Echo Breaks Into the Gas-Powered Lawn Mower Market with a Powerful Stacked Blade Model
While battery-powered tools have become a hot topic in recent years, gas is still as relevant as ever, especially when it comes to outdoor power equipment. If you’re ready to upgrade your lawn mower for this season, Echo has you covered with the LM-2119SP self-propelled gas lawn mower. I’m taking an in-depth look at this model how it compares to the competition.
Pros
- Intuitive self-propelled drive
- Easy startup proceedure
- Confident mowing power
- Single-point deck height adjustment
- Excellent side-discharging
- Competitive price point
Cons
- No significant drawbacks
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Echo Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower Performance
- Max Torque: 8.75 ft-lbs
- Cutting Height: 1.25 – 4 inches
- Drive Speed: Variable
- Max Oil Capacity: 18 oz.
- Oil Type: 10W-30
- Fuel Capacity: 0.27 gal.
Getting Started
As with any gas-powered motor, your first step is to add oil. Echo ships this mower with an 18-ounce bottle of SAE 10W-30, saving you a trip to the hardware store. Echo recommends swapping the oil and air filter every 25 hours, or once a year (whichever comes first), to keep your machine running at peak performance.
All you need to do now is gas it up, and you’re off to the races. During our testing, this mower started right up on the first pull! Moreover, thanks to Briggs & Stratton’s Ready Start system, there’s no need to prime or choke the engine, even on cold starts.
Cutting Power
The Echo LM-2119SP is a self-propelled gas lawn mower featuring a 190cc Briggs & Stratton engine that produces up to 8.75 ft-lbs of torque.
That engine is on the stronger side for a residential mower. While you can get away with 140cc, 160cc is what we prefer for most homeowners. Mowers in that class usually have torque around 7 ft-lbs. With Echo opting for a more powerful 190cc engine, its higher torque not only deals with overgrowth better, it opens up a significant blade upgrade.
That upgrade is a stacked dual-blade system—a design that initially helped Honda earn its stellar reputation for cut quality. This concept takes an initial cut off the top of the grass, immediately followed by a second, shorter cut. It creates finer clippings for finer mulching and more efficient bagging, plus airflow improvements.
Lawn Size
Echo tells us that this mower is suitable for lawns up to 1 acre, but for me, that estimate is a little high. It’s all about how much time you’re willing to invest in mowing. Here in the central Florida heat and humidity, I’m going to spend an hour max walking behind a mower at a comfortable pace. With Echo’s 21-inch build, we recommend an ideal lawn size from 1/4 up to 1/2 an acre. If you’re cutting much more than that on a regular basis, I’d suggest upgrading to a riding lawn mower to make life a little easier.
That said, if you don’t mind mowing for longer durations, you can certainly cover more ground.
Self-Propelled Drive
This mower has a variable speed, self-propelled function that automatically adapts to your walking speed, similar to what we saw in the Toro 60V Personal Pace lawn mower. When you speed up or slow down your walking pace, the mower follows suit, reducing fatigue during long mowing jobs.
Echo doesn’t specify the exact drive speed, but I maintained a comfortable pace, around 2.5 MPH, during our testing without feeling like the mower couldn’t keep up. You may notice a slight drop in speed while mowing thicker patches of grass, but regular maintenance cuts won’t put up any resistance.
3-in-1 Versatility
As expected, this mower is set up for mulching, bagging, and side-discharging. During our testing, the LM-2119SP performed great in all three configurations while we mowed a combination of Bahia and St. Augustine grass—a product of a strong engine keeping the RPMs high and the dual-blade system cutting efficiently.
The side discharge chute is removable, which was a smart call on the design team’s part. Removing the chute gives the mower a slimmer profile so it’s easier to store in a crowded garage or shed. If you primarily bag or mulch, it won’t be in the way while you mow close to buildings or landscaping elements, either.
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Echo Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower Design
- Model: Echo LM-2119SP
- Power Source: Briggs & Stratton 190cc engine
- Fuel Type: Gasoline
- Weight: 77 lbs.
- Deck Material: Steel
- Deck Width: 21 in.
- Blade Width: 20 in.
Ergonomics
Looking down from the top, Echo took a straightforward, no-frills approach to the grip ergonomics. The presence bar recesses down into the self-propelled drive handle, and there’s a secondary metal handle to assist you in maneuvering around obstacles.
Echo offers two handle height positions. To adjust them, simply press on the orange levers located near the base of the handle and move the handle to where it is most comfortable for you. The system is a little more cumbersome than a single-point adjustment lever like we saw on the Ryobi 40V Self-Propelled Lawn Mower (RY40HPLM02), but it’s not a deal-breaker for us.
21-Inch Steel Deck
When it comes to mower decks, steel is a tried and true winner for its durability and overall track record. Echo utilizes a 13-gauge stamped steel deck rather than aluminum or poly. This adds extra weight compared to some options on the market. However, I feel like Echo is sticking to the K.I.S.S. method when it comes to design, and that’s alright with me!
Using the single-point height adjustment lever, you can also set your deck height between 1.25 and 4 inches.
Mow N’ Stow
Vertical storage is nothing new for battery-powered lawn mowers, but it can be a little complicated for gas-powered models due to potential fuel and oil leaks. Echo’s Mow N’ Stow technology eliminates this issue by configuring the engine components so that fuel flows back to the tank when the mower is upright without requiring a fuel shut-off valve.
If you’ve ever lost a tank of fuel due to leakage between mowing or simply wish your mower took up less room in your garage, this should be music to your ears!
Additional Features
- Underdeck washout nozzle
Echo Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower Price
The Echo LM-2119SP mower retails for $579 and comes with a 5-year residential warranty and a 90-day warranty for commercial use.
The Bottom Line
As Echo’s first gas-powered lawn mower, I think they nailed the overall performance and design. It’s powerful, the dual-stacked blades produce a clean cut, and the self-propelled drive system is intuitive and adapts well to your pace. If you’re not ready to abandon gas-powered equipment in favor of battery-powered alternatives, the Echo LM-2119SP is a great option for homeowners!
