Long ago I asked here if time had come for battery tools. The response was overwhelming with YES. Plan to buy a couple of items, just wondering what way the consensus on best brands lies. I primarily have greenworks with Ego and Bauer. Surprisingly have been impressed with Bauer. My $700+ Stihl gas pole saw has been used very little lately in favor of the Bauer.
Battery and charger often cost more than tools these days... So always stick with brands you already have a batteries and chargers for. Also a few weeks back I researched battery adapaters so for example you could use a dewalt battery to power a craftsman power tool: 1x Adapter for Dewalt 20v MAX Li-Ion Battery To for Craftsman New 20V V-20 Tools | eBay or what I'm planning to do, which is use my Hercules charger and battery to power any Bauer power tools I might one day buy: Adapter For Dewalt For Hercules 20V Li-Ion Battery to Fits Bauer 20V Tools US | eBay This makes it so I can buy either Bauer or Hercules power tools at Harbor Freight and have to stay committed to those two product lines for power tools from now on. But when it comes to lawn tools I own two 40V Ryobi batteries and a charger and I really want a more powerful lawnmower than the Ryobi I have and am bummed of the lack of mower options for those batteries, which is making me seriously consider a gas powered brush mower, which makes me sad. I thought I was done with ICE for power tools.
it really depends on the performance you need. were happy with the ryobi blower, string trimmer, chainsaw, hedge trimmer, edger and riding mower for our 1 acre plot. plus an ego self propelled walk behind. but you may need more than that.
I am happy with my Bauer 20v recip saw and also with the Bauer 20v pole saw -- except the Bauer pole saw really leaks bar oil. My 60V Greenworks 16" chainsaw is pretty good, but it also leaks bar oil quite a bit. Come to think, so does the gas Stihl pole saw. Greenworks string trimmer & Ego string trimmer -- Meh ...hate them. Difficult to restring and constant breakage. My Stihl gas FS 250 brushcutter with bike handles still rules, although a bit of overkill for trimming around the garden. Greenworks 60v 21" mower works well. As does Greenworks corded dethatcher.
String trimmers are the dumbest invention ever... I've been gardening for 35 years to help pay my bills and I refuse to use a string trimmer. As for leaking bar oil, that's because those tools aren't designed to be stored with bar oil. You're supposed to empty the bar oil before storage.
It's NOT the TOOLS you have to buy. It's the BATTERIES. If you're the typical suburbanite who is tempted to hire muscle to 'tame' your half acre of paradise? It really isn't going to matter much, is it? Whatever you get? Get several of THOSE tools and take advantage of the common batteries. In my 'city' house I use Black+Decker 20v NOT because of the quality but because of the ubiquity. I can get budget line trimmers, blowers, saws, drills. lights, etc at a good price point for an acceptable quality, and performance and access to cheap repair parts. AND - c'mon! HOW much 'quality' do you need for a half acre??!! See also: Bauer. A 'solid' choice if you have more than a few of those tools. For the "rest of us" (several acres) It depends on the setting. If you're in one of the McMansions on several acres of tended property you're neither a 'gardener' nor are you likely to be maintaining your own property. If (like myself) you're 'entrusted by future generations' with more than a few acres then you have choices to make and options to pursue. It really depends on how you plan to maintain the acres you have for the tiny scratch of time that you will be occupying the land, but for now - in 2025 it's either a gas or diesel thing. I choose to keep about 1.5 acres cut close (3" more or less.) It moderates insects and other pests. I have raptors and reptiles to do the rest! I DO use two corded electrics, and like everyone else on the planet with fences and other human-made structures - this includes a line trimmer. The rest is mostly fallow. I DO take advantage of battery-electric implements from the city house for convenience, but I would NEVER rely on them because they haven't "arrived" just yet. Not for rural folk, Corded > Battery for now. Petrol (or diesel) > corded. You can CHEAT politics, but it's harder to cheat physics.
The Stihl 026 is a beast. Considered possibly the best saw Stihl ever made. When I worked fire in Idaho, it was the standard for all the sawyers. My brother snuck off with my dad's in the dark of the night... Only wish I had done it first. Well, need to quit wasting time and get ready for our July 4 celebration... Looks as if I have a job offer coming so there is something to celebrate. kris
I don't know anything about Stihl 026, but I recently purchased Stihl MS 261CM (pure gasser) to complement my other saw MS 500i which I bought to take down a couple dozens large trees last year when I found out old trusty Husky chainsaw was not up for the job. But now I'm using 500i exclusively for chainsaw milling. It is just too large and heavy. MS261 with 16" bar is the best saw I have ever used. Nope, neither are battery chainsaw. I have a battery and a corded electric Oregon chainsaws. They are OK to use for a quick limbing of small branches but nothing more. Cutting anything bigger than 10 inch diameter of real logs, I would not try using battery chainsaws.
261 took the place of the 026. 261 has all the updates and is considered a very, very good saw...or so Mike at the saw shop tells me whenever I stop and look at the thing. Well, better clean windows. Relatives and kids due back from the beach in 90 minutes.
As for the battery garden tool, only tool I keep using and not going back to a gasser is the weed trimmer. I have a Stihl gas trimmer, but no longer use it. Oregon Tool battery trimmer replaced it. But, Oregon Tool is no longer making battery tools. I have a few batteries, but when they need replacement, I will look for a new brand. Ryobi is my ecosystem for all the 18v handheld battery tools, but 18v Ryobi yard tools are crappy. I have not bought their 40v counterpart yet. Will have to do a research when the time comes to replace our weed trimmer.
I have a set of EGo. Sold at Home Depot at the time but now widely available including online. Two chargers. 4 batteries. One blower, one string trimmer, one long bladed hedge trimmer. Son has a mower and string trimmer and hedge trimmer (long handle version), next door lady has a mower. 56 volt. Why the extra batteries and charger? Because I blow leaves, not rake, on a half acre lot, blow pine straw off a mile of road. I take multiples along in my golf car. Two issues in 5 years of ownership. One battery failed within warranty and was replaced promptly, hassle free and free. One part on the string trimmer broke (it was the model before the one they sell now) and didn't disable it. Waiting for cheap part.. Would I buy again? Yes. They have parts and repair depots.
I would stay away from Kobalt branded tools. I have a Kobalt Weed Eater and Kobalt Mower. They are excellent tools and still running fine, but... if you need replacement parts after your warranty expires you will find replacement parts are nonexistent. I would stick with Name Brands you know will be around awhile and supply parts manuals with illustrated parts breakdowns - have parts departments - and have dedicated Customer Service. You don't want to pay $250 to $500 for an electric mower and battery system only to find there are no legacy parts available and you have a worthless system because a $10 plastic blade mount is nonexistent.
