Victa 82V Power Cut 883241

Not the greatest - with Extremely expensive batteries to replace – My first battery powered mower, actually I brought 2 as fantastic price when a new store opened. Turns out price was exceptional and was less than battery to replace. When I started looking at battery prices, I realised I didn't want to hold this mower that long, due to replacement battery prices. The battery included was their smallest amo… Read more

battery.

My review of the Victor mower with the Briggs and Stratton electric mower, is now bias as I have replaced the Victa, with a Makita 36v DLM461 so now know what a great battery mower can do.

Positives - So I will try to be fair with my assessment, as to be honest this mower did move me towards battery power despite having a industrial commercial graded B&S petrol mower that had been a work horse for 30years without missing a beat. So yes I was happy to start with. - easy start compared to a petrol mower - no smell of petrol in car when transporting it - no oil, spark plug changes (to be honest the 30yr I run my IC B&S petrol - it may have had 6 oil changes, a few oil top ups, maybe 3 spark plugs. One carb clean when GF put 2stoke petrol in it. One throttle cable, couple of blades and one blade holder. This B&S engine was seriously abused but it didn't miss a beat. Cost $1099 in 1992, so it was expensive at the time - comparison house on 888sqm section cost $115k.

Negatives - Battery that came with mower was their smallest amp, and really needed to be bigger. - The high voltage 82v doesn't over come the need for Amps to run longer. (Makita 36v, 2x18v, comes with 5Ah batteries, so over twice that of Victa - well it's actually B&S motor and batteries). - Catcher too small - Mouth to catcher too small and restrictive. Mouth gets blocked and drops clippings rather than throwing into catcher. (The matika throws deep into catcher and doesn't stop until catcher is full to brim). - the killer for me was the replacement battery prices, once I found out that battery was more than I paid for mower on opening sale it was time to move this mower on. (Actually please I did, as you can tell I really enjoy the Makita 36v DLM461 - this is a true replacement for the B&S IC I have. It cuts month long grass at rentals without issue, tackling even 3mth long at one property)

Summary - good starter battery mower but be forewarned about battery prices. More suitable for small lawns that you don't want to catch clippings. But there are better options for money. Also would advise buying mower that manufacturers have power tools with same batteries eg Makita, AEG, so battery are cheaper and readily available.

Great all-rounder mower, BUT – I have been putting my Power Cut to hard work on my 2600m2 block for the last 6 months now and I've gotta say... I'm comfortably surprised. First, let's get the obvious out of the way. No, you wouldn't normally use an electric mower, or a hand push mower for that matter, for a half acre of lawn. What can I say? I'm a masochist. The great thing… Read more

about it is that since I do my lawns in 20-30min bursts each day, I can use it till the battery runs down (approx 20-30mins on the 2ah), and pop it on to charge so it's ready to go the next day. Charging takes roughly as long so it's not a big wait between charges either. And every minute of that 20-30 mins run time is superb! One of it's strongest features is that 82V motor, which gives great power even through the toughest of weeds and grasses. I'd even say its power is on-par with a 4-stroke combustion mower. It's also quiet enough that you don't need ear muffs (similar noise level to a 26cc petrol blower), and surprisingly light and manoeuverable for a heavy duty steel chassis mower. Which is another one of the highlights. If you're like me and are put off electric mowers due to their cheap budget plastic feel, then consider this the exception to the rule. It feels sturdy and the sprung wheels make for a comfy job. Compared with my Victa 2 stroke, maintenance is virtually nil (apart from the wash down), it's completely reliable and starts first time every time, there's no messy oil or drippy carbies, no spark plug or air filter replacement required, and if you have solar, it's free to run (I'm writing at a time when petrol is $1.90/L).

Okay, here comes the BUT, and there's a few of them. A sticking point is definitely the price and availability. Almost 50% more expensive than a comparable Victa combustion mower and I'd say 80% of that price is the battery. I got mine second hand and, apart from select Bunnings stores, is the only way you'll get the Victa branded version. You can buy the B&S version from a few online stores but again you'll pay through the nose for postage. And while it certainly feels premium for a cordless mower, it still doesn't have that "sturdy steed" feel of a 90s Victa 2 stroke. The handle is a bit rattly and the wheels more wobbly than I'd like. As a few other people are pointing out, it doesn't cut particularly low either, getting lawn down to maybe 2cm tops, so you'll have to bust out the whipper snipper for those close shave areas. I also can't stand the half chute at the back, which clogs regularly in wet lawn, however this is a design choice for most new mowers and isn't limited to this one. Perhaps the biggest issue is tackling long grass. While it has power for days, long and thick turf drain the battery very quickly. If you've got lawn longer than 20cm, expect 15-20mins runtime instead. And this will definitely be the breaking point for some folks. You can get the 4ah battery, which should theoretically double your mowing time, but prepare to fork out a lot extra for that.

So, would I recommend this mower? Yes, BUT I'd only recommend it for people with regularly maintained lawns smaller than 1000m2, people who plan to use it in tandem with a combustion mower, or folks who don't mind taking a coffee break every 20-30min.

Aug 2024 update: Mower is still going strong and battery's still holding charge for 20-30mins mowing. Have since purchased another 2ah battery second hand and I can now mow non-stop. In the last 2 1/2 years the only maintenance I've had to do on the mower is to clean between uses and sharpen the blades.

Still happy with the switch to battery!

Good mower but terrible batteries – Overall good performance, good steel deck, cuts very well, happy with mower hardware BUT not the batteries, one stopped working within warranty period, was replaced with the only working battery among six in stock, next battery died out of warranty but after negotiations I received a replacement after a ten month wait, the week later , the first… Read more

replacement battery stopped working… it boils down that I have had four batteries in three years, at $400 a pop, this is ridiculous!! The new battery has a five year warranty….I wait in hope….

Great Mower, a few niggles. Hope the battery lasts – Have had the Mower for 2 years and it does the job on my 800 sqm block. No petrol, nice and quiet. Bulldozing effect of the deck is an issue but I just Mow a little higher. I have my fingers crossed that the battery or charger don't fail as they are now 2 years old and the replacement cost of the battery is prohibitive at $330 plus. Pointless having a 5 year warranty on the mower when a replacement battery is over half the kit price! Show details

BATTERIES FAIL AND ARE EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE – Whilst the mower gives initial good impressions, the battery failed within 18 months. The Victa 82V batteries are horrendously expensive to replace at over $350 for the lowest capacity 2AH model. So with batteries costing more than half the price of a new mower every 12-18 months, why would you bother? Total Cost of Ownership over 10 years would… Read more

be appalling. Have gone back to petrol. This is not my first bad experience with short battery life and high replacement costs on power tools and yard equipment. Have had similar experiences with leaf blowers and other power tools. Finding that poor battery life and high battery replacement cost means it's just not worth it.

Poor Performer – When I charged the battery for the first time, it would not fully charge. Even though my grass wasn't too long, the mower struggled cutting, stalling several times and continued to block the catcher shoot. After less than 20min of use the battery died. The battery charged quickly, but it still didn't fully charge. I contacted Victa customer care… Read more

who were great, they advised me to return the machine to Bunnings where I bought it for either a refund or exchange, as they didn't have any replacement batteries. When I returned the machine to Bunnings, they weren't going to replace it as they said it have to go to an Authorised Victa Dealer. After pointing out that was against consumer law, they refunded me my money.

Very frustrating! – Light and easy to handle. Struggles with my suburban block. Charge only last abut 20 mins and then needs an hour to recharge. Have had to replace the battery twice and the charger once. At present it is standing on the lawn useless as it won't start at all. Not happy. My mower is two years old. I want to go back to petrol. Show details

Not impressed at all - probably my last Victa – The mower is light and easy to manoeuvre, and also easy to start. I also like the fact it's electric, so it's quiet and there aren't any fumes to deal with. Apart from that, I think the mower is rubbish. I live in Brisbane on a 750sqm block, and have never been able to mow the entire lawn without having to charge the battery at least twice. It… Read more

lacks the power to handle a lush, thick summer lawn and stalls frequently during the process, and there's also a big gap between the lowest setting (which is almost unusable as the skirt drags on the grass) and the next one up. I would have put up with this if the battery lasted a decent amount of time, but this morning it died after less than 3 years. At well over $300 for a replacement I won't be bothering with another. I would not recommend buying this mower.

Great mower! – I love this mower!! I have a big lawn to cut every two weeks and should have purchased an electric mower years ago. I'm very surprised about negative reports about how long the battery lasts between charges, I can do the whole lawn back and front on one charge which is 5 bars. Takes less that 20 min to recharge from one bar to five. I do keep the… Read more

battery in a cupboard inside the house maybe leaving it in a garage affects the longevity of the battery?? Agree that the gap from the lowest grass cutting setting to the next highest setting is too large. I've adjusted to how often I cut the grass which compensates for this. Yes this mower does NOT like wet grass but my petrol mower didn't either. I always use a catcher so mulching is not a factor. You need to empty the catcher fairly frequently but it's not a problem. Is the motor powerful enough? Yes it is and my lawn is uneven too with a small strip of buffalo grass along the back fence which when dry the mower cuts it beautifully.

I don't think the price difference between the 21 inch mower (where you get two batteries ) and my 18 inch mower (with one battery) justifies the price difference, having only one battery on this mower is not a big deal at all. Sure it may take me a little longer to mow the lawn with my 18 inch mower but I only cut it every 2-3 weeks anyway. I do feel the blades are getting blunt after 12 months of use so will look at getting them sharpened soon. I always use a wet rag with a little soapy water to wash the undercarriage after each mow to prevent grass cutting build up between mows as I find this works. This mower is quiet and with no fumes. It's not perfect but then I've learned over the years that any product you purchase is a trade off between price and features.

Not good for buffalo grass – Although it does a number of things well, it also has a couple of serious design flaws. The mower is not suitable for mowing buffalo grass. The first problem is that the mower has a large gap between the bottom two blade height positions. The lowest position is too low for buffalo grass, and the next position is too high. Over time, using the… Read more

second position raises the overall grass height (ie it develops a thatch) because the mower is too light to force itself down onto the grass to consistently cut a fixed height from ground level. The result is that over several months the overall grass height slowly increases (eg from about 35mm to 50mm or more) which blocks pop-up lawn sprinklers and raises the grass level above garden edging etc.

Trying to remove the thatch is then almost impossible.

If you lower the mower to the lowest setting, the two lower front corners of the mower deck dig into the spongy mass of buffalo grass, making pushing the mower impossible. The lowered areas bog down into the grass. I have tried raising the deck to a position between the first and second notches (which tends to move a bit as there is no slot to hold the deck there); this allows the deck to be pushed (with a lot of effort as it still digs in a bit), but the reduced air inflow from under the deck means that the grass does not pick up and go into the catcher very well, so tends to block the exit chute and leave cut grass everywhere.

The only way possible to cut the grass on the lowest setting is to mow it backwards (which I have started doing!). This is because the force exerted by normal forward pushing is not just horizontal, but also has a downward component (which forces the front deck edge into the grass), whereas pulling backwards has a slight upward component. Although the mower does not dig in going in reverse, it is extremely difficult to mow.

The other minor issue is that the lower handle retaining knobs (BP80024A) get loose, and need continual re-tightening before each mow. The handles are a sloppy fit onto the mower deck, so tend to wobble up and down a bit during mowing, loosening the knobs.

I'll be replacing this mower with one that's more suitable.

Terrible mower and worse customer service from Victa – Let’s lead with Victa’s customer service, which is dreadful. They have a customer service line but if you call them be prepared for rudeness and sarcasm. They’re not at all interested in helping their customers or providing solutions. Accurate fact - does not cut grass well and leaves behind a lot of clippings. I’ve tried everything (low, high,… Read more

slow, ensure lawn not wet etc) but it just doesn’t do a good job and my lawn always looks like the worst in the street despite paying for what Victa says is a premium model. Charge does not last for front and back yard. Worst mower I’ve ever owned. Wish I’d never bought it.

Ok for tiny lawns – Get this mower if you have a tiny lawn - like the kind of property where your roofs are almost touching and you have about 2m to your back fence. It’ll do for that size and the piece of council land out front that you have to keep tidy. Anything larger and you’ll have to invest into at least 2 batteries to get any decent size lawn mowed. With a… Read more

bit of luck you’ll run out of juice at the same time the second one is full again. Otherwise I can guarantee after taking 4 hours to mow your lawn because you have to wait that long for each charge you will run out of juice with one last strip to mow - guaranteed! Oh and you’ll be stopping every few minutes to clear the blockage from the catcher... unless you don’t mind just not using one. The only good things are that it is light, quiet and doesn’t smell. All things I would gladly trade for being able to mow my lawn in one go.

Disappointed – I purchased this mower from Bunnings for $599, 2 months ago, to cut the grass on our 730 metre block at our shack. As I'm elderly, I find the weight of the mower easy enough to push through the grass. My old 35 year old 4 stroke petrol mower was getting a bit too heavy for me. The power of the 82v motor is more than sufficient to cut light grass… Read more

20cm high. My major complaint is the battery lasts only15 to 20 minutes and then takes 30 minutes to charge again. Before I purchased the mower, I asked a female employee at Bunnings the cost of purchasing a second battery as I can't always get to the shack every 2 or 3 weeks to keep the grass neatly trimmed. She phoned and asked someone at the Tool dept the cost of a second battery, and was told $120, which I thought was reasonable. Last week I decided to purchase a second 2ah battery, and was stunned to discover the cost is actually $240.

Poor battery performance – I purchased this mower about 20 months ago. I have a medium sized lawn and rarely mow it - I have used it maybe 12 times. Originally the battery would last for the front and back lawns - now I can only get half way through the front lawn before it is dead. I would have to charge 3 times to do both lawns. The motor now struggles (almost stops) when the lawn gets a little thick. Disappointing for a 82 V mower. Show details

Great but not so great – Bought this mower couple of weeks ago from Bunnings. Unfortunately the mower is not good enough for our dense and broad leaf buffalo grass unless you're patient enough to run numerous passes. Posted an ad already on Facebook and Gumtree to sell this: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/298476564482959 Pros * Great solid feel and an amazing… Read more

steel deck * Quiet * Easy to clean design * Battery charges pretty soon and we get around 35 minutes run time * Good fast and clean cut even if the grass is a foot tall in our backyard (sparse and thin leaf blade)

Cons At the front we have very dense buffalo grass with broad leaf blades * Uneven and sheared cut and clumping if grass is dense and broad *dry grass and when it is sunny* * Struggles and requires multiple passes by having to slightly lift up the deck and lower it gradually even on the highest setting *even if you're mowing within a week's time and our grass hardly grows in that time*. Hard to go down even by one step (out of 7 length settings) if the grass is thick. You have to be patient so I give up and never cut below the highest setting of 70 mm although I would like to bring it down to at least 60 mm (50 mm is ambitious)