Battery Powered Lawn Equipment

[passedpawn]

I couldn't pull the trigger on going electric yet. Still too expensive for me. The Echo gas string trimmer I bought however has been working out just fine so far. Definitely thinking that will be the last gas-powered piece of lawn equipment I buy though.

I've got a bunch of echo gas equipment here. It's fairly awesome. Keep Stabil in your ethanol gas and you'll get years out of the carbs. The only battery thing I still have for the lawn is a chainsaw for one-handed stuff, and cutting through the roots down in the dirt (yes I do that). Works great. But man oh man, when it comes time to cut something thick, a gas chainsaw is the only way. Brrrrriipppp!

 

[Kent88]

But man oh man, when it comes time to cut something thick, a gas chainsaw is the only way. Brrrrriipppp!

I've got a buddy with an 80v Greenworks saw who would disagree. I have an 80v Greenworks pole saw, and I think I also have to disagree.

Politely, of course

 

[Dunkle-Beer-Joy]

yea, the fact that I can put in my earphones and listen to an audiobook while mowing is a huge improvement!

...must be a VERY quiet mower?

 

[Kent88]

...must be a VERY quiet mower?

Don't know about Kharnynb's, but mine is. I think I could also use headphones while mowing. Might have to try that tomorrow.

 

[jseyfert3]

...must be a VERY quiet mower?

Battery powered push mowers are insanely quiet. My Ryobi, well it’s quieter than a lot of stand/box fans running on high.

My electric trimmer/chainsaw are not so quiet. While there isn’t an engine the string and chain, respectively, still make a lot of noise.

I've got a buddy with an 80v Greenworks saw who would disagree. I have an 80v Greenworks pole saw, and I think I also have to disagree.

Politely, of course

Me too. I don’t have a lot of experience with gas chainsaws but my buddy was shocked how fast my Ryobi cut through logs.

Just cut down a ~6” branch with the pole saw attachment on my trimmer head, couldn’t have taken more than a minute to do. I’d say 30-45 seconds.

 

[Kharnynb]

I've never tested it, but i can listen to my audiobooks with just basic inear, non noise-cancelling earphones on same level I use when cycling.

 

[2hennepin6]

Stihl lawnmower. RMA 510. I bought a second battery which makes cutting any size lawn possible. That is the battery has enough time to charge while running the other. That said if you let your lawn get ahead of you the battery might not hold long enough to charge the other. Time to relax and have a home brew I guess.

Bigger initial investment but very little maintenance, quieter, no exhaust smell. The original battery is running strong and charging well after 4 years of use.

 

[beermanpete]

I've got a bunch of echo gas equipment here. It's fairly awesome. Keep Stabil in your ethanol gas and you'll get years out of the carbs. The only battery thing I still have for the lawn is a chainsaw for one-handed stuff, and cutting through the roots down in the dirt (yes I do that). Works great. But man oh man, when it comes time to cut something thick, a gas chainsaw is the only way. Brrrrriipppp!

Do you mean like this?

 

[passedpawn]

Do you mean like this?

Exactly haha. That was awesome.

 

[day_trippr]

Hahahaha! Aussies are cra cra!

 

[passedpawn]

Hahahaha! Aussies are cra cra!

As they'd say, fair dinkum. I hung out briefly on an aussie brewing forum and those guys were funny as hell.

 

[JJinMD]

I bought the Greenworks 60V twin blade mower, mostly so I can mow early in the morning and not upset the neighbors, but can't comment on that item, haven't used it yet. After a few fails with "expand-it" capable gas-powered strimmer trimmer power heads, I am consider the greenworks 60v accessory capable trimmer unit to go with my mower (use the same batteries). I would mostly use it with an edger, brush cutter, and hedge trimmer attachments, possible never even use the string trimmer head. Any feedback or thoughts on this?

 

[WesBrew]

posted this in another thread and someone linked this one so for info purposes....I've been using a Black and Decker GrassHog from Home Depot for 10 years. Still working great. both batteries have since crapped out but i got a new one on Amazon pretty cheap.
using a Ryobi lawn mower all summer. loving it. plenty of power, two batteries, self propel goes pretty fast. quiet enough to listen to music. Favorite feature, it folds up in the garage.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I'm probably going to sell my Stihl gas string trimmer after a season with my Dewalt Battery one.

The leaf blower is really convenient, but doesn't have enough CFM to replace my gas one.

 

[day_trippr]

Applying the paddles to this thread...

I've been avoiding buying a leaf blower forever because of the noise vs benefit ratio wasn't working for me. Really had no idea how long it would even take for a gas blower to clear my acre+ in the first place. Well, the trees we planted in 1988 are friggin' enormous now and we had a bumper leaf crop that inspired me to get educated on that bit: I borrowed Youngest Son's Stihl BR 700 backpack and it took me 4 hours to scour the whole property and shepard the enormous amount of chaff (at least 10 yards) to the back of the yard for composting. Being as this was the first use of a blower for me and I had no idea wth I was doing with it I could likely knock at least a half hour off that now - it helps to have a plan from the jump and it was a good 20 minutes before I figured that out

Anyway...there simply isn't a cordless electric product that can do that job in the same time frame, and the closest e-blower I see out there (Stihl BGA200) would cost three times what that BR 700 costs plus would need multiple battery packs to do the job at a much slower pace.

I'm picking up a Stihl BR 800 CE tomorrow...

Cheers!

 

[Kent88]

 

[Brewdog2]

Applying the paddles to this thread...

I've been avoiding buying a leaf blower forever because of the noise vs benefit ratio wasn't working for me. Really had no idea how long it would even take for a gas blower to clear my acre+ in the first place. Well, the trees we planted in 1988 are friggin' enormous now and we had a bumper leaf crop that inspired me to get educated on that bit: I borrowed Youngest Son's Stihl BR 700 backpack and it took me 4 hours to scour the whole property and shepard the enormous amount of chaff (at least 10 yards) to the back of the yard for composting. Being as this was the first use of a blower for me and I had no idea wth I was doing with it I could likely knock at least a half hour off that now - it helps to have a plan from the jump and it was a good 20 minutes before I figured that out

Anyway...there simply isn't a cordless electric product that can do that job in the same time frame, and the closest e-blower I see out there (Stihl BGA200) would cost three times what that BR 700 costs plus would need multiple battery packs to do the job at a much slower pace.

I'm picking up a Stihl BR 800 CE tomorrow...

Cheers!

Just don't run it while the neighbors are trying to sleep LOL

 

[day_trippr]

I would never do that, and being retired I can keep to civilized hours. And that paradigm was one of the reasons I had avoided buying a blower until now. We were literally buried in leaves this year and the trusty rake and bagging lawn tractor combo just wasn't going to work any more. And it isn't going to get any easier - those trees have another few decades before they're mature

Cheers!

 

[passedpawn]

Hell no.

 

[passedpawn]

Applying the paddles to this thread...

I've been avoiding buying a leaf blower forever because of the noise vs benefit ratio wasn't working for me. Really had no idea how long it would even take for a gas blower to clear my acre+ in the first place. Well, the trees we planted in 1988 are friggin' enormous now and we had a bumper leaf crop that inspired me to get educated on that bit: I borrowed Youngest Son's Stihl BR 700 backpack and it took me 4 hours to scour the whole property and shepard the enormous amount of chaff (at least 10 yards) to the back of the yard for composting. Being as this was the first use of a blower for me and I had no idea wth I was doing with it I could likely knock at least a half hour off that now - it helps to have a plan from the jump and it was a good 20 minutes before I figured that out

Anyway...there simply isn't a cordless electric product that can do that job in the same time frame, and the closest e-blower I see out there (Stihl BGA200) would cost three times what that BR 700 costs plus would need multiple battery packs to do the job at a much slower pace.

I'm picking up a Stihl BR 800 CE tomorrow...

Cheers!

I've got a Echo backpack gas blower. I've got this glorious grove of live oaks around and behind my house, but this time of year, till spring, they drop a ton of leaves.

I did try an EGO blower years ago. One battery didn't even cover my front lawn / driveway. It was pathetic for me. Gave it to a friend.

 

[Kent88]

The leaf blower has to be the most wasteful lawn appliance ever.

I have never operated one. I am not aware of anyone in my immediate family owning one. We used rakes.

 

[passedpawn]

The leaf blower has to be the most wasteful lawn appliance ever.

I have never operated one. I am not aware of anyone in my immediate family owning one. We used rakes.

What - how is it wasteful? And did somebody mention your family?

 

[Kent88]

What - how is it wasteful?

Because a rake doesn't take batteries or gas. All it takes is a little time, or a child (or grandchild, I suppose) with time, or a friendly neighbor kid with time, or a local church group, 4-H club, scout troop, etc., looking for easy community service projects.

Also, how much does a new leaf blower cost vs a new rake?

 

[bracconiere]

or a friendly neighbor kid with time, or a local church group, 4-H club, scout troop, etc., looking for easy community service projects.

Also, how much does a new leaf blower cost vs a new rake?

leaf blower would be cheaper then slave labor?

 

[grampamark]

A leaf blower will blow the leaves back into the neighbor’s yard a lot faster than a rake will move them.

 

[passedpawn]

Because a rake doesn't take batteries or gas. All it takes is a little time, or a child (or grandchild, I suppose) with time, or a friendly neighbor kid with time, or a local church group, 4-H club, scout troop, etc., looking for easy community service projects.

Also, how much does a new leaf blower cost vs a new rake?

Little time? What if a rake took a LOT of time, like several hours. What if you had to do it ever other friday, from October until March. How does a rake help with the grass on your driveway and sidewalks every time you mow. Or the pollen that collects in spring all over your patios. Regarding the cost, there is a value to your time. Think about it. Ask yourself what your time is worth. Only you can do that math.

Community service project? Haha. You obviously don't understand the need here.

 

[Kent88]

Little time? What if a rake took a LOT of time, like several hours. What if you had to do it ever other friday, from October until March.

What if you have a large yard, it's harvest, all your siblings graduated and moved away, and your dad expects you to get it done before joining him in the field and still finding time to do homework?

You just do it.

How does a rake help with the grass on your driveway and sidewalks every time you mow.

I think a broom might help with that more.

Or the pollen that collects in spring all over your patios.

That's fair, but I think you'd also be disturbing a lot of pollen with a leaf blower anyway.

Regarding the cost, there is a value to your time. Think about it. Ask yourself what your time is worth. Only you can do that math.

Also worth considering.

Community service project? Haha. You obviously don't understand the need here.

I've been a part of such groups. We'd have about 4-8 teenagers / young adults, we'd bring rakes with us, and we'd knock out a few yards on a Saturday.

 

[murphyslaw]

I don't think you can understand unless you have a property that gets an enormous amount of leaves. I always raked but the house we have now its not even a consideration. I was blown away at the volume of leaves. Our first fall, my wife and I spent 4-5 hours raking one day. We got halfway done with our back yard.

And if you don't know better, you'd say, okay, spend the whole weekend raking and be done with it. Except that next weekend they're all back. Rinse and repeat from Early October through mid December.

I generally hire someone to clean up our leaves around early november and then again when the trees are bare. In between I use a 40v Ryobi backback blower to push the leaves off the grass and into the flower beds. I do that every saturday morning.

I'm deep into the Ryobi 40v system and generally like it. But I would not recommend the battery leaf blower.

 

[Kent88]

I don't think you can understand unless you have a property that gets an enormous amount of leaves.

I have lived on a property, my parent's property, which does have a lot of trees and plenty of leaves. It's actually a bit surprising because my dad and uncle, who farmed together until they retired, are the kind of guys who want to till every acre they possibly can. I once heard my uncle say that he wished he could make the ditches tillable and plant right up to the road.

But my dad left a bunch of maples all over the backyard as part of a windbreak and some in the front yard for privacy, and also some to shade the house. When some of my siblings still lived at home we did spend an entire weekend most autumns just raking and burning leaves. Yeah, it was probably happening during harvest, but I was the only one expected to make a career out of farming, so until I was old enough to drive something I was supposed to help rake leaves.

I'm not going to look up how many acres our building site was, or count how many trees we had, and I don't expect you to, either, but suffice to say we had plenty of leaf debris in the fall. We never got a blower. I maintain that buying a leaf blower would have been wasteful.

 

[murphyslaw]

I believe you. But I'm not sure your experience with farmers collecting leaves is comparable to a bunch of desk jockeys in the suburbs trying to tidy up their lawn on the weekend.