Gas vs Electric Lawn maintenance tools

[Jmp63]

I’m trying to decide between gas and electric when it comes to lawn/property maintenance equipment.

My wife and I purchased our first home last summer so I’m starting from scratch when it comes to lawn maintenance tools. We borrowed my in-laws to get through last season. We were able to purchase her grandpas 2005 John Deere GX345. So got the lawn mowing part covered. We’re sitting on just over an acre of property. House, trees, barn, chicken coop area.

Any thoughts or experiences y’all have with gas vs electric would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DesertIguana]

Gas is the reply you want. Step son in law sell Turf Equipment to the commercial sector of Landscape Maintenance Business. Electric is all smoke & mirropr to save world, truth is it is not practical, costly, and might be fine for 10-15 minute job. Not Commercial Use.

 

[Columbo]

I’m trying to decide between gas and electric when it comes to lawn/property maintenance equipment.

My wife and I purchased our first home last summer so I’m starting from scratch when it comes to lawn maintenance tools. We borrowed my in-laws to get through last season. We were able to purchase her grandpas 2005 John Deere GX345. So got the lawn mowing part covered. We’re sitting on just over an acre of property. House, trees, barn, chicken coop area.

Any thoughts or experiences y’all have with gas vs electric would be greatly appreciated!

Gas, no question.

Electric (and battery-powered) is a fool’s choice for that much property.

 

[ColtRevolver]

Gas....Quality gas tools. I'm a Stihl guy, but would also consider Echo.

 

[Mojo88]

If you have the option go to a lawn and garden store vs big box. I have a Toro Timemaster and it started to backfire. I took it to the shop where I bought it and as it turned out the cylinder head was bad. They replaced it at no charge with no questions asked.

 

[luvmysuper]

Gas for general use.
If there's a quick job to do, I have 20v hedge trimmer, string trimmer, blower and small chainsaw.
But for me, most jobs I end up tackling are more than 10 or 15 minute jobs and require a little more horsepower than the battery drivens.
The upside is the wife will grab the battery operated pieces if she's feeling ambitious where she wouldn't consider using the gas driven.
Lawn and snow blowing (and hauling or pushing) is with a Deere X738.

 

[Hopalong]

They will have to pry my gas equipment from my cold dead hands.

 

[nortac]

I use both gas and electric. My gas powered stuff is Stihl. Wife bought some light weight electric tools and they are complete garbage. I bought Kobalt (Lowes) weed eater 80 V that is great. Most of my mowing is with a Ferris 61in zero turn mower. My gas push mower gave up the ghost and I gambled on a Kobalt 80 V mower, and so far it has been adequate for the limited finish work that I need a push mower for. It's certainly not the equivalent of a gas mower, but it does what I need it to do. If you go electric, get the highest voltage unit available.

I don't use electric to save the planet or reduce my carbon footprint, but good ones work within certain limitations and are essentially maintenance free.

 

[Tirvine]

I have a regular city lot and very little grass. A push mower, electric string trimmer, a broom, and shears are all I need. When I kept an acre with a large lawn, gas was my choice. For electric things, I believe in corded versus cordless. Those batteries just don't hold much charge. It is easy to manage a cord.

 

[DrStrange]

Thinking of saving the planet,
my friend's father tried to cut his lawn with an electric mower,
and then with another, and maybe one or two more,
until he realized it wasn't working out, and then he went back to gasoline.

 

[Jmp63]

Gas is the reply you want. Step son in law sell Turf Equipment to the commercial sector of Landscape Maintenance Business. Electric is all smoke & mirropr to save world, truth is it is not practical, costly, and might be fine for 10-15 minute job. Not Commercial Use.

Thank you! Very helpful! I asked all the gentlemen at church today and they all responded with gas is the way.

Gas, no question.

Electric (and battery-powered) is a fool’s choice for that much property.

I try not to be a fool! Sometimes it’s hard

Gas....Quality gas tools. I'm a Stihl guy, but would also consider Echo.

Stihl is what I was planning on for gas powered options.

If you have the option go to a lawn and garden store vs big box. I have a Toro Timemaster and it started to backfire. I took it to the shop where I bought it and as it turned out the cylinder head was bad. They replaced it at no charge with no questions asked.

Good to know! That’s some great customer service! Definitely plan on going through the local hardware store or through the Hutson dealer nearby.

Gas for general use.
If there's a quick job to do, I have 20v hedge trimmer, string trimmer, blower and small chainsaw.
But for me, most jobs I end up tackling are more than 10 or 15 minute jobs and require a little more horsepower than the battery drivens.
The upside is the wife will grab the battery operated pieces if she's feeling ambitious where she wouldn't consider using the gas driven.
Lawn and snow blowing (and hauling or pushing) is with a Deere X738.

Very helpful! Thank you Phil! I know you recently purchased the Kombi unit, how’s that holding up for you? Is that something that would be worth it for just a weed whacker and an edger? Weed whacker will see weekly use, no idea how often I’d use an edger? Curious if a stand alone trimmer would be best and then just borrow an edger the few times a year I need it?

They will have to pry my gas equipment from my cold dead hands.

Molon Labe!

I use both gas and electric. My gas powered stuff is Stihl. Wife bought some light weight electric tools and they are complete garbage. I bought Kobalt (Lowes) weed eater 80 V that is great. Most of my mowing is with a Ferris 61in zero turn mower. My gas push mower gave up the ghost and I gambled on a Kobalt 80 V mower, and so far it has been adequate for the limited finish work that I need a push mower for. It's certainly not the equivalent of a gas mower, but it does what I need it to do. If you go electric, get the highest voltage unit available.

I don't use electric to save the planet or reduce my carbon footprint, but good ones work within certain limitations and are essentially maintenance free.

I got to try my dad’s electric push mower at our old rental. One fully charged battery was barely able to finish the small duplex lawn we had then.

I have a regular city lot and very little grass. A push mower, electric string trimmer, a broom, and shears are all I need. When I kept an acre with a large lawn, gas was my choice. For electric things, I believe in corded versus cordless. Those batteries just don't hold much charge. It is easy to manage a cord.

Great information! Very helpful! Thank you!

Thinking of saving the planet,
my friend's father tried to cut his lawn with an electric mower,
and then with another, and maybe one or two more,
until he realized it wasn't working out, and then he went back to gasoline.

Lol

 

[Jmp63]

For those of you with gas weed trimmers, I think I’ve got it narrowed down to a Stihl FS91R any experience with that model?

 

[Old Hippie]

I buzz the place with a DR brush mower. It's the Pro 26 model, 14.5 hp. If I mow everything it's a couple of acres at least. Couldn't do that with an electric mower (although I see DR makes one). Ours is named "Matilda" because I don't steer it, I provide a firm lead and the lady follows through. The thing weighs about 450 pounds, so a little shrimp like me ain't gonna throw it around. "Waltzing Matilda" is spending six hours mowing flat space.

O.H.

 

[luvmysuper]

Very helpful! Thank you Phil! I know you recently purchased the Kombi unit, how’s that holding up for you? Is that something that would be worth it for just a weed whacker and an edger? Weed whacker will see weekly use, no idea how often I’d use an edger? Curious if a stand alone trimmer would be best and then just borrow an edger the few times a year I need it?

I love the Kombi! I've made extensive use of the wood saw blade, the 3 blade trimmer and used the pole chain saw for some really wild hedges and broken tree branches.

For those of you with gas weed trimmers, I think I’ve got it narrowed down to a Stihl FS91R any experience with that model?

I was going to get that trimmer when I decided on the kombi.
If you are looking at eventually getting more than just a string trimmer, say a pole saw, an edger, a blower, a hedge trimmer etc, then the attachments are cheaper than separate gas powered tools, and you only have one engine unit to maintain.
That takes up less space too.
You can take the head off of the FS91R and put the circular wood saw or 3 blade brush trimmer blade on it with adapter kits.

 

[Mojo88]

For those of you with gas weed trimmers, I think I’ve got it narrowed down to a Stihl FS91R any experience with that model?

I looked at the instructions for replacing the line on the model you are considering on YouTube. It looked similar to a couple weed eaters I have had in the past. I bought the Dewalt system last year and all you have to do is spin the head, line up the holes, insert the new line and twist. I always found that the ones you have to remove tend to become more difficult to change as the unit ages. You might want to take a look at the model and see if they have upgraded.

 

[ColtRevolver]

For those of you with gas weed trimmers, I think I’ve got it narrowed down to a Stihl FS91R any experience with that model?

I have the older FS90R. I have had it over 10 years. It has never needed a repair. I like the 4-Mix engine. You get the low end torque of a 4 stroke, but a lighter weight engine due to no oil crankcase. I run mine quite a bit with the Stihl brush knife on it. It does a great job on stuff up to about 1" thick.

 

[BravoFoxtrot]

Gas for sure. I live on acreage in rural Colorado and gas powered tools are my goto’s. I do have some electric tools like chainsaws and blowers, but I keep those for small jobs which they are incredibly convenient for.

I felled, bucked, and limbed eight 60 foot + pines today due to pine beetle kill. I still have over 90 more to go. Gas chainsaws all the way (Stihl Pro saws for me). The same for string trimmers and mowers.

I will appreciate the day battery and electric technology catches up to gas. It ain’t easy maintaining piles of gas motors.

 

[Ravenonrock]

We are in the forest, a modest back lawn, mossy and heavily shaded with plenty of fern shoots. Brought our big gas lawnmower from our old place many years ago and it just refused to die. I would haul it out every spring and it always ran. I stopped taking care of it, or overwintering it, didn’t matter, the old Craftsman would fire right up. Gave it away last year and use a manual push mower now. A bit challenging with all the blowdown at times, but enjoy the process so much more. Actually letting half the back end go a little wild this year, wild flowers and mixed grasses, so I have even less to mow. The push mower does require regular cuts, but it’s a quick and fun job.

 

[abies]

I’m trying to decide between gas and electric when it comes to lawn/property maintenance equipment.

My wife and I purchased our first home last summer so I’m starting from scratch when it comes to lawn maintenance tools. We borrowed my in-laws to get through last season. We were able to purchase her grandpas 2005 John Deere GX345. So got the lawn mowing part covered. We’re sitting on just over an acre of property. House, trees, barn, chicken coop area.

Any thoughts or experiences y’all have with gas vs electric would be greatly appreciated!

Haha. I'm going to buck the trend here and say I went electric about 15 years ago and can't imagine using gas equipment anymore. I don't miss it at all. It was good when I switched and it's only gotten better.

The only exception might be chainsaws but even that is getting questionable for me and I still think I'd lean electric, although it depends on how much you'd need it for.

It's quieter, easier to deal with, and less futsy with maintenance (although not maintenance free).

My only gripe is I wish they'd standardize around large battery sizes and connections but it's not enough of a problem to change my mind about electric lawncare and landscaping type stuff.

 

[Jmp63]

Haha. I'm going to buck the trend here and say I went electric about 15 years ago and can't imagine using gas equipment anymore. I don't miss it at all. It was good when I switched and it's only gotten better.

The only exception might be chainsaws but even that is getting questionable for me and I still think I'd lean electric, although it depends on how much you'd need it for.

It's quieter, easier to deal with, and less futsy with maintenance (although not maintenance free).

My only gripe is I wish they'd standardize around large battery sizes and connections but it's not enough of a problem to change my mind about electric lawncare and landscaping type stuff.

What brand did you go with/are you using currently? Also, how big of property are you maintaining?