Whether you’re a homeowner or work in the commercial lawn and landscaping business, you’re likely familiar with gasoline-powered lawn equipment. Filling up the mower with gas or mixing up oil and gasoline for your trimmer is a normal part of working outdoors.
With last year’s news that “California could ban gas-powered generators and mowers by 2024,” there’s a very real chance our reliance on gasoline-powered equipment could change. Electric and battery-powered lawn equipment have been around for years, but in some locations those types of equipment might soon be the only available options.
If you prefer gasoline-powered equipment or you haven’t tried battery or electric equipment yet, bans like this are likely a worrisome idea. While such bans can be frustrating and will impact many homeowners and lawn care professionals, the good news is that there are great battery-powered options available. Gasoline equipment bans might not be ideal, but you’ll still be able to find and use high-quality lawn equipment if those types of bans happen in your area.
State and Local Bans
If you live in a place that isn’t considering a state-wide ban, individual cities may choose to ban gasoline equipment. Cities may also choose to place limits on engine emissions or ban certain types of lawn equipment. Gasoline-powered blowers are a prime target for this sort of ban.
Dallas, TX, for example, is one of the many cities considering a ban on gasoline-powered leaf blowers. Those wishing to ban these blowers claim, “Operating a gas-powered leaf blower for an hour emits as much pollution as an 1,100-mile road trip.” Cities seeking to ban gasoline blowers generally describe them as dirty and noisy.
We covered leaf blower bans in an article back in 2018 titled “Leaf Blower Bans: Do They Actually Solve Anything?” Modern gasoline-powered leaf blowers are much quieter, more energy efficient, and give off less emissions than leaf blowers commonly referenced when cities seek to ban blowers. However, there’s still a push to replace them with quieter battery-powered blowers that have no engine exhaust.
A Push for Electric
While it is possible to fight gasoline-powered equipment bans in your city, one of the big trends we said to keep an eye on in 2022 is an increasing shift from gas to battery power. More and more homeowners are making the switch to battery-power or asking their lawn care service to avoid gasoline equipment. This is part of a wider cultural shift toward seeking more environmentally friendly power sources.
Electric, battery-powered lawn equipment does have several advantages. Most electric motors operate more quietly than gasoline engines. Battery-powered equipment has no engine exhaust, which is healthier for the operator and good for the environment. Battery technology is also improving rapidly, and there’s battery-powered equipment available now that’s just as powerful as many gasoline models.
Generally, battery-powered equipment is also lighter weight than gasoline models. It’s also easier to store and transport since the equipment is often smaller than a comparable gasoline-powered piece of equipment. In addition, maintenance is much easier on battery-powered equipment since there’s no engine to maintain. The only maintenance you’ll really have to worry about is keeping the equipment clean and storing the batteries properly.
Homeowner vs. Commercial
Homeowners will often find the switch to battery-powered equipment a simple one. There are plenty of quality, battery-powered lawn equipment options available from reliable brands like STIHL and Echo. While battery power can be less powerful than gasoline, and less convenient to recharge/refuel, homeowners are unlikely to notice much of a difference unless they have a very large yard.
The cost to switch from gasoline to battery-powered lawn equipment is often the biggest hurdle. Some locations offer tax breaks, rebates, or other incentives for purchasing electric versions of equipment. You can also make the change gradually, opting for battery power when you need to replace old equipment but not replacing everything all at once.
For commercial applications, the change to battery can be more challenging than for homeowners. However, modern lithium-ion batteries offer the power needed for commercial equipment. When you purchase battery-powered commercial equipment from a brand like STIHL, you won’t be sacrificing power or performance compared to their gasoline models. Their backpack batteries also offer long run times for commercial equipment, but you’ll still need to carry backup batteries or find ways to recharge on the go.
Your Battery-Powered Options
Unless you’re in a location where bans are likely for all gasoline-powered equipment, many people will find that a blend of gasoline and battery-powered equipment is the best choice for now. You might, for example, replace your hand-held equipment but hold out on replacing your lawn mower. Or you could keep battery-powered multi-tools in your equipment fleet but still rely on gasoline-powered equipment for certain jobs. Ultimately, the choice is still up to you.
Here at Richardson Saw, we carry lithium-ion battery-powered equipment from Echo and STIHL. These trusted brands deliver the same quality in their battery-powered equipment that you’re used to from their gasoline-powered models. STIHL, for example, engineered their batteries to keep equipment running at full power through the battery’s entire charge rather than having diminished power as the battery started running down. Many of the batteries are also interchangeable so you can use them to power multiple types of equipment. Available STIHL battery-powered equipment includes trimmers, blowers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, and walk-behind mowers.
If you’re curious about your options for battery-powered equipment or want to purchase quality, reliable lithium-ion tools, come to Richardson Saw & Lawnmower. You can stop by our location, give us a call at 972-235-2086, or email sales@richardsonsaw.com if you’d like to talk with our equipment experts. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about battery-powered equipment and help you navigate the switch from gasoline to battery if you choose to go that route.
