I went through a couple of gas powered weed trimmers. After a few years I started having to replace fuel lines and filters. Then they got to where they didn't want to start at all. I replaced it with an electric one. I like it a lot. The battery lasts 30-45 minutes of work. I'm happy to take a break at that point. I suppose I'll have to replace the battery at about the same interval that I started having trouble with the gas one. I sure like not having to yank on that starter over and over.
Is Battery power taking over the lawn/garden business?
- Thread starter Toothpick
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And what do you think about some fancy battery-powered fertilizer spreader like one of these? It looks like overkill to me, but the price seems attractive to me Scotts Wizz 2,500 sq. ft. Handheld Power Spreader-71131 - The Home Depot - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Scotts-Wizz-2-500-sq-ft-Handheld-Power-Spreader-71131/206601107. What do you think?
Back when battery tools were powered by NiCad or even NiMH batteries, there were too many reliability issue. Now that rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries are available, they are great. It is a lot easier using a weed trimmer powered by a LI battery than either a corded or gas model. I had a gas powered blower, but we recently got a Ryobi blower powered by a 40V battery; it has two speeds...normal and turbo. There are also blowers that work off the 18V battery, but it only has half the CFM.
I have both gas powered and corded chain saws, but now if I have to trim branches, I grab my battery powered reciprocating saw.
My son in law and daughter recently moved to the Denver area and have a very small lot. He uses a battery powered lawn mower to cut the grass in about 10 minutes.
I have both gas powered and corded chain saws, but now if I have to trim branches, I grab my battery powered reciprocating saw.
My son in law and daughter recently moved to the Denver area and have a very small lot. He uses a battery powered lawn mower to cut the grass in about 10 minutes.
I dunno. That battery powered spreader doesn't seem much more convenient than the hand crank version. I suppose it depends on how much area you have to cover.
I'm way too old-school for battery operated lawn gear. My lawn is pretty tuff so I can't really see the battery operated stuff doing the job. I have a Troy-Bilt mower, weed-eater, and blower that sit all winter (with gas and use no stabilizer), and they start easily at the beginning of the season. I don't always plan to cut my lawn (so I would usually fail to put batteries on the charger). My mower and weed-eater are both 4 cycle so they require no oil-gas mixing. My blower does, but I just buy the pre-mix from Lowe's.
We have a reasonably large garden at the back of the house and it's on a bit of a hill. I doubt a battery-powered mower could handle it - most of the ones I've seen only have a runtime of around 40 minutes and that's with a young, full capacity battery; I usually take around 50 minutes with our petrol-powered mower. That thing is 10 years old and though I've neglected it terribly its Briggs and Stratton engine just keeps on going; if it runs out of juice mid-cut I can have it going again with a full tank in a couple of minutes. Try doing that with a battery.
It's a totally different story with our strimmer however; getting that thing running is always a challenge, and I'd happily swap it for a modern battery-powered unit. Unfortunately it hasn't given up the ghost yet, and until it does I guess I'm stuck with it.
It's a totally different story with our strimmer however; getting that thing running is always a challenge, and I'd happily swap it for a modern battery-powered unit. Unfortunately it hasn't given up the ghost yet, and until it does I guess I'm stuck with it.
I hate my gas/oil Stihl's, an FS 40c weed wacker and SH 55 blower/vac. With weed wacking around a chain-link fence, sidewalk & curbs, I need to replace the head on the Stihl wacker every 2-3 years at $25+. I switched to a 20v battery Worx wacker which does ok. It doesn't chew up as much string, but it's not as good for edging sidewalks & curbs.
My Stihl leaf/vac still works, but it's beat. Most of the body is held together by Gorilla tape to cover the holes rocks have punched thru the body. It's also a pain to change from blower to vac. My wife wants to move next year, so I'm not looking for repacements.
I love the battery Porter Cable drill/flashlight sets I've had, especially the 20v lithium pair I've had for almost 3 years.
My Stihl leaf/vac still works, but it's beat. Most of the body is held together by Gorilla tape to cover the holes rocks have punched thru the body. It's also a pain to change from blower to vac. My wife wants to move next year, so I'm not looking for repacements.
I love the battery Porter Cable drill/flashlight sets I've had, especially the 20v lithium pair I've had for almost 3 years.
Id say that it is certainly taking over the residential market because its no muss, no fuss. Theres really no maintenance, you just charge the battery and go and when you are done with it, you hang it up in the garage and can ignore it until you need to use it again.
IMO, unless you have a large yard, there is no reason to own anything gas powered anymore because theres something electric and probably cordless that performs just as well, if not better and has almost no maintenance.
I have a small yard and I cut grass with a reel mower and do my trimming with a cheap little Ryobi trimmer.
If I had a bigger yard or simply wanted a rotary mower instead of a reel mower, I could be perfectly happy with any of the electric rotary mowers and probably wouldnt even look at a gas mower.
IMO, unless you have a large yard, there is no reason to own anything gas powered anymore because theres something electric and probably cordless that performs just as well, if not better and has almost no maintenance.
I have a small yard and I cut grass with a reel mower and do my trimming with a cheap little Ryobi trimmer.
If I had a bigger yard or simply wanted a rotary mower instead of a reel mower, I could be perfectly happy with any of the electric rotary mowers and probably wouldnt even look at a gas mower.
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The battery for my hedge trimmers said something like “do not store below 35 degrees or in excess of 110 degrees”. I may be off on the exact numbers. BUT, my shed is not heated or cooled and it does get hotter and cooler than the recommended storage of the batteries.
So...I guess if I had a bunch of battery powered equipment I would have to store the batteries in the house. Not a big deal if I’m buying all the same equipment. But something to consider...
So...I guess if I had a bunch of battery powered equipment I would have to store the batteries in the house. Not a big deal if I’m buying all the same equipment. But something to consider...
I have a pretty big yard and a lot of wood to cut during the winter, so I use mostly gas powered equipment. But I just bought an electric leaf blower and I like it a lot.
I think battery powered is a great option for smallish lawns in suburbia. My lawn is quite small and I opted to get electric trimmer and blower because they were so cheap when compared to a battery powered unit.
I don't think the cordless are at a point of being dependable yet. At this time of year I overhear folk dealing with returning their snow gear. It works while it works but really . . . you need it to work and not fail. Especially for snow clearing. Yeah I know I'm producing pollution . . but have you seen the pollution it takes to make batteries . . then there is the pollution to make batteries . . . and there are power stations making the power to charge these things.
Just put me in a category of being very unsure what is best for the environment at this moment and very doubtful about what marketing folk want to sell me.
Just put me in a category of being very unsure what is best for the environment at this moment and very doubtful about what marketing folk want to sell me.
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.
Rhody
I'm a Lumberjack.
I bought my Stihl trimmer before the advent of these next gen batteries. Ive always been happy with it and its power. Switching to the premade synthetic fuel was a wonder. Im also happy with my Stihl blower. Also gas
I did get a battery lawnmower this year and like it tremendously
I did get a battery lawnmower this year and like it tremendously
When we talk of electric cars, what we have now are equivalent to the Model T- early technology (yet still stunning, and growing by leaps and bounds). Battery powered lawn equipment is about at the same point. The internal combustion engine is old tech that will soon go away.
simon1
Self Ignored by Vista
Great comparison. That has been my experience also. But it depends on how big a job you have. For small jobs electric may be the ticket for some.
Dad used to make me use something like these to trim the grass around the concrete block foundation of our house when I was a kid. They last forever...dang it. I hated those.
It seems as though it is. Technology is good enough for a lawn tool to be powerful enough with a battery.
I have a question, though....
I was G**gling battery powered trimmers/edgers and saw 8 volt, 24 volt, 80 volt, etc. trimmers/edgers. I know little about this stuff. Is the higher voltage batteries a more powerful tool?
I have a question, though....
I was G**gling battery powered trimmers/edgers and saw 8 volt, 24 volt, 80 volt, etc. trimmers/edgers. I know little about this stuff. Is the higher voltage batteries a more powerful tool?
Yes and no. In a lot of cases the the higher the voltage does equate to a more powerful motor and longer run rime. It also depends on the motor, for example the brushless motors is more efficient than a traditional motor with brushes.
I wonder what the cost of operation is for the battery version including battery replacement versus the cost of gasoline, filters, oil and regular maintenance, both over the life of the equipment?
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