Anyone go from gas to electric, then back to gas?

[mo1]

There are huge differences between electric (corded) and battery-powered tools and pieces of equipment, they should not be grouped together.

I have had good experiences in using electric tools and equipment as long as they are used within their limitations of needing to be close to electrical service and that anything considered actually portable is limited in power to about 1 HP by the 120 volt 15 amp circuit it connects to. If those limitations are fine for what I am doing, then I will get an electric tool as they require far less maintenance, always start immediately, and nearly always have a far longer service life than an engine-powered piece of equipment.

I have had the same poor experience with all of the battery-powered tools and pieces of equipment I have had, and as a result I avoid them. Battery-powered tools and equipment are noticeably more expensive than comparable alternatives, the batteries all have a limited run time that degrades over a pretty short period of time to nothing, the batteries all take a significant amount of time to charge, and replacing an end of life battery with a fresh one is either impossible or costs more than a new tool does.

It is a very rare occasion where a battery-powered tool or piece of equipment would actually be useful for me. Almost all of the "light job" stuff is nearly always within range of a receptacle so an electric tool will work. The things too far away from a receptacle are usually too much of a job for anything without an engine anyway. An unpowered hand tool like a screwdriver, lopper, pruning saw, or brace and bit are sufficient for the "light jobs" that are too far from a receptacle.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I ride horses on trails alot and a few buddies have the Milwaukee M12 little chainsaws they carries to clear stuff in the way and I am impressed with them. I am hoping my kids and wife get me one for my birthday next week, in my situation it isn't so much what I can carry on my saddle or in saddle bags it is what I can carry in addition to the other stuff I carry. I have a 21" handsaw that'll flat cut a tree apart but in big hardwoods it is slow going and I may come back a different day packing a larger gas saw. But what I've seen these guys cut with their M12 Milwaukee's I think I need one.
As for the rest, I have a big stihl weedeater with the bike handles and it is a beast when knocking stuff down, but I used it for the second time this year last week. I'm actually trying to sell it to buy an electric one because I just don't use it much.
I could get by with a battery operated blower.

Can't get away from a gas chainsaw just yet, but an electric one sure would be handy.

 

[Jstpssng]

The worst thing you can do is to run them down and wait a day or longer to put it back on a charger.

I believe that the manufacturers are saying the same.

Leaving them on the charger after they are charged is also not good as we are hearing now for our cell phones.

I used to do that with my Dewalt batteries, so that there was always one fully charged battery. Then I started reading, and along with the reasons you give not to, it apparently also causes them to explode and burn on occasion.

Like everything, following manufacturers instructions can lead to better results.

 

[AndyMA]

I have a full set of Stihl gas and Milwaukee M12 & M18 garden tools. Haven't used the Stihl tools in several years .

Andy

 

[boatmoter]

I jumped in on the electric blower, chainsaw and weed wacker eagerly, thinking they would replace the Stihl gas pieces I previously run.
Fast forward to today and I am once again back to my Stihl gas blower, Stihl gas weed walkers and never really left my Stihl & makita gas chainsaws.
The electric tools are all 60V DeWalt. Nothing wrong with them. They all work fine, but after running both in a commercial business for 2+ years, I really only use the electric weed wacker periodically for light jobs I know will be done in under 15 minutes.

Not disappointed, just have found gas revs higher & keeps running when far away from the truck for hours on a full tank. Gas chainsaws are screamers and will cut circles around the electric. Electric only really good for quick 10 minute pruning jobs. Gas blower just keeps on running & running.

Anyone else try electric, go back to gas?

I went from gas to electric then back to gas. I still have my ryobi electric weedwacker which takes the same extend it's as my gas wacker, it is just as strong,but it's a pain to drag a extension cord around. and my electric blower is 150mph and strong,but again the cord,yep,Im back to gas, including a chain saw, pole saw. but I am still spoiled on my cordless 1/2 impact wrench & impact driver & drill,I haven't used my air tools in over 6 yrs

 

[Doz]

I always use gas for the big job the best battery tools is my Milwaukee grease gun and Sawzaw keep it in the tractor for cut limbs out of the way and keeping things greased!

 

[RPW]

I've switched to electric on two tools. Snapper for mower and trimmer. They're both 60V and do a great job. More pricey than many others but after researching tools have found them great. Plenty of power and good battery longevity. I also don't run the battery down all the way and take them off charge as soon as possible after they are fully charged. Also use a Makita drill. 18V and found that it will twist your wrist off it you don't pay attention. Also have a series of Ryobi power tools and they are fare compared to the Makita. Only reason I don't use the drill is I dropped it and the chuck broke. It's replaceable but haven't been able to remove the old one yet.

 

[sixdogs]

Good thread. I almost went battery powered and started with a Makita top-end leaf blower. It takes two 18V and has six levels of power. It's OK, I guess but only lasts 12 ? minutes on highest power and is only about half power compared with my gas leaf blower.

As a result, I use the gas blower if it's any more than blowing off the lawn mower or porches. Elec does this "OK" but the gas blower has way more oomph.

Then, too are exploding batteries. People make mistakes charging and discharging batteries. It's no problem if you run out of gas but mess up the battery thing and it's Russian roulette.


So, no electric for me unless someone figures out these problems. That, and the incredible environmental destruction to get the lithium is too much. I'm not alone and battery tools and cars might not be the future. Maybe propane or ultra lightweight and powerful gas tools? We already worked out those bugs. Electric kind-of didn't work 100 years ago and kind-of doesn't work now.

 

[marhar]

I jumped in on the electric blower, chainsaw and weed wacker eagerly, thinking they would replace the Stihl gas pieces I previously run.
Fast forward to today and I am once again back to my Stihl gas blower, Stihl gas weed walkers and never really left my Stihl & makita gas chainsaws.
The electric tools are all 60V DeWalt. Nothing wrong with them. They all work fine, but after running both in a commercial business for 2+ years, I really only use the electric weed wacker periodically for light jobs I know will be done in under 15 minutes.

Not disappointed, just have found gas revs higher & keeps running when far away from the truck for hours on a full tank. Gas chainsaws are screamers and will cut circles around the electric. Electric only really good for quick 10 minute pruning jobs. Gas blower just keeps on running & running.

Anyone else try electric, go back to gas?

I have not made the jump to electric. The technology is not where it needs to be.

If the technology can get to where it already is with cordless drills I look forward to running a quieter and lighter chainsaw.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I continue to use both and never completely switched from gas to electric.

Although my battery powered tool "arsenal" continues to expand, I still use my gas chainsaws & generators. I don't think cordless tools were ever intended to completely replace corded or gas powered equipment. It's interesting that California lawmakers seem to think so however.

I find it's to the point where I can maintain my 25 acres mostly with battery tools now but keep the gas handy for the big jobs.

 

[mikester]

I switched to the stihl battery combi system so I could re-use my string trimmer, hedge trimmer and pole saw heads. I was surprised how well it did eliminating pull starts and keeping me from smelling like 2-stroke for days. I then bought the stihl battery chainsaw with 18" blade. I get about 45-60 minutes use on a charge.

I still bring both my electric and gas powered saw each time for work. The gas saw has a 22" blade better for the bigger trees and for the times when I manage to get the saw chain wedged. My goto is the electric saw because of the light weight and ease of use. I can easily cut down and de-limb two to three 12-18 inch diameter trees.

Battery life will vary based on outdoor temps, saw sharpness and type of tree. Typically 45 minutes, down to 30 minutes at below freezing and cutting dead and dry ash. The electric saw flies through live maple and soft woods.

The gas powered saw cuts faster with a faster blade speed. The trade off is twice the weight, 4x the vibration and noise, and quicker operator fatigue.

My only complaint about the electric stihl is one of my batteries tends to overheat during use and it stops running and needs to cool down.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning HayDude,
Yes, I am with you on staying with gas ! My oldest son tried to convince me to go with an electric weed trimmer, I tried his and was not impressed ! Good for very short duration work right around the house and then needs a charge !

I will stick with my Stihl chainsaws, Echo back pack blower, and Echo weed trimmer ! JMO !

 

[jgmo]

I recently purchased an electric weed eater and an electric chainsaw. Both are Greenworks 80 volt tools with interchangeable batteries.
I chose to go that route PRIMARILY because I seldom need either and dealing with today's crappy gas problems has me hacked off.

Secondarily, the prices for the electric tools have come down.

Things I like about the Greenworks 80 volt tools:
They are BEASTS! More power than I expected.

Easy to operate. No yanking, choking, priming, filling or oil changing. Just pull the trigger.
(Well, there is the chain lube and string replacement)

Things I don't like (so far):
They are a bit heavy. Largely due to the BIG battery.

The cost of the batteries is pretty stiff....1/4. the cost of the chainsaw WITH battery.

One thing I've learned about electrics is that, if you don't keep the batteries charged ALWAYS, you're going to be needing a new one soon.
So, if you go electric, keep them plugged in.

 

[laabk2]

Living on a farm I have both. Keep the Battery Saw on the tractor when out in the field bush hogging, plowing, planting to get rid of possible limbs and trees that have fallen, keep the blower handy to blow off equipment. I know that if I have to cut firewood for the winter, I might bring my battery saw for limb removal but as far as cutting, I have 5 gas saws to choose from. As others have said, know your limits and the limits of the equipment you are operating.

 

[Tetryegras]

I jumped in on the electric blower, chainsaw and weed wacker eagerly, thinking they would replace the Stihl gas pieces I previously run.
Fast forward to today and I am once again back to my Stihl gas blower, Stihl gas weed walkers and never really left my Stihl & makita gas chainsaws.
The electric tools are all 60V DeWalt. Nothing wrong with them. They all work fine, but after running both in a commercial business for 2+ years, I really only use the electric weed wacker periodically for light jobs I know will be done in under 15 minutes.

Not disappointed, just have found gas revs higher & keeps running when far away from the truck for hours on a full tank. Gas chainsaws are screamers and will cut circles around the electric. Electric only really good for quick 10 minute pruning jobs. Gas blower just keeps on running & running.

Anyone else try electric, go back to gas?

My brother won a give away at the Equip Expo in Kentucky. He ended up with 6 M18 trimmers! (He was only expecting 1!) So he gave some away. I got one for my birthday.
My experience has been similar to others here. The rpm's are slower than gas, even in turbo mode. Probably the biggest reason I bought a gas was the heat issue. I was knocking back a grassy hillside from 6" - 8" down to 1½". I apparently was working it too hard because one of the terminals got hot enough to melt the battery a bit around the connection. The battery still works fine, so does the trimmer but it kinda made me nervous to push it very hard! For reference, I was using the 8.0 battery that came with it. Also I expected the electronics to shut it down if it got that warm! Also, this was back at the end of April, so it wasn't like I was using it in 100° weather. That was when I went out and bought an Echo 3020. Haven't regretted it one bit!
Edit: As others have mentioned, weight is an issue. The Echo is much easier on me. It's a few pounds lighter. Also runtime was a real problem. It took 5 8.0 batteries to do what the Echo 3020 will do with one tank of gas

 

[Hermio]

I jumped in on the electric blower, chainsaw and weed wacker eagerly, thinking they would replace the Stihl gas pieces I previously run.
Fast forward to today and I am once again back to my Stihl gas blower, Stihl gas weed walkers and never really left my Stihl & makita gas chainsaws.
The electric tools are all 60V DeWalt. Nothing wrong with them. They all work fine, but after running both in a commercial business for 2+ years, I really only use the electric weed wacker periodically for light jobs I know will be done in under 15 minutes.

Not disappointed, just have found gas revs higher & keeps running when far away from the truck for hours on a full tank. Gas chainsaws are screamers and will cut circles around the electric. Electric only really good for quick 10 minute pruning jobs. Gas blower just keeps on running & running.

Anyone else try electric, go back to gas?

I actually have both an electric and a gas chainsaw. I am aware that the best electric saws can match the capability of some of the smaller chainsaws, but my gas chainsaw is a Stihl MS500i. I would say it cuts 6-10 times as fast as my Kobalt saw. But my Kobalt electric is handy for quick jobs where I only need to use it for 30 minutes or less. And I can start it any time; I do not need to empty out gasoline and run it dry for off-season storage, as I do with the gas saw. So, I think they both have their place. But if I had to choose 1, I would go with the gas.

 

[NoTrespassing]

This thread just reminded me, I left the battery for my drill on the charger in the shed. Will the battery be ruined or the shed burned to the ground with my mower in it when I get home?

I still use my Chinese 2 stroke monster clearing saw for a weed eater. I only have 2 battery tools, a drill and a small tiller.

 

[Tinhack]

This thread just reminded me, I left the battery for my drill on the charger in the shed. Will the battery be ruined or the shed burned to the ground with my mower in it when I get home?

Not if it's a DeWalt. Can't say for other brands. I've had mine on for three or four days at a time.

I switched to battery ever since I couldn't pull a 2-cycle cord with my arthritic hands. It hurt too much. I'd about cry if it popped back. It would take about a week to recover from that. Everything is electric now except the backpack blower. It's electric start though.

 

[Tetryegras]

I see some people reporting favorably about brands that specialize in outdoor power equipment. It reinforces a theory I have. That is, a company like Milwaukee, DeWalt, etc, that started out making drills doesn't do as good a job at making OPE (outdoor power equipment). It seems the companies that are doing a good job at it are using higher voltage (40+). To be fair, I don't have a lot of experience with many different brands. But if you look at what the companies that make a dedicated ope lineup are doing, it seems to say something. Unlike Milwaukee just throwing their battery on a trimmer and selling it to all the people on their platform. (Again, just my opinion) Don't get me wrong, I'm fully invested in Milwaukee in mechanic tools and a reasonable amount of carpentry tools. I just don't think they have it with ope yet

 

[Highflier450]

We have a large rural property and a B&B. I do not use equipment like a commercial operator would, but much more than the average homeowner. In my younger years I made my living with a chainsaw and have always hade a variety of saws and still do. The ethanol in gas has created a real problem in motors that sit for a time. Yes, you can drain things and keep fresh gas, but I’m quite a drive from the nearest gas station. I would agree that the 18-20V equipment is lacking in power and running time, however 80V is quite different. I have a weed wacker and an 18” chainsaw and 2 batteries. This past spring I had to cut down several trees, up to 20” at the butt. I dropped, limbed and cut everything into firewood with less delay changing a battery than filling with gas. My weeder can do all my trimming twice on a full battery. This is my third year I have not taken my gas equipment out. It all depends on your situation. I would not go full electric if I were commercial, but it works well for me.