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Battery powered lawn tools

Carhartt

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A friend of mine can not start the Stihl blower and wee trimmer any more. Asked me about the battery powered tools and asked for a recommendation. Does anyone have any about them? Milwaukee, Oregon, Ego, Stihl, Husqvarna, etc. Keep those 2 tools in mind as a comparison. Charging, Battery life, amp per hr, weight, user friendly?
 

Dub11

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Does he currently have any 18v power tools?

If it was me I'd go with Milwaukee or Makita just cause their batteries are going to be better built and are more readily available.

I watched an AvE review of the ego blower and the $200 battery was dead after a year, and since he's in Canada you know he didn't use it that much.
 

FergusonTO35

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Is corded electric out of the question? As much as I love my gas powered stuff, I will admit that quality plug in machines would serve me just as well around the house and in the yard. My sister has a plug in late model Stihl Weed eater and it does great. Cost only $130.00 new a few years ago.
 

Carhartt

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I do not believe corded would be an option, I guess its possible. Does not have battery powered tools, at least no high end tools.
 

Larry B

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With current lithium ion chemistry battery will last 2 maybe 3 years no matter what brand you buy. Use it once or 300 times in the 3 years it will still die. Mfgrs low ball the tool hoping to make the profit on the back end selling batteries. Think DeWalt. There are places on the internet that rebuild battery packs.
https://batteryrefill.com
In my opinion battery tools only economical if battery pack replacements are reasonably priced. If you need battery powered for health reasons get whatever you like but remember the battery will last 3 years at the most.
 

Philbert

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I have posted a bit on battery powered chainsaws, but I have also used other battery OPE. Lots of this stuff now in the Home Depots, Lowes, etc., and they tell me that it is very popular in Europe.

For years I used corded electric OPE: lawn mower, string trimmer, hedge trimmer, leaf blower, etc. Very economical to buy, compared to gas OPE, and incredibly easy to use and maintain. No spark plugs, no air filters, no carbs to adjust, no fuel filters, no ethanol issues, no flooding, etc. Lighter, less noise, super easy to start. Everything but the snowthrower! Of course, I live on a 50' X 150' city lot and am never more than 100 feet from an outlet.

The new battery stuff is really impressive too: I have used lawn mowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers, pole saws, a rototiller, etc.: Oregon 40v and Redback 120V brands

I always suggest that folks who have a lot of battery powered contractor type tools (Makita, DeWalt, Milwaukee, Bosch, etc.) start with their offerings, since they are already invested in that battery platform (typically about half the cost of each tool). If starting from scratch, or choosing a separate platform for O*P*E, take a look at the entire line offered by the brand: you may think that you only want one tool, but pretty soon . . . So that can include: Oregon Redback, STIHL, Husqvarna, EGO, Toro, GreenWorks, . . .

Many lines offer a range of battery 'sizes' / capacity: sometimes higher capacity batteries are physically larger and heavier, sometimes they are the same size and weight (due to higher capacity cells).

Amp Hours X Volts = Watt Hours
E.g.: my Oregon 6Ah X 40V = 240Wh battery has the same 'capacity' as my Redback 2Ah X 120V = 240Wh battery.

I can string trim and mow my front and back lawn on one battery, unless things are really out of control. Really feel like 'full sized' mowers. The Oregon hedge trimmer just 'sips' battery life: I can do a 50' hedge and still have 3 out of 4 LEDs (remaining life) left. Leaf blowers are another story: they blow leaves and suck juice out of the battery. Any brand. Just be aware.

I encourage anybody to get models with external, swappable batteries, and have at least one extra battery so that you can keep working while the other(s) recharge. Otherwise, look for a place / brand that you think will support their products a few years down the line.

Philbert
 

Philbert

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With current lithium ion chemistry battery will last 2 maybe 3 years no matter what brand you buy. Use it once or 300 times in the 3 years it will still die. . . . remember the battery will last 3 years at the most.
I have Li-Ion batteries for my Oregon 40V chainsaw that are 7-1/2 years old. Had to look up the A.S. thread to double check. I can't vouch if they still carry the same charge that they did when new, but they work.

First ones were rated 2.4Ah (there were some 1Ah versions too); now the 6Ah ones are the same size, and almost the same weight.

Might be a factor of who makes the internal cells. There are certainly cheaper ones on the market.

Philbert
 

Stonehillfarm

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I would definitely look at the Makita lineup of cordless tools. I had the chance to run one of their cordless saws and I was very impressed. Makita and Milwaukee have both made big investments into tool development and have no plans of changing the battery case design so fitment will never be an issue.
 

Philbert

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Makita and Milwaukee have both made big investments into tool development and have no plans of changing the battery case design so fitment will never be an issue.

*Just remember that some manufacturers support different battery platforms!!!*

Makita has 7.2V, 12V, 18V, and 36V platforms.

Milwaukee has 12V and 18V (and other ) platforms.

DeWalt has 8V, 12V, 18V, 20V, 40V, 60V, and 120V platforms.

STIHL has 3, separate, not-compatible battery platforms for OPE.

Some of these batteries are not-compatible with other battery tools by the same manufacturer. Some will work with adaptors (e.g. DeWalt 18V to 20V adaptor). Some will work in pairs (e.g. Makita 2X18V adaptor for 36V tools).

Gotta do your homework.

Philbert
 

stihl livin

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I own the Milwaukee string trimmer and hedge trimmer. I also know guys with there chainsaw and leaf blower. In my personal opinion I prefer Milwaukee but that is all I own for work tools as well. One battery fits all tools in the 18 volt. Right now Milwaukee has a deal going on if you buy their new string trimmer you get your choice of a free bare tool like a blower. This new system is like a stihl kombi system with the changeable shafts. If I remember when I get home I’ll post a picture of the flyer with the sale prices and what it entails. I want to say the string trimmer is 330 with a charger and 9.0 battery and your free tool options are chainsaw attachment hedge trimmer or leaf blower and possibly an edger.
 

pgk1

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I would definitely look at the Makita lineup of cordless tools. I had the chance to run one of their cordless saws and I was very impressed. Makita and Milwaukee have both made big investments into tool development and have no plans of changing the battery case design so fitment will never be an issue.
+1 on the Makita, I was out visiting my brother and we were welding up a welding cart for one of his new welders and he has Makita tools I used his Makita angle grinder, can't remember what battery but I was impressed with it's power and battery life, sure was nice not worrying about tripping over a cord.
 

Greenthorn

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I have had the quik lok milwaukee for around 3 weeks now. I, like a dummy, bought it when the pole saw first came out. Total price was 445. I was a little weary about these multi tool type of connections, I figure it is going to be the weakest link. I probably have 4 hours of use with the weed wacker and probably 1 hour of use with the pole saw. The 9ah battery lasts around 40 to 50 minutes for me on the weed wacker and about 20 minutes of continuous pole saw cutting.
I am impressed with it so far.
I was worried that the bumping for the line feed would be hard on the quik lok connection, doesn't seem like that will be the case though. The head has a fairly soft spring in it, and you just barely have to tap it to get the line to feed. The head is also a quick loader for string too, just measure out 20 feet of string, pull it through the head, reverse turn and in less than 2 minutes you're ready to go again. The string trimmer is 12 1/2 pounds with the battery. It is more comfortable to run than my stihl fs91, and it did handle cutting some pretty big stuff very well.
The pole saw I wanted mostly for trail clearing, I have a lot of four wheeler trails that are covered with honey suckle and russian olives. Although it only last for 20 minutes per charge, it easily makes an hour of limb clean up and picking up. The oil reservoir seems kind of small, 10 minutes of running and you have to refill, haven't really looked to see if it is adjustable, but I don't think it is. I also have the stihl ht101.
I just got it for occasional use, but I can see I will be using this battery power stuff more often than the petrol now. I also got milwaukee, cause that's what all my other tools are. I also have batteries that are 5 - 7 years old, that still charge and do just fine, so they last more than 3 years. I also forgot the thing has 2 speeds, which is nice for the weed eater.
20190523_144507.jpg
 

Redfin

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Another nod for the Milwaukee brand. We have had the weed whip at work for a bit. I just got thier fuel chainsaw for bucket work and have used the impact and blower.

The saw came with a 12 batt. I used that saw (not continuously) for an almost entire day doing clearance work and the batt still had charge.

I just ordered the weed whip for at the house. And may snag the blower.
 

Philbert

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I have had the quik lok milwaukee for around 3 weeks now. . . . . I was a little weary about these multi tool type of connections, . . . I am impressed with it so far.]
I have the Oregon Multi-Attachment System, which uses the same batteries as their chainsaw, pole saw, hedge trimmer, etc. I was always told that 'single purpose' tools are usually better than 'multi-use' tools, but the multi-tools can be a good choice for some. Generally, I find that to be the case. I like the standard Oregon 40V hedge trimmer better, but the multi-tool version gives me extended reach. So, there can be trade-offs, aside from just price.

https://www.oregonproducts.com/en/consumer-products/outdoor-power-equipment/40-volt/c/40volt-c


Philbert
 

ucm931

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Milwaukee now has a 12 amp hour amp hour battery......but be sure to grab your big wallet......or your ankles.
 

Farmchuck

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*Just remember that some manufacturers support different battery platforms!!!*

Makita has 7.2V, 12V, 18V, and 36V platforms.

Milwaukee has 12V and 18V (and other ) platforms.

DeWalt has 8V, 12V, 18V, 20V, 40V, 60V, and 120V platforms.

STIHL has 3, separate, not-compatible battery platforms for OPE.

Some of these batteries are not-compatible with other battery tools by the same manufacturer. Some will work with adaptors (e.g. DeWalt 18V to 20V adaptor). Some will work in pairs (e.g. Makita 2X18V adaptor for 36V tools).

Gotta do your homework.

Philbert
This is very good / important point in my opinion.
 

stihl livin

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Milwaukee now has a 12 amp hour amp hour battery......but be sure to grab your big wallet......or your ankles.

You just have to shop the sales. I bought a twin pack of their 9.0 batteries last year for 200 for both. This year I bought a 12.0 6.0 and rapid charger for 250 for all 3
 

Philbert

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You just have to shop the sales.
Batteries for contractor tools periodically go on sale, especially when vendors have trade shows.

I have never really sees that for OPE specific batteries, but have seen some 'extra battery free with tool purchase deals'.

Philbert
 

Philbert

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Which retailer, if I may ask?

Thanks

Philbert
 
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