I bought the Ego 52" ZTR in June 2022. So it's been almost a year. I was the first person to buy one from my local Ace Hardware. So I knew I'd be a local guinea pig.
My property is 16+ acres. Of that, I mow about 3 acres including the lawn around the house, paths, and a woodlot. For about 15 years, I mowed with a 1949 Ford 8n tractor pulling a 3-blade mowing deck. Then I bought a New Holland 33HP compact utility tractor and 60" flail mower, which I've had for another 15 years or so. The flail mower has 40 pairs of cutting knives; maintaining them was an ordeal even when I was 10 years younger. I wanted something more compact and maneuverable, with less smell, noise, and pollution. The Ego machine checks all those boxes. It has nearly replaced the flail mower except for brush cutting and very tall weeds.
The Ego is a fun little machine, very easy to operate, and surprisingly powerful. The biggest drawback for me (aside from the upfront cost) is that it has no real suspension system (other than what's in the seat). This makes it less than ideal for my bumpy terrain, but if it lasts more than 5 years or so, I don't think I'll regret the purchase. 5 years is a pretty low bar compared to a small farm tractor, which I'd expect to last for decades if properly maintained and operated. With the Ego, about half the cost seems to be tied up in the batteries and controls. So you're not really getting a $6500 lawn mower, you're getting more like a $3500 lawn mower and paying another $3000 or so up front for the fuel. So I don't expect much more service life than I'd get from a box store lawnmower. Then again, for a commercial grade ZTR (which is really what a property like mine needs), I'd probably pay double to triple the Ego price (or more, for one of the few available commercial grade rechargeable machines).
By the way, the Ego batteries can be used to power a range of household electricity back-up devices. Very handy when we lose power in a thunderstorm. Ego even makes a small battery-powered generator, which can be used *indoors* to power a TV, appliances, etc. So far I've only purchased a small, relatively inexpensive device that holds a single battery. Good for charging a laptop or smart phone, or maybe for powering a lamp.
