Time to convert from small engine to battery tools?

[dragoneggs]

I have a handheld leaf blower, string trimmer, small rototiller, and a hedger. All small gas engine Stihl products. My wife doesn't mind doing some tilling or hedging but she can't start any of the engines. I have already pretty much converted all of my handheld power tools to Dewalt 20v system and find I rarely use my corded small tools anymore, so...

Is it time to make the expensive plunge into a battery line up of a blower, hedger, string trimmer, chain saw, pole pruner, etc.? I suppose I could sell off my gassers to ease the pain. And then no more mixing gas except for my outboard motor! Looking at Stihl's AP series tools. Love to hear comments that have Stihl AP tools!

 

[Professor Marvel]

I have a stihl chain saw, weed eater and pole saw in AP.
All work well. My shoulder needs to be replaced and I just had too much trouble starting my gas stuff.
Got a couple other brands of battery equipment for different reasons also.
Tried a couple that are gone now also.
Stihl is expensive but solid

 

[dragoneggs]

Professor, which chainsaw do you have, the 160 or the 200?

 

[Professor Marvel]

200 14"

 

[Professor Marvel]

use my chain saws a lot (got a tiny makita as well for one handed cutting)
the pole saw and the weedeater not so much. They work well but what they do is not what I do a lot. Got the pole saw (the extendable one) to reach some branches i could NOT reach. Bought the weedeater to put a saw blade on it. They both work great but my time is mostly spent cleaning up dead tree mess in my yard. everything from 2inches to about 16 inches. The trees come down faster than i can keep up.
It is just so nice to just pull the trigger and cut instead of starting or trying to start the gas stuff. I used to use the gas stuff a lot but dont use it enough any more to keep it running easily.

 

[dragoneggs]

Your string trimmer... which one do you have?

I see there is a 130 now. Same 'size' as my FS-130 gasser. Thinking I should go this one so I don't feel underpowered. I have to cut a lot of long grass on a steep slope that is not mowable.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I have eliminated all my engine and corded outdoor small equipment. Pressure washer only gasser left. I have never found a battery pressure washer and corded ones have never lasted more than one season. Our EGO mower and blower are getting ready for their 4th year. I had two chargers but the wife left one in the rain and it gave up. 3 Ryobi weed eaters are also going on 4 years. Originally they had a problem with their 40V batteries. Wound up getting 3 new chargers and 4 batteries free and now on their second year.

Ron

 

[WM75Guy]

I have an Oregon 40V chainsaw, weedeater, and blower. The wife can run all three, she could never get the gas versions to start.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Battery improvements are changing many things. The need for starting ropes.power cords, air hoses and gas storage comes to mind.

 

[Jchonline]

I use Milwaukee battery tools, but would consider Stihl as well. I have a weed eater, blower, hedge trimmer, chainsaw. The only gas tool I have left is my Stihl chainsaws because I cant get over a 16” bar for the battery ones yet! Seriously though I will keep the gas chainsaws...on my property they are still a necessity.

 

[Professor Marvel]

Your string trimmer... which one do you have?

I see there is a 130 now. Same 'size' as my FS-130 gasser. Thinking I should go this one so I don't feel underpowered. I have to cut a lot of long grass on a steep slope that is not mowable.

I have the 90 and it is plenty powerful but why not get the 130 since they now make it

 

[Professor Marvel]

I went with Stihl battery stuff because I had Stihl gas stuff. The Husqvarna stuff looks good too. I try to get all the same brand for battery/charger interchangeability but ended up with a Makita 5-6 in saw that works GREAT. I use it all the time for cutting things up to about 5 inches. I hold it with my left hand and cut it with my right. I find these days a lot of what I cut is small. The makita is still on its first blade and has not been sharpened yet. I wish all my saws had the same kind of chain. I do not know who makes the chain for Makita. I found it once in an obscure web page but have not been able to find it again.
I got a couple items like pole saws and chain saws originally just to experiment with the battery stuff to see what it would do.
The troy bilt and green works pole saws got busted pretty quick but they showed me that battery stuff had potential. At the time I was embarassed about using battery stuff caused it seemed so sissy but a bum shoulder made it tough to start and use gas stuff.
Also went through a troy bilt chain saw.
So I went to Stihl and use all the time.
I picked up a Kobalt 80v blower also before I got into my stihl equipment and it works great. It seems as powerful as my gas Stihl backpack and Stihl handneld blowers. The only issue is that the battery only lasts 15 - 20 minutes with the blower. If anyone has a stihl blower could they chime in and let us know how long the battery lasts?

To be fair technology has advanced quite a bit and I am sure several brands work pretty well these days. I just don't have enough money to buy them all to try them.

 

[EddieWalker]

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

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

 

[Professor Marvel]

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

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

You are right Eddie. There is always a concern for future support. That's why I went with Stihl. I have loads of Dewalt 18v tools but they did not make a pole saw or chain saw at the time. And now that they have I do not think it takes the 18v battery. I am guessing Makita will typically use a different battery also when they fully get into it. My little makita saw takes the 18v battery so in addition to the cost of the saw i now have a battery and charger. So i have close to 350 in that little chain saw so I am glad i use it a lot.
So far, about 3 years the stihl batteries have held up great. But they better for the price.
I have that kobalt blower that has worked well for a few years but I am not expanding my line in that direction for exactly the reason you mention.

 

[Diggin It]

Everything has a place for some people. For me, I can be quite a ways from an outlet and batteries don't last long enough, even with a spare or two. It's much easier for me to carry a can of two stroke mix than a generator to recharge batteries.

 

[Professor Marvel]

Everything has a place for some people. For me, I can be quite a ways from an outlet and batteries don't last long enough, even with a spare or two. It's much easier for me to carry a can of two stroke mix than a generator to recharge batteries.

You are exactly right. I do a lot lighter work than i used to. Would not want to use even the best battery saw in my woods to clear land. At this point I am pretty much maintaining and cleaning my 10 acres of woods around my house. My days of clearing woods are over. If I need that done i will have to hire it out. But you would be amazed how much I still have to do to make my woods not look terrible.
For anything bigger that I have to take on myself I still have my stihl gas equipment.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have the 90 and it is plenty powerful but why not get the 130 since they now make it

Weight is my only concern as my wife doesn’t like using the FS-130 gasser we now.

Great comments, everybody!

 

[atsah]

The new easy to start systems wouldn't work for you? Have you gone to a dealer to try and start one?

 

[dragoneggs]

The new easy to start systems wouldn't work for you? Have you gone to a dealer to try and start one?

The little Stihl tiller we have had the easy start. She does okay with that. The others don’t have the easy start. I’m thinking now is the time to convert vs buying another of the same with the easy start.

 

[Oaktree]

I can be quite a ways from an outlet and batteries don't last long enough, even with a spare or two. It's much easier for me to carry a can of two stroke mix than a generator to recharge batteries.

I was wondering the same thing myself...what's a typical run time on a battery tool like a string trimmer? Presently, all I have in that type of tool is the HF Lynx pole saw...battery seems to last quite a while on a charge, but it's only running intermittently unlike a string trimmer/weed wacker which would be running longer periods of time.

I can see how a small (14" or so) battery chain saw would be very nice to have in my work truck as long as they're up to the task. Not something I need a lot, certainly not enough to dick around with having gas with me, but when you need one you need one.