In the last decade or so, battery-powered machinery, equipment, and vehicles have revolutionized motorized objects. While there are some negatives with batteries, there are also great benefits – I, for one, have really appreciated getting away from the noise and fumes of gas-powered equipment.
When I first bought our property, I made the investment in a variety of Greenworks power equipment – I bought their hedge trimmer, chain saw, pole saw, line trimmer, and leaf blower. It was a bit of an investment, but now 8 years later, they are all still going strong! And, to be honest, the overall price wasn’t much different than if I had purchased quality gas-powered equipment.
While I had started off with Greenworks, the eGo line has caught my interest lately – As my old equipment wears out, I’m planning on replacing it with eGo. Their line just feels more “high-quality” and sturdy, and I was impressed with the torque and power of the eGo string trimmer I tried. The Power Plus line operates on a single 56 volt battery, compared to the Greenworks line I’ve got which ranges from 20 to 80 volts. This is very nice, because the batteries are usually the most expensive part of these systems! By purchasing only a few batteries and a larger range of tools, you can stretch your budget further.
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Line Trimmers
Very useful for edging, knocking down weeds, and trimming under fencelines, line trimmers (AKA weed whippers) are probably the second most used powered lawn equipment next to lawn mowers.
I currently have been using a Greenworks line trimmer for about 7 years now, and it has held up well to about 1-2 hours per week of use during the growing season. The battery only lasts about half an hour, but since I’ve got several Greenworks 40V tools, I find I can swap out the batteries easily enough (As long as I remember to keep them charged!).
Links below are to Amazon:
Greenworks 40v Battery-Powered Line Trimmer
This trimmer is the one I currently have – It has held up very well, keeping up with weekly trimming for 6 years now.
EGO Power + 56v Battery Powered Line Trimmer
This line trimmer is the one I’ll be purchasing once my current one finally gives out.
Hedge Trimmers
Hedge trimmers are typically used for trimming topiary and hedges, but I seldom use mine for this purpose. I have found that a hedge trimmer is the best thing for cutting back grasses and perennials before growth starts in spring – I go over the plantings in several passes, leaving the cut up material over the beds as a mulch.
My Greenworks hedge trimmer has held up very well – I originally bought it to trim nursery stock when we were operating the nursery, but I still use it for spring cleanup. It seems to last the longest on a charge out of any of my tools, holding up to an hour or so of trimming. Mine has the 2.0Ah battery, but the 4.0Ah PowerMAX battery all my other Greenworks tools use works in it as well.
Greenworks 40v 2.0Ah Battery-Powered Hedge Trimmer
Though I don’t use the hedge trimmer as much as other tools, it is very useful for cutting down standing vegetation at the end of the season. This is the model I currently own.
Cordless Mixing Drill
While it may seem an unusual tool for landscaping, a cordless concrete mixing drill fitted with a bulb auger is a great tool for planting large areas of plugs. This is particularly the case if you have hard, clay or stony soil – Our soil here in Central Indiana is a deep clay loam which is difficult to dig in when wet, but a treat to work when just right.
The auger also works well for Dr. Carl Whitcomb’s chlorosis solution – In effect, sulfur, Micromax fertilizer and Osmocote are placed in holes at intervals around a tree suffering from iron chlorosis, here is a link to the pdf explaining the process.
I’ve always favored Milwaukee tools, I’ve listed their cordless concrete mixing drill below as well as a link to the bulb auger.
Milwaukee Cordless Mud Mixing Drill
This cordless mixing drill works great for drilling holes for planting plugs.
Note, the battery is sold separately.
2in x 32in Bulb Auger
An auger for drilling holes in the soil to plant plugs and apply fertilizer to trees
Battery Powered Chain Saws
After the string trimmer and the hedge trimmer, the next tool I use the most is our Greenworks chain saw. Mine is a smaller model that runs on the 40v PowerMAX Battery, but there are more powerful ones that are more suited to jobs like cutting firewood.
I’ve had my eye on the EGO chain saws, there is a 20 inch commercial model that has some pretty impressive specifications – The Greenworks one isn’t overly suited to cutting firewood! I have included links to both this one and the Greenworks model I have below.
Greenworks 40v Battery-Powered Chain Saw – 16in Bar
This chain saw has worked well for light branch trimming and even cutting down smaller trees, but it definitely isn’t cut out for long hours of firewood cutting.
EGO Commercial 20″ Chain Saw
This chain saw is a much more robust saw for being battery-operated. I plan on purchasing this one once the Greenworks one stops working.
While the Greenworks model has worked fine, this one by EGO is much more suited to cutting firewood, with a stronger, longer-lasting battery.
Note, you do have to purchase the battery separately with this model, but it does use the standard Power + 56v battery.
Battery Powered Pole Saws
Pole saws are probably the least used tool I own, it isn’t very often you need to trim branches up high. A good, sturdy pole saw is great for limbing up trees in a forest setting, allowing more light into the understory for richer understory and ground layer growth.
I have a 20v Greenworks pole saw that I purchased 10 years ago, and it has finally conked out. I am planning on purchasing the EGO model to replace it if I ever manage to save up enough! They have a multi-head tool that has a pole saw attachment in addition to some interesting and random other attachments. A very innovative and clever system!
EGO Power Plus Build Your Own Multi-Head Tool
The pole saw is available in this kit, but I have included a link to the multi-head tool system page. There are many highly useful tools including brushes, cultivators, trimmers – You can customize it to any configuration based on the heads you might find the most useful.
Electric Zero-Turn Mower
I’ll preface this section with the admission that I’ve never used one of these, I just included it in the list for interest’s sake! This is one of the more out-there ones, but I’ll admit it is a very good idea. Gasoline-powered lawn mowers and landscaping equipment are responsible for 4 to 5% of annual greenhouse gas emissions in the USA, as well as about the same percentage of pollution produced. Switching to electric greatly reduces these emissions.
EGO 42in Zero Turn Mower
This EGO zero-turn mower represents a lot of innovation in the realm of battery-powered lawn equipment – Imagine never having to purchase gasoline, fiddle with carburetors, deal with the smell and sound of gasoline-powered equipment – A worthwhile investment, not too far off from a gas-powered zero turn!