Worx WG779E 40V Cordless Lawn Mower review

The Worx 40V Cordless Lawn Mower promises a long battery life and great cutting power. We put it to the test this summer – see how it performed

Worx 40V Cordless Lawn Mower WG779E.2
(Image credit: Worx)
Gardeningetc Verdict

If you want an affordable cordless lawn mower that can share a battery with multiple tools, then the Worx WG779E.2 is a great buy. It does a great job, has plenty of power for a good length of time, is pretty quiet and won't take up too much space in your shed either

Reasons to buy
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    Edge-to-edge cutting

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    Powerful enough for longer grass

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    Good battery life

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    Great performance for the price

  • +

    Has a roller for lovely lawn stripes

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Some might desire a shorter, neater cut

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    Not the best instructions

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The Worx 40V Cordless Lawn Mower could not have arrived on my doorstep at a better time. After a period of lots of sun followed by lots of rain, the lawn was growing rapidly and well in need of some maintenance. And I doubt I am the only person who is guilty of putting it off until it starts to get embarrassingly long. Lugging the mower out of the shed and having to mess around with extension cables adds unnecessary minutes to what should be a straightforward job, in my opinion.

However, having not tried a cordless before, I was slightly more keen to give the grass a good mow with this new tech in my hands. After several weeks of use (and several mows) it is time to share how I got on with the Worx WG779E.2 and see if it deserves a place in our list of the best lawn mowers

To start though, a bit of context. I hate mowing the lawn – even though mine is just 40m2 – and I have the smallest of spaces for garden tool storage. I also tested this in summer when the grass had been both lush and overgrown to start, then very dry in recent weeks. It should also be noted that I was sent the Worx 40V Cordless Lawn Mower with 4.0Ah batteries which offers a longer battery life at full power than the 2.0Ah package, but costs slightly more. Read on to find out how it performed.

First impressions?

Key product specs:

Power type: battery (two 20V 4.0Ah Li-ion)
Battery length: 40–55 mins for 4.0Ah
Charge time: 2–4 hours
Cutting width: 34cm
Cutting height: 2–7cm
Size: 72 x 42 x 33.5cm
Weight: 11kg
Grass collection box: 30L
Lawn size: up to 460m2

When you open the box, the main body of the mower is pleasingly compact. It was also fairly light and easy to remove from the box (a sturdy handle on the body of the mower helps) and the black and orange colourway is pleasingly modern. It is made from a combination of durable plastic casing and metal handle with a soft touch padded section for steering. 

It came with two 4.0Ah 20V batteries, both of which need to be charged beforehand and they provide a dual charger to do this. If you own other Worx PowerShare tools, you can charge their batteries in the same charger and interchange with different products.

Worx WG779E.2 cordless lawn mower

(Image credit: Worx)

Getting started

The Worx 40V Cordless mower comes partly constructed – you just need to fix the handle which is quick and easy to do and requires no tools. While the picture-only instructions aren't great, the set up was fairly intuitive so I didn't need to refer to them much. It took less than 5 minutes to read through the instructions and get the mower ready for use.

Once the batteries are charged, you simply lift the lid on the body of the mower to click them into place. The 4.0Ah batteries can take up to four hours to charge, so it is great that this is part of a PowerShare system where it makes sense to have a few backups fully juiced for other tools and more jobs. 

With the batteries in all you need to do is attach the grass box and insert the safety key – a handy feature to prevent kids from taking the mower for a spin. Then press the bar on the handle to operate.

One thing I didn't realise before is that there is a safety guard in between the blade and the exit for the grass collector. I left this in as the instructions did not mention removing it and found that the grass bag was empty after mowing the lawn. There is space for the grass to pass it, but it didn't so I have removed it and had no issues with grass collection since. On the use where it didn't collect the grass, it neatly chopped and dispersed it into the lawn for mulch.

fitting the batteries in the Worx 40V cordless lawn mower

The batteries in the Worx 40V cordless lawn mower are easy to fit and safely hidden under a lid

(Image credit: Future)

What is the Worx 40V Cordless Lawn Mower like to use?

For each use I get it out, unfold the handle, pop in the batteries, attach the grass box and go. The two-step buttons to safely start the mower are clearly marked '1' and '2' so you have no issues getting the order right. 

First cut (long grass)

My first cut was on long, messy grass. There are patches of couch grass in my lawn and a few straggly dandelions so I thought I might have left it a bit long between cuts. You can change the cutting height using the lever on the front of the mower and on my first cut I left it high as I thought it could benefit from a pre-trim. In retrospect it didn't need it and would have handled the longer patches of grass with ease (and has since). 

After the first mow, my lawn certainly looked neat and tidy, but there weren't the fabled stripes many people look for. This is probably because my lawn is quite uneven so while I was very pleased with the cut, some might have wanted a more uniform look. And no mower can counter the patchiness of a lawn in need of reseeding...

mowing a small lawn with a Worx cordless lawn mower

My lawn is a bit uneven and in need of reseeding in places. Weeds are a common problem and the lawn goes right to the fence edge

(Image credit: Future)

Regular cutting

The lowest cutting grade is two centimetres which is standard for most mowers. I have actually mowed my lawn more often than before thanks to going cordless, so each job is a bit easier than the last. The edge-to-edge cutting is effective, even taking in most of the grass, right up to my fence. The only place I need to go back over it with a strimmer or shears is where the fence posts are as the wheels prevented me from getting any closer.

Turbo and Eco Mode

The Worx 40V cordless can be used in Turbo or Eco Modes. Eco helps the battery last longer, although after four or five uses I still had a third of a battery left, according to the indicator.

Turbo mode adds a little more oomph and is noticeable over thicker grass, but the mower also has Intellicut which helps it regulate the power needed for different conditions. Turbo is slightly louder, but even on full power the mower is surprisingly quiet.

Battery life

The larger batteries can last up to 55 minutes in Eco mode and it is estimated this should make it suitable for lawns up to 350m2. If you use the 2.0Ah batteries, you will get the same power but the machine won't run for as long. However, Worx estimate you should get 30–35 minutes from one charge with them and this should cater for lawns of around 280m2. While it is listed as best suited for small to medium gardens, it would be perfect for larger gardens where socket access is an issue – especially if you have back-up batteries charged to do it in one go.

Although I have not tested the advertised continuous run time of 40–55 minutes in one go, time spent using it roughly addd up to that and it has definitely exceeded the 30-minute run time of many popular cordless mowers.

Ease of use

While all cordless lawn mowers have the benefit of not needing to be plugged in or filled with petrol, I found the Worx 40V cordless mower particularly easy to use. As set up is quick and straightforward, from getting the mower out, to mowing then putting it away takes about 15 minutes for my small lawn.

The power in both Eco and Turbo mode is impressive, taking the chore out of mowing. I did not test it on wet grass, but it coped with a slightly dewy lawn with no problems. It also tackled some meadowy patches of my garden without issue and the grass collector bag is generously sized so only one trip to the compost bin was needed at the end of the mow.

After use the handle can be folded onto the mower, leading to a neat unit that will not take up much room in your shed. This gets a big tick from me as my outbuilding is already crammed and this can even be tucked on a sturdy shelf out of the way.

Worx 40V cordless lawn mower cutting by a fence

A tidy trim is guaranteed with the edge-to-edge cut on the Worx 40V Cordless Lawn Mower

(Image credit: Worx)

Additional features

With two cutting modes and six cutting heights, the range of features is fairly limited with this mower – but simple is effective. However, there are a few standout features that are worth a mention. 

The grass box flap flutters open while in use, then shuts when the bag is full telling you to empty it. The grass box itself is collapsable, again showing that Worx know people like things that can be stored neatly. The batteries and mower also have a power indicator button so you can check how much charge is left.

The ability to take advantage of Worx's PowerShare battery system is a big pull, too. Being able to use the same batteries and chargers for all your power tools makes storage and use more streamlined.

The battery charger also runs diagnostics when charging. A green flashing light or green steady light means it is charging or fully charged, but a red light indicates a problem. If it flashes the battery is too hot and needs to cool down – not uncommon after prolonged use on a sunny day – but a red light that remains on tells you the battery is defective. The charger will then attempt to repair the battery and failing that you can contact the manufacturer for help.

How does it rate?

I am giving the Worx WG779E.2 a solid five stars as it does everything you would expect and does it well. It is powerful, but quiet with a healthy battery life. I felt like nothing was lacking from the mower that would offer a better mowing experience (and can put aside my dislike of the instructions). 

The consensus among other reviewers is that this is a great mower for the price, comparing well with much more expensive cordless models and not significantly more than corded or petrol mowers either. Gardeners World also granted it a Best Buy badge.

The mower is perfect for all but very large gardens (where it would be comfortably beaten by ride-on lawn mowers) and great for a plot like mine where storage space is very limited. It is also really good for a long narrow garden, allotment or anywhere you would struggle to get mains power.

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Lindsey Davis
Editor in Chief, Homes Ecommerce

Lindsey is Editor in Chief for Homes Ecommerce, working on Gardeningetc, Livingetc, Real Homes, Ideal Home and Homes & Gardens. She loves helping readers find the information they need to make purchases for their property. When she isn't offering product recommendations, she's busy renovating her Victorian cottage and window shopping for the perfect garden furniture. She's in a never-ending battle with the weeds (so has decided to reframe her view of what a weed is), but loves creating a space for wildlife. She aims to give her garden a look that she describes as 'cottage garden for the 21st century'.