Is Battery power taking over the lawn/garden business?

[Toothpick]

I’m seeing more and more commercials for battery powered lawn stuff. Stihl has put out a new battery powered set that is getting a lot of air play. Craftsman, Milwaukee, DeWalt, etc. They all have battery powered lawn stuff now.

I bought a Craftsman battery powered hedge trimmers a couple months ago that I got for 50% off. The only reason I bought it was the sale price. But I must say....it’s pretty awesome.

My boss has the battery powered Milwaukee chainsaw and weed eaters - he loves it. The electric company in town switched to all battery powered equipment from Stihl - rumor is they absolutely love the stuff.

I’m really considering going all in on this battery powered stuff. I need a leaf blower for sure.

So what ya think? Do you own any battery powered lawn stuff?

 

[dfoulk]

I just bought some new Stihl tools for the yard and I considered the battery powered ones before ultimately buying the gas powered models. Things I considered were the power of the tool in the battery version vs the gas version. The need to replace the batteries every couple years and the cost to replace the batteries. The battery powered tools can be a bit pricer than the equally performing gas versions, but I was buying the landscaping versions of the gas powered tools so I certainly could have chosen the higher end battery powered versions in the price range I was in.

Advantage of the battery powered tools is much less noise as well as not having to store fuel to power them. Disadvantages are a bit less power, battery charge time and battery replacement cost. Convenience and simplicity vs. power and noise.

With other battery powered tools like drills for example, I'll generally choose Ridgid tools as once registered you get a lifetime warranty on the batteries as well as the tool. Had Ridgid offered the tools that I wanted with the lifetime battery warranty I'd have given them some serious consideration.

 

[dfoulk]

The Stihl Kombi system is really, really nice. You should check it out as you can get it in gas or battery powered versions.

Allows you to buy one powered head and lots of attachments to do various tasks.

 

[matwho]

I have the EGO lawnmower, snowblower, trimmer, and leaf blower and I am very happy with all of them.

 

[Jaybeez]

I just got a battery operated chain saw (Green Works) on deal from Amazon. If that works well, I may convert as my gas stuff gives out. But with a shed full of Honda and Stihl, that may be a few years yet.

 

[Raissermesser]

Depends on the size of the lawn. For small yards, they might have the edge over gasoline. For large yards, gasoline engines still rule. Interested in electric for a push trimmer, if such a critter exists.

 

[ZJ68]

Picked up a battery powered hedge trimmer earlier this summer and I really like it. I'm going to migrate over to electric for everything else except mowers and the big chainsaw gradually. I do not like 2-cycle engines and will be glad to be rid of the ones that get the most use.

 

[Esox]

I was in Home Depot not long ago to buy a pressure washer. Walking out we walked past the lawnmowers and I saw the battery powered ones. They have many to choose from and we had a pretty good look at them. I cant say I liked them much but maybe I'm just being old school. They felt disposable. All plastic and flimsy feeling to the point I was afraid of breaking them when turning them on their sides to see under the pan and look at the blade(s). They arent exactly inexpensive either at ~$500CAD, but they sure felt cheap.

Lithium Ion is a good platform and the batteries should last quite a while but if they need replacing they arent cheap either. One I looked at was 80v. It took two 40v LithIon batteries. I sure didnt feel the confidence coming from it to cut a lawn thats gone to seed but I'm also sure the arent meant for that. So why two 40v batteries?

The friend I was with bought a 20v trimmer though. I've used it and it works well. Its light and maneuverable and does what its meant to do. In his basement however are two older electric trimmers he can no longer get batteries for and all the batteries he has wont take a charge anymore, NiCad.

My 30 year old Homelite 2 stroke trimmer is still going strong. So is my 25 year old Yardman 6.5HP gas mower and my Stihl chainsaw thats the same age. When the time comes I need a new trimmer, if that time ever does come lol, I'd buy a cordless.

A neighbor across the street from me has small front and back yards. She's using a newer electric mower and it works fine for her so far. No cord is nice.

 

[Doc4]

When I was a teenager, I mowed lawns for pocket money. Usually things went well, but there always ended up being that one guy with an old mower that, no matter how I pulled and pulled and pulled, I couldn't get the engine to turn over. Ugh. Oh, for a one-button-push reliable start.

Depends on the size of the lawn. For small yards, they might have the edge over gasoline. For large yards, gasoline engines still rule.

True.

And "round these parts" newer homes all tend to have smaller and smaller yards (both due to houses getting bigger and the standard city lot getting smaller.)

 

[Ad Astra]

Electric edger and blower, but not battery.

AA

 

[Ted A]

Depends on the size of the lawn. For small yards, they might have the edge over gasoline. For large yards, gasoline engines still rule. Interested in electric for a push trimmer, if such a critter exists.

I have heard that Toro (I think it was) is developing a mower for cornfields. At least 40 acres. Mow the weeds instead of plowing. Self driving, recharged by solar or wind. The farmer wouldn’t have to actually be in the field

 

[simon1]

Wife got an electric battery hedge clipper last year and loves it. It's not a high voltage battery but it lasts long enough without having to recharge to do the hedges we have. And extra batteries are expensive. She likes it better than a corded one as she had a tendency to cut the electric cord when using that one...that's her fault though.

There is no way an electric battery mower would do my 2 acre yard...at all. I'll stick with my gas powered Gravely zero turn mower. It will power through the heavy stuff.

Every time I seem to need my battery power drill the battery is dead, both of them, and it takes about 16 hours to charge one. I usually pull out Dad's old corded electric one.

I guess it all depends on how big a job you have to do. A small, postage stamp sized yard in town that hasn't grown up too much should be fine with an electric mower, but I don't know.

 

[Jim99]

My experience is limited to battery power drills and a lawn trimmer.

The batteries are always dead when I need them as I forget to charge them (I must do a better job of planning ahead). Also, I have two older battery powered drills that need new batteries and they’re no longer made. In the scrap heap they go. So much for being green.

 

[troy]

I just got the Greenworks 40 volt string trimmer, hedge trimmer, and chainsaw from Walmart for almost half off. Only used them a few time, but am pretty impressed. Much better than the 18 volt Black and Decker stuff I had 15 years ago.

 

[Aziraphale]

My neighbor has a hand held battery powered leaf blower. He uses it daily for about 12 hours a day it seems (even into the darkness with his garage light shining). I don't think he loves his wife. It has to be the most annoying thing. Plus that, he can never keep the damn thing at one speed. He pulls the trigger like he's get the thing cammed and lifted and he needs to keep goosing the gas to keep it running.

 

[MrLara]

Depends on the size of the lawn. For small yards, they might have the edge over gasoline. For large yards, gasoline engines still rule. Interested in electric for a push trimmer, if such a critter exists.

That's pretty much it right there.

Plus the electric ones (at least from the video reviews I've seen), they recommend that you keep the lawn short. Otherwise the electric mower has trouble cutting through it.

 

[EL Alamein]

Sounds interesting but I'm already invested in gas power. The items I bought will probably outlast me.

Chris

 

[garyg]

I wish the neighbors and their lawn contractors (the majority here can't muster themselves to mow the 1/5 acre lots) would convert immediately to batteries. I'll see how they go, but wait until my 25+ YO gas tools give out - though I may before they do ..

 

[Esox]

Every time I seem to need my battery power drill the battery is dead, both of them, and it takes about 16 hours to charge one. I usually pull out Dad's old corded electric one.

This is the set I have.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/bo...-with-2-batteries-charger/1001070424?rec=true

Half the weight of my old DeWalt NiCad and twice the power. Most chargers for LithIon batteries are quick chargers. Mine are fully charged in 30-40 minutes and the charge lasts hours under heavy use. The impact driver is quite a tool. It will drive a 3" deck screw right through a 4x4 without a problem.

Lithium Ion batteries are a different technology than NiCad.

The guy in this video is, I think, a mining engineer here in Canada. He's very a good reviewer. Very thorough, intelligent and not in it to make money or get free tools. His language can be colourful lol. He explains LithIon in the video below.

 

[Toothpick]

I’ve got the DeWalt 20v XR drill driver family. I wonder what else I can use with these batteries! Like a blower maybe. I’ll have to look.