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Solaris S21HB 21-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Bag/Mulch/Side Discharge Lawn Mower | 
| Brand: Solaris
Category: Lawn & Patio
List Price: $499.00
Buy New: $486.53
as of 9/7/2010 06:02 CDT details
You Save: $12.47 (2%)
New (1) Used (2) from $350.00
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 24542
Shipping Weight (lbs): 118
Dimensions (in): 36.5 x 26.5 x 25
Model: S21HB
UPC: 878022000922
EAN: 0878022000922
ASIN: B001PKTRU8
Release Date: March 9, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Most advanced electric motor technology equals more power and longer run times | | • | Removable Batteries Featuring On-Board And Off-Board Charging | | • | Push Button Start With LED Battery Level Indicator | | • | 7 position height adjustment from 1.5-inch to 3.5-inch | | • | 2 Year Limited Warranty |
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| Accessories:
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| Similar Items:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Powerful. Pollution-free. Low-maintenance. Combining strength and innovation, the Solaris S21HB 21-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Bag/Mulch/Side Discharge Lawn Mower is an extra-wide rotary mower that cuts the average yard in one charge. Thanks to its high-performance motor and extra-large wheels, the Solaris is perfect for rough, hilly, or dense terrain.
Features include extra-large wheels for optimal traction.See More. | 
Accessories include an optional solar panel (not included). |
The Terra Phase High-Performance Motor provides enough power to cut long, thick, or wet grass.See More. | 
The quiet, zero-emission design is advantageous for you, your neighbors, and the environment.See More. | 
The cordless Solaris requires no gas, oil, or cords, cutting maintenance to a happy minimum.See More. |
Easy Maneuvering with Extra-Large Wheels
If you are seeking the low-maintenance, zero-emission benefits of a cordless mower but don't want to forgo power and mobility, the Solaris is the answer. A combination of strength and innovation, the Solaris is a versatile push mower with extra-large wheels that ensure optimal traction even in rough terrain.Hassle-Free, Emission-Free, and Extra Quiet
With the Solaris it's simple: just push and go. This cutting-edge mower requires no engine maintenance and absolutely no gas, oil, or cords. So when you decide it's time to mow, you can get right to work without wasting valuable time on upkeep. The hassle-free design also means you can store the mower (even upside down or hanging on the wall) without worrying about spills. To save you time, the Solaris also boasts a three-in-one capacity to mow using the side discharge, mulch, or bag. Its handy mulching ability eliminates the need for an additional mulching device. The side-discharge and bag components on the deck allow for efficient waste collection, and the wide 21-inch cut capability speeds up the mowing process. Producing zero emissions and no greenhouse gases, this mower is perfect for anyone who is looking for an easy way to protect the environment. And if you are someone who wants to reduce your carbon footprint as much as possible, you can choose to recharge the Solaris with an optional solar panel (sold separately), which makes mowing your lawn absolutely carbon neutral. Plus, the quiet motor helps make lawn maintenance more relaxing while reducing noise pollution in your neighborhood. High-Performance Motor Cuts Long or Wet Grass
The superb Terra Phase High-Performance Motor has a brushless, electric construction, which increases the mower's run-times for maximum efficiency and gives the mower the torque to cut through long, thick, or wet grass. this state of the art technology and a durable solid steel deck keeps the Solaris performing and looking like new for the long term. Powerful Batteries Let You Tackle Your Lawn in One Charge
An average lot (7,000 to 10,000 square feet) can be cut in just one charge of the Solaris' highly efficient batteries. The included batteries only take 12 hours to charge, or they can be charged in four to five hours with the Rapid Charger Station sold separately. Charging can be done on board the mower with the built-in charging plug, or you can remove the batteries and recharge them using the included off-board charging cradle. Also, a built-in LED battery level indicator on the mower keeps you in-the-know about your battery power levels. What's in the Box
Solaris S21HB 21-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Bag/Mulch/Side Discharge Lawn Mower, two batteries, charger, off board charging cradle, and manual.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 16
 Love this mower! July 22, 2010
Chicagoman
I've had my Solaris for a couple years now. I've read about people's problems with battery charge, but none here. This thing will go for at least an hour. It bogs a little bit if the grass has been neglected and gets real high, but for normal maintenance it has no problems. It's quiet, easy, and it looks pretty cool too. The only challenge I had was a little battery spring clip that came off inside the mower, but I was still able to use the mower with the battery rarely coming loose. I emailed Solaris to ask about getting a new clip, and they got back to me in 5 minutes(literally) saying they'd be happy to pop a new one in the mail. Talk about responsive! I'm glad I don't have to deal with gas or a rip cord...I just press a button and we're going!
 Needs attention to details July 20, 2010
Steven Horney
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've long been a fan of electric mowers; not because I had any delusions about saving the earth with one, but the fumes from gas mowers bother my lungs, the noise assaults my ears, and I don't care for the hassles of using gasoline and oil in the mower (buying/storing/winterizing). Having owned a cordless Ryobi mower about 15 years ago, I knew pretty much what to expect in terms of performance and run time for cordless mowers, with some hope of improvement in reliability (the Ryobi had a built in charger that went out on multiple occasions, and the batteries were not easily removable). I've been using corded electric mowers for the past 13 or so years, which I like quite well, but the cord became a bigger challenge more recently as my wife planted a number of flower gardens in our yard, along with trees, bushes and such. With the size of my lawn (approximately 1/3 acre) it also becomes more challenging to keep up with the 150 ft of cord necessary to reach all the corners. Plus, the corded mowers I've been using have been nearly as noisy as gas mowers. Thus the impetus to pick up another cordless electric mower!
Several considerations became a priority for me in considering the various options on the market (and it's great to see so many options on the market today). With a yard on the large end of the scale for a cordless mower, one of my prime considerations was mowing time; close behind was an easily removable battery; a larger cut was preferred as well. Added to the mix is the efficiency of the mower, and the ease of switching to Li-Poly or Li-Ion battery packs in the future. Quality is always a top consideration as well - particularly at the price of these mowers.
I purchased the Solaris S21HB mower from Amazon.com after quite a bit of research on the various cordless mower offerings available today. The following aspects really drew me to this mower:
1. The brushless power system really caught my attention. As an electric-powered model aircraft enthusiast, I'm very familiar with the efficiency and performance advantages of brushless motors over brushed motor power systems. Although the 24V system potentially offers less run time than competing 36V systems (due to the increased current required to produce equivalent power at a lower voltage level), I made some calculations of the potential run times of this mower vs. other mowers in consideration (Neuton CE6, Black and Decker CM1936, Toro E-cycler). Solaris said the mower could draw from 20 - 70 Amps, depending on grass conditions. I would assume 30 Amps is probably a good estimate for moderate length, dry grass. Assuming 80% efficiency at 24V with a 30 Amp current draw = 720 Watts*.80 = 576 Watts. With two, 12V /20Ah batteries wired in series to produce 24V, this mower has a potential 480 W-hr power system - more than the competing mowers on the market. When drawing 30 Amps, the potential run time from a 20Ah system is 40 minutes. Looking at competing 36V systems with 10Ah batteries and assuming 65% efficiency for the brushed motor system, the power system would produce potentially 360 W-hrs and require 24.6 Amps to produce equivalent power (576 Watts/36V = 16A, divided by .65 = 24.6A). The potential run time of such a system is about 24 minutes. Most of these mowers have a smaller cut, so the run time may actually be longer than estimated, but the smaller cut would also reduce the grass cut during that time. Clearly the Solaris is potentially superior in run time.
2. Easily removable batteries make it simple to swap batteries if the run time is insufficient to finish the lawn.
3. The use of two 12V batteries in series makes conversion to a Li-Poly system fairly easy. 3S1P (3 in series, 1 parallel) 5Ah Li-Poly battery packs are readily available and fairly reasonably priced at the current time, and the voltage from such a pack (roughly 11.4 - 12 V) should be pretty comparable to the actual voltage from the 12V batteries. It would be relatively easy to create 3S2P packs for a 10Ah battery pack (to finish the lawn), or 3S4P packs to get the equivalent run time as the lead acids - and with much less weight, negligible self-discharge, and easy charging from standard Li-Poly chargers.
4. The 21 inch cut was a major draw as well - most competing mowers are 19"- 20".
5. The large rear wheels looked like they would offer better handling.
6. The negative reviews on Amazon.com all focused on problems with the batteries holding charge. Otherwise, the reviews were generally positive.
I received the Solaris S21HB from Amazon in a very reasonable time frame, and shortly thereafter placed the batteries on charge. Two days later I took the mower out for its maiden run on relatively low, dry grass. The mower was very quiet and smooth - just like my old Ryobi - and seemed to have fairly decent mowing power. It didn't quite get all of my lawn cut on a single charge, but that didn't really surprise me (although I was hoping it would do so with the low, dry grass). The neighbors liked the quiet and the cool look of the mower.
Now for the negatives:
1. The first thing I noticed is a very marginal manual; pictures showed an off-board charger, but it wasn't clear if it was supposed to be part of the system or an extra cost option. There was no listing of components that should have been in the box; I eventually found the off-board charger when I opened the top of the mower (it was in the battery well). Very little information was given about charging the batteries; fortunately the batteries and charger systems are designed to be fairly fool-proof, but there is no indication of polarity on the off-board charger or the battery connectors in the mower.
2. The handle was already attached to the mower - a nice touch - but when I put it in position I found that the handle has quite a bit of up and down play. The base of the handle is held by a pin on each side to the wheel mounting plate attached to the mower deck; a little ways back from the pin the plate is bent around to form a notch to hold the handle in place. Unfortunately, the fit is sloppy. This is annoying at best; eventually it will fatigue and crack. It should be an easy fix (just place a bolt through the handle and plate near the notch), but I shouldn't have to modify a cheap handle arrangement on a $500 mower! My low-cost corded mower handle system is far superior. In addition to the slop in the handle, the forward weight of the mower causes the handle to flex quite a bit, making it more challenging to maneuver the mower.
3. Most annoying of all is the flex in the rear wheel attachment system. There's a noticeable amount of flex in both the mounting plate and the wheels. Between the flex of the wheels, flex of the handle, and the forward weight of the lead acid batteries, this is an awkward mower to maneuver and push. Really a poor design in a $500 mower! I'm not sure how to fix this issue.
4. Due to the above problems, I contacted Amazon to see about returning the mower. I've heard good things about Amazon's return policy. Unfortunately, this was not to be. After working a few angles to try to get through all the automated systems, I found that Amazon classifies this electric mower in the same class as gas mowers, and won't allow returns of items that use hazardous or flammable fuels (!). I'm not sure how that applies to an electric mower, but I'm also not sure how to get Amazon to take another look. I don't think I would ever buy an item like this through Amazon again, where I can't check out the item before purchasing.
Bottom line: This mower offers a lot of promise, but the low-dollar approach to the details kills off that promise. I would recommend going with a different cordless mower until Solaris upgrades this mower.
 Solaris S21HB cordless self-propelled lawn mower June 10, 2010
Ottawa Sam
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The lawnmower would not work for longer than 20 minutes before the batteries gave out and for the last 5 minutes struggled to get through the grass and this after mowing every 5 days.I complained to the factory and was told that this was normal for this time of year! I asked if the performance improved to any extent in the late fall.
 Overall - good product/happy October 20, 2009
L. Lee
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've had my Solaris for a couple of months now and have been able to mow my St. Augustine grass multiple times. Overall this mower works ok in the stock configuration. I have around 7,000 sq. ft of yard and it was able to mow it all and still have battery life to spare (yellow lights still on). I do have to say that I'm not impressed with the mower's blade. I put on the bagging attachment the other day and it hardly filled it. The stock blade just doesn't have enough suction. I went out and bought a replacement blade and it made a world of a difference. Now it has plenty of suction but it uses up a lot of battery as well. I went through one set of batteries to do just my back yard (just under half of my yard). I guess it's a good thing I bought a spare set of batteries. Even having to use 2 sets of batteries I'm still happy with my purchase, maybe I can find a blade somewhere in the middle. My last mower was a reel mower that was awesome for the grass but it was too time consuming and was too difficult to use if the grass was too long.
If you don't have a large yard this mower is for you.
Expensive Disappointment October 11, 2009
M. Andrews
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Despite charging the batteries for the directed period of time, the mower simply did not work. The first attempt, the charge lasted long enough to mow about 40 feet of my yard. The second and third attempt, the charge lasted 60 seconds, then 10 seconds, respectively.
Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), I'm very disappointed. I was looking forward to having a quieter, exhaust-free mower. I'll try a different brand next, but this one's being returned.
Side note: I've just begun the return process. So far, it's very easy. Amazon is having UPS pick up the mower (at no cost to me) instead of making me lug it anywhere to be shipped.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 16
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