Ryobi and Subaru probably aren’t the first names that come to mind when you think of hit brand collaborations, but over in Australia and New Zealand, the two actually made something pretty cool together. The Ryobi RLM4619SMB was a gas-powered lawn mower that paired a steel cutting deck 460mm wide (that’s about 1.5 feet) with a 190cc Subaru four-stroke engine. The model’s since been discontinued, but owner reports from Australian product review sites say that its combination of engine power, relatively light design, and straightforward maintenance made it a very durable option for demanding mowing jobs at the time.
The mower originally came with an MSRP of $499 Australian (about $350 USD) and came with your typical mower features like a foldable handle and mulching capabilities. Its rigid catcher could hold 50 liters of grass (about 13 gallons), while the cutting height could be adjusted from 10 to 75 millimeters (that’s a little more than a third of an inch to nearly three inches). The mower used four blades and was covered by a two-year manufacturer’s warranty, which is less than the five-year warranty Ryobi gives some of its mowers in the US.
How the Ryobi gas mower’s engine held up for people over the years
But the real star of this Ryobi mower was that Subaru engine. Rather than relying on a more typical mower engine, the RLM4619SMB used a Subaru-branded 190cc four-stroke overhead-valve powerplant. One owner specifically praised the engine for handling steep, heavy paddock grass, saying the Ryobi delivered more power than a (similarly discontinued) Honda mower he had been using before. Another owner said he was able to use the mower for about 50 hours of yard work each year without fail since buying in spring 2017. According to him, the mower almost always started on the first pull and only ever needed routine maintenance, never frequent repairs.
That’s a claim backed up by a number of other reviews on Australian site ProductReview.com.au. One owner said his regular maintenance only ever consisted of changing the engine oil twice a year, replacing the air filter when necessary, and installing a new spark plug annually. Still, even with so much praise for the engine itself, the mower sits at an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 based on 148 reviews on the site. Cleaning and maintenance and fuel efficiency get the most praise, while its actual build quality and value for the money have the most complaints. In other words, nothing outside the usual common problems with Ryobi mowers.
