Is Battery power taking over the lawn/garden business?

[nortac]

So I'm two years into using my Kobalt 80V mower, weed-eater and chainsaw. The chainsaw is fine for small stuff, but no where close to the equivalent of a gas unit, but for most of what I use it for, I appreciate the relatively low maintenance of electric. The weed eater is great and the mower does fine. I think the 80V batteries are responsible for the performance I've experienced, I wouldn't consider anything less.

 

[Phoenixkh]

I think I'll stick with my Honda twin blade mower and all my Stihl lawn maintenance stuff until I really need something that weighs less. The Stihl dealer told me last year that their battery stuff wasn't quite there yet but if I waited a few years, they'd perfect it.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

After several years my first battery powered leaf blower had fins on the motor that spontaneously broke off. It had been a number of years so it was due to go. I had a good experience so I got another Ryobi leaf blower. This time though they have a whisper quiet version. So I got that and I am telling YOU - half the sound of the original one. Highly recommended.

Got through the winter just fine with my battery powered EGO snowblower, as did my neighbor. It was an average winter and I have no complaints about its performance. It is a very real convenience to just charge up the batteries.

 

[Esox]

Got through the winter just fine with my battery powered EGO snowblower, as did my neighbor. It was an average winter and I have no complaints about its performance. It is a very real convenience to just charge up the batteries.

How deep and heavy has the snow been that you've used it in?

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

How deep and heavy has the snow been that you've used it in?

We live in Arizona and it works great!



KIDDING!

Chicago typically gets 37 inches of snow. Generally when I used it there was over 2" to move. Several times it plowed through 5" easy. I like it a lot.

 

[Rhody]

After several years my first battery powered leaf blower had fins on the motor that spontaneously broke off. It had been a number of years so it was due to go. I had a good experience so I got another Ryobi leaf blower. This time though they have a whisper quiet version. So I got that and I am telling YOU - half the sound of the original one. Highly recommended.

Got through the winter just fine with my battery powered EGO snowblower, as did my neighbor. It was an average winter and I have no complaints about its performance. It is a very real convenience to just charge up the batteries.

I’m looking at the ryobi whisper 40v 155 mph version. My gas powered one is about 175 mph but the seems close.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

I’m looking at the ryobi whisper 40v 155 mph version. My gas powered one is about 175 mph but the seems close.

That is precisely the one I now have - works great and not loud like my old one.

 

[LJBraaten]

My wife needed a weed trimmer, and a gas powered one would be too heavy for her. We got a 40 volt model. The tool is adaptable, so I bought the electric pole saw attachment. In short mode (one pole instead of two) I can also use it like a conventional chain saw. Since we had the batteries, I also bought the leaf blower. We like them all, and use them often.

 

[Bobbers]

I have several Kobalt 40 volt tools and think they work very well. I have had them for a couple of years now. I have a push mower, weed trimmer, blower, chainsaw and pole saw. Like any tool as long as you use it with in the usage range it was designed for it will do the job. The thing that I like is not having to deal with gas and engine maintenance.

Still going strong with and added a work light. Might get a fan if it goes cheap.

 

[Esox]

Several times it plowed through 5" easy. I like it a lot.

If they can handle 4-6"s of heavy wet snow and the plow in at the end of the driveway I might just give one a go, if, my old 2 stroke ever dies.

 

[Lane101]

My sense is that over the next decade or so battery powered tools will eventually dominate the market as manufacturers continue to deliver enhancements. This includes the evolution of battery technology to store more KWH per ounce of weight at a lower cost.

Given the current state of the technology for items used regularly, such as a lawnmower, it comes down to a combination of power, range (minutes of operation per charge) and cost. The current LiOn battery technology can make sense for smaller lawns. For our lawn we've stuck with a basic gas powered push mower for the power and range. The latter especially for fall clean up when we run the mower for an extended period of time and need extra power to deal with the leaves.

For items used occasionally, such as a power drill, hedge trimmer or edger I'm not sure battery technology always makes sense. You either need to constantly float charge the batteries (lead acid and other older technologies) or remember to charge the batteries prior to use. Note that with LiOn you don't float charge. Instead you need to fully cycle the battery every 6-12 months and then store it at a 50% state of charge. For batteries that are not float charged you need to remember to fully charge the battery prior to use. We've found that for devices used infrequently this a challenge and eventually the battery goes bad and needs to be replaced. For our power drills I'll often wind up using my older corded drill because the battery for the newer drill has no charge. Other than the second power drill we've stuck with gas and plug-in tools as they are just easier after considering the battery management required and eventual battery replacement costs. Note that for electronic devices, such as phones and tablets that are used regularly, LiOn is a great battery technology as it's easy to remember to recharge at the end of each day.

Interestingly we've build a couple 12 volt, 20 amp hour battery packs for camping and emergency use. When we first build these over 10 years ago we used sealed lead acid agm batteries (half U1 size that weight about 12-13 lbs.). Each of these can run a fan, tablet computers and other electric devices for a couple nights while also enabling us to recharge cell phones. Our solar panel enables extended use without access to mains electric power. The batteries, with our infrequent usage pattern, last for about 5 years. We looked at Lithium Ion when replacing the batteries a couple of years ago and decided to stick with lead acid even though costs had dropped to roughly 3x the lead acid option making LiOn worth considering due to a longer projected lifespan. Decided to stick with Lead Acid because of the simplicity and proven reliability of the technology. LiOn requires a complex battery management system that is typically built into the battery. If it fails the battery can go dead or worse burst into flames. While the worst case failures are rare we figured it made sense to let the technology mature a bit more prior to adoption given that the older technology serves our needs well. Unfortunately there is no reliable and unbiased third party who tests these newer standalone LiOn batteries for safety and performance.

 

[Esox]

Note that with LiOn you don't float charge. Instead you need to fully cycle the battery every 6-12 months and then store it at a 50% state of charge. For batteries that are not float charged you need to remember to fully charge the battery prior to use. We've found that for devices used infrequently this a challenge and eventually the battery goes bad and needs to be replaced. For our power drills I'll often wind up using my older corded drill because the battery for the newer drill has no charge.

Thats not been my experience. I bought a Bosch 18v drill/impact set when the LiOn batteries first came out. They've sat unused for extended periods and would still drive a 3" deck screw through a 4x4 without a problem. I find them much more powerful than my old DeWalt 18v NiCad set, theres really no comparison. The thing I did notice though was theres no warning when a LiOn battery runs out of charge, it just stops dead.

It was the performance of those LiOn batteries in that drill/driver set that convinced me that LiOn was far superior to any other battery technology but I believe they do need to be built with good components.

Years ago I use to use a 5 D cell Maglight. In the early 1990's it was a bright light. An LED with a single LiOn 18650 makes it look like a candle. I was so impressed with my Nitecore P12 that when the Nitecore P30 came out with a 21700 LiOn, I bought one of those and it holds a charge even longer but, you're right about the electronics inside the battery. That 21700 cell charges via USB and the cable plugs directly into the battery.

My leaf blower and string trimmer, that I just replaced the string on last week, have been flawless. Using this new string, it works as well as my old 2stoke trimmer on 3-4 foot tall weeds. The 60v batteries and chargers were a worry but after two years now, I'm not worrying anymore. The guy two doors up from me uses a Stihl gas back pack blower and my 60v is more powerful. A friend dropped off my lawn mower two weeks ago, he replaced the leaky head gasket. He didnt know I had a 60v blower and he also uses a Stihl backpack blower. I ran the mower and cut a bit of grass along the sidewalk and let him try it. What struck him besides the power was the light weight and the balance. He bought one the next day.

 

[StillShaving]

My basic Makati LXT drill/driver with a 3 Ah battery sat for 6 months with its battery gauge still showing as having a full charge. I then used it to remove some fasteners and spin an abrasive wheel to remove paint and it lasted as expected before fully discharging. I was pleasantly surprised.

For tools like drills, oscillating tools, reciprocating saws, etc that must come to some specific location to do its job are where portability (battery) is most valuable even if the battery technology has some drawbacks. But I understand that many need more power or storage capacity for heavy duty tasks like lawn mowing or powering large saws.