Time to convert from small engine to battery tools?

MAD777 · Apr 9, 2019

I'm moving to a new house & used that as an excuse to re-tool. Went with EGO battery powered outdoor equipment. YouTube research showed EGO to be a cut above others, which is logical since they make only battery powered outdoor equipment. It's all too new to judge longevity. My decision was based on getting away from gas/oil mixtures, carburetor problems, pull starts, noise & air pollution.

ultrarunner · Apr 10, 2019

Looks like it is still some time before the Stihl MSA161T chain saw will be available...

Earlier reports said the Spring of 2019 but I heard today maybe Fall 2019???

Rebeldad1 · Apr 10, 2019

My DeWalt batteries are warranted for 5 years. I've had some for 6 years and only one has failed and that was just recently.

How did you get a 5 year warrantee on your batteries?

Around here Dewalt offers 3 years on everything.
Let us all know, that would be amazing!!!

dragoneggs · Apr 20, 2019

OP here... picked up my Stihl battery/charger and three tools yesterday. String Trimmer, Blower, and a Hedger. Used the hedger today and it worked great! Already decided to sell off my gas hedger. I have no question the battery life will be enough that I shouldn't need more than one. Might get another to be able to run two tools at the same time... but time will tell on the need.

Haven't been able to try out the Trimmer and Blower because these models do not have the battery on board. Instead the battery is carried on your hip on a belt and attached with a cord. The battery belt didn't come in with the order so I will have to wait to critique this set up.

I like the idea of lighter weight yet powerful trimmer and blower but second guessing my decision now that I have the cord in hand.

ultrarunner · Apr 20, 2019

I gave the pole extended hedge trimmer a good workout yesterday and I am pleased... not as powerful as my gas model but did everything asked...

Still new to battery power and I had been going on and off for a couple of hours and the unit just stopped... I mean dead... nothing.

Thought maybe something was amiss… popped out the batter and put it back in and it worked... then noticed the battery was depleted…

Swapped batteries and kept going... the depleted battery charged quickly in the fast charger but never needed it...

The new top handle saw is delayed... but I will take a look when it comes out if for nothing else than to compare...

PS... I like my new dealer... small family operation and they are actually happy to see me come in... I went in this morning to pick up extra chain loops...

Bill Groom · Apr 21, 2019

Last summer my gas weedeater bit the dust, and in frustration bought the Echo battery operated trimmer. What an incredible tool it is, a joy to run, powerful, quiet (relatively) and gets about 40 minutes per charge. It does take about an hour to recharge, but I mow while it charges. A bit expensive, but I am done with two stroke engines.

jjp8182 · Apr 21, 2019

EddieWalker said:
All of my cordless tools are Makita, and I'm waiting for them to come out with a line of tools that use their 18 volt batteries. That's when I'll go cordless on my lawn care tools.

I don' trust the brands out there that specialize in cordless lawn care tools with their own brand of batteries. My fear is that the batteries wont last very long, that they will be expensive to replace and then they will eventually go out of business and there will not be a source for more batteries. The most important aspect of cordless tools is the battery!!!

No need to wait as Makita already has a fair number of cordless outdoor power tools that use the LXT batteries. In fact I just had my second Makita chainsaw (more traditional style than their earlier top handle/read battery versions) arrive Friday. It uses two 18V LXT batteries and has a 14" bar -- got it on a Makita special through Home Depot with 2 extra batteries when purchased with the full kit.

Also have one of the LXT split shaft trimmers with a string trimming head that I bungee to the tractor's operator station handle when mowing -- and a Makita hand held leaf blower for cleaning the tractor & mower off when I'm done.

Personally I like using battery powered outdoor equipment when I need to do a lot of start/stop lighter usage (e.g. hop of the tractor and trim around a mailbox of sign post so I don't have to come back to the same spot later).

However, for harder/longer continuous use I'm still going to grab gas tools as I've had problems with battery tools getting hot/overheating with hard continuous usage (not to mention they discharge faster when they start getting hot). So if/when I'm trimming fence line(s) out comes the Stihl Kombi with a string trimmer....

bigtiller · Apr 21, 2019

I am starting to depend more on Makita and less on compressed air also. Just this week I bought my second 1/2" drive impact wrench.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-...rive-Impact-Wrench-Tool-Only-XWT08Z/206637027

dragoneggs · Apr 21, 2019

ultrarunner said:
I gave the pole extended hedge trimmer a good workout yesterday and I am pleased... not as powerful as my gas model but did everything asked...

Still new to battery power and I had been going on and off for a couple of hours and the unit just stopped... I mean dead... nothing.

Thought maybe something was amiss… popped out the batter and put it back in and it worked... then noticed the battery was depleted…

Swapped batteries and kept going... the depleted battery charged quickly in the fast charger but never needed it...

The new top handle saw is delayed... but I will take a look when it comes out if for nothing else than to compare...

PS... I like my new dealer... small family operation and they are actually happy to see me come in... I went in this morning to pick up extra chain loops...

Decided to peruse the manuals a bit last night after using my hedger and charging the AP battery. Seems the LED charge indicators on the battery can be green or red. Green apparently is good, red means there is an issue. Could be overheating of battery or the tool or some other reasons. I wouldn't have noticed the color thinking it only indicated power/charge level.