IT: Cordless Electric Lawn tools | The Boneyard

IT: Cordless Electric Lawn tools

Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
214
Reaction Score
256
I’m looking to get a battery powered weed-eater and am wondering if anyone had suggestions. I hate the gas/oil ones but I don’t want to deal with a ginormous extension cord.

This would be my first battery powered outdoor tool & it seems to be the trend - I might one day get a lawn mower and maybe some other items (assuming they get hardier).

It seems you need to pick a brand and stick with it or else you’ll end up with different batteries/chargers for each item and that something I’d like to avoid.
 

The Funster

What?
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
2,949
Reaction Score
8,655
I use Greenworks: lawnmower, leafblower, 12" chainsaw, weed whacker. These all use 40V battery. I also have their snowblower which takes an 80V battery. I don't have a big, challenging yard and what I have is perfect. I have two 40V batteries with chargers. I have just one 80V but it charges to full in about 10 minutes. I'm very happy.
 

Dream Jobbed 2.0

“Most definitely”
Joined
May 3, 2016
Messages
14,827
Reaction Score
55,739
Stihl is good

no one should ever buy plug-in lawn equipment. It’s constantly getting stuck on on everything and getting unplugged and tripping you and it’s just miserable
 
Last edited:
Joined
Mar 29, 2013
Messages
1,432
Reaction Score
9,242
I use Greenworks: lawnmower, leafblower, 12" chainsaw, weed whacker. These all use 40V battery. I also have their snowblower which takes an 80V battery. I don't have a big, challenging yard and what I have is perfect. I have two 40V batteries with chargers. I have just one 80V but it charges to full in about 10 minutes. I'm very happy.
I’ve got the 80 volt Greenworks tools and been very happy so far. I have the backpack leaf blower which is awesome as well as the 16” chainsaw. Don’t have a weed whacker but I know they do make them. Batteries are the most expensive part of the purchase, but they should keep coming down over time. Just the effort saved not having to deal with things that don’t easily start after sitting makes these tools more than pay for themselves. Chainsaws and weed eaters are the top 2 on that list in my opinion. Anything where you have to mix oil with gas and you don’t use it frequently is just asking for issues with the carb and air filters.
 
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
214
Reaction Score
256
I can’t open that link - I did search battery, lawn and a couple other terms before posting and nothing came up.
 

ConnZag3

NCAA Hoops Connoisseur
Joined
May 19, 2014
Messages
357
Reaction Score
691
I've had a Ryobi 18v blower and weed eater and a 40v lawn mower since I moved into my home over 6 years ago. All from Home Depot.

All the tools have been incredibly reliable and get the job done well enough for me. My lawn is probably like 3000 sq ft so the battery mower is perfect on 1 battery, but if you have a real lawn might take like 3 charges to complete...
 

HuskyHawk

The triumphant return of the Blues Brothers.
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
31,862
Reaction Score
81,493
Lots of good options out there for battery leaf blowers (depending on power you need) and weed whackers (all seem powerful enough). I had luck with Ryobi, but it isn't top of the line. It's what I have for drills and a circular saw, so I wanted to stick with the same battery/charger platform. Mowers I have not tried. Would not work on my yard. My leaf blowers cannot do what my backpack blower does, and will run through a battery fairly quickly with heavy use.
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
16,039
Reaction Score
23,106
I have both a DeWalt battery blower and a Stihl gas backpack. The Stihl will take the turf off your lawn.
 

CL82

2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Champions
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
56,515
Reaction Score
206,311
This weed eater is entirely cordless:


sheep eating GIF


(It can still be a little gassy though)
 

Dream Jobbed 2.0

“Most definitely”
Joined
May 3, 2016
Messages
14,827
Reaction Score
55,739
Lots of good options out there for battery leaf blowers (depending on power you need) and weed whackers (all seem powerful enough). I had luck with Ryobi, but it isn't top of the line. It's what I have for drills and a circular saw, so I wanted to stick with the same battery/charger platform. Mowers I have not tried. Would not work on my yard. My leaf blowers cannot do what my backpack blower does, and will run through a battery fairly quickly with heavy use.
18v ryobi weedwacker is all you’ll need. Ryobi 18v leaf blower is more suitable for blowing sawdust in the garage. Had to get a stihl 40v leaf blower
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2011
Messages
3,923
Reaction Score
7,775
If you have a suburban type yard and do not need to weedwack a lot of tall stuff like a drainage ditch or a field you will be fine with a battery powered trimmer. It is the right tool for the job and no headaches with 2-cycle gas etc.
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
10,612
Reaction Score
11,407
I have a few Ryobi yard tools, trimmer/blower, and I have some other 18 volt plus one tools as well.

If you're going to go cordless, you should stay in a lane to get the benefits of multiple tools with the same battery
 
Joined
Mar 4, 2020
Messages
3,004
Reaction Score
5,937
I’m looking to get a battery powered weed-eater and am wondering if anyone had suggestions. I hate the gas/oil ones but I don’t want to deal with a ginormous extension cord.

This would be my first battery powered outdoor tool & it seems to be the trend - I might one day get a lawn mower and maybe some other items (assuming they get hardier).

It seems you need to pick a brand and stick with it or else you’ll end up with different batteries/chargers for each item and that something I’d like to avoid.
I know Kobalt makes an 80volt lawn mower, but if I was going to go electric I would get the EGO brand. I work in the lawn and garden business and even though the EGO batteries are 56volt, I really like the brand and think it is the highest quality of the all electric stuff. EGO even makes a slick and big all electric zero turn riding mower that takes four 56volt 9000 Ah batteries with a two hour ride time. I’m really a gas guy at heart but the EGO stuff really works well in my opinion. 9000 amps and 56v gives a lot of power. The others like Greenworks, Ryobi, and Kobalt only go up to 5000 amps.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 25, 2019
Messages
2,083
Reaction Score
6,553
I tried Ryobi and Black and Decker blowers and each lasted about seven minutes before needing a recharge.
Next went to Stihl, my Dad's favorite brand, and it lasts twenty minutes.
Just bought a Stihl hedge trimmer because it takes the same battery and that made sense because I don't typically use the two tools at the same time.
One thing I learned about blowers is to use the CFM rating rather than the MPH because they make the MPH rise by restricting the size of the discharge opening (Venturi effect in spades). CFM more accurately quantifies the actual power of the moving air.
 
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
2,858
Reaction Score
12,221
I tried Ryobi and Black and Decker blowers and each lasted about seven minutes before needing a recharge.
Next went to Stihl, my Dad's favorite brand, and it lasts twenty minutes.
Just bought a Stihl hedge trimmer because it takes the same battery and that made sense because I don't typically use the two tools at the same time.
One thing I learned about blowers is to use the CFM rating rather than the MPH because they make the MPH rise by restricting the size of the discharge opening (Venturi effect in spades). CFM more accurately quantifies the actual power of the moving air.
I have no personal experience with electric blowers, but, as a nerd, I must point out that the Venturi effect has nothing to do with your observation. The increase in flow velocity at the restriction in nozzle diameter is a consequence of conservation of mass. The Venturi effect speaks to the relative fluid pressure difference in restricted flow.

Edit: Please note I am not challenging your observation, just the underlying physical explanation.
 
Joined
Oct 20, 2016
Messages
638
Reaction Score
2,437
I use Greenworks: lawnmower, leafblower, 12" chainsaw, weed whacker. These all use 40V battery. I also have their snowblower which takes an 80V battery. I don't have a big, challenging yard and what I have is perfect. I have two 40V batteries with chargers. I have just one 80V but it charges to full in about 10 minutes. I'm very happy.

I’ve got the 80 volt Greenworks tools and been very happy so far. I have the backpack leaf blower which is awesome as well as the 16” chainsaw. Don’t have a weed whacker but I know they do make them. Batteries are the most expensive part of the purchase, but they should keep coming down over time. Just the effort saved not having to deal with things that don’t easily start after sitting makes these tools more than pay for themselves. Chainsaws and weed eaters are the top 2 on that list in my opinion. Anything where you have to mix oil with gas and you don’t use it frequently is just asking for issues with the carb and air filters.
Yep. Third vote for Greenworks. I own the 80V lawnmower, snow blower and leaf blower with 2 80V batteries that work in all three. I have a small lawn and driveway and these tools have more than paid for themselves with the ease of use, lack of maintenance, and no gas/oil needed. My snow blower is so light, I just pick it up and carry it down to the basement at the end of the winter. The mower is more solid and does a great job. Going on 7 years with no issues at all.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
35,148
Reaction Score
29,366
I know Kobalt makes an 80volt lawn mower, but if I was going to go electric I would get the EGO brand. I work in the lawn and garden business and even though the EGO batteries are 56volt, I really like the brand and think it is the highest quality of the all electric stuff. EGO even makes a slick and big all electric zero turn riding mower that takes four 56volt 9000 Ah batteries with a two hour ride time. I’m really a gas guy at heart but the EGO stuff really works well in my opinion. 9000 amps and 56v gives a lot of power. The others like Greenworks, Ryobi, and Kobalt only go up to 5000 amps.
Tell me more!
I looked at these (EGO) last year, but decided to do nothing as I didn't want to be shopping. I read everything I could and came away slightly dissappointed in the battery life. Not sure the standard mower battery could do my small area, split into 3 sections by driveway and fence to backyard, but only .25 acre tops. The slightly narrow cut of the battery mowers mean more swipes and time. I liked that they had other lawn tools that could use the same batteries and chargers.
My biggest issue is leaves in the fall, and thought their blower might work, but haven't seen enough about that vs. a backpack blower.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
35,148
Reaction Score
29,366
I have no personal experience with electric blowers, but, as a nerd, I must point out that the Venturi effect has nothing to do with your observation. The increase in flow velocity at the restriction in nozzle diameter is a consequence of conservation of mass. The Venturi effect speaks to the relative fluid pressure difference in restricted flow.

Edit: Please note I am not challenging your observation, just the underlying physical explanation.
I think the main point was to use CFM rather than MPH... and I think that was valid.
 
Joined
Sep 22, 2011
Messages
1,091
Reaction Score
6,476
Yesterday, I took the plunge and purchased a 21” Ego push mower. (Small Tx yard)
Stihl gas (non ethanol) blower, da bomb
and hanging onto a Ryobi gas trimmer.
Our crazy freeze, killed a ton of shrubs and it’s no fun getting them out of the ground.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
10,612
Reaction Score
11,407
I don't think electric lawn mowers are ready for prime time yet. I have about a 1/4 acre and use a gas mower, gets the job done. I love my cordless weed wacker. I don't care for my cordless blower. I have a plug in blower vac that's okay, but with over 10 trees on the property and way too many leaves to deal with, I purchased the Southland 3 wheel gas blower and that thing moves air. I wish I purchaed it much sooner. I kind of can't wait for the fall to use it.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
15,895
Reaction Score
32,882
I don't think electric lawn mowers are ready for peime time yet. I have about a 1/4 acre and use a gas mower, gets the job done. I love my cordless weed wacker. I don't care for my cordless blower. I have a plug in blower vac that's okay, but with over 10 trees on the property and way too many leaves to deal with, I purchased the Southland 3 wheel gas blower and that thing moves air. I wish I purchaed it much sooner. I kind of can't wait for the fall to use it.
Disagree, I have a half acre and my 60 V Greenworks mower works just fine. Takes a little over an hour, usually depletes the battery 5 minutes before I'm done.

But then I plug in the battery for the leaf blower or weed wacker and I'm all set.

So, OP, yes stick with one brand and one battery voltage so that the batteries are interchangeable between tools. Saves you money when you buy the "tool only" version since you already have enough batteries.
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
10,612
Reaction Score
11,407
Disagree, I have a half acre and my 60 V Greenworks mower works just fine. Takes a little over an hour, usually depletes the battery 5 minutes before I'm done.

But then I plug in the battery for the leaf blower or weed wacker and I'm all set.

So, OP, yes stick with one brand and one battery voltage so that the batteries are interchangeable between tools. Saves you money when you buy the "tool only" version since you already have enough batteries.

@Tenspro2002 Do cordless electric mowers have self propelled options? I think thats a big sell for gas mowers, especially if you don't have a level lawn.

I like the idea of one though. Glad yours worked out for you.
 

Online statistics

Members online
462
Guests online
3,676
Total visitors
4,138

Forum statistics

Threads
155,803
Messages
4,032,147
Members
9,865
Latest member
Sad Tiger


Top Bottom