Stihl RMA 460

I bought this mower with an AK30S battery and A301 fast charger three months ago for $1117. After showing the dealer pictures of the Empire Zoysia lawn on a slight slope, he recommended this model. After about three weeks the propulsion started making a loud click and jerk every 1-2m (see attached video), even with the mower blade switched off.… Read more

The dealer says I set the speed too slow (??), but after increasing the drive speed it would bog; dealer said I need to raise the mower. This works, but not cutting short enough caused the lawn to thatch. The advertised mowing area with one battery charge is 220m², mine does 90m² at the most. I tried using the mulching function once, but the battery got so hot I needed a glove to remove it. It then took 2½ hours to cool down before the charger started its job. With my old Rover petrol mower, it took 30-45 minutes to mow the lawn. Without using the mulching function, the battery lasts 12 minutes, after cooling down for up to an hour first, it then takes 45 minutes to charge, Total mowing time is now 2½-3 hours, and I need to mow twice as often to maintain a good length. The cherry on top is the dealer eventually suggested I sell the unit on Facebook Marketplace!! Stihl themselves are very unhelpful saying they can't do a remote diagnosis, won’t even tell be if the remaining warranty would transfer to another buyer. Dealer suggested a second battery for $319. Thing is if I sell the unit at half the purchase price, add the $319 I can get a petrol mower that works.

New Stihl Battery mower is a LEMON. Was looking forward to no more petrol and reduced noise. Set the height level to the third level, started it up and pushed it forward but with three weeks growth it was barely cutting anything off the grass. So… Read more

dropped the height to the number two setting and found I couldn't physically push the mower forward now. The mower surround was now totally bogged in the grass. Then I realized the cutting blade is set too high inside the shroud. Got the old mower out and cut a section with it set on its usual number four height setting and cut the grass with that easily as usual. So got back with the new one over the now cut section but found it still took every bit of my strength to move it forward. This is a poorly designed mower and appears it maybe suitable for bowling greens, although I doubt it, but useless on lawns. Took it back to local Stihl dealer and explained the problem of a mower that you have to set the height so high it wont cut or lower it and you cannot push it. There answer was get used to having very long grass from now on. I asked if I could swap it for a petrol one as its unsuitable for what I purchased it for. I even offered to throw more money at it just to get a mower I could at least use. There answer was once I took it out the door its my problem if it doesn't cut my grass. I contacted the Australian supplier of Sthil products and there answer was to go back to where you purchased it as it wasn't there problem. PLEASE if you are thinking of buying a Stihl battery mower, don't do it unless they are prepared to demo it on your lawn. Stihl's returns policy is ZERO once you take a mower out the door. My wife purchased this as a Christmas present. We now both regret the decision to buy a New Stihl Battery Mower Picture was taken after mowing with the old petrol mower

Very dissatisfied with this product. Purchased in August 2022 and by April 2025 the gear box had seized, less than 3 years old. It would cist $465 to replace the gear box. Of course it is out of warranty by a few months and neither Braschs nor Stihl will acknowledge the product is defective. I would definitely NOT recommend this product. I… Read more

purchased it as it was supposed to be a good brand. Do not waste your money on this product. Not impressed with Stihl at all.

the lawnmower is ok, its far from German excellence that one expects from stihl though. pros: machine is light but not too light. folds up neatly has springs on front wheels so handles bumpy terrain really well. cons: pretty gutless it struggles with moderate growth. lowest cutting height is 30mm but is really like 35mm. not 25 like most… Read more

lawnmowers. Batterie$$$ you need three. one running one cooling down under a fan and one charging. that's 700 dollars just for batteries. and cleaning is a hassle there are gaps everywhere in the cutting bay so if your slightly obsessive its a bit of a screw around. I've noticed this silly design in the fsa 85 line trimmer. so one day i pulled it down and siliconed the hell out of the silly design flaw of gaps and stupid crevices. this cut cleaning down to about 10 mins. I'll be doing the same to the lawnmower after i do a winter clean. ie. virtual dismantling and cleaning.

Better than expected Stihl RAM460 – I purchased a 36v Ryobi mower 4 years ago and while it did the job, the cheap build quality always bothered me. The battery failed at just over 4 years old which was all the reason I needed to replace it. Bought the rma460 with ak20 battery to power the mower and fsa57 line trimmer along with the standard slow charger. Very happy with the Stihl… Read more

mower. Solid built quality, cuts really nicely and really packs the bag with trimmings unlike the Ryobi. The handle is comfortable to hold and the bag is easy to remove and attach. I also like that just about every part can be bought from Stihl to keep it looking and running like new.

Very happy with my purchases. But like others have said, and the reason I only give it 4 stars and not 5 is the steal deck which will eventually rust from stone chips on the paintwork and buildup which will hold moisture on the deck for extended periods after use. Knowing this I always wipe it clean and dry it off after every use which Im sure will greatly extend it's working lifespan.

Even with this draw back I'd still recommend this mower, it's solid built and excellent cut make it a great product to use.

I should add that I have a medium size yard and a single ak20 battery dose front and back both powering mower and line trimmer with heavier cf3 pro 2mm line. I haven't encountered any problems with pulling the mower backwards or the deck dragging on the ground. I use weekly or fortnightly so I haven't purchased this to handle a jungle.

Happy with my Stihl – I replaced a larger petrol self-propelled mower with this RMA 460V (self-propelled). Overall, I'm happy with the Stihl. I have two AK30 batteries and I mow a large lawn and it takes both batteries, with about 2 bars remaining on the second. It's lighter than my old petrol mower and easier to move around tree bases. The catcher is also easy to… Read more

use and holds a surprising amount of grass.

A big appeal to me is that it's not as noisy as my last mower and therefore less annoying to neighbours. And, my garage doesn't smell of petrol afterwards!

I would give it five stars except that the two bars you hold in (one to keep the cutting blades engaged and one to drive the mower) are slightly uncomfortable to hold, being steel bars. Not a big deal to me

Unlike a petrol self-propelled, you can drive the mower on the battery without the cutting blades running, handy when you want to travel without mowing!

Someone mentioned that it doesn't like being pulled backwards. I've found that if you're mowing straight ahead and you want to stop and pull back at the end of the run, simply disengage the drive just before the end of your run (push forward the last tiny bit), this releases the clutch and the mower will pull backwards. It works most of the time but it's not perfect. With the petrol self-propelled I would have the same problem but instead of pulling backwards, I would do a tight turn, which made the drive wheels spin in the grass a bit.

The price I listed included the double batteries, mower and charger

Good machines – STIHL ELECTRIC MOWER BUNDLE: ALL-ROUNDER BUNDLE BGA 57 BLOWER + FSA 57 GRASS TRIMMER +RMA 460 LAWN MOWER + AK 20 BATTERY + AL 101 CHARGER = $1,149 * 'SAVE $138 WAS $1,287 *Promotion valid from 2.1.24 to 29.2.24. At participating STIHL dealers, in-store only. While stocks last. Visit stihl.com.au for full T&Cs.' TLDR; - VERY GOOD QUALITY - EASY… Read more

TO USE - GOOD VALUE - SUBURBAN USE - GET EXTRA BATTERIES

Recently my mother wanted to get a new cordless mower for a fairly large back yard. I read all the reviews and did comprehensive product research of various brands and models of battery powered mowers. Most reviews are not good, some are really bad. The main complaints about battery mowers are: they just don’t cut it. Apparently the products lack the power to do the job, batteries lack the run time and sometimes the units are fiddly and flimsy. The average review rating for the Stihl AK System electric mower is about 3.3 stars. Not bad, but not good.

I use a couple of cordless electric 18v Makita chainsaws regularly, they go really good for the work we put them through. However I could imagine a thick lawn might give mower batteries a hard time. So I am not surprised the reviews are bad, especially if those people are not used to battery powered tools. There is still a big gap between petrol and battery power outputs.

After looking around at a few different electric mower models and talking to a friend that owns a Stihl RMA 460 (and highly recommended it!) my mother and I went to the Stihl dealer and had a chat. The guy we spoke to first was a good salesperson, clear and friendly, not pushy, realistic and honest. We went away and had think about it and decided that we would get the STIHL RMA 460 LAWN MOWER.

In the catalogue I noticed the bundles, I would have snapped up any of the bundles that had a chainsaw, but none do. I went back into the dealer and asked about swapping the STIHL BGA 57 BLOWER for a chainsaw, no love. I asked if we could swap the blower for a battery, no love. I had a quick think and decided to get the ALL-ROUNDER BUNDLE ($1,149) and an extra AK 30 BATTERY ($269). I asked if they could move on anything and they gave me $30 off the AK 30 battery. Awesome! My final bill was $1388. Yes, I was thinking ‘that is too much what am I doing?!’

I get home with the bundle and a spare battery. I charge the small battery. As described the battery took 1.5hrs to charge. I started with the line trimmer and put the large battery on charge. 

I took the line trimmer for a spin. The line trimmer is easy as to use, noticeably lighter than petrol line trimmers. I went at the edges and the fences etc, as expected, all good, the line trimmer worked awesome. I went a bit too hard on something and I lost the line, it went behind the casing and I needed to figure out how to get it out again. It is an intuitive system. I had the line back out in a minute. The housing unscrewed and fitted back together easy as. I’ve done this before on different line trimmers so it wasn’t my first time but I reckon my 78yr old mum would have worked it out. I finished with the line trimming so I put the battery in the mower and went at it. The AK 20 battery with less than half charge powered the lawnmower for about 5 mins. I had the mower on full power the whole time, I rarely backed it off. The mower was at the highest cut setting, as the lawn was knee high.

I waited 1.5hrs for the AK 30 battery to charge (it might have taken a bit longer to charge than the AK 20). I went at the lawn with the mower again. I got about 15 mins out of the AK 30 battery, going flat out over everything in my way, it was great. The mower does slow down and almost stalls when the grass is thick and dense (and you don’t give it a rest lol).

In the end it took two charges of the AK 20 battery and two charges of the AK 30 battery to do all the line trimming and mowing of the whole yard. The yard space is approximately 12mx12m. The follow up mow should be able to do it with one AK 30 battery in the mower, and the AK 20 in the line trimmer - one charge each.

Overall the RMA 460 mower was easy to use. The mower feels solid, does need a bit of muscle to push it around. I would say similar feel to a petrol mower. The operations for the mower and the line trimmer, deadman switch, on/off functions, battery charger, battery connections on the machines, the grass catcher, the mulcher function, the line trimmer feeder - everything I needed to use, first time out of the box - all worked perfectly. I gave both machines a bit of a push to see what they could handle and after about an hour of use - I can’t fault these machines. It was a lot to spend, but I think it will be worth it over the long run. (Please note: I didn’t use the blower at all).

I can see being familiar with the power of a 4 stroke petrol mower the RMA 460 mower might not seem like an upgrade. Especially if you only use an AK 20 battery. I will agree with the other reviewers out there on that. Mowing is tough for a battery. I think we made the right choice getting the AK 30 battery as well. Mum’s yard would have been a bit of a struggle with one AK 20 battery. 

*Perhaps this is the only thing Stihl could improve with the sales team and catalogue, offer better battery options and packages with better info about what batteries are needed to get the job done.

When I was pushing through the knee high grass with absolutely no problems at all I was thinking to myself, we almost didn’t buy this mower because of the bad reviews! I have to show how good these machines are!

If you have a suburban backyard approx 100-200sqm, I think this bundle might work well - if you manage the height of the grass. If you want the best deal it is probably just the RMA 460 mower with the AK30 battery. 

I will keep giving these machines a run for their money, and will keep my eye open for the MSA 70 chainsaw skin.

Check out the video (https://youtu.be/FHb-DOXXlGk) and the photos, hopefully this gives other buyers some confidence these machines will get the job done, with some patience for charge times.

Hates being pulled backwards – If I was going forward all the time it would be great but unfortunately I don't live in a big square padock without any trees. It's like a forward gear is on or a brake, and it's extremely difficult to go back and forth without waiting. I'm not using the drive unless I'm on a straight forward run so nothing to do with that. I wish I just stuck with my ryobi instead of upgrading to something more heavy duty Show details

Not Satisfied – I purchased the Stihl RMA 460 in October 2021. I haven't used it for about twelve months as I have encountered the same issues as some of the other reviewers. Depending on height level chosen the mower either drags on the ground or doesn't cut low enough.In some sections of my yard it was difficult to see where I had cut the grass. Battery life is… Read more

not what I expected; need two batteries to cut a medium to large yard. 36V doesn't appear to be powerful enough to cut my yard. The mower is not as quiet as I thought it should be. Catcher is not used. Build quality is good though and it is easy to clean. Recommended for someone with a small yard. I went back to using a petrol mower as it is more efficient. I paid $1070 which included the mower,two batteries and charger.

For the benefit of any Stihl representative I don't have the original receipt but I bought the mower from a Stihl dealer in the Central West/ Blue Mountains region.

Good Mower - Serves my Purposes Well – Have had this mower for over 3 years now and have no complaints using it on around 450m2 of a flat surface lawn. Compared to my previous Victa fuel powered mower this one provides a much smoother, more manicured outcome. I use it mostly on height level 2 with an AK30 battery and always in mulch mode. Never tried it on wet grass as what is the… Read more

point. If I have left the grass to grow long the power from the AK30 easily does the back half and I do the front half later after a recharge. If the lawn is not all that long I have got away with the whole lawn in one go many times. It is significantly quieter than the fuel powered mower. No running to the gas station for petrol. Cleans easily with little to go wrong or maintenance wise compared to fuel powered motors. I have the drive itself model which makes the job easier. Have two AK10 batteries as backup if needed but these are mainly used for Stihl battery powered edge trimmer, hedge trimmer and chainsaw. All of these I am equally happy with. The whole Stihl lineup of battery powered garden products is very good IMO. Better to get the AK30 battery as in my experience they last a good time. Having a Stihl shop with service centre nearby is really handy if anything plays up. Have had a Stihl pressure washer fixed/maintained there quickly at a reasonable price so no problem.

Wish I hadn't bought it – I was excited to get a new mower but after having used it for 4 months I wish I had stayed with a petrol driven mower. I still get out my 25 year old Honda Buffalo self propelled as it gets the job done without hassle. The Stihl looks good, is easy to clean afterwards but the operating handles are very uncomfortable on the hands even wearing… Read more

gloves. In comparison, the old Honda is comfortable and easier to operate. Battery life is poor and last time I mowed I didn't manage to finish a small front lawn before having to change batteries. I've found Eco mode to be a waste of time as the mower blades don't spin up to speed fast enough when encountering a section of longer grass resulting in having to pull back and go over the section a second time. Not using Eco mode drains the battery more quickly but using it means cutting the lawn is even more of a chore. Don't bother trying to cut damp grass - the mower just can't handle it. To me, the fact that I prefer dragging out the 25 year old petrol mower and get better results with it says it all. I wish I hadn't succumbed to the lure of quiet operation, multiple appliances with the same batteries etc and bought a new Honda self-propelled petrol mower that has no problem with longer or damp grass. I can't recommend this battery powered mower.

Battery life is horrible!!!! – I bought this because I no longer can pull start a gas mower. For the money I spent on the 460V I expected a better battery life. If the battery life is so little you should include two batteries with each mower. Very disappointed and wish I could take it back and get my money back. Should have waited for the electric start gas mower. Show details

Great mower – Bought a 460 Stihl electric mower,my first rechargeable and am pleasantly surprised, using in combination with a petrol ride on for my large country block, the 460 is great for areas the ride on can't reach,cuts well, powerful and light, my only concern is not enough adjustment to the cutting height,can see electric drive range to get better as time goes on Show details

Buyers be careful buying this mower – Bought the RMA 460 V, AK 30 battery and AL 101 charger today, I was very excited after what the Stihl supplier told me it can do. Took it home assembled it, waited for the battery to charge, push mowed and it mowed not even a 200m* area, it struggled in some parts of the lawn, went to charge the battery again and it was too hot for about 30mins,… Read more

took around 3 hours to charge. Extremely disappointed with this set up. I will be returning it on Monday and will be asking for a full refund. I have a 810m* block and I am not keen to buy 4 batteries for it when I was told one maybe two batteries would do the job. Also Stihl brochure at store says medium to large Lawns, Stihl website says small to Medium Lawns, not sure what's going on there because reading the brochure is what made me buy it in the end.

Excellent Mower – I purchased the entire STIHL AK 36V battery system with 3 x AK30 batteries and fast charger which includes this RMA 460 mower. This replaced my 7 year old Victa Vforce mower, trimmer, hedger, leaf blower/vac, pole hedger and pole pruner. Prior to that I have had numerous brands and models of petrol mowers and gardening tools. The first thing to… Read more

say about the STHIL AK garden tools range and this mower is the build and manufacturing quality is excellent, the best of all the battery gardening equipment I looked at and researched. Ryobi, Victa, etc are poorly made, plastic crap compared to the quality of STHIL.

The metal deck, large ball bearing wheels, metal handle bars, solid fixtures and fittings, smart features, all add up the one of the best quality mowers available and it just feels so solid.

The RMA 460 is a powerhouse of a mower and cuts through my 500 sqm buffalo lawn with ease, even with the recent rain in Sydney which resulted in my lawn being over grown and ankle height, the RMA 460 had no problem cutting through on height setting 3. The single fixed blade cuts the grass perfectly, my old Victa would cut and rip up my lawn, the RMA 460 leaves a beautiful manicured cut lawn.

The RMA 460 is light weight and very easy to push and manoeuvre. I had no problem pushing the RMA 460 through long and thick grass, in fact, at the front on the underside of the deck is an ingenious plastic plate which covers the front axel and the cavity housing the axel, it is channeled in a way which assists the mower travel over and through long grass. This is just another smart feature of this mower.

The grass, even when a little damp, clears the underside of the deck and fills the catcher without getting clogged up, just above the blade there is a fan type of disk which appears to act a powerful blower of grass clippings into the catcher. I didn't have any problems with grass getting clogged up.

I haven't used the eco mode yet, but on full power, battery life is excellent, after mowing my 500 sqm of overgrown lawn, the battery still had 1 bar left.

The catcher capacity is adequate, easy to remove and empty and again I had no problems with any clogging.

I use my blower to clean after use and use a long handled dishwashing brush to clean and remove any clippings from the underside of the deck.

I highly recommend the RMA 460, its worth spending a little extra for the quality and smart features you get with this lawn mower. Purchasing from a dedicated STHIL retailer is also a bonus, dealing with staff who know and specialise in only STHIL products rather than a mower shop or Bunnings who stock multiple brands.

Has its limitations. Understand them before purchase – Recently bought new. Does its job but at times struggles. Doesn't have much power. Forget about wet grass. Just not worth the hassle. I use side shute that clogs easily. Grass gets caught in the bottom part of the cut-out then soon clogs opening completely. Should have a solid rod around rim where opening is rather than wide metal strip that is… Read more

part of the body and in direct flight path of exiting grass. The eco mode is good and works. Haven't tested if it actually saves battery. The bars to control drive mechanism and keep the motor running are in my opinion uncomfortable. I appreciate the safety aspect of the bottom power bar but there must be other ways to make same and relieve the pressure on the hands. It's drive speed is too slow for my liking so I just push it. One can also handle the changing long, short, tough, easy grass scenario better. Not referring to cutting very long grass vs short, but the subtle changes in height and density in rural living house lawns. Battery life. No complaints, but I bought 3 batteries, only needed 2. Though do have the leaf blower so 3 is essential IMO. Easy to clean. A pleasure compared to my Victa petrol. Wheels easy to adjust and run nicely. Height adjustment easy.

Noise level. It's not quiet so use of ear muffs is essential. You can't get it out at any hour of the day and not annoy your neighbours. Forget that all together.

Can't comment on ability to collect grass. I have never done such, choosing to mulch. Haven't mulched with this, well did at a sacrifice to more power so gave that away.

Overall, if I'd run it around my lawn as a demo before purchase I wouldn't have bought. My Victa charges through grass where this dies. If power and simplicity are essential I'd stick with a good decent petrol, not some cheap version though?

If it's "the green" feeling you're after then there's unanswered questions about the afterlife of batteries, electric motors. There's two sides to that debate and both come at not insignificant environmental costs. If you're that way inclined get a sheep or two.

Cut heights no good and battery doesn’t last – I have had this mower for about 2 months. I regret buying it. I have only a small lawn, but the battery does not last the claimed area. When the battery dies it’s too hot to charge so requires about 30mins to cool before even starting to charge. The cut levels are terrible. Lowest is too low and second lowest is too high. Why on earth anyone would want the top few heights I have no idea. Not worth the money. Show details