Cordless lawn equipment

[The English Hacker]

I have the Black and Decker 40v weed wacker and 40v hedge trimmer. Both are powerful and I'm very happy. Only had them a week so I can't comment on how long they last on a charge. I have a rechargeable b&d lawnmower too. It's 4 years old and I wish it would last longer on a charge. I'd expect the newer version that can take the 40v battery would be much better.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Stick with a brand that has been around, like Ryobi, or at least uses batteries from populare tool brands like DeWalt or Milwaukee.

Consider corded tools. My sister-in-law has a corded electric snowblower. Works fine for her little driveway. If there is going to be more than 4-6", she tries to get out and do it once during the storm.

 

[matty d]

Seems like Craftsman has the exact same mower - just with the Craftsman name and design elements. Looks like the Batman Tumbler LOL. I wonder if the Greenwrks 40V batteries fit the Craftsman as well....

Craftsman 40V:

http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-...7198818000P?prdNo=10&blockNo=10&blockType=G10

Greenworks 40V

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GX9WNP2/?tag=atomicindus08-20


Craftsman also has 40V garden tools too. I didnt look too closely at whether they are the same as G/wrks too. I wouldnt be surprised.

 

[rice rocket]

Hmm, good eye. Sears will throw out some ridiculous points out to get your money too so it'll probably be a better deal there.

One thing I've never been able to figure out...

Canadian Tire advertises the 19" 40-volt mower as brushless, and has Digipro plastered all over it (which is what Greenworks calls their brushless stuff). However in the US, the model is slightly different (different colored wheels), and doesn't mention brushless, but looks otherwise the same. I'm not sure if it's brushless and they're not advertising it? Or maybe they're not brushless here?

Canada:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aNG178EuyRo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


US:

 

[matty d]

What is 'brushless' when it comes to lawn mowers? what are the benefits?

 

[matty d]

never mind; I checked out the video. Brushless motor = more torque, power...

 

[rice rocket]

Same as it is in power tools, they basically flip it from a fixed magnet to a rotating magnet, and remove the brushes that make contact w/ the armature.

In terms of practical benefits, it means longer runtimes, more power, less maintenance.

Simplified drawings:

 

[PBCampbell]

Hmmm....No gas engine, cordless....maybe a weed whip, hedge shears, and a push reel mower? All those are less maintenance, longer lifed, and more enviromentally friendly, not to mention tried and true from a design stand point and capable of actually improving the health and well being of the operator.

 

[matty d]

Same as it is in power tools, they basically flip it from a fixed magnet to a rotating magnet, and remove the brushes that make contact w/ the armature.

In terms of practical benefits, it means longer runtimes, more power, less maintenance.

Simplified drawings:

Thanks. That makes it easy. I hear the term tossed around when looking at tools but never took the time to look into it. Magnets, electricity and Physics was a long, long time ago...

 

[TJJP77]

I've been using cordless weed whackers for years now - mostly because I hate 2-cycle engines, plus for my purposes, the gas powered models are just too powerful. My most recent weed whacker purchase was a 24V Toro that is well made and runs quite a while on a charge.

A few weekends ago I bought the Lowes/Kobalt 40V pole saw. So far, so good - it has a 5-year warranty, so that sold me over the competition, plus the battery fits a variety of other Kobalt branded tools if I decide I need something else.

 

[rice rocket]

Revisiting this topic a year later...

So I bought a B&D 20v string trimmer last year and it was total garbage. Couldn't knock down anything bigger than some baby dandelions. And once the density went up too, it choked.

So I'm back to square one.

Echo released a 58V brushless for $269.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-58-...-Ah-Battery-CST-58V4AH/205565995?N=5yc1vZcb60


Is this the ticket? Seems affordable, but also rated for professional use? 5 year warranty.

I really need some raw power as I get lazy w/ trimming and sometimes need to knock down some burly-*** weeds. Not to the point that I need a brush cutter though (at least I don't think).

Also, Echo recommends a line diameter of .080", whereas the Husqvarna (for $140 more) recommends .095 or .105". Greenworks suggests .080" for their 80v Pro brushless model as well. Does this mean that the Husqvarna model is much beefier?

 

[6-Speed]

Hmm, good eye. Sears will throw out some ridiculous points out to get your money too so it'll probably be a better deal there.

One thing I've never been able to figure out...

Canadian Tire advertises the 19" 40-volt mower as brushless, and has Digipro plastered all over it (which is what Greenworks calls their brushless stuff). However in the US, the model is slightly different (different colored wheels), and doesn't mention brushless, but looks otherwise the same. I'm not sure if it's brushless and they're not advertising it? Or maybe they're not brushless here?

Those are two different models. The Digipro version has the brushless motor. I've been using the non-Digipro version for a couple of years and have been very satisfied with its performance. If it ever fails, I'd upgrade to the 80v model in a heartbeat. I also have other Greenworks 40v tools including a string trimmer and blower/vac. I recently purchased their 80v blower, which is mighty powerful for a cordless tool and so far I'm very happy with it. The battery charger is equipped with a cooling fan and it only takes 30 minutes to recharge the 80v 2A-hr batteries.

 

[kctyphoon]

the 58v brushless echo is in HD now..

 

[geojag]

When my weed eater needs replaced I am definitely going to be checking on the reviews of the echo. I have about an hours weed eating every time I cut the lawn, and I could do with one less machine to maintain. I saw the weed eater in person the other day and it looked like a real tool ( unlike a lot I have seen ). Not sold on the chainsaw, but might give the blower a try as well.

 

[olytdi]

When my weed eater needs replaced I am definitely going to be checking on the reviews of the echo. I have about an hours weed eating every time I cut the lawn, and I could do with one less machine to maintain. I saw the weed eater in person the other day and it looked like a real tool ( unlike a lot I have seen ). Not sold on the chainsaw, but might give the blower a try as well.

The chainsaw looked like one of the better tools in this line-up in my opinion.

If you have an hour of whacking to do, I'd definitely go with the Echo. You need a commercial grade tool.

I just picked up the new brushless 40V B&D and used it for the first time today.

Underwhelmed.

It lasted 12 minutes trimming grass before it stopped. I recharged it and then ran in with no load and wide open. It lasted 18 minutes before it stopped.

I'll be calling B&D this week and probably returning the tool.

I don't need commercial grade power, but I do need something that lasts longer than 12 minutes when being used.

 

[LUKE221]

Buy Stihl or Echo weed wackers (the $200-300 variety). All those $89.00 specials are garbage. Feed the weed wackers ethanol free VP 2 cycle fuels. Lawn mowers. Always properly winterize them. You would be surprised what a new spark plug and a good cleaning could do.

 

[Monte]

Stihl/Viking - made in Austria

Bosch

there will be more Bosch garden tools like a blower and hedge trimmers as well as a battery belt and a moveable stand-alone recharging station

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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uw9rJogL8wM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[altersaddle]

I have a 20" Homelite branded cordless mower. It is perfect for our small city lot. I think it was $250-350 new. So far I have had to replace the blade, the batteries, the charger, the charge plug, and the switch.

Switch melted down, likely due to corrosion. The construction isn't super impressive.

The 24v batteries are two 12V gel cells. Not as **** as Li-ion brushless power, but also a lot less.

I've also fitted a remote solenoid to run the power from battery to motor. Otherwise, all the power goes up the handle through the switch (see above meltdown) and back again.

At the rate I am going, I might as well re-weld the deck when that fails. That and the handle are the only original parts left.

It has a steel deck. I think it's about 6 years old now.

 

[pablo94sc]

All my equipment runs fine, year after year. What are you guys doing that you have to rebuild the engines all the time?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

My vote, before reading another post, is ethanol in the gas killing the carbs/fuel line/etc.

Edit: Holy necropost, Batman!

 

[madcrisis]

Isnt it cheaper to rebuild the carbs every couple years than to buy new batteries. Ive been using the same mower i found in the trash (only cleaned the carb) for 8 years now. I have since upgraded my trimmer and blower from trash units to store bought units (the ones found in the trash lasted 4 and 2 years respectively). The new trimmer cost me about 120 and the blower was about 100. maybe there isnt as much ethanol in the gas around here? the mower ive only ever cleaned the plug, change the oil (start of the season), and sharpen the blades. Ive cut 4 yards with it every week since I found it in the trash.

 

[pablo94sc]

Isnt it cheaper to rebuild the carbs every couple years than to buy new batteries. Ive been using the same mower i found in the trash (only cleaned the carb) for 8 years now. I have since upgraded my trimmer and blower from trash units to store bought units (the ones found in the trash lasted 4 and 2 years respectively). The new trimmer cost me about 120 and the blower was about 100. maybe there isnt as much ethanol in the gas around here? the mower ive only ever cleaned the plug, change the oil (start of the season), and sharpen the blades. Ive cut 4 yards with it every week since I found it in the trash.

I think the issue isn't necessarily the gas, but leaving the gas in the tank/lines and for extended periods which allows the ethanol to eat everything it can. The cheaper tools don't use Viton seals and other ethanol-safe material, so as they deteriorate it gums everything up, and ethanol eats a lot of stuff - rubber, plastics, aluminum...

Personally, I always buy a few gallons of ethanol free at the beginning of the season and put some Stable in the can. I always run tools until they are out of gas at the end of each season, and then change the oil while still warm before storing for the winter since oil can be acidic. Any left over gas goes in the car. Never had a problem.