this post was submitted on 20 May 2024
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I don't know mate, I wouldn't replace my electric tools–drills, grinders, saw... with gas ones. But these outdoors tools are a different kind of beast. I've only used an electric chainsaw and it was an absolute crap, maybe there are better ones but it was crappier than the smallest and shittiest gas chainsaws I've used, and a cord around you in that setting isn't great either.
Look again! I have a dewalt chainsaw, and I love it. I burn about 13 cords of wood each winter as it is our primary heating source. It runs and runs and runs.
I think the key is to keep the chain sharp. I use the timberline sharpener, and it gets the chain razor sharp, which means less stress on the motor and longer battery life.
The problem with electric gardening tools is they aren't that feasible for contractors.
Batteries don't last long and take a long time to charge, so it's just not an option when you're working all day. Corded means at every location, you have to figure out outlets, extension cords, fuss with tangles and obstructions, etc.
If you're doing your own lawns, yeah, you can probably get into a workflow that works for you. But a lot of people hire out for landscaping.
Fuck that shit, all the gas lawn tools should be backwards converted to run on hydrolysis-produced rocket fuel, feasibility and efficiency and safety be damned.
Gas being a better energy source than batteries in every way except for the health and environmental issues is a real bitch and why this is such a problem. Cords are a hassle and you will need a lot recharging batteries all the time, so you notice the downsides immediately and acutely. These are solvable problems though. Even running an efficient gas generator would be better for the health of landscaping contractors than being around 2 strokes all day.
Swappable batteries resolve this issue pretty well. The energy density is far from comparable, but if you're already hauling a van or trailer to the job site, then a dozen spare batteries isn't an issue.
Except being very expensive, wear out after a few years (at best), and being sensitive to being in the hot sun all day every day. All in a profession mostly worked by under privileged people where frugality is a necessity of life.
I can run a decent small engine for a decade and when it finally breaks I can rebuild it for $50 and get another decade out of it.
I have battery powered stuff for my home but for commercial use, literally thousands of work-hours, the battery tech isn't there yet.