two included 10Ah packs. In real use, I saw the following:

• Weekly maintenance cut at 3.25 inches, dry turf: around 80–90 minutes total, leaving a little in the second pack.
• Lush late-spring growth or slightly damp conditions: 55–70 minutes total.
• Light fall cleanups with a higher cut and some leaf mulching: roughly 70–80 minutes.

The key is that it uses the two batteries in succession. You never swap mid-mow, and when the first pack drops, the mower flips to the second without a hiccup. Plan on one full session for 1/4 acre with margin or a careful 1/2 acre if you mow regularly and don’t let grass get too tall. If you’re routinely covering a half-acre plus, or you prefer a brisk pace, a self-propelled model or a spare battery set would be the better fit.

Charging is the tradeoff. With the included chargers, a 10Ah pack takes roughly five hours to refill. You do get two chargers, so both batteries can be topped in parallel overnight. That’s perfectly workable if you mow on a schedule and charge between sessions; not ideal if you want to do back-to-back cuts on the same day.

Noise and experience

The noise drop versus gas is significant. It’s not whisper-quiet—you still have blade noise over turf—but there’s far less engine bark and almost no vibration. I can carry on a conversation without shouting and won’t hesitate to mow in the morning when temperatures are friendlier.

Storage and maintenance

This is where battery mowers shine. The vertical footprint is small, and the handle design makes it as effortless as advertised. With the deck cleaned out and the batteries pulled, the mower tucks against a wall and stays put.

Maintenance is simple: keep the deck clean, inspect and sharpen/replace blades, and store batteries properly. The dashboard’s blade indicator helps, but you’ll still want to sharpen based on your turf and soil conditions. The steel deck handles the occasional stick or pine cone better than plastic.

A note on durability: while the deck itself is stout, the rear wheel mounts are stamped and not connected by a full-width axle. I haven’t broken anything, but I have noticed a bit of flex if you whack a curb or drop a wheel into a rut. Treat the wheels like you would any stamped-steel assembly—don’t use them as leverage—and you should be fine, but I’d prefer a more robust axle design on a mower intended for 1/2-acre work.

What could be better

• No self-propel: Fine for smaller, flat lawns; a workout on hills or longer runs.
• Heavy-growth mulching: Good, not gas-tier. Plan your pace or raise the cut for a first pass.
• Charge time: Two chargers help, but each 10Ah pack still takes time.
• Wheel hardware: Functional but not as confidence-inspiring as the steel deck.

What it gets right

• Dual-blade cut quality: Clean, even results in regular conditions.
• Runtime: Two 10Ah packs get most homeowners through a session without swapping.
• Dashboard: Clear battery and load info is genuinely useful; blade reminder is a bonus.
• Storage: The one-touch folding handle and vertical storage are excellent.
• Single-lever height adjust: Fast, positive, and accurate.
• Quiet, low-vibration operation: Less fatigue and more neighbor-friendly.

Who it’s for

• Homeowners with 1/4 to 1/2 acre of mostly flat lawn who mow on a schedule.
• Anyone who values compact storage and a quieter, cleaner mowing experience.
• Users already in the DeWalt 20V ecosystem who appreciate battery flexibility.
• Mulch-first folks who want a tidy finish and are willing to slow down in the heaviest patches.

Who should look elsewhere: If you want to cut infrequently and still expect perfect one-pass mulching in dense, tall grass, or if you routinely tackle hills, a self-propelled gas mower—or at least a self-propelled battery unit—will make you happier. If you need same-day multiple back-to-back sessions, the slow charge cycle is a constraint.

The bottom line

The DeWalt 21-inch mower is a thoughtfully designed, quiet, and capable battery mower that thrives in regular, weekly maintenance. The dual blades and steel deck deliver a quality cut, the dashboard adds genuinely useful feedback, and the storage experience is best-in-class. It’s not a torque monster, and the lack of self-propel plus long charge times are real tradeoffs. I also wish the wheel hardware matched the deck’s sturdiness.

Recommendation: I recommend it for homeowners with up to a half acre of mostly flat lawn who value quiet operation, compact storage, and straightforward controls—and who mow regularly. If that describes your yard and routine, this mower makes the weekly cut easier and cleaner. If you want gas-like brute force, have steep terrain, or dislike the idea of a manual push, consider a self-propelled alternative.