You guys know my thoughts, what’s yours? Share your opinion down below about the future of battery products and if you plan to implement them in your business.
It’s not gonna be for me in the near future, maybe if these battery powered equipment gets better. Hope to hear from you sometime soon brian! Thank for testing these out for us!
I've been testing the stihl battery system for the last year. Charging a battery in the truck isn't an issue with one exception. We just use a higher power inverter to connect up the the battery with HEAVY DUTY wires. The real problem we have is when it gets hot the batteries won't charge because the charger won't let them until they cool back down. It starts being a problem for us when we start hitting near the 100's outside.
@@thatonegirlazu9847 well, the batteries are coming from being used to the charger. Once the temp is high in the truck they won't begin charging until the cab cools back down.
I use Makita battery mowers trimmers and blower etc and they charge right away. I have two solar panels, inverter, voltage regulator and chargers and keep up with charging.
Hit them and the tool if necessary with gloss white spray paint. Makes all the difference. Been doing this for over a decade down here in FL and it solved my charging/heat issues. Turns out most of that heat is just the sun baking the darker finishes of the tools/batteries. PS: I have not had a single tool or battery that is painted "disappear" from a job site. Everything else still vanishes as usual ;-(
Tree surgeon here in the UK. We have used battery hedge cutter for years. They are great!! Batteries last all day, no blue fingers or losing feeling in fingers. Plus no trying to pull start at the top of ladders. Unit could be strong and Stihl tried to change it but made the unit worse 🤦🤦. The original is best so far. Also stihl do a 300s battery for a long battery life and set up a charge in the truck.
I switched last year to Stihl 135 series just like what you demonstrated. I have almost the complete line. For me and the yards I do I am able to complete 10-12 yards on one battery. I’m in Florida and have small yards , I use the lowest setting and find it has plenty of power. The only time I use setting 2 or 3 is when I am need high and need to power boost. This system will re-learn you that you don’t need all that power. You kept triggering just to make it active which wast power. Check out all of my reviews on the stihl 135 series I’ve done last year and this year as I purchased them over several months.
I've been using the Milwaukee trimmer for the last season and a half and absolutely love it. It's light weight and balanced at the D handle. Added the Echo speedfeed head this year because the Milwaukee head was always jamming up. I cover 12 - 15 properties a day. Important caveat, property sizes and requirements can differ significantly and I haven't timed actual usage life of the batteries. To maximize battery life I run it on the 🐢 setting and don't blast full gas on the trigger unless needed and it's more than enough power for trimming. Definitely pay more attention to what I'm doing now, no random throttle blips in transition between areas. I have 3 High Output XC8.0 batteries, which is more than enough some days but not others, and a rapid charger so I can charge when needed. Currently just plug in when needed to an outdoor plug at the jobsite but have an inverter install planned for the truck. Made the switch because my gas unit was having running issues and Milwaukee had a free battery promo, that was a no brainer! I also find the lawn mower is like a boat on the lake, just part of the sounds of summer, where as the gas trimmer is like the jackass on a jetski, so if I need to work later into the evening I'm more like the neighbor cutting the grass vs the annoying jackass interrupting the bbq 😀
My business is completely electric. I run the KMA 135r combi. I use it primarily as an edger, but have the string trimmer attachment as well. Will be posting about it soon on my page. Honestly, my battery currently lasts me all day for the clients I take care of. And with 20 min full scharge ability with speed charger, it hasn't been a problem for me at all.
Loving the EGO products. Picked up the blower, then string trimmer, then hedge trimmer. Each came with the 2.5 amp battery. Went in for the chainsaw and got the 5 amp battery with it. Saw is amazing! I now use the 5 amp battery with the string trimmer and it lasts me about 4 hours! Really impressed with the equipment! Thanks
I'm a smaller business only dealing with about 5 lawns a day, but I love my Greenworks commercial tools. Currently, my thoughts on the battery equipment are that baseline or average maintenance in normal conditions is the most practical use for battery equipment, once you get into intensive situations such as leaves, overgrown, etc. I run all battery hand tools as well as 25 in push mower, but its in tandem with a wright stander I 36". At the point that this equipment is now, to run electric equipment your route would have to be catered to that equipment need. That being said within the past 3 years this equipment has taken big leaps, and its hard to compare it when you have gas equipment as a baseline. The ease of use on the electric stuff is just unbeatable, and I anticipate the run time will soon follow in the coming years.
If STIHL can make a trimmer the same light weight as the fs94r with long lasting batteries, great power and reasonable pricing id be more interested. For now im sticking with my gas powered everything 😬
Just brought 135 and its too heavy,it feels same weight as stihl 240(250)gas brushcutter,it does have plenty power and its pretty much same power as stihl 111 gas linetrimmer. it's not easy task carrying around big propertys due to the weight and short lasting battery,i finish one battery(300s) in one big lawn for linetrimming,edging and some flat trimming areas. id say battery tech isnt there yet for linetrimmer/brushcutter and certainly not cost effective compare to gas trimmer.
Same here just got it and its DAMN too Heavy even balanced it on the shoulder strap.. I’m on the fence of returning it or maybe look for other more lighter ones..
We use exclusively battery powered hedge trimmers, weedeaters, chain saws, pole saws etc for our trail building work. We pack in 10 to 12 batteries to last all day out maintaining and building trails. 40v Batteries work across all the tools, and are much easier to pack in than fuel, and of course quieter and cleaner out in the woods. Perfect use for battery powered equipment! Nobody I know who uses battery versions of these tools rely on just one battery per day. Usually charge up 3 to 5 for a days work every night.
I just bought the new Echo 56v battery powered commercial grade weed wacker and I took it back after a week. I really wanted to like it but it just wasn’t there in power and battery life. I wish I could tell everyone different.
I’ve gotten used to battery usage on small tool applications. But larger things like mowers, backpack blowers and even edgers, I STILL LOVE gas. EGO does have a GREAT string trimmer. Probably one of, if not the best, battery string trimmer. But Toro mowers and Stihl detail equipment is my gas brand combo of choice. Great vids!!
Have slowly converted all my tools to the stihl ap battery system as my petrol tools died , got ten tools and 8 batteries and can go a whole day now without charging, got them over four years so wasn’t too horrible on spend but they certainly are not cheap
I run Husqvarna combo attachments and have no issues with batteries. A couple last all day with my edger, trimmer, tiller and handheld blower. Starts every time and self and employees love it.
J's Electric Lawn Care here. I run all Milwaukee the mower last a hour when doing maintaince mowing. Grass gets thick and high it uses the whole battery and half another on .34 of a acer. The more takes (2) 12AH batteries. The cut is as good if quality of the commercial Honda mowers I have used. The trimmer has two speeds with a variable trigger one 6ah battery will do a .25 acer with a bar to spare..... lol and so on it is a investment for sure. I live in washington and they eat it up. So I give the people what they want. It's is amazing for landing HOA subdivisions. They usually have noise restrictions. It's my biggest selling point. More so then the environment....
I use Milwaukee's 18v electric stuff commercially. We only use electric, aside from the mowers, and it's all Milwaukee. No gas OPE. Biggest day is 24 lots, a few .5 acre. It's absolutely pro-grade. The power head is awesome. We have the edger, articulating hedge trimmer, 3ft extension and pole saw attachments. Solid all around. Always been impressed. Stihl has taken a long time to get into it, but I'm sure the stuff is good as well. The power head with string trimmer, can get by on 3 batteries (1 216wh (12ah), 2 144wh (8ah)) for the whole day. Only 2 batteries if you're extra efficient. Blower is 1 144wh battery if you're efficient. If you want more power they have the dual-battery blower now coming in at 600CFM@165mph through the whole battery life - most competitors in that power range have a slight drop off over time. It isn't backpack level but that's a different class and I believe only EGO has something at that power level. I have enough battery on a crew that runtime is never a concern (1 12, 2 9s, 3 8s), and if you cycle on chargers you can do heavy brushcutting non-stop with zero worry about the rest of the day. Don't remove your guard, though. No electric stuff I've seen likes that. Usually either a) activates the computerized motor protection, or b) overloads the motor. Personally I'm against guard removal anyway; I think it puts a ton of wear on the tool and if you're benefiting from no guard you're probably not moving fast enough 😉
190$ per battery, 150$ for the charger... 8 batteries would be needed for 15 yards a day for small cookie cutter yards.. 1520$ for batteries, 1200$ for 8 chargers. 2,720$ for the electric fuel for 1 trimmer for 28 weeks. About a 100$ per week for electric fuel for 1 trimmer (plus energy cost to charge batteries 140 times during the season 5x a week). We may run through 5 gallons of 2 cycle fuel a week on 40 country lawns and 10 subdivision lots for all of our 2 cycle equipment. Our 5 acre account would eat up 6 batteries easily. Not for me.
@@brendomow1001 if all 8 of your batteries are dead at the end of the day and which they will be, and you only have 1 charger are you going to be the person to put another battery on the charger every 30 minutes for 4 hours so you can have 8 charged batteries for the next day? with 1 charger 20 hrs a week to replenish your power supply for 1 piece of equipment.. I can fill up 5 gallons of gas and mix oil in it in under 5 minutes. I have just replenished the power supply in 5 minutes for All 5 of my pieces of equipment for a week.
I think for the type of customers you service you make a fair point. You'll need quite a few batteries to get through the day. Even if you have the larger 5ah versions. Here in the UK I have been running battery for about 90% of my work because the gardens are smaller. Love your videos man would love to work over there.
Did you know about the Ap holster. A pouch that clips on your belt and a cord goes to the trimmer like the backpacks but lighter and wouldn’t get sweaty. We were using the trimmer today and love it low vibration. It ran 45 minutes with this holster it would make the trimmer light than any gas trimmer even the 94. That’s invredible. Low vibration is a game changer also to all of the people who have had their hands numb and buzzing even hours after work is done. I’ve had guys quit because of that. Carpal tunnel
Also, run time will be greatly improved if you’re operating it with your deflector 😅 also running it on the 1 or 2 speed setting will increase your run time. Most of the time you don’t need the 3rd speed.
I just started using the echo 56volt professional line tools in April. My feedback with the electric Dsrm 2600 weed eater I can get 5-6 yards small yards (weekly growth) with one 5 Amp battery, like the one you showed in recent video about how to flip edge. The performance of the tool is just as powerful as my gas weed eater, quieter,less maintenance I love it. The cons I found if you are doing a lot of yards you do need multiple batteries you can either purchase a tool with a battery or you can but the battery separate. My setup I have two electric weed eaters, one blower, one hedge trimmer and one chain saw. Have 6 batteries overall 3 (2.5 amp) & 3 (5amp) and with 6 batteries I can do 10-12 yards a day without charging mow,trim & blow.
Here’s a suggestion. Buy two batteries. Hard wire an inverter directly to your truck battery, with the inverter mounted inside the cab. Have one battery charging off the inverter while you are at a property. Swap batteries after each property. That way you can go all day on just two batteries. The truck will charge its own battery as you drive between properties.
1st thing I do with all my batteries is hit them with white spray paint. Keeps them much cooler when out in the sun. Even here in FL the battery, when painted white, almost always can go straight from the tool into the charger with no issues as opposed to generally needing to cool otherwise. Most of all obviously, battery equipment is totally reliant on having one in the charger and one in the tool. Ideally rotating 3 batteries so next up for the charger has time to cool down.
I used to use the DeWalt trimmer and edger and like you said performance is great battery was not didn't even last a day. Charging takes forever for a full battery.
Hi Brain,I use 🔋 but Makita multiheads and a lawnmowers with a back packs,One backpack will last around 4h straight use.I am happy with them.There is also ego but beteries are more expensive then a tool.
I’ve been using an Dewalt 40v spin trimmer for 3 seasons now….love it!! Unfortunately Dewalt discontinued this battery package, too bad. I can mow and spin 16 lawns in a day on the same battery , I carry a back up 40v battery and rarely need it.
Batteries all the way. Since almost 3 years now. I've got 6 batteries and 3 chargers. Never had an issue with depleted batteries. They're fully charged in less than a half hour. I'm using 3 batteries when they're done I'll get the other 3 while the first 3 are charging. Half an hour runtime is about the same as a full tank of petrol. Ask your customer if you can use a powerplug and charge one battery. Love the fact that you don't need ear protection. And powering on the machine is way faster. The kind of work you do in the video can all be done easily in power setting 1. Gives you more runtime.
I havent gotten into electric trimmers yet, but a couple of years ago I went with a toro electric 22 inch recycler. The reason was to be able to fold it in half and strap it to the side wall of my enclosed trailer. That way I have no gas or oil leaks, and it takes up a very small amount of space in my trailer. My long term goal is getting an F-150 Lightning and having everything charge from the truck overnight and maybe not too long after that an electric stand on.
I just dove all in to battery power. Purchased the Stihl Kombimotor KMA 135 R, string trimmer and edger attachments and 2 AP330 batteries and charger. I wanted the leaf blower and the 510 V lawn mower to have all I use and keep within the same system but unfortunately the mower and blower were no where to be found. I decided on EGO for both of those so I can at least have two of the same brand batteries to swap around in that platform. Stihl products seem very difficult to locate if at all as they are only sold by authorized dealers and I have like 4 in driving distance from my home. I just bought all this new equipment so I haven't had a chance to use it yet, plus it's been raining very often and I have not mowed/trimmed yet. I went with Kombi system to save space in my garage. Battery operated for professional use I imagine would be a concern because of battery life issues. For a homeowner like myself it should be okay. I have seen videos of landscaping businesses using Stihl battery equipment with mixed reviews. Most charge the batteries in their trucks and have multiple batteries, expensive!
You bring up some great points. I have a battery Stihl and not to impressed with the life and trimmer is heavy I think. I also have two trailer setups with Milwaukee powered tools on each and love them. I personally love the Milwaukee lawn tools over everything. I only use a stihl gas trimmer as a backup on each trailer in case the battery life or lack of brain functions happens. The industry still has a ways to go in making battery as rugged as gas. The best reason I have for battery is they always run when you pull the trigger after bouncing down the road unlike flooded gas tools.
You’ll be happy to know that Milwaukee is coming out with pouch cells for their batteries next year. There suppose to be lighter and more energy dense. There also supposed to have increased cycle life. Also next month you can buy their new blower coming out.
I’m waiting to end of season, by that time guys will have tested every piece out there for a full year….with size properties I have gas is where it’s at for me right now✂️💯
For me I edge beds string and concrete with edger. I see alot of people complaining about battery life doing big yards and edging....its not great but I get 3 to 4 only string trimming. Your gonna need 3 batteries at least and an edger ....quite an investment but i started by finding cheap lighty used batteries for around 100 ....then got 135
I do some tall yards, I would love to test some of the battery stuff out on them. The battery stuff Is definitely gonna have to get further along for commercial use. When you have 6 guys weedeating a property for 4-5 hours the gas is the only way to go. 110 in oklahoma yesterday, no rain in weeks, yards are dead and I'm almost happy about it. Guaranteed heat stroke at those temps.
Hey Brian I have the Milwaukee set up just cause that the kind of batteries I have all the products I have works sweet when it cool out and last as long as a tank of fuel but when it hot batteries over heat doesn't work as good on hot days. But it is good for something that you missed trimming instead of pulling a string to start just hit a button 👍
We run the Kombi units and they make a battery backpack “AR 3000 Backpack Battery” that you can pick up and it works great. We also run with a couple AP 300 S battery’s as well. We also have our gas Kombi units for backups. It never hurts.
I also want to say I respect blades of grass you tuber for being able to do it. I guess I don’t have the right mind set. Are local dealer let me try one and I was like you it performs well. Just no battery life.
I run Milwaukee M18 hedgers (handheld and extended) and the chainsaw. They work great and the batteries I have last more than a day. I am not convinced on battery equipment for more than light uses. I would love to convert more to battery powered as I think the people I service in Denver would love it. Can't wait for the future and what they come up with, but it is at least 5 years away, imho. Great video!
I use the Milwaukee edger/pole saw/hedge trimmer and hand held blower! I love using the edger for a quick clean up on my lawns. It’s great if an edge is already established, but would prefer a gas edger for big cleanups. My main blower is an gas echo backpack, however, I love use the Milwaukee handheld as a quick grab and go. Really cuts down on time when blowing off little things like the trailer, mowers, or even some grass clippings you forgot. Overall though I still trust the gas as my main weed eater and blower.
I have a lawn care business and I have two solar panels on my roof , inverter, voltage regulator and chargers. I do all my own charging in my Ford Transit Connect. I have both the Makita and Milwaukee mowers,trimmers ,blowers etc. The Makita line is better than the Milwaukee. My charging system works to keep up working all day. I work on my own and cut on average 11 lawns a day with very little overhead.
I agree battery is not there. I have milwaukee trimmer hedge trimmer and hand blower. I only got them to use around the house. Batteries don't last for a full day and I'm not buying 15 batteries. Plus if you use them everyday the batteries aren't going to last long being drained and charged everyday. If I have to switch to battery I'm done and looking for another job. Keep up the good work Brian and thanks for being honest!
Don't laugh at me but I got myself an Atlas push mower hedge trimmer and pole saw from good ol harbor freight, all powered by the same 80 v which I have 3 of, and honestly... no complaints. I use the mower for gated back yards and ditches and it's nice not worrying about gas and carb issues every season.
Have you seen the battery Backpack for it. That is what I have heard you use for all day use. The backpack cost roughly 1,100 dollars I think. Great video. We are going to buy a couple battery Kombi systems next month to use on some of our smaller properties. I will keep you posted on how that goes.
I looked at the Echo battery line last year at GIE. I already have a bunch of attachments, so the head and batteries is what I need. But the extra battery is still a lot of money for someone that mows just a few yards. And I don’t have the charger port in my truck, so another expense. I use a Roybi 18 volt battery blower and hedge trimmers for small yards. But that’s where my battery usage stops. But the electric wave is moving my way………..
Hey Brian, I think you should try out the Husqvarna 325 ILK. It has the performance and with the BLi300 battery it last longer than I thought. Still not long enough to be honest, but I love using it. I combine it with the Echo 400 SpeedFeed and it tackles all of my residential lawns with ease. Love the vids Brain, keep it up!
Same here! I love the Bli300’s in our tools. Also, the 325iLK has plenty power with the added versatility of being split-shaft. We also just added the W520i to our arsenal, but it is power hungry! Off to the store to purchase more Bli300’s I suppose.
I use husqy 520ilx regularly for 2.5 years now, almost never need petrol (but I have the stihl fs131 for heavy jobs). The 520 is lacking in power a bit but I put a lightweight alloy head on and it made a big difference.
Regarding cost of batteries; we use about 25 gallons of 2 stroke a week. 30 weeks equals 750 gallons. And I think that is low, but it’s currently $3750 in gas per year plus 4 gallons of 2 stroke oil.
Just a tip you are doing the driveways edges backwards. If you flip trim walking backwards it’s much nicer and if you want to do the top trim on the 45 degree angle walk forward. Think of the trimmer head like a spinning wheel. You wouldn’t spin a wheel down the road in reverse. Going the opposite way of what the line is spinning causes turbulence in the line. Trim the same way the line wheel is spinning and the edges are way more crisp. Those driveway edges were super choppy. No hate just a observation and I would tell my crew the same.
For the last year I've been running EGO for my regular maintenance Trimmer Edger and blower. I have no complaints on performance only thing is after daily use for one year, 4 to 5 days a week battery life has went down from 18 yard (using the trimmer) to about 12. l have one battery for each tool and keep 2 as a backup. 7.5amp hour battery roughly 300 a piece but gotten on sale with equipment. So saved alot. Use gas for heavily overgrown edging. Trimmer on level 2 will kill battery life but is comparable to the Echo -2620T
Brian great feedback, I’m with ya on this, I want it to work but it’s just not there yet,looking forward to when it is though. I do think it will be sooner rather than later. It’s a big time race to whoever gets there first because there definitely going to be in the money!
I use a mix of battery and gas you can't fully rely on battery stuff. I use the milwaukee trimmer and blower mainly because I already had batteries for it work great but at the end of the day all six of my batteries are dead. side note I love grabbing the battery powered equipment when something is missed and I gotta get it real quick before we leave
Try testing a portal power station sort of like a jackery or a Okmo. Maybe the ones that are around 1000 bucks. Charge the batteries with a fast charger as soon as one goes down. You shouldn’t have any issues with three decent batteries and a good power station 🤔
Good review Brian. I have been ripping Ryobi carbon fiber 40v trimmer for 2 seasons now. The stihl is too heavy, I put the smaller AP 200 battery on it for weight reduction.. but get less run time then from the Ryobi😯 I run a bunch of Ryobi batteries and chargers . The stihl batteries are COST PROHIBITIVE with no noticeable advantage over less expensive batteries
I’m not sure battery power is ready for TRUE pro, all day lawn care business. No matter how good they are, they’re still just great DIY homeowner use. It’s not even a question.
Thanks for the video. I was considering that unit. I currently use a Milwaukee 18 volt fuel for trimming/blower and have the same issue...The unit came with 1 8.0 c battery. That battery lasts less than an hour and a back up battery I believe is $200.00....
You should try and get them to send you the backpack battery for that trimmer. From my experience with another brand who has a backpack battery you get more runtime than a gas unit. Depending on how aggressive I am with the trigger, I have gotten 18 properties on one charge with the backpack battery trimmer.
Idid you take the guard off before you put it to use or did you get a chance to use it with the guard on. Johnny with blades of grass uses the system and seems to like it. Im wondering what kind of battery life it gets running the suggested length of trimmer line.
I'm back to a gas trimmer (Husky 324L). The 135 is heavy, but most noticeably to me, it's unbalanced. It is surprisingly powerful, but difficult to run at low speeds like a gas machine. Yes, you can choose the lowest of the 3 speed settings and max it out in that setting, but that doesn't always work for me. It'll be hanging on the wall in my garage from now on, unless I can sell it, which will probably be difficult.
Would a solar jackery generator work? Place panels on the trailer roof and leaver charger bases plugged in all the time and charge batteries between jobs. A lot of money just to do a few early morning lawns. Running batteries empty shortens the life span of the battery too.
I have found that battery life on the FSA is affected mostly by throttle discipline and how hard you load the motor. You have to stay about half to three quarters throttle on setting 2 to extend battery life. If I put it on setting 3 and run wide open in thick grass I can eat a battery in 15 minutes but this time of year I can go through 12 lawns on one battery on setting 2.
Hey Brian, great videos! However, I promise you; you will look back at this video in a couple of years and think to yourself, “I didn’t get it yet”. It is simple economics: the cost of gas, versus the cost of electrons! Watch your profit margins diminish with fuel prices constantly on the rise. Sure, you pay a premium to be on the bleeding edge of technological progress, but the advantages are worth the “tax” I reckon. No spark plugs, fuel filters, air filters, oil. No maintenance other than keeping your tools clean, lubricated and sharp. I’m curious. How long does a tank of fuel last you, in your conventional trimmer? What do you do when your internal combustion engine (ICE) trimmers are out of “juice”? You refill the tank! In like manner, you grab another battery. You wouldn’t leave the shop with, the equivalent of, only two tank fills for the ICE trimmer? Then, why would you leave the shop with only two batteries? And remember, you are charging said batteries for pennies! Anyway, that’s my “two cents”. My wife and I enjoy your videos here in Barbados. Keep up the good work!!
Thanks Antonio!! I’ll disagree slightly though. When you look at the greater macro and conversation here with Battery, anyone can come to the conclusion that they have a LOT of way to go still. I don’t disagree with the ease of maintenance, less moving parts, etc. But all of that comes at a trade off, both economically and environmentally. I just can’t in good faith believe that we’re there yet, or will be even in the next decade. Battery has a lot of improvements to go. But I’m hopeful and can definitely see a day when we’re all zipping around with quiet battery powered machines indeed.
I am using the following Stihl Battery Products: AK Series - BGA 56 (blower), HSA 56 (Hedge Trimmer), MSA 140-C/B (Chainsaw). AP Series - KMA 135-R (Kombi Motor), and RMA 510v (Lawn Mower). No issues with any of the products.
Hey Brian. Test the ego commercial grade backpack battery system. See how long that will last you. The backpack is the battery and it runs a blower and weedeater and a couple other implements. Worth looking into. I wanted to run it in my business but because of all the shortages I couldn't get it at all.
Im not sure what your expecting but of course for residential its there just the runtime for a lawn business isn't. its not to say that it cant be but being limited on size, weight, and price.
I have this system, I just finished my yard corner lot 1/2 acre it works great for me on my yard, but for a yard care business you will need more batteries 🪫, but remember that you need to allow your batteries to cool down before recharging. Hot batteries 🪫 may start a fire 🔥 during recharging, just saying don’t be stupid.
I’m all for the battery equipment but like you say it’s just not there yet we use the stihl fs460’s where I work in the UK on Utility sites which only get cut once a month and there’s just no comparison we can be strimming for hours on end some days and we’d have to have 10 batteries to be able to do it. My company wants to be completely battery with all equipment by 2025 but at this rate I can’t see it happening.
We tried out battery equipment and found that for bi-weekly yards it’s just not there. Special if you miss a week and it becomes 3wks. The power is there but the runtime is really lagging. We tried the husqvarna pro battery line and each battery was $320 and we have 5 of them. We switched back to our stihl fs111’s and fs131’s and find that we are much faster with the gas stuff specially when is comes to the blowers. Hard to beat a br800 with a battery blower.
Come on Brian, this is your business. Stahl has had a commercial backpack battery for landscape applications for several months. I kind of surprised your not up to speed on this. I agree the transition from gas to battery can be strange. But the reality is the battery stuff is getting better crazy fast. They’ve got the hedge trimmers, blowers figured out I can tell you firsthand. In the end of the day, you should think about taking a lead roll, both for your company and you followers! It’s definitely a substantial initial investment mostly for batteries as well as equipment. But in the long run, they are much much cleaner, quieter, and you’ll never have to worry about oil or mixed fuel again. The whole package is a much cleaner application. I’m certainly not telling you what to do, it’s just a way to think about the future and may be taking advantage of your role and influence over your followers. Here’s wishing you the best moving forward I’ll keep an eye on your post keep up the great work!
Yeah I'm not using my "influence" to tell folks to go green with equipment that doesn't keep up. That's the difference between our content and people who make shitty reviews and are paid off or get "free equipment" and change their whole tune. We tell it like it is. The equipment is good, but not there yet for commercial applications. Oh and 99% of the folks watching agree.
I have several different Milwaukee outdoor power tools. The string trimmer has good performance but even with the biggest 12 amp hour battery it gets nowhere near enough run time and at $250 a battery there is no way I see myself going all electric. I also had one of the two big batteries fail well before 2yrs of moderate use. I do like the hedge trimmer and chain saws though for small jobs as they are quicker to grab and get to work.
I just bought the Milwaukee quik lok head & brush cutter attachment, used it too clear cut some thicker brush for a customer, took roughly 40 min maybe less & the battery was at the half mark. Power is there battery life mhmmm. Can’t complain though I like Milwaukee lol.
You could try the 300S batteries as they have substantially longer runtimes or there’s always the backpack system, although rather pricey! I don’t have the Stihl AP line myself but very interested in it.
Hey mate, I have a redarc Manager 30 and their 1000w inverter with a revolution power 100ah lithium battery. It can run the 500 watt Stihl rapid charger no worries. If you do it that way, you only need 3 X 300's
I wonder how long the new AP 500 battery would last but I mean if you have 2-3 batteries per unit I don’t see it being much of an issue 2 seconds to swap out
One thing I noticed, you are still revving the motor up and down while walking from spot to spot like you would with a gas powered trimmer. Just let the motor come to a stop between positions. Those little revvs and burps adds up with battery useage.
Great video. I’ve been considering going batt for my trimmer / edger setup. I have all DEWALT 20v stuff for cordless tools like drills / saw etc but I also have the chainsaw, blower, hedge trimmer and weed eater. I love the chainsaw and hedge trimmer, they’re surprisingly powerful foe what they are but admittedly the battery doesn’t last too long especially on the saw. Recently due to an injury I was unable to use my backpack blowers for several months so I was forced to use my little DEWALT 20v blower and it did the job but in a half days time I’d run through those 4 batteries. I’m still definitely considering it but I’m going to talk to my dealer and check them out in person before I decide. Thank you for the info!
I mean, it’s there you just need like 5-7 batteries. I have a Ryobi, it’s not the best but I have 5 40v batteries and each battery last 30-45 mins. I’m not commercial, just maintaining two properties about 6-8 acres total. Probably about 2-4 hrs weed eating a week
Battery powered lawn equipment is just like battery powered cars. If you don't use them much they are both good. I have a battery mower and I can do my yard one time with a little left. It is a Toro.
Got a echo battery blower I love it for small stuff last about 8 yards. Just wished we had a president with a back bone the gas should be half what it is.
The backpack sprayers I use are all battery with the exception of the stihl mist blower. Have 2 battery chainsaws. Two different brands. One is exceptional. They other is a hunk of junk.
They also have a AP500S and several other backpack 🎒 batteries including the L series with an adapter that will keep that trimmer running for days. Maybe you have a bad inverter in the truck for charging the batteries.
Great video Brian, very informative. Looking like these batteries are best used for the homeowner. Just one lawn to cut,& straight to the charger. I did like Johnny’s set-up from Blades of Grass. It’s in his trailer,& he’s always got them charging. His properties are variety in size. Anyway, depending on the company’s needs would this purchase work. Thanks for sharing.💯❤️👍🏾😀🙋🏽♀️✝️🙏🏾🇺🇸
Battery fascinates me, but like you said, its just not there yet (same with EVs where I live.) If you were to switch to battery handheld soon, I believe gas backups would be a must
You guys know my thoughts, what’s yours? Share your opinion down below about the future of battery products and if you plan to implement them in your business.
No battery tools for me...
It’s not gonna be for me in the near future, maybe if these battery powered equipment gets better. Hope to hear from you sometime soon brian! Thank for testing these out for us!
How much does all that cost?
I use Ego with the Battery Back pack. 10amp battery
@@vendbiz8076 Agree 👍
I've been testing the stihl battery system for the last year. Charging a battery in the truck isn't an issue with one exception. We just use a higher power inverter to connect up the the battery with HEAVY DUTY wires. The real problem we have is when it gets hot the batteries won't charge because the charger won't let them until they cool back down. It starts being a problem for us when we start hitting near the 100's outside.
Leave the batteries in a yeti cooler
@@thatonegirlazu9847 well, the batteries are coming from being used to the charger. Once the temp is high in the truck they won't begin charging until the cab cools back down.
Good info. This was a concern I have
To much dinero
I use Makita battery mowers trimmers and blower etc and they charge right away.
I have two solar panels, inverter, voltage regulator and chargers and keep up with charging.
Hit them and the tool if necessary with gloss white spray paint. Makes all the difference. Been doing this for over a decade down here in FL and it solved my charging/heat issues. Turns out most of that heat is just the sun baking the darker finishes of the tools/batteries.
PS: I have not had a single tool or battery that is painted "disappear" from a job site. Everything else still vanishes as usual ;-(
Tree surgeon here in the UK. We have used battery hedge cutter for years. They are great!! Batteries last all day, no blue fingers or losing feeling in fingers. Plus no trying to pull start at the top of ladders. Unit could be strong and Stihl tried to change it but made the unit worse 🤦🤦. The original is best so far. Also stihl do a 300s battery for a long battery life and set up a charge in the truck.
I switched last year to Stihl 135 series just like what you demonstrated. I have almost the complete line. For me and the yards I do I am able to complete 10-12 yards on one battery. I’m in Florida and have small yards , I use the lowest setting and find it has plenty of power. The only time I use setting 2 or 3 is when I am need high and need to power boost. This system will re-learn you that you don’t need all that power. You kept triggering just to make it active which wast power. Check out all of my reviews on the stihl 135 series I’ve done last year and this year as I purchased them over several months.
I've been using the Milwaukee trimmer for the last season and a half and absolutely love it. It's light weight and balanced at the D handle. Added the Echo speedfeed head this year because the Milwaukee head was always jamming up.
I cover 12 - 15 properties a day. Important caveat, property sizes and requirements can differ significantly and I haven't timed actual usage life of the batteries.
To maximize battery life I run it on the 🐢 setting and don't blast full gas on the trigger unless needed and it's more than enough power for trimming. Definitely pay more attention to what I'm doing now, no random throttle blips in transition between areas.
I have 3 High Output XC8.0 batteries, which is more than enough some days but not others, and a rapid charger so I can charge when needed. Currently just plug in when needed to an outdoor plug at the jobsite but have an inverter install planned for the truck.
Made the switch because my gas unit was having running issues and Milwaukee had a free battery promo, that was a no brainer!
I also find the lawn mower is like a boat on the lake, just part of the sounds of summer, where as the gas trimmer is like the jackass on a jetski, so if I need to work later into the evening I'm more like the neighbor cutting the grass vs the annoying jackass interrupting the bbq 😀
My business is completely electric. I run the KMA 135r combi. I use it primarily as an edger, but have the string trimmer attachment as well. Will be posting about it soon on my page.
Honestly, my battery currently lasts me all day for the clients I take care of. And with 20 min full scharge ability with speed charger, it hasn't been a problem for me at all.
Loving the EGO products. Picked up the blower, then string trimmer, then hedge trimmer. Each came with the 2.5 amp battery. Went in for the chainsaw and got the 5 amp battery with it. Saw is amazing! I now use the 5 amp battery with the string trimmer and it lasts me about 4 hours! Really impressed with the equipment!
Thanks
Stick with the 5amp
I'm a smaller business only dealing with about 5 lawns a day, but I love my Greenworks commercial tools. Currently, my thoughts on the battery equipment are that baseline or average maintenance in normal conditions is the most practical use for battery equipment, once you get into intensive situations such as leaves, overgrown, etc. I run all battery hand tools as well as 25 in push mower, but its in tandem with a wright stander I 36". At the point that this equipment is now, to run electric equipment your route would have to be catered to that equipment need. That being said within the past 3 years this equipment has taken big leaps, and its hard to compare it when you have gas equipment as a baseline. The ease of use on the electric stuff is just unbeatable, and I anticipate the run time will soon follow in the coming years.
If STIHL can make a trimmer the same light weight as the fs94r with long lasting batteries, great power and reasonable pricing id be more interested. For now im sticking with my gas powered everything 😬
This 135r is more powerful than the 94r, but definitely heavier and not nearly as well-balanced.
@@jmljml5065 Nor can it trim grass for as long. Battery powered devices like this aren't useful for production or large acreages.
Just brought 135 and its too heavy,it feels same weight as stihl 240(250)gas brushcutter,it does have plenty power and its pretty much same power as stihl 111 gas linetrimmer. it's not easy task carrying around big propertys due to the weight and short lasting battery,i finish one battery(300s) in one big lawn for linetrimming,edging and some flat trimming areas. id say battery tech isnt there yet for linetrimmer/brushcutter and certainly not cost effective compare to gas trimmer.
Same here just got it and its DAMN too Heavy even balanced it on the shoulder strap.. I’m on the fence of returning it or maybe look for other more lighter ones..
We use exclusively battery powered hedge trimmers, weedeaters, chain saws, pole saws etc for our trail building work. We pack in 10 to 12 batteries to last all day out maintaining and building trails. 40v Batteries work across all the tools, and are much easier to pack in than fuel, and of course quieter and cleaner out in the woods.
Perfect use for battery powered equipment!
Nobody I know who uses battery versions of these tools rely on just one battery per day. Usually charge up 3 to 5 for a days work every night.
I just bought the new Echo 56v battery powered commercial grade weed wacker and I took it back after a week. I really wanted to like it but it just wasn’t there in power and battery life. I wish I could tell everyone different.
I run Milwaukee's trimmer, blower, hedge trimmer, and saw. nice to have the same batteries at all my tools.
I’ve gotten used to battery usage on small tool applications. But larger things like mowers, backpack blowers and even edgers, I STILL LOVE gas. EGO does have a GREAT string trimmer. Probably one of, if not the best, battery string trimmer. But Toro mowers and Stihl detail equipment is my gas brand combo of choice. Great vids!!
I just bought a Z Master. Love it. I wanted a Ferris, but none of the local dealers had stock at the time.
Have slowly converted all my tools to the stihl ap battery system as my petrol tools died , got ten tools and 8 batteries and can go a whole day now without charging, got them over four years so wasn’t too horrible on spend but they certainly are not cheap
I run Husqvarna combo attachments and have no issues with batteries. A couple last all day with my edger, trimmer, tiller and handheld blower. Starts every time and self and employees love it.
Picked up my 135r today, can wait to try it out. I’m not a commercial user but always want commercial quality. Using 300s, 3 batteries, 3 chargers
J's Electric Lawn Care here. I run all Milwaukee the mower last a hour when doing maintaince mowing. Grass gets thick and high it uses the whole battery and half another on .34 of a acer. The more takes (2) 12AH batteries. The cut is as good if quality of the commercial Honda mowers I have used. The trimmer has two speeds with a variable trigger one 6ah battery will do a .25 acer with a bar to spare..... lol and so on it is a investment for sure. I live in washington and they eat it up. So I give the people what they want. It's is amazing for landing HOA subdivisions. They usually have noise restrictions. It's my biggest selling point. More so then the environment....
I use Milwaukee's 18v electric stuff commercially. We only use electric, aside from the mowers, and it's all Milwaukee. No gas OPE. Biggest day is 24 lots, a few .5 acre. It's absolutely pro-grade. The power head is awesome. We have the edger, articulating hedge trimmer, 3ft extension and pole saw attachments. Solid all around. Always been impressed. Stihl has taken a long time to get into it, but I'm sure the stuff is good as well.
The power head with string trimmer, can get by on 3 batteries (1 216wh (12ah), 2 144wh (8ah)) for the whole day. Only 2 batteries if you're extra efficient.
Blower is 1 144wh battery if you're efficient. If you want more power they have the dual-battery blower now coming in at 600CFM@165mph through the whole battery life - most competitors in that power range have a slight drop off over time. It isn't backpack level but that's a different class and I believe only EGO has something at that power level.
I have enough battery on a crew that runtime is never a concern (1 12, 2 9s, 3 8s), and if you cycle on chargers you can do heavy brushcutting non-stop with zero worry about the rest of the day.
Don't remove your guard, though. No electric stuff I've seen likes that. Usually either a) activates the computerized motor protection, or b) overloads the motor. Personally I'm against guard removal anyway; I think it puts a ton of wear on the tool and if you're benefiting from no guard you're probably not moving fast enough 😉
190$ per battery, 150$ for the charger... 8 batteries would be needed for 15 yards a day for small cookie cutter yards.. 1520$ for batteries, 1200$ for 8 chargers. 2,720$ for the electric fuel for 1 trimmer for 28 weeks. About a 100$ per week for electric fuel for 1 trimmer (plus energy cost to charge batteries 140 times during the season 5x a week). We may run through 5 gallons of 2 cycle fuel a week on 40 country lawns and 10 subdivision lots for all of our 2 cycle equipment. Our 5 acre account would eat up 6 batteries easily. Not for me.
8 chargers haha
@@brendomow1001 if all 8 of your batteries are dead at the end of the day and which they will be, and you only have 1 charger are you going to be the person to put another battery on the charger every 30 minutes for 4 hours so you can have 8 charged batteries for the next day? with 1 charger 20 hrs a week to replenish your power supply for 1 piece of equipment.. I can fill up 5 gallons of gas and mix oil in it in under 5 minutes. I have just replenished the power supply in 5 minutes for All 5 of my pieces of equipment for a week.
I think for the type of customers you service you make a fair point. You'll need quite a few batteries to get through the day. Even if you have the larger 5ah versions. Here in the UK I have been running battery for about 90% of my work because the gardens are smaller. Love your videos man would love to work over there.
Did you know about the Ap holster. A pouch that clips on your belt and a cord goes to the trimmer like the backpacks but lighter and wouldn’t get sweaty. We were using the trimmer today and love it low vibration. It ran 45 minutes with this holster it would make the trimmer light than any gas trimmer even the 94. That’s invredible. Low vibration is a game changer also to all of the people who have had their hands numb and buzzing even hours after work is done. I’ve had guys quit because of that. Carpal tunnel
Also, run time will be greatly improved if you’re operating it with your deflector 😅 also running it on the 1 or 2 speed setting will increase your run time. Most of the time you don’t need the 3rd speed.
Thats the first thing I thought of when I seen the gard removed too.
I just started using the echo 56volt professional line tools in April. My feedback with the electric Dsrm 2600 weed eater I can get 5-6 yards small yards (weekly growth) with one 5 Amp battery, like the one you showed in recent video about how to flip edge. The performance of the tool is just as powerful as my gas weed eater, quieter,less maintenance I love it. The cons I found if you are doing a lot of yards you do need multiple batteries you can either purchase a tool with a battery or you can but the battery separate. My setup I have two electric weed eaters, one blower, one hedge trimmer and one chain saw. Have 6 batteries overall 3 (2.5 amp) & 3 (5amp) and with 6 batteries I can do 10-12 yards a day without charging mow,trim & blow.
Here’s a suggestion. Buy two batteries. Hard wire an inverter directly to your truck battery, with the inverter mounted inside the cab. Have one battery charging off the inverter while you are at a property. Swap batteries after each property. That way you can go all day on just two batteries. The truck will charge its own battery as you drive between properties.
That’s an option yes. Just depends how long the batteries need to charge. I’d say a set of 3-4 batteries is more realistic to have in rotation though.
1st thing I do with all my batteries is hit them with white spray paint. Keeps them much cooler when out in the sun. Even here in FL the battery, when painted white, almost always can go straight from the tool into the charger with no issues as opposed to generally needing to cool otherwise.
Most of all obviously, battery equipment is totally reliant on having one in the charger and one in the tool. Ideally rotating 3 batteries so next up for the charger has time to cool down.
I used to use the DeWalt trimmer and edger and like you said performance is great battery was not didn't even last a day. Charging takes forever for a full battery.
Hi Brain,I use 🔋 but Makita multiheads and a lawnmowers with a back packs,One backpack will last around 4h straight use.I am happy with them.There is also ego but beteries are more expensive then a tool.
Just a word of caution, some electric trimmers will burn the motor out if you let too much string out without the guard on to cut it back to size.
That I’m sure. Not sure why every brand makes a 4” line the standard 🫤
I burnt up a DeWalt 60volt that way in one season. The longer line really effects the battery life also
I’ve been using an Dewalt 40v spin trimmer for 3 seasons now….love it!! Unfortunately Dewalt discontinued this battery package, too bad. I can mow and spin 16 lawns in a day on the same battery , I carry a back up 40v battery and rarely need it.
Batteries all the way. Since almost 3 years now. I've got 6 batteries and 3 chargers. Never had an issue with depleted batteries. They're fully charged in less than a half hour. I'm using 3 batteries when they're done I'll get the other 3 while the first 3 are charging. Half an hour runtime is about the same as a full tank of petrol. Ask your customer if you can use a powerplug and charge one battery. Love the fact that you don't need ear protection. And powering on the machine is way faster. The kind of work you do in the video can all be done easily in power setting 1. Gives you more runtime.
I havent gotten into electric trimmers yet, but a couple of years ago I went with a toro electric 22 inch recycler. The reason was to be able to fold it in half and strap it to the side wall of my enclosed trailer. That way I have no gas or oil leaks, and it takes up a very small amount of space in my trailer. My long term goal is getting an F-150 Lightning and having everything charge from the truck overnight and maybe not too long after that an electric stand on.
I just dove all in to battery power. Purchased the Stihl Kombimotor KMA 135 R, string trimmer and edger attachments and 2 AP330 batteries and charger. I wanted the leaf blower and the 510 V lawn mower to have all I use and keep within the same system but unfortunately the mower and blower were no where to be found. I decided on EGO for both of those so I can at least have two of the same brand batteries to swap around in that platform. Stihl products seem very difficult to locate if at all as they are only sold by authorized dealers and I have like 4 in driving distance from my home. I just bought all this new equipment so I haven't had a chance to use it yet, plus it's been raining very often and I have not mowed/trimmed yet. I went with Kombi system to save space in my garage. Battery operated for professional use I imagine would be a concern because of battery life issues. For a homeowner like myself it should be okay. I have seen videos of landscaping businesses using Stihl battery equipment with mixed reviews. Most charge the batteries in their trucks and have multiple batteries, expensive!
You bring up some great points. I have a battery Stihl and not to impressed with the life and trimmer is heavy I think. I also have two trailer setups with Milwaukee powered tools on each and love them. I personally love the Milwaukee lawn tools over everything. I only use a stihl gas trimmer as a backup on each trailer in case the battery life or lack of brain functions happens. The industry still has a ways to go in making battery as rugged as gas. The best reason I have for battery is they always run when you pull the trigger after bouncing down the road unlike flooded gas tools.
You’ll be happy to know that Milwaukee is coming out with pouch cells for their batteries next year. There suppose to be lighter and more energy dense. There also supposed to have increased cycle life. Also next month you can buy their new blower coming out.
I’m waiting to end of season, by that time guys will have tested every piece out there for a full year….with size properties I have gas is where it’s at for me right now✂️💯
For me I edge beds string and concrete with edger. I see alot of people complaining about battery life doing big yards and edging....its not great but I get 3 to 4 only string trimming. Your gonna need 3 batteries at least and an edger ....quite an investment but i started by finding cheap lighty used batteries for around 100 ....then got 135
We rotate 2 batteries in and out of our truck all day long. Love it, works great 👍 I feel like 3 would be best but yeah one heck of an investment!
I do some tall yards, I would love to test some of the battery stuff out on them. The battery stuff Is definitely gonna have to get further along for commercial use. When you have 6 guys weedeating a property for 4-5 hours the gas is the only way to go. 110 in oklahoma yesterday, no rain in weeks, yards are dead and I'm almost happy about it. Guaranteed heat stroke at those temps.
Hey Brian I have the Milwaukee set up just cause that the kind of batteries I have all the products I have works sweet when it cool out and last as long as a tank of fuel but when it hot batteries over heat doesn't work as good on hot days. But it is good for something that you missed trimming instead of pulling a string to start just hit a button 👍
We run the Kombi units and they make a battery backpack “AR 3000 Backpack Battery” that you can pick up and it works great. We also run with a couple AP 300 S battery’s as well. We also have our gas Kombi units for backups. It never hurts.
I also want to say I respect blades of grass you tuber for being able to do it. I guess I don’t have the right mind set. Are local dealer let me try one and I was like you it performs well. Just no battery life.
I run Milwaukee M18 hedgers (handheld and extended) and the chainsaw. They work great and the batteries I have last more than a day. I am not convinced on battery equipment for more than light uses. I would love to convert more to battery powered as I think the people I service in Denver would love it. Can't wait for the future and what they come up with, but it is at least 5 years away, imho. Great video!
I love the head on that trimmer, recently bought it to replace the worn out head on my kombi trimmer attachment
I use the Milwaukee edger/pole saw/hedge trimmer and hand held blower! I love using the edger for a quick clean up on my lawns. It’s great if an edge is already established, but would prefer a gas edger for big cleanups. My main blower is an gas echo backpack, however, I love use the Milwaukee handheld as a quick grab and go. Really cuts down on time when blowing off little things like the trailer, mowers, or even some grass clippings you forgot. Overall though I still trust the gas as my main weed eater and blower.
I have a lawn care business and I have two solar panels on my roof , inverter, voltage regulator and chargers.
I do all my own charging in my Ford Transit Connect.
I have both the Makita and Milwaukee mowers,trimmers ,blowers etc.
The Makita line is better than the Milwaukee.
My charging system works to keep up working all day.
I work on my own and cut on average 11 lawns a day with very little overhead.
The AP300 battery is a touch light for the FSA135R Check out the new AP500S battery with this trimmer. I will say, better than expected power & life.
I agree battery is not there. I have milwaukee trimmer hedge trimmer and hand blower. I only got them to use around the house. Batteries don't last for a full day and I'm not buying 15 batteries. Plus if you use them everyday the batteries aren't going to last long being drained and charged everyday. If I have to switch to battery I'm done and looking for another job. Keep up the good work Brian and thanks for being honest!
Don't laugh at me but I got myself an Atlas push mower hedge trimmer and pole saw from good ol harbor freight, all powered by the same 80 v which I have 3 of, and honestly... no complaints. I use the mower for gated back yards and ditches and it's nice not worrying about gas and carb issues every season.
Have you seen the battery Backpack for it. That is what I have heard you use for all day use. The backpack cost roughly 1,100 dollars I think. Great video. We are going to buy a couple battery Kombi systems next month to use on some of our smaller properties. I will keep you posted on how that goes.
I looked at the Echo battery line last year at GIE. I already have a bunch of attachments, so the head and batteries is what I need. But the extra battery is still a lot of money for someone that mows just a few yards. And I don’t have the charger port in my truck, so another expense. I use a Roybi 18 volt battery blower and hedge trimmers for small yards. But that’s where my battery usage stops. But the electric wave is moving my way………..
Hey Brian, I think you should try out the Husqvarna 325 ILK. It has the performance and with the BLi300 battery it last longer than I thought. Still not long enough to be honest, but I love using it. I combine it with the Echo 400 SpeedFeed and it tackles all of my residential lawns with ease. Love the vids Brain, keep it up!
Same here!
I love the Bli300’s in our tools. Also, the 325iLK has plenty power with the added versatility of being split-shaft.
We also just added the W520i to our arsenal, but it is power hungry!
Off to the store to purchase more Bli300’s I suppose.
I use husqy 520ilx regularly for 2.5 years now, almost never need petrol (but I have the stihl fs131 for heavy jobs). The 520 is lacking in power a bit but I put a lightweight alloy head on and it made a big difference.
Regarding cost of batteries; we use about 25 gallons of 2 stroke a week. 30 weeks equals 750 gallons. And I think that is low, but it’s currently $3750 in gas per year plus 4 gallons of 2 stroke oil.
Just a tip you are doing the driveways edges backwards. If you flip trim walking backwards it’s much nicer and if you want to do the top trim on the 45 degree angle walk forward. Think of the trimmer head like a spinning wheel. You wouldn’t spin a wheel down the road in reverse. Going the opposite way of what the line is spinning causes turbulence in the line. Trim the same way the line wheel is spinning and the edges are way more crisp. Those driveway edges were super choppy. No hate just a observation and I would tell my crew the same.
For the last year I've been running EGO for my regular maintenance
Trimmer Edger and blower. I have no complaints on performance only thing is after daily use for one year, 4 to 5 days a week battery life has went down from 18 yard (using the trimmer) to about 12.
l have one battery for each tool and keep 2 as a backup. 7.5amp hour battery roughly 300 a piece but gotten on sale with equipment. So saved alot.
Use gas for heavily overgrown edging.
Trimmer on level 2 will kill battery life but is comparable to the Echo -2620T
Brian great feedback, I’m with ya on this, I want it to work but it’s just not there yet,looking forward to when it is though. I do think it will be sooner rather than later. It’s a big time race to whoever gets there first because there definitely going to be in the money!
I use a mix of battery and gas you can't fully rely on battery stuff. I use the milwaukee trimmer and blower mainly because I already had batteries for it work great but at the end of the day all six of my batteries are dead. side note I love grabbing the battery powered equipment when something is missed and I gotta get it real quick before we leave
Try testing a portal power station sort of like a jackery or a Okmo. Maybe the ones that are around 1000 bucks. Charge the batteries with a fast charger as soon as one goes down.
You shouldn’t have any issues with three decent batteries and a good power station 🤔
Using Ryobi 40v, as a homeowner I'm happy with it.
I have a Stihl FS91R but I also keep a 40v Ryobi weed eater (what I had when I started) I can usually do about 3 properties with it.
I like that you are telling the truth!
Good review Brian.
I have been ripping Ryobi carbon fiber 40v trimmer for 2 seasons now.
The stihl is too heavy, I put the smaller AP 200 battery on it for weight reduction.. but get less run time then from the Ryobi😯
I run a bunch of Ryobi batteries and chargers .
The stihl batteries are COST PROHIBITIVE with no noticeable advantage over less expensive batteries
I’m not sure battery power is ready for TRUE pro, all day lawn care business. No matter how good they are, they’re still just great DIY homeowner use. It’s not even a question.
Thanks for the video. I was considering that unit. I currently use a Milwaukee 18 volt fuel for trimming/blower and have the same issue...The unit came with 1 8.0 c battery. That battery lasts less than an hour and a back up battery I believe is $200.00....
Well they can’t make a trimmer to run on gasoline so maybe this is a better route for them. Nice video
Lol savage.
lol if only the statment was true
@@gamerfarms9362 got um 😂
Hahaha I hate stihl lol. Echo and shindaiwa all the way.
@@mattd8411 why do you hate stihl? The echos i have had do not have the power that stihl has
You should try and get them to send you the backpack battery for that trimmer. From my experience with another brand who has a backpack battery you get more runtime than a gas unit. Depending on how aggressive I am with the trigger, I have gotten 18 properties on one charge with the backpack battery trimmer.
I would like to know how they hold up to the summer heat being in a trailer. That I imagine would effect the battery life too
Idid you take the guard off before you put it to use or did you get a chance to use it with the guard on. Johnny with blades of grass uses the system and seems to like it. Im wondering what kind of battery life it gets running the suggested length of trimmer line.
I'm back to a gas trimmer (Husky 324L). The 135 is heavy, but most noticeably to me, it's unbalanced. It is surprisingly powerful, but difficult to run at low speeds like a gas machine. Yes, you can choose the lowest of the 3 speed settings and max it out in that setting, but that doesn't always work for me. It'll be hanging on the wall in my garage from now on, unless I can sell it, which will probably be difficult.
Would a solar jackery generator work?
Place panels on the trailer roof and leaver charger bases plugged in all the time and charge batteries between jobs.
A lot of money just to do a few early morning lawns.
Running batteries empty shortens the life span of the battery too.
Curious how long the battery would last with guard on and shorter line
I’ll do a test this week and report back
I have found that battery life on the FSA is affected mostly by throttle discipline and how hard you load the motor. You have to stay about half to three quarters throttle on setting 2 to extend battery life. If I put it on setting 3 and run wide open in thick grass I can eat a battery in 15 minutes but this time of year I can go through 12 lawns on one battery on setting 2.
15" always
Hey Brian, great videos!
However, I promise you; you will look back at this video in a couple of years and think to yourself, “I didn’t get it yet”.
It is simple economics: the cost of gas, versus the cost of electrons! Watch your profit margins diminish with fuel prices constantly on the rise. Sure, you pay a premium to be on the bleeding edge of technological progress, but the advantages are worth the “tax” I reckon.
No spark plugs, fuel filters, air filters, oil. No maintenance other than keeping your tools clean, lubricated and sharp.
I’m curious. How long does a tank of fuel last you, in your conventional trimmer? What do you do when your internal combustion engine (ICE) trimmers are out of “juice”? You refill the tank! In like manner, you grab another battery. You wouldn’t leave the shop with, the equivalent of, only two tank fills for the ICE trimmer? Then, why would you leave the shop with only two batteries? And remember, you are charging said batteries for pennies!
Anyway, that’s my “two cents”.
My wife and I enjoy your videos here in Barbados.
Keep up the good work!!
Thanks Antonio!!
I’ll disagree slightly though. When you look at the greater macro and conversation here with Battery, anyone can come to the conclusion that they have a LOT of way to go still.
I don’t disagree with the ease of maintenance, less moving parts, etc. But all of that comes at a trade off, both economically and environmentally. I just can’t in good faith believe that we’re there yet, or will be even in the next decade. Battery has a lot of improvements to go. But I’m hopeful and can definitely see a day when we’re all zipping around with quiet battery powered machines indeed.
I am using the following Stihl Battery Products: AK Series - BGA 56 (blower), HSA 56 (Hedge Trimmer), MSA 140-C/B (Chainsaw). AP Series - KMA 135-R (Kombi Motor), and RMA 510v (Lawn Mower). No issues with any of the products.
With the fuel related issues battery sounds better and better. My son runs a Husqvarna battery powered hedge trimmer he just bought this summer.
Hey Brian. Test the ego commercial grade backpack battery system. See how long that will last you. The backpack is the battery and it runs a blower and weedeater and a couple other implements. Worth looking into. I wanted to run it in my business but because of all the shortages I couldn't get it at all.
Im not sure what your expecting but of course for residential its there just the runtime for a lawn business isn't. its not to say that it cant be but being limited on size, weight, and price.
I have this system, I just finished my yard corner lot 1/2 acre it works great for me on my yard, but for a yard care business you will need more batteries 🪫, but remember that you need to allow your batteries to cool down before recharging. Hot batteries 🪫 may start a fire 🔥 during recharging, just saying don’t be stupid.
I’m all for the battery equipment but like you say it’s just not there yet we use the stihl fs460’s where I work in the UK on Utility sites which only get cut once a month and there’s just no comparison we can be strimming for hours on end some days and we’d have to have 10 batteries to be able to do it. My company wants to be completely battery with all equipment by 2025 but at this rate I can’t see it happening.
We tried out battery equipment and found that for bi-weekly yards it’s just not there. Special if you miss a week and it becomes 3wks. The power is there but the runtime is really lagging. We tried the husqvarna pro battery line and each battery was $320 and we have 5 of them. We switched back to our stihl fs111’s and fs131’s and find that we are much faster with the gas stuff specially when is comes to the blowers. Hard to beat a br800 with a battery blower.
Johnny from Blade of grass uses Electric power equipment and he seems to love them. Every video that I watch he's using one.
Come on Brian, this is your business. Stahl has had a commercial backpack battery for landscape applications for several months. I kind of surprised your not up to speed on this. I agree the transition from gas to battery can be strange. But the reality is the battery stuff is getting better crazy fast. They’ve got the hedge trimmers, blowers figured out I can tell you firsthand. In the end of the day, you should think about taking a lead roll, both for your company and you followers! It’s definitely a substantial initial investment mostly for batteries as well as equipment. But in the long run, they are much much cleaner, quieter, and you’ll never have to worry about oil or mixed fuel again. The whole package is a much cleaner application. I’m certainly not telling you what to do, it’s just a way to think about the future and may be taking advantage of your role and influence over your followers. Here’s wishing you the best moving forward I’ll keep an eye on your post keep up the great work!
Yeah I'm not using my "influence" to tell folks to go green with equipment that doesn't keep up. That's the difference between our content and people who make shitty reviews and are paid off or get "free equipment" and change their whole tune. We tell it like it is. The equipment is good, but not there yet for commercial applications. Oh and 99% of the folks watching agree.
Battery is so much nicer to use in business than petrol. So many benefits. The future is here.
I have several different Milwaukee outdoor power tools. The string trimmer has good performance but even with the biggest 12 amp hour battery it gets nowhere near enough run time and at $250 a battery there is no way I see myself going all electric. I also had one of the two big batteries fail well before 2yrs of moderate use. I do like the hedge trimmer and chain saws though for small jobs as they are quicker to grab and get to work.
I just bought the Milwaukee quik lok head & brush cutter attachment, used it too clear cut some thicker brush for a customer, took roughly 40 min maybe less & the battery was at the half mark.
Power is there battery life mhmmm.
Can’t complain though I like Milwaukee lol.
You could try the 300S batteries as they have substantially longer runtimes or there’s always the backpack system, although rather pricey! I don’t have the Stihl AP line myself but very interested in it.
Brain I’m a redmax guy so I really haven’t tried stihls equipment and I think battery really won’t replace gas
Hey mate,
I have a redarc Manager 30 and their 1000w inverter with a revolution power 100ah lithium battery. It can run the 500 watt Stihl rapid charger no worries. If you do it that way, you only need 3 X 300's
I wonder how long the new AP 500 battery would last but I mean if you have 2-3 batteries per unit I don’t see it being much of an issue 2 seconds to swap out
Does it spin clockwise?
This men is very intelligent
One thing I noticed, you are still revving the motor up and down while walking from spot to spot like you would with a gas powered trimmer. Just let the motor come to a stop between positions. Those little revvs and burps adds up with battery useage.
Sure, that’s true. But still, we’re not going to get but 10% more battery life out of those batteries even if we don’t walk the trigger.
Great video. I’ve been considering going batt for my trimmer / edger setup. I have all DEWALT 20v stuff for cordless tools like drills / saw etc but I also have the chainsaw, blower, hedge trimmer and weed eater. I love the chainsaw and hedge trimmer, they’re surprisingly powerful foe what they are but admittedly the battery doesn’t last too long especially on the saw. Recently due to an injury I was unable to use my backpack blowers for several months so I was forced to use my little DEWALT 20v blower and it did the job but in a half days time I’d run through those 4 batteries. I’m still definitely considering it but I’m going to talk to my dealer and check them out in person before I decide. Thank you for the info!
Try a dewalt pro trimmer with a 12AH flex-volt. Been running these for about 6 months now and I dont think I will ever go back to gas again.
I mean, it’s there you just need like 5-7 batteries. I have a Ryobi, it’s not the best but I have 5 40v batteries and each battery last 30-45 mins. I’m not commercial, just maintaining two properties about 6-8 acres total. Probably about 2-4 hrs weed eating a week
Battery powered lawn equipment is just like battery powered cars. If you don't use them much they are both good. I have a battery mower and I can do my yard one time with a little left. It is a Toro.
Got a echo battery blower I love it for small stuff last about 8 yards. Just wished we had a president with a back bone the gas should be half what it is.
The backpack sprayers I use are all battery with the exception of the stihl mist blower.
Have 2 battery chainsaws. Two different brands. One is exceptional. They other is a hunk of junk.
They also have a AP500S and several other backpack 🎒 batteries including the L series with an adapter that will keep that trimmer running for days. Maybe you have a bad inverter in the truck for charging the batteries.
Great video Brian, very informative. Looking like these batteries are best used for the homeowner. Just one lawn to cut,& straight to the charger. I did like Johnny’s set-up from Blades of Grass. It’s in his trailer,& he’s always got them charging. His properties are variety in size. Anyway, depending on the company’s needs would this purchase work. Thanks for sharing.💯❤️👍🏾😀🙋🏽♀️✝️🙏🏾🇺🇸
Battery fascinates me, but like you said, its just not there yet (same with EVs where I live.) If you were to switch to battery handheld soon, I believe gas backups would be a must
My Milwaukee battery edger does really well