With a half an acre yard, a riding lawn mower is a necessary tool to get my lawn cut in a decent amount of time and without overly exerting myself. That said, I’ve only ever used a zero-turn lawn mower, so when I was given the opportunity to test the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor, I was happy to give it a go.
I’ve had my eye on EGO and their battery-powered riding lawn mowers for a while. Among mower brands, they seem to be excelling considerably on this front and I couldn’t wait to tackle my yard with the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor. Over the course of a few cutting sessions, I learned how to drive a lawn tractor, especially one with an 18-inch turning capacity in an area with lots of trees. With a maximum six mph speed, I was able speed quickly in the open spaces of my yard and even set the cruise control to make cutting easier.
While it took me some time to figure out all the buttons and features of this riding lawn tractor, once I did, I found it easy enough to use. It didn't hurt that the EGO cut my yard with precision and quality. Sure, the turn radius took some getting used to, but I was glad to see that I still had over 40 percent of battery left by the time I was done mowing.
Keep reading to see my full take on this lawn tractor. Don’t forget to check out our best riding lawn mowers guide to get a better sense of where this EGO sits in the mix.
Alex Temblador has been reviewing household products since 2020. She has tested everything from vacuums to coffee machines, mattresses, gardening tools, hot tubs, and more.
Alex reviewed the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor in the backyard of her 104-year-old home in the Dallas, Texas, area.
EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor: price & availability
Riding lawn mowers are not cheap by any means, but the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor sits in the middle range. While Amazon has the mower priced at $4,449, it’s $3,999 at ACE and Lowe’s. Considering how big the lawn mower is and the amount of features that come with it, the price tag is exceptionally fair and matches up with the product quality.
Score: 5 out of 5
EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor: Setup
I was very curious how the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor would be dropped off at my house. It is an exceptionally large package after all. In the end, UPS gave me a call and set up a day and time for the mower to be delivered. When the truck arrived, a man removed the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor and brought it into my garage.
I'm glad that I’d cleaned out my garage and placed the mower in the very center as I needed a lot of space to set it up. The EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor arrived in a large metal cage that was covered on all sides by cardboard and plastic. I had to remove the cage by hand. Thankfully, EGO provided all the tools needed to undertake this task, which I thought was a nice touch. This task took me a few hours to complete, but I managed it just fine all on my own.
The tractor comes practically put together, except for the seat and the steering wheel. Once I removed the cage, I pushed the tractor out and got to work putting the seat and the steering wheel onto the lawn mower. From there, I aired up the front tires a bit and put the batteries into the mower so I could charge them. While I tried to set up the EGO tractor in the app, I did not see this particular product as an option in the app, and thus, couldn’t connect it.
Take note that the mower comes with an attachment rack, but not with any attachments. It’s something you can hold onto in case you want to buy attachments in the future and need to attach it to the tractor.
EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor: Design
The EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor is, as the name implies, a lawn tractor which is a type of riding lawn mower with a mid-mounted cutting deck. It has rear wheel drive which provides the mower with better traction on slopes and inclines. Not all riding lawn mowers can be used on hills, but you can use this tractor to mow slopes that are no greater than 15 degrees.
This is a battery-powered lawn mower with six batteries that are placed in the front of the tractor. To charge the batteries, you keep them in the mower and use the provided charger to plug into the EGO’s charging port.
Even though it has a 42-inch deck with a side discharge chute, the tractor is as compact as a riding lawn mower of this size can be. The deck can be adjusted between 12 different cutting height positions (from 1.5 to 4.5 inches) with a lever along the back side of the machine. Anti-scalp wheels prevent the deck from scalping the lawn when the tractor goes over a tall spot.
The steering wheel will feel familiar to those who know how to drive, as will the accelerator foot lever on the right side of the machine. The parking break pedal is on the left side. It works in conjunction with the parking break lock lever that’s on the left side of the steering wheel. The parking break can be released by pushing on the lever with your foot. To set the parking brake in place, you’ll need to lift the brake lock lever up and then push the parking break pedal down with your foot until you feel it catch. It was a bit tricky for me to figure out.
I’m of the mind that gardening tools should be as simple to use as possible, and while this EGO tractor is easy to use, it did take some time to figure out all the levers, buttons, and LCD screen icons. There are quite a lot. I had to ride around with the instruction manual in the storage compartment the first few times so I could have something to reference as there was way too many things to remember.
Next to the wheel is the direction control lever. Push the lever forward and the tractor will go forward. Push it down and the tractor will go in reverse. On the opposite side of the direction control lever is the PTO switch which must be pulled to start the blades.
The LCD has a number of buttons and icons. Let’s start with the buttons. The right side has a blade speed adjustment button, a Mowing in Reverse Button, and the Start/Stop button. On the left side is the driving speed adjustment button, the LED light and Bluetooth button, and the Cruise Control System button.
As for the LCD screen, it has 18 different icons noting everything from the battery power to which battery compartments are occupied or vacant. You’ll also see whether the Mowing in Reverse button, the Cruise Control System button, or the parking pedal are engaged or not. It also notifies you when the LED lights and the Bluetooth is on. An alert and temperature icon will light up if there are any issues. It even notes when you’re driving forward or in reverse with “D” and “R” icons. You can also see which blade speed or driving speed setting you’re on. You have three options for each.
Other notable features of this tractor are the LED headlights in the front, the double cup holder, a front storage compartment, and a USB port under the wheel where you can charge your phone. The seat can be adjusted forward or backwards to your liking.
Score: 4 out of 5
EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor: Key specifications
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 |
| Model no | TR4204 |
| Power source | Six 56V ARC batteries |
| Cutting width | 42 inches |
| Maximum cutting speed | 6 mph |
| Dimensions | 42"D x 42"W x 60"H |
| Cutting heights | 12; 1.5-4.5 in |
| Battery charging time | 3.5 hours |
| Lawn size | 1.5 acres |
| Warranty | 5-year tool warranty, 3-year battery warranty |
EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor: Performance
Starting the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor is easy enough. The tractor comes with two keys, but only one needs to be placed in the key port for it to start up. (I store the other key in the storage compartment of the EGO so I never lose it.) After charging the batteries and placing the key in the port, I disengage the parking brake and press the start/stop button for three seconds until the LCD lights up. A green light shines at the top of the LCD screen. I adjust the direction control lever to D or R, depending if I need to go forward or backwards.
To move the tractor, I pushed the accelerator pedal with my foot and moved the steering wheel as I would do in my car. The pedals and steering wheel are very responsive. When my foot comes off the pedal, the lawn mower takes a second or two to stop. I usually tap the parking break if I need to stop quickly.
As I mentioned, there are quite a number of buttons, levers, and icons on the LCD screen to figure out. I constantly forgot what buttons were related to the different settings. Some tractors require users to shift gears to increase speed. EGO gets around that with a button that you can switch between three speed settings – low, standard, and max. All I had to do was push the button one to three times to set the speed.
When I tested this EGO, I usually set the drive speed and the blade speed on the medium setting, and always set the mower to cut in reverse. I don’t know why you would not want to mow in reverse, but at least you have the option. Usually, I set the deck height to two inches. I only lowered the deck when I was on grass. To start the blades, I pulled the PTO switch.
When the blades are off, and the EGO is at a standstill, it doesn’t emit any noise. It's only when I move the EGO that it emits a 67 dB rating. Even when the blades are on, this tractor is considerably quiet compared to gas-powered riding lawn mowers emitting about 87-91 decibels. The noise is louder the faster the speed level of the blades of which there are three – eco, standard, and heavy duty.
As I said, it’s very easy to drive this tractor forward or in reverse. Where I had some trouble or frustration was when I was mowing the part of my yard that is full of lots of obstacles – trees, a swing, and sharp corners around flower beds. Since I’d never used a tractor before, I wasn’t sure how to move quickly through an area with lots of obstacles. I found myself having to stop and switch to reverse quite a bit, which slowed my progress.
An 18-inch turn radius, which isn’t uncommon among riding tractors, was still cumbersome to deal with when mowing this part of my yard. Even in my front yard, which is empty of obstacles, there was a learning curve. I couldn't really mow in up and down lines like I usually do with a zero-turn mower, because the 18-inch turning radius doesn't allow for sharp enough turns.
I ended up mowing in a perimeter pattern for the entire yard. The second time I mowed, I tried to play around with the mowing pattern, but ultimately reverted to a perimeter cut. It was admittedly easier to cut the front yard which lacks any obstacles. I’m still not a fan of the 18-inch turn, but with each use, I’m sure I'll get more comfortable using the “D” and “R” levers and figuring out how to maximize the turn radius to my benefit. It’ll just take some practice.
All that said, I did like that the tires didn’t ruin my yard when I turned. They have high quality traction which made me feel very secure throughout the mowing period.
The EGO has a maximum speed of 6 mph, which felt really fast. You can really cut quickly once you’ve gotten a handle on how this lawn mower works. I did use the cruise control, though I only turn it on when I'm mowing the part of my yard that has little obstacles, and only when the drive speed is on low or standard.
I do have slopes in my yard, but they’re much steeper than 15 degrees, so I didn’t feel comfortable mowing them with this tractor. Per the instructions, you should only use this tractor on slopes that are less than 15 degrees.
I liked that if I stood up or moved away from the chair while mowing, the mower would shut off. That’s a nice safety feature in case an issue occurs, and I need to jump off the tractor.
While mowing, I did charge my phone with the USB port. There is a little woven storage area below the port to place your phone in.
The batteries handled my half an acre yard with no problem. I had about 44 percent of charge left after the first testing experience, and 46 percent the second time around. I thought that the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor did a great job cutting at my preferred height.
Charging the lawn mower was easy. I’m glad that I didn’t have to remove the batteries and charge them one by one. They remain in the tractor and all I had to do was plug the charger into an extension cord and then the charger into the charging port on the side of the tractor. I usually mowed in the afternoons, so typically, the mower would be fully charged before I went to sleep.
All in all, I think this is a quality tractor and I can see why users love it so much. As someone coming from a zero-turn mower to a lawn tractor, it was a bit of a learning curve for me, but I think overtime, I’ll handle it with the same dexterity and skill as I do my car and I’ll cut my yard faster and faster in no time.
Score: 4 out of 5
EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor: Maintenance
As a battery-powered tractor, there is a lot less maintenance required than if it were gas-powered. That said, you’ll have to do some maintenance. Before you use the tractor, you should visually inspect the tires. If they seem deflated, give them some air, otherwise, you don’t have to air them up except after every 25 hours of use.
Whenever you're done mowing, you should use a blower to remove debris and utilize the wash port to clean the deck. Before storing the tractor for the winter, remove the batteries and the safety key and store them in a place where the temperature is above 45 degrees. It’s also not a bad idea to check that all the lug nuts are fastened and that the tire pressure is good. Once a year, lubricate the shaft sleeves of the front wheels.
Other types of maintenance, like leveling the deck or replacing the cutting blades, are something that you’ll need to do if you notice that the cut isn’t as good or uneven.
EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor: User reviews
This EGO lawn tractor has over 40 reviews with an average star rating of 4.8 stars. Customers rave about the power capabilities of this battery-powered lawn mower with some claiming it’s on par with their old gas-powered ones and is able to cut through tall weeds and various grasses. Others like being able to charge all the batteries at the same time, driving it on hills, and how quiet it is. The only complaints seem to be that that the lawn mower cannot be set up in the app still.
Should you buy the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor?
| Attribute | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Respectable price for a battery-powered riding lawn tractor from a quality brand; sold at various retailers, though more expensive at Amazon | ★★★★★ |
| Design | Battery-powered lawn tractor with an 18-inch turn radius and a 42-inch deck; has a lot of buttons and icons on the LCD screen | ★★★★ |
| Performance | Cuts and mulches great especially on yards with few obstacles and small slopes; 18-inch turning radius takes some practice to use | ★★★★ |
Buy it if...
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How does the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor compare?
The Cub Cadet XT1 LT42E is a comparable riding lawn tractor that can mow up to 1.5 hours on a single charge. The main difference is that the Cub Cadet has a turn radius of 16 inches and has far less buttons, levers, and controls, which might make it easier to use. However, the EGO can go slightly faster and charge the batteries in the machine. If you have an acre or less, you could probably go with a smaller lawn tractor, like the Ryobi R8V Brushless 30 in 50 Ah Battery Electric Rear Engine Riding Mower. With the 30-inch deck, it’s more compact and can cut up to one acre. Sure it has less bells and whistles and deck height positions, but it has a 16-inch turn radius. If you’d rather be able to turn your lawn mower at zero degrees, go for the EGO Power+ 42” Z6 Zero Turn Riding Mower. It has a similar LCD screen, can handle up to two acres with just four batteries, and can charge four batteries in two hours. Not to mention, it has the capability to get up to 8 mph in travel mode.
How I tested the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor
I tested the EGO TR4204 POWER+ 42” T6 Lawn Tractor by mowing my half an acre yard with it a few times. Since I’ve never used a lawn tractor before, there was a bit of a learning curve, but I managed to figure out the different blade settings, how to drive and turn the mower, and the best method for cutting my grass. From extensive testing, I was able to write this in-depth review for potential buyers.
Find out more about how we test.
- First reviewed: April 2024
