Battery Powered Lawn Equipment

[Kharnynb]

my old mower died...again, and parts are getting harder to get by, so I got a new battery powered one, also to lower the chance of a hernia from lifting the mower across several stairs(living on a hill is fun....)
After some research, went for the bosch universal rotak 36-560, nice and quiet and with 2 4 ah batteries it does the whole lawn. It's a different range than I had before, but with a big lawn, the 18v series just doesn't work well enough.

 

[Kent88]

Greenworks came out with another snowblower that uses the 80v batteries that my string trimmer, pole saw, and tiller/cultivator use. The last snowblower they offered in that line had a 20" width and could handle 10" of snow, but this one is 22" wide and claims it can handle 13" of snow. It looks a little sturdier. So I found the tool only version, bought it, and I should see it early this week.

Greenworks is really pushing the 4ah batteries with those, but mine is only a 2ah. I figure that, for all but the 3-4 worst blizzards we seem to get every year, this should be able to tackle more than half my driveway in one full charge. If so, great, I don't have an urgent need to buy a second battery and can wait until they go on sale or just come down in price. If not, then I made a big mistake because the price for the tool, battery, and charger is significantly lower than buying them separately.

The tiller/cultivator I mentioned, I have had a couple occasions to use it this year and it is capable of busting sod if you start shallow, go slow, pay attention, and be careful. Yesterday I prepared a small spot for wildflowers next spring. I started shallow, stopped and cleared obstructions if I found them, cleared out the roots and debris from the tool after each pass, and went through 4-5 times until the battery drained. It was a lot better than ripping up the sod by hand.

 

[AzOr]

Been eyeballing one. Just a heads up. In searching around for a larger battery for my EGO blower I came across several complaints of dead batteries after a 8-12 months. Considering the 7.5ah batteries are $350 I’ve held off.

Something tells me its users running them flat, fast charging the same battery for multiple cycles til the job is done then leaving it discharged until next time.

Also EGO appears to be pulling back from several markets here on the west coast. Home Depot online and Grainger appear to have either discontinued or are running stock down. Hope thats not the case though. My blower works great and one less carb to fiddle with in the spring.

Yeah I noticed that Home Depot stopped carrying them. I found the base model at an Ace near my house so I picked it up.
Honestly, if I had a bigger yard, I woulda researched a lot more. I’ve had good luck w my other Ego stuff so I pulled the trigger.

I have friends who have had issues with a few other cordless companies so I figure it’s a crap shoot either way.

I do love it so far. It also sits upright when stored which is nice. The only weird thing is the grass bag.You have to do this weird maneuver taking it on and off.

 

[madscientist451]

I've been following the lithium battery developments, especially in the off grid camping solar setups people are using these days. Supposedly batteries can last 10 years and even beyond that they still work, but have decreased power.
I'd love to have a battery powered pole trimmer, a small hand trimmer, weed wacker and sprayer, but I think I'll wait a few more years so they can get the kinks worked out and prices may come down somewhat.

 

[applescrap]

Another year down with my ryobi weed wacker. Reminder need to get some spools, I get the bulk packs on amazon. I make my ugly lawn look so much better, I think. Used organic fertilizer this year and liked it.

 

[Kharnynb]

for small garden stuff, the best Is ryoby, cheap, big range and made by the same factories than milwaukee

 

[Kent88]

I think ryobi has an electric riding mower.

Someday I'll have a yard large enough to merit a riding mower...

Although I might just get a robotic lawn mower to do it instead. Something that looks like a roomba vacuum cleaner.

I hate mowing lawn.

 

[applescrap]

for small garden stuff, the best Is ryoby, cheap, big range and made by the same factories than milwaukee

That would explain a lot, good to know and thanks. I believe in stuff like that in some cases. My ryobi table saw is clumsy btw, and that is a kind of thing that I think buying less expensive isnt the best. I like Milwaukee tools and dewalt, but at the time didnt want to be committed to some of the more expensive tools made for my uses, as I felt committed once the batteries are purchased. As a pro I would use those brands for sure. I have the little ryobi 12v screwgun because it most matched the little yellow or red dewalt/Milwaukee. They tried to sale me the over powered torque gun, but holding that all day, you better be he man, I like my screw guns small and light with long lasting battery. Dustbuster still works sweet, camper, spiderwebs, air conditioning filters, kid messes, I like that. Little vacuum is next? Like the stereo and light but dont have need. It's time to also get the brad nailer. Better than firing up compressor, and quieter. I better stop before I end up in the garage trying to build something. Man I wished I lived by you all, we would hang out drinking hb and building stuff.

 

[applescrap]

I think ryobi has an electric riding mower.

Someday I'll have a yard large enough to merit a riding mower...

Although I might just get a robotic lawn mower to do it instead. Something that looks like a roomba vacuum cleaner.

I hate mowing lawn.

Haha, me too. Most people in our neighborhood seem to pay. I am almost there. I have seen those for a while, do you know if they work well? Great idea! I dont use my older model roomba becuase I dont like cleaning and fussing with it. Maybe new ones are better. I believe you will get that yard someday and hope you do. Me as well!

 

[Kent88]

I don't have a roomba, I just saw a video of a robotic lawn mower that looked like one on Ask This Old House. I think it was a Husqvarna brand.

Edit, here:

 

[Kharnynb]

I'm against robotic lawnmowers as they kill hedgehogs.

 

[Kent88]

1. Not a problem if you don't live in a place with indigenous hedgehogs
2. Not a problem if you don't have pet hedgehogs
3. Is there any data that shows that they kill hedgehogs
   1. Is there any data that shows that the models with collision detection kill hedgehogs

lolz.

 

[Kharnynb]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/science...Dead-hedgehogs-placed-robotic-lawnmowers.html
it's being researched at the moment...

 

[Kent88]

That website doesn't like my adblocker.

Looking at the unit in the video above, I have a hard time believing that they'd kill a hedgehog. That said, I have no idea how big the common varieties of wild hedgehog are compared to the foot of the guy in the video who stepped in front of it to demonstrate how the collision detection works. Those blades look like they could injure a small hedgehog, but I thought that the quills on adults were firm enough to withstand some abuse.

I'd be more than surprised if that study found that robotic lawn mowers are a danger to hedgehogs, but I suppose it's possible.

 

[day_trippr]

The only robotic mowers I've seen (in videos - in a 1.5 acre minimum lot size town, nobody around here is likely to buy anything currently available) travel so slow only an already-about-to-expire animal is at risk. Nbd...

Cheers!

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/thames_kosmos/my_robotic_pet_tumbling_hedgehog.cfm

 

[passedpawn]

I was looking for a small 10" one-handed gas chainsaw, and ended up getting a battery-operated one. I'm putting a fence through some jungle behind my house and needed it for slicing a path through the bamboo/vines/banana trees/philadendron/etc.

This Dewalt worked great for 1 day. Then it died. Gah. I suspect I burnt out the motor somehow - no smell of smoke, just stopped dead. Maybe a fuse. Anyway, just received a replacement. Back at it this weekend.

 

[Kent88]

Dewalt sent you a free replacement?

 

[bracconiere]

Although I might just get a robotic lawn mower to do it instead. Something that looks like a roomba vacuum cleaner.

but then it'd be easy and cheap for people to look at it! (but if it had a high speed mode, and taser. it'd be really cool if it zapped dogs and cats trying to use your lawn as a toilet!)

 

[Kent88]

(but if it had a high speed mode, and taser. it'd be really cool if it zapped dogs and cats trying to use your lawn as a toilet!)

No!

What's the matter with you?!

 

[bracconiere]

No!

one of you? i called the police dept, because my lawn was solid cat turds, they refered me to animal control, who told me to trap them and haul em' in. so i spent $80 on a 'humane' trap that closed quitely for their comfort...had to drive an hour round trip to the pound to drop them off. but it solved my problem, but now if i could make a youtube channel with millions of views tazzing them in the lawn, it'd be worth the extra money...lol

 

[Kent88]

one of you?

Not really sure what you mean by that. You mean someone who believes that we shouldn't abuse animals for our entertainment?

I'm not some hippie. I grew up on a farm. I loved working with livestock. We who work with livestock sometimes get labelled as animal abusers, just because our cattle eventually end up on your plate or in your happy meal, but 99.9% of people in animal agriculture who I've met can't stomach animal abuse. Yeah, we know where the steers and swine we raise are going, but we don't want them to suffer on our farms.

but now if i could make a youtube channel with millions of views tazzing them in the lawn, it'd be worth the extra money...lol

I repeat: what is the matter with you?!

 

[bracconiere]

I repeat: what is the matter with you?!

i just saw a youtube channel, the racoon whisperer. with 8M views on most videos, tell me there aren't enough people pissed at cats crapping in their yards!


just imagine they'd love a robot tazzer! lol and a promo video, or seqeul for thus said!


edit: nothing is wrong with me! i'm normal! i want a battery powered cat zapper for my lawn!

 

[Kent88]

please stop talking about tasering small animals

 

[passedpawn]

Dewalt sent you a free replacement?

Amazon.

 

[ehall]

actually I'd like a device that I could remote tazer the folks who toss their cig butts down in my yard as they walk by... that would be enough to scare the cats away.

On a side note I bought a solar powered pole saw. the biggest downside is I have to strap the panels on my back while I use it. keeps me from getting as high up on the ladder as I would like to be.

 

[bracconiere]

On a side note I bought a solar powered pole saw. the biggest downside is I have to strap the panels on my back while I use it. keeps me from getting as high up on the ladder as I would like to be.

man you HAVE to splice a pic together of that, and think up something to say, and post it in the 'meme generator thread'

 

[jseyfert3]

I see the OP has long picked a brand. That said, I've got some 40 V Ryobi tools. The push lawn mower, straight shaft string trimmer with attachment capability, pole saw attachment, and a 14" chainsaw. The trimmer works fine, but does chew through batteries fairly quick. It has a brushed motor still, and blows very hot air on my arm well trimming, the one downside. I suspect over the next year or two Ryobi will upgrade that to brushless which will help significantly with battery life.

The mower is good, I think it wouldn't satisfy a perfectionist, it doesn't mulch as good as a gas mower and tends to leave some grass on top of the lawn after mowing, but it doesn't bother me much. I'll take that anyday for the absolutely quite, vibration free operation. No more bad gas, pull starting, air filters, or oil changes too. And it's light, easy to lift if needed.

The chainsaw is my first, but I'd say it cuts as fast as other chainsaws I've seen used, it's light, and has all the above advantages except it's a bit noisier. Actually I wear hearing protection with the trimmer and the chainsaw, the motor is quiet but the string and chain, respectively, still make a surprising amount of noise.

Overall I'm quite happy, and I'll be buying more electric stuff in the future. Probably getting a leaf blower next. Not sure about a snow blower though, almost certainly will wait a few years for that one. Especially as I got a really nice Toro 1028 snowblower included with our house we bought this spring. It's a beast of a snowblower for residential use, way overkill but SO FUN to use! Especially when it's bigger than all the neighbors snowblowers.

 

[bleme]

i just saw a youtube channel, the racoon whisperer. with 8M views on most videos, tell me there aren't enough people pissed at cats crapping in their yards!


just imagine they'd love a robot tazzer! lol and a promo video, or seqeul for thus said!


edit: nothing is wrong with me! i'm normal! i want a battery powered cat zapper for my lawn!

They make scarecrow sprinklers for that.

 

[day_trippr]

That is awesome! Love the sound - like a "silenced" mini-gun at full rip!
Makes me wish we had such pests (aside from delivery peeps ) to set one of those up

Cheers!