Charging ahead with battery-powered outdoor power equipment
Kris Kiser is president and CEO of the Alexandria, Va.-based Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, an organization that represents equipment regardless of its power source. He sees the change. And the OPEI official embraces the trend.
The market is also seeing propane, diesel, electric and solar-powered alternatives to the classic internal combustion engine, a power source that has the lion’s share of the market. It’s difficult to break down in specific numbers the share of battery, he said, but it’s easy to see the growth of batteries in the OPE space.
“As a major trend, you bet,” Kiser said. “We’re seeing very real and significant trend towards battery power.”
Referring to battery-powered products, Kiser said everyone is hopping on the bandwagon. Stihl, Stanley Black & Decker and MTD are some of the bigger names he mentioned as battery promoters. Also on the list are Greenworks and Techtronic. And across the spectrum, battery-powered OPE products are getting better, running longer, charging faster and doing more work.
One of the factors fueling the battery trend is the overall improvement of batteries in terms of run time and charging time. In fact, lithium-ion batteries are showing up in equipment designed for commercial use. Still, some cases remain where the internal combustion engine is the unchallenged option. But the industry is beginning to see batteries appear in products such as zero-turn riding mowers, he said.
Another factor is the ability of the end user — either commercial or DIY — to use the same battery source for multiple products and use cases. For example, allowing the user to swap the same battery back and forth from their trimmer to their blower.
“Manufactures are smart about that,” he said. “Their battery pack will run a wide range of equipment.”
See five products from DeWalt, Worx, Stihl, Greenworks and Yard Force below:
DeWalt 2x20V max brushless mower
The 2x20V Max brushless mower is optimized for use with DeWalt construction battery platforms. The batteries work simultaneously to deliver the power demanded by the user and provide flexibility to be used with other tools in the DeWalt 20V Max system, in which there are more than 100 compatible products.
Worx 24V cordless 14-inch mower with IntelliCut
The 3-in-1 mower allows the choice to mulch, rear-discharge or bag. IntelliCut technology delivers Power on Demand — cutting power automatically adjusts to tougher grass condition. It cuts up to 10,000 sq. ft. in a single charge.
Stihl RMA 510
The lithium-ion battery-powered mower comes with a commercial-grade 1100-watt brushless electric motor with Eco Mode, which automatically reduces power when mowing light grass. Powered by the Stihl Lightning battery system, it also includes an activation key to guard against accidental startup.
Greenworks 80V mower
The 80V 21-inch cordless brushless self-propelled lawn mower from Greenworks boasts a run time of up to 70 minutes with a fully charged 5Ah battery. It also promises a motor with a performance equivalence of a 160cc gas engine. The 3-in-1 mulch, rear bag and side-discharge offers flexibility for the user. Compatible with the Greenworks Pro 80V family of tools.
Yard Force 120V mower
Yard Force says it has become the world’s first garden tools manufacturer brand that has obtained a UL certificate. The mower has dual battery ports for extended run time and speed-adjustable, self-propelled drive. The Yard Force 120vRX series of yard tools are produced by SUMEC Hardware & Tools.
