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OT: battery powered outdoor equipment

UChusky916

UChusky916

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New(ish) homeowner here. I have been contemplating getting a chainsaw for some time, and my existing hand-me-down leaf blower just kicked the bucket.

Considering getting a battery powered leaf blower/chainsaw that is operated by the same rechargeable battery pack.

I know gas is better, and battery may not be as powerful... But I have a relatively small property to maintain (less than half acre).

Has anyone had any experience with battery powered outdoor equipment? Is the lack of power noticeable or a detriment compared to gas powered? Battery worth the convenience and lack of maintenance vs gas? Any brand in particular?
 
UChusky916 said:
New(ish) homeowner here. I have been contemplating getting a chainsaw for some time, and my existing hand-me-down leaf blower just kicked the bucket.

Considering getting a battery powered leaf blower/chainsaw that is operated by the same rechargeable battery pack.

I know gas is better, and battery may not be as powerful... But I have a relatively small property to maintain (less than half acre).

Has anyone had any experience with battery powered outdoor equipment? Is the lack of power noticeable or a detriment compared to gas powered? Battery worth the convenience and lack of maintenance vs gas? Any brand in particular?
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Have a battery leaf blower and would recommend gas. Just not enough life unless you buy a second battery for back up.

Have a 20v string trimmer/ edger combo by black and decker and love it. Would strongly encourage.

As for the mower, I would go gas unless you have a small yard.
 
Caronimo said:
Have a battery leaf blower and would recommend gas. Just not enough life unless you buy a second battery for back up.

Have a 20v string trimmer/ edger combo by black and decker and love it. Would strongly encourage.

As for the mower, I would go gas unless you have a small yard.
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A second battery is a MUST.
 
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Just reading all these posts and realized a lot of you are new home owners. Congratulations!
 
UChusky916 said:
New(ish) homeowner here. I have been contemplating getting a chainsaw for some time, and my existing hand-me-down leaf blower just kicked the bucket.

Considering getting a battery powered leaf blower/chainsaw that is operated by the same rechargeable battery pack.

I know gas is better, and battery may not be as powerful... But I have a relatively small property to maintain (less than half acre).

Has anyone had any experience with battery powered outdoor equipment? Is the lack of power noticeable or a detriment compared to gas powered? Battery worth the convenience and lack of maintenance vs gas? Any brand in particular?
Expand ...

Not a new homeowner. Battery chainsaw won’t cut down an oak tree. So think about what you need. I bought a Stihl gas chainsaw, which should last a lifetime. But for weed whackers and leaf blowers battery power is the way to go. Bought some for our Vermont place and love them. Literally ordered a battery leaf blower about 3 minutes ago from Home Depot. I have a gas backpack blower and a Toro plug in electric blower. Used the Toro today on oak seeds on my driveway, deck and patio and decided to give it away.

I got Ryobi because I’ve got Ryobi drill and hand saw using the same battery packs. So far the brand hasn’t let me down. Get whatever you want but consider that you will probably want to stick with that brand for other tools for battery consistency.
 
ColchVEGAS said:
I have a bunch of the Ryobi 18V tools. Only went with their brand because of how many options they have. The leaf blower is the only one I would not recommend. Just cannot move leaves like the gas backpack blower. I only use it for the driveway and walkways now. The chainsaw is okay if you are looking to do some small limbing and cleanup. Otherwise, I leave it in the garage.

I have heard nothing but great things about all of the 40V options when it comes to power. That is usually the only downfall in the 18V.
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Which Ryobi did you get? They have three and the top two seem pretty powerful. I’ve got a backpack blower anyway, so just ordered the battery pack blower for getting seeds and pollen off of my driveway and deck, maybe clearing dirt and leaves from the garage.
 
I'd go for Stihl or a Husqvarna. I've tried out both and they give you plenty of power but it's a bit on the more expensive side.

I eventually ended up getting the gas versions of the Husqvarna because of my bigger sized yard.
 
HuskyHawk said:
Which Ryobi did you get? They have three and the top two seem pretty powerful. I’ve got a backpack blower anyway, so just ordered the battery pack blower for getting seeds and pollen off of my driveway and deck, maybe clearing dirt and leaves from the garage.
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I had to look it up and it appears Dream Jobbed was correct. I have the hard surface blower which is why it is only good for cleaning the driveway and yard. The ECHO gas powered backpack blower gets the job done elsewhere.
 
Dream Jobbed 2.0 said:
I’m not sure the ryobi 18v blower is even intended for leafs. I was definitely disappointed in it. It’s good sawdust and clearing light snow of the cars and driveway
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I'm about to pick up an 18v blower just for blowing off the deck. We spend so much time out there that it's worth the speed and convenience when there's pollen and other outside debris all over the place. I'll probably also use it for blowing off my car after I wash it. Otherwise I use the backpack blower for everything else.
 
.-.
ColchVEGAS said:
I had to look it up and it appears Dream Jobbed was correct. I have the hard surface blower which is why it is only good for cleaning the driveway and yard. The ECHO gas powered backpack blower gets the job done elsewhere.
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RichCTBB said:
I'm about to pick up an 18v blower just for blowing off the deck. We spend so much time out there that it's worth the speed and convenience when there's pollen and other outside debris all over the place. I'll probably also use it for blowing off my car after I wash it. Otherwise I use the backpack blower for everything else.
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Just got this one for the same use case, plus garage and driveway. Works fine. Not as powerful as my Toro plug in and certainly not up with my Husqvarna backpack. Wasn’t fully charged so it will probably be a bit stronger than it was out of the box. Works fine for what I need. Light and easy to use.
 
Also a new homeowner. Just bought a Ryobi 20” 40V 6AH battery mower yesterday. Going to use it for the first time now. Will report back.
 
My advice would be to go with the highest voltage/amp hours rating you can. And if possible interoperability with other tools. If u are starting from scratch pick one line and stick with it. Helps to have multiple batteries you can swap between tools. Ryobi is good mid market IMO. Dewalt and husqvarna are higher end.
 
Have almost gas everything except for a Worx Trimmer/Edger I bought last week. I love it. Plenty powerful for what I need (which is not much w/ my yard) and it is perfect. Lightweight, 30 min or so battery life, came with two 20v batts.
 
HuskyBandDad said:
You guys are all nuts. Save yourself all the aggravation. Just hire a lawn guy to come every week. ;)
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Absolutely! I have almost 2 acres and have a law guy that mows, edges and blows the yard down after for $50 a week. It also looks a helluva lot better than when I used a riding mower. For me, it’s worth it.
 
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Also a new homeowner as of last year. Got the Greenworks 60V mower on clearance last August, then the 60V leaf blower in the fall, and finally the 60V trimmer last week.

Got the first 2 with battery (5 and then 2.5 Ah) and then saved money on the 3rd by getting the trimmer only. All batteries interchangeable, and the 2 of them can usually do my whole 0.5 acre yard.

I never used any of this stuff before and find them easy to use and not under-powered at all. Can't compare to gas or other brands, but no complaints, all for about 500 bucks.
 
Milwaukee......... Milwaukee.........Milwaukee.......... simply the best ( $$$) stuff out there.
 
I have Greenworks blower, weed wacker and lawn mower and it all works great. I have 1.5 acres and lots of trees/weeds/bushes. Everything works great. The ease of the electric far outweigh the battery annoyance.
 
UConnMike04 said:
Absolutely! I have almost 2 acres and have a law guy that mows, edges and blows the yard down after for $50 a week. It also looks a helluva lot better than when I used a riding mower. For me, it’s worth it.
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I do that too. But my leaf volume is so high that I need to deal with some of those. Most weeks in the fall you can't even see my grass within a day or two of the landscapers coming. And now I'm using the battery pack blower to get seeds and pollen off of everything.
 
My elderly father bought an EGO 56V mower. I was skeptical. It’s great. Really impressed.

For power tools I have had good experiences with Milwaukee, Makita, and Ryobi.

My Husqvarna backpack blower is priceless. I would not consider a battery alternative. I only put in their brand fuel mix. It’s expensive but the hassle of bad fuel isn’t worth the savings.

Stihl chainsaw is going strong after 20 years. I don’t think I could replace it with battery for what I do, but for yard branches battery would be ok. I just cut up an 8 inch diam tree from storm damage.

I could see going Battery for everything but the blower. I’d try EGO based on the mower.
 
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Zissou said:
My elderly father bought an EGO 56V mower. I was skeptical. It’s great. Really impressed.

For power tools I have had good experiences with Milwaukee, Makita, and Ryobi.

My Husqvarna backpack blower is priceless. I would not consider a battery alternative. I only put in their brand fuel mix. It’s expensive but the hassle of bad fuel isn’t worth the savings.

Stihl chainsaw is going strong after 20 years. I don’t think I could replace it with battery for what I do, but for yard branches battery would be ok. I just cut up an 8 inch diam tree from storm damage.

I could see going Battery for everything but the blower. I’d try EGO based on the mower.
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The EGO 56v top-of-the-line blower has the highest cfm and mph of any blower, gas, electric, or battery. I ~think~ it includes backpack blowers too. I’ve tried a few gas and 1 backpack to see if I can clear leaves off a pool cover. Needs to move them about 18’ so I don’t have to rake or sweep from the other side, and only the backpack came close. The backpack was Husquavarna or Stihl. The handhelds were Stihl and Honda(?). They get about 15’. My corded electric does about 10-12’. If anyone can help, I’m listening. ;^)
 
Ego is the best battery lawn equipment I have used. It is simply awesome. I also have Kobalt mower, got a great deal, it also works great, a second battery is a good idea though. I also have a gas Husqvarna backpack blower never had any issues with it. As for tools Milwaukee is the best followed close by Makita and DeWalt. But if your not a pro and want Milwaukee get 12 volt fuel, less $. I have some Milwaukee 12 volt for working on cars. They have plenty of power, more then a lot of cheaper 18-20 volt systems. Or save $ and go lesser brand like Ridgid or Kobalt. I have mostly Ridgid tools for home. Work great and plenty of power. If you register it they have lifetime service agreement on tools and batteries. I have drill, impact driver, 1/2 impact wrench, sawzall, job site blower and hammer drill. I never had an issue with any of it. Never had Ryobi but have heard both good and bad on them - a lot cheaper though. Thats my 2 cents with a lot of tools and some pro experience.
 
uconnfan68 said:
The EGO 56v top-of-the-line blower has the highest cfm and mph of any blower, gas, electric, or battery. I ~think~ it includes backpack blowers too. I’ve tried a few gas and 1 backpack to see if I can clear leaves off a pool cover. Needs to move them about 18’ so I don’t have to rake or sweep from the other side, and only the backpack came close. The backpack was Husquavarna or Stihl. The handhelds were Stihl and Honda(?). They get about 15’. My corded electric does about 10-12’. If anyone can help, I’m listening. ;^)
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EGO top blower is 650 CFM vs 941 cfm for the Husqvarna blower. I’ve used other blowers, gas and electric. My Husqvarna is the best I’ve tried. Every bit helps when you are moving debris
 
Zissou said:
EGO top blower is 650 CFM vs 941 cfm for the Husqvarna blower. I’ve used other blowers, gas and electric. My Husqvarna is the best I’ve tried. Every bit helps when you are moving debris
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Thanks!
 
HuskyHawk said:
Just got this one for the same use case, plus garage and driveway. Works fine. Not as powerful as my Toro plug in and certainly not up with my Husqvarna backpack. Wasn’t fully charged so it will probably be a bit stronger than it was out of the box. Works fine for what I need. Light and easy to use.
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I picked up the same one yesterday. Even my wife enjoys using it. Even. My. Wife. Enjoys. Using. It.

It also came with a a higher capacity battery that's compatible with some of my other Ryobi cordless tools which is a plus.
 
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