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Stuck between a gas powered trimmer and a battery one, I made my pick last spring
I run a small tree service outside of Boise, and last spring I had to choose between a new Stihl gas trimmer and an Echo battery model. The gas one costs about $350 new, but the battery setup was $400 with two batteries and a charger. I went battery because I'm tired of dealing with mixed fuel and carburetor cleanings on my crew's old equipment. First week using it, I cleared a half mile of fence line on a single charge, which surprised me. But then I hit a thick patch of blackberry vines and the battery died after 45 minutes. I swapped to the spare and finished the job, but it was tight. Now I'm wondering if the gas guys have the same issue with heavy brush or if I just picked the wrong tool for that specific task.
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taylorm8912d agoMost Upvoted
That's the thing about battery tools right now - they work GREAT for light to medium stuff but fall apart when you hit the really nasty thick growth. It's the same pattern I see with everything transitioning from gas to electric. People swap their gas leaf blower for a battery one and love it for the driveway, but then try to clear a wet, heavy pile of leaves and the battery drains in ten minutes. Or they get a battery lawn mower and it's perfect for a small flat yard but chokes on thick, damp grass. Your experience with those blackberry vines just proves there's still a gap between what's "good enough for most people" and what's "actually reliable for the hard jobs.
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black.jordan12d ago
That's the exact same pattern I see with people switching over from gas snowblowers to battery ones. Everyone loves the quiet and no gas smell for a normal 6 inch snowfall, but the first time we get that heavy wet slush that's like shoveling concrete, the battery dies halfway down the driveway. It's like the tech is awesome for 80 percent of the jobs but that other 20 percent still needs gas power. Battery stuff keeps getting better every year but its not quite there for the real nasty work yet.
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