Going battery on the yard tools

Currently I’m the highest bid on a brand new sealed ryobi 40v - 6ah battery has 1 day left hoping this battery has no reserve. Would be sweet for $80. I haven’t bid on eBay in years usually buy it now, did eBay change the bid format I remember it being listed if there was a reserve “reserve not met” or if the seller had no reserve it would say “no reserve”?
 
Let's see them operate a 62" zero turn mower all day on batteries.
You've made this statement twice. Nobody is suggesting that batteries have the power density of fuel.

I made your exact point about power density when I mentioned my chainsaw usage in my previous post.

But for homeowners, like me, and like the guys discussing the topic on this thread, battery power is good enough to run the tool as long as we need.

I can do my whole yard, whether blower or string trimmer, and soon to be mower, on a charge.

No more gasoline, oil changes, sparkplugs, filters. No more repairs. No more storage issues. No more having to choke, pull, and start.

Pick up tool. Pull trigger.

That's it.

Unless I need the power density, the ability to run all day long, battery is just great.
 
Mrs DuckRyder bought a Ryobi 40 V string trimmer with blower attachment.

It isn't all bad and it is fairly impressive for battery (very much unlike my SIL black and decker 20V string trimmer) but it will not do the whole job in one charge (it does charge in 30-45 minutes) and a Stihl two stroke puts it to shame, even our "consumer" Kombi motor.

Cub Cadet is hocking battery zero turns here for close to double what a gas one would be and says they will do 2 acres and charge in 4 hours... i would not count on the 2 acres being realistic but for homeowner use it would probably serve most. They sit though because of pricing...
 
I used my dewalt string trimmer the other day for the first time officially. I will say I prefer my brothers Milwaukee because it has variable speed.

The dewalt just seems slow. I’m sure if you weed eat weekly/ bi weekly it’d be fine. We are so early into the mowing season, I didn’t think things would be too hard for it yet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JC1
Let's see them operate a 62" zero turn mower all day on batteries.
A 62” gasser ZT “all day” would drink how much?

I wonder what is cheaper to run at that point. Gas or electric? Obviously you’d need multiple batteries.
 
That Makita looks sweet. I've got the DeWalt 20v tools and their mower comes with two 10ah batteries. My Ariens gas mower is still going strong after 20 years. One day I'll replace it.
 
I purchased the 60V Toro self propelled mower with 6.0AH battery. It's made from exactly the same parts as the Toro gas mowers, with steel deck, belt drive and even has a full sized mower blade. Some electric mowers use thin blades to improve performance. Unfortunately, these thin blades don't hold up on rough yards with Florida sand. Hence the Toro.

The Toro has been flat-out epic. Gobs of power, quiet, smooth and light. It will mow 1/3 of an acre. It will also cut 1 foot tall Florida grass. The motor ramps up when heavily loaded.

I have a garden tractor for my 2 acres, but the Toro is used for finish mowing. Around the front of the house, and back by the canal where the bank is so steep, a light mower is a huge benefit.

Toro-60V-self-propelled-lawn-mower-review.jpg
 
Last edited:
I have a fenced in acre and a half and thats a pretty long run to cover both sides.

Between my Stihl and Makita the Makita requires a battery change the first run of the season, but can make the rest of seasons runs on one set.

It has every bit the power the Stihl does, runs cheaper, and is of course easier to live with, no starting, fueling, mixing, or trips to buy fuel and oil


IMG_2578.jpeg
 
I work on small engines on the side, and battery powered stuff definitely has its place. I recommend them to a lot of my customers who use small hand held equipment sparingly, because they are easier to manage and less of a hassle. A battery powered fleet is great for someone with a small yard as well. Quieter, no dealing with fuel issues, oil changes, mixing fuel, exhaust, etc.

Those Ryobi mowers a few posts up seem like an interesting idea, but I'm not surprised they don't sell well. Ryobi and Cub Cadet aren't really known for quality, especially since Cub Cadet has been putting out MTD re-branded mowers at Lowes for several years now. Their quality has been improving, but I know many people who won't touch them anymore. Ryobi is one step above whatever store branded tools the box store carries. The electric zero turns have a niche market currently, because most people who run zero turn mowers have a lot of mowing to do. It isn't the power provided by the electrics, it's the charging. If it has to charge for 4 hours every time you mow 2 acres (assuming the efficiency is perfect) then you will not be mowing a lot of lawns between charging. Most people in my area have at least a 2 acre lawn. It might work for a homeowner, but not for someone mowing more than 1 lawn, and that's leaving the higher purchase price out of the equation.

I watched a video about a guy who ran a mowing service with an electric zero turn. They made it work but he had a massive trailer outfitted for charging several batteries, which cost quite a bit, and solar charging was involved as well to even make it feasible.

Like I said I admire the innovation, but they have the same infrastructure and charging issues for heavy users as EVs do, it's just hard to compete with the ability to re-fuel instantly with gas stations on every corner.
 
I work on small engines on the side, and battery powered stuff definitely has its place. I recommend them to a lot of my customers who use small hand held equipment sparingly, because they are easier to manage and less of a hassle. A battery powered fleet is great for someone with a small yard as well. Quieter, no dealing with fuel issues, oil changes, mixing fuel, exhaust, etc.

Those Ryobi mowers a few posts up seem like an interesting idea, but I'm not surprised they don't sell well. Ryobi and Cub Cadet aren't really known for quality, especially since Cub Cadet has been putting out MTD re-branded mowers at Lowes for several years now. Their quality has been improving, but I know many people who won't touch them anymore. Ryobi is one step above whatever store branded tools the box store carries. The electric zero turns have a niche market currently, because most people who run zero turn mowers have a lot of mowing to do. It isn't the power provided by the electrics, it's the charging. If it has to charge for 4 hours every time you mow 2 acres (assuming the efficiency is perfect) then you will not be mowing a lot of lawns between charging. Most people in my area have at least a 2 acre lawn. It might work for a homeowner, but not for someone mowing more than 1 lawn, and that's leaving the higher purchase price out of the equation.

I watched a video about a guy who ran a mowing service with an electric zero turn. They made it work but he had a massive trailer outfitted for charging several batteries, which cost quite a bit, and solar charging was involved as well to even make it feasible.

Like I said I admire the innovation, but they have the same infrastructure and charging issues for heavy users as EVs do, it's just hard to compete with the ability to re-fuel instantly with gas stations on every corner.
That’s the same story with EVs on the road today. Until the infrastructure to charge and technology to charge faster is there to support it, it’ll never be dominant.
 
For what it's worth - the 40v Ryobi tools are really good for the price.

Highly recommend the hedge trimmer - plenty of power and run time. A bit on the heavy side, but well balanced.

The string trimmer has plenty of run time (~3/4 acre sized yard). The edger attachment works well. One note - the thumb trigger can be uncomfortable after a long period time.

The chainsaw is just ok - it seems to overheat quickly and shuts down. This may be user error or a dull chain. I can't seem to get the chain tension right.
 
I purchased the 60V Toro self propelled mower with 6.0AH battery. It's made from exactly the same parts as the Toro gas mowers, with steel deck, belt drive and even has a full sized mower blade. Some electric mowers use thin blades to improve performance. Unfortunately, these thin blades don't hold up on rough yards with Florida sand. Hence the Toro.

The Toro has been flat-out epic. Gobs of power, quiet, smooth and light. It will mow 1/3 of an acre. It will also cut 1 foot tall Florida grass. The motor ramps up when heavily loaded.

I have a garden tractor for my 2 acres, but the Toro is used for finish mowing. Around the front of the house, and back by the canal where the bank is so steep, a light mower is a huge benefit.

Toro-60V-self-propelled-lawn-mower-review.jpg

Cujet
Thanks for the information with picture of your Toro Self Propelled Personal Pace 60V Battery Powered Walk Behind . Interesting it is the same basic mower as the gas engine powered version except for the power-head. I agree Florida sand can wear a mower blade down quick. Is it quiet enough not to need ear plugs or is the blade and electric motor noise still fairly high?

Did you check the price of the gasoline version when you purchased your 60V battery version to see which one cost more.
 
Just finished my first mow on the 40v ryobi mower.. very impressed put out plenty of power whisper quiet and it very torquey when needs to be. Only shaved off one led on the battery I'll easily get 2 maybe 3 mowes on a charge.
 
I’m really considering a battery powered mower. I have a few small areas that I would either like mulched or bagged. Self propelled would be nice too. I have an older gasser for the more demanding work.

I have dewalt tools, but I’m thinking a mowers battery set will be larger so I’m fine with a difference set with this.

Thinking about Ego.
 
Back
Top