Turning point

[shortyb]

Over the past month, I have jumped on the battery bandwagon for several of my OPE. It started with my hedge trimmer (which was admittedly corded) because I liked the freedom of cordless. The Husqvarna one I decided on was super impressive with it's power and long run-time of the new MAX battery system. Just what the doctor ordered. Then the marketing (and sales discounts) drew me in and I've since gone to battery on my string line trimmer and a chainsaw. Stuck with Huskys for both for the ease of battery interchangability. Gotta say, they are impressive as well. Always borrowed a neighbor's chain saw as I rarely have a need, but now don't have to ask anymore. I like the torque of the electric and it's eerily quiet. The string trimmer was kind of an afterthought though, since my 30 year-old Shindawa always gets the job done. But no gas fussing and the line re-spool is stupid simple on the new one. Also it's a straight shaft vs. curved which I have found is worlds easier for me to use, especially to edge. I think this where the evolution will stop for me as I don't have a lot of yard and landscape maintenance to do currently. If I had more to maintain, especially trees to fell/cut-up, I would stick to gas-powered. Also, I will NEVER give up my Honda gas mower or the Stihl backpack blower because I haven't found any worthy rivals in the electron world to match (or beat) their performance. Gonna miss messing with carburetors and the satisfaction of mystical repair with a small ICE tool, but the new stuff is pretty good.

 

[PontiacHO]

I agree. You don’t have to stink just to blow off the driveway and patio anymore. Grab the battery powered blower and good to go. You must have an older Honda mower? I have a 2021. It sucks.

 

[MParr]

If electric is what you want, that’s fine.
They are not for me.

 

[supton]

As it wears out, I might replace with electric. 5+ years ago, I don’t know if it was there. Now when my stuff wears out, I suspect it will be. At least for my light work.

Now my riding mower? That will be a hard sell I think. Few years out for that.

 

[TiGeo]

I love my battery blower for small things like garage, driveway, etc. I have a big Husqvarna backpack for fall leaves.

 

[shortyb]

@PontiacHO-Yep, 2018 HRX. Bomb proof and dead-nuts reliable.

@MParr-Wasn't that I wanted electric, per se, It's just more convenient in my smaller application needs. Seriously, at the dawn of the battery powered revolution for OPE, I swore that Red Armor flowed through my veins forever. Kept an open mind, tried them as neighbors acquired pieces, and decided to replace older ones with battery. So far, so good for what I have bought. We'll see how it all goes.

 

[E150GT]

Curious how much lawn do you maintain ?

 

[Kira]

Red Armor (had to look it up) in one's veins? Now THAT'S product loyalty.

 

[MParr]

@PontiacHO-Yep, 2018 HRX. Bomb proof and dead-nuts reliable.

@MParr-Wasn't that I wanted electric, per se, It's just more convenient in my smaller application needs. Seriously, at the dawn of the battery powered revolution for OPE, I swore that Red Armor flowed through my veins forever. Kept an open mind, tried them as neighbors acquired pieces, and decided to replace older ones with battery. So far, so good for what I have bought. We'll see how it all goes.

In my opinion, lithium ion batteries are bad for the environment. I’ve considered the battery powered stuff but, it just doesn’t make me enthusiastic about buying something that doesn’t perform as well as 2 stroke OPE.

 

[jeepman3071]

I think the battery stuff certainly has its place, and I say that as an ICE enthusiast. There is a difference between a new tool that is really good for certain tasks, and a new tool that is a complete replacement. I own several battery tools, and wouldn't have anything else for those tasks, but there are also areas where my gas or corded tools blow battery tools away for what they are needed for.

 

[joekingcorvette]

When I changed to an electric ice fishing auger it was a game changer. I have since changed over to all electric including my chain saw. Most of my tools and lawn and garden items are DeWalt. I still have a PITA corded edge trimmer. I sold all of my gas toys and they were in great shape in order to switch to electric. Everything gas powered was easy to sell. I did already have to replace a 60V DeWalt blower. It just quit for some reason and I just bought a new one since it was a couple years old and I used it every 3 or 4 days.

 

[cptbarkey]

For me was a convergence of circumstances, leveraging a brand I already invested in and task dependent. My mom's ranch with 20 acres has had many fallen cedar trees and broken or half hanging branches due to ice storms, as well as my own house. I had a junky Remington RM2599 2 stroke pole saw that I bought and used a few times from 2017, but it always ran terrible. After letting it sit for a short while it wouldnt start. I replaced the carb, a commodity product itself used on many other 2 strokes, it worked but still ran terrible. I tossed it in disgust and started shopping for another pole saw.

The price of a good gas powered echo pole saw is $450, my echo weed trimmer has treated me nicely, BUT Project Farm happened to do a really good comparison of battery pole saws, the Dewalt stood on top. I already have a few Dewalt battery tools, spent about $220, and the Dewalt pole saw has been my savior. It cured all the potential safety hazards after the latest ice storm. It runs great, has a very long reach and I will never look back.

I plan to keep with this strategy of task/circumstances and not blowing a wad on converting all my gas stuff to electric, that to me is wasteful spending.

 

[shortyb]

Curious how much lawn do you maintain ?

Almost a half acre @ ~ 20K sq.ft. of grass

The battery stuff I bought is either an upgrade from older tools or ones I didn't have. Spent about the same as I would if I went ICE, and there are pros and cons to either. For me, I could live with the cons for the smaller/lighter duty tasks they will be used for. Still, a tough decision, regardless, as I am really old school.

 

[E150GT]

Almost a half acre @ ~ 20K sq.ft. of grass

The battery stuff I bought is either an upgrade from older tools or ones I didn't have. Spent about the same as I would if I went ICE, and there are pros and cons to either. For me, I could live with the cons for the smaller/lighter duty tasks they will be used for. Still, a tough decision, regardless, as I am really old school.

Wow. Thats a pretty good amount of turf to maintain. I maintain about half that. I just like engines although my string trimmer doesnt even get a workout really at the moment but that will change. I am sure that battery stuff is pretty good now but I just hate the fact that batteries start degrading from day one whether you use them or not.

 

[repairman54]

I've got some cutting time using Milwaukee M18 chainsaws. My snowmobile club has a couple we use for clearing blowdowns on the trails. In winter you can't beat them for quick cuts of small limbs and small trees. No trying to start a cold ICE saw at 10F. We keep batteries in the cab, so they are warm. Just hop out and zap that tree out of the way.
That said nothing beats gas for cutting up bigger frozen stuff than gas saws. We have all older Huskys and a couple Echo's. Electric saw has its place for trimming and small stuff but there is no replacement for a gas saw to do any real cutting.
Another note, the electric saw has no clutch so get into some logging safety chaps and the electric saw is going through them. Safety chaps bind the gas saw up slipping the clutch and stopping the chain, not so with the direct drive electric saws. Learned that in a chainsaw class.

 

[ARB1977]

I had a ryobi awd for a week. It sucked. Couldn’t handle 6” grass in 100 degree weather. For 800.00 it should do and then some. My 15 year old Honda 160 had to finish. Kept the Honda. Ended up buying a toro super recycler. Battery powered anything will never be where gas powered shines.

 

[MParr]

I had a ryobi awd for a week. It sucked. Couldn’t handle 6” grass in 100 degree weather. For 800.00 it should do and then some. My 15 year old Honda 160 had to finish. Kept the Honda. Ended up buying a toro super recycler. Battery powered anything will never be where gas powered shines.

Truth!

 

[ARB1977]

Truth!

Used ego handheld blower. Didn’t handle wet leafs. Used my Sthil combi like butter.

 

[spasm3]

Electric has its place. Small yards in neighborhoods. Quiet, no need to store fuel, no oil to mix or change. My son has that scenario, I recommended batt equipment, ego serves him well.

I tried a battery trimmer, Ryobi, as my older expand-it attachments fit. The polesaw attachment works great as it has more torque at the touch of a trigger.

The downside, I have to much area. Brush head kills the battery , so back to gas I went with a commercial echo trimmer. I have way way too many leaves for a battery blower, so an echo 9010 for the bill.

Chainsaws for me have to be 2 stroke, more run time, and frequently their use is during power outages.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Over the past month, I have jumped on the battery bandwagon for several of my OPE. It started with my hedge trimmer (which was admittedly corded) because I liked the freedom of cordless. The Husqvarna one I decided on was super impressive with it's power and long run-time of the new MAX battery system. Just what the doctor ordered. Then the marketing (and sales discounts) drew me in and I've since gone to battery on my string line trimmer and a chainsaw. Stuck with Huskys for both for the ease of battery interchangability. Gotta say, they are impressive as well. Always borrowed a neighbor's chain saw as I rarely have a need, but now don't have to ask anymore. I like the torque of the electric and it's eerily quiet. The string trimmer was kind of an afterthought though, since my 30 year-old Shindawa always gets the job done. But no gas fussing and the line re-spool is stupid simple on the new one. Also it's a straight shaft vs. curved which I have found is worlds easier for me to use, especially to edge. I think this where the evolution will stop for me as I don't have a lot of yard and landscape maintenance to do currently. If I had more to maintain, especially trees to fell/cut-up, I would stick to gas-powered. Also, I will NEVER give up my Honda gas mower or the Stihl backpack blower because I haven't found any worthy rivals in the electron world to match (or beat) their performance. Gonna miss messing with carburetors and the satisfaction of mystical repair with a small ICE tool, but the new stuff is pretty good.

I cannot get too far into it as there are many different ways to look at this. I will admit my admiration to small engines and 2 strokes in general I can agree battery makes a ton of sense for some people. I have friends that have no business owning 2 stroke or any gas powered yard tools, but I cannot rest knowing the all the retailers / big govmnt are clearing the shelves and jamming this new e - waste down our throats. I want a choice.