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Outdoor power tool system recommendation

SheldonJoe2215

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2015
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Seattle, WA
I have a mishmash of outdoor power tool brands/batteries and I would like to start moving to a single battery operated system. I am currently looking at Milwaukee M18, Dewalt Flexvolt 60v, and Toro Flex-Force 60v. To provide some context around expected usage, my home is on 1/4 an acre and I don't have anything too special going on (standard trees, shrubs, flowers...). To start, I will probably purchase a trimmer, blower, edger, & pole saw.

Do any of these systems stand out for value, quality, etc?
 
I purchased a Snapper mower, leaf blower, string trimmer and a tiller attachment. It is an 82 volt system. The batteries available are 2 amp, 4 amp or 5 amp. Right now, I have three 2 amp batteries. They are Briggs and Stratton. I have never had a problem with not having enough juice. My yard is around 1/4 acre.
I have been well pleased with this family of tools. It’s great to be without the hassles of getting and storing gas. I used to have some stuff that was 2 cycle and some that was regular gas. I still have a gas snowblower, but that’s it.
 
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The problem I've had with the battery powered stuff is that the tools outlast the batteries. That's OK right up until something better comes along and the batteries eventually go obsolete and you can't get them anymore. Or you can get them on Ebay for double the cost.

For trimmer and blower I've gone corded. Is the cord a hassle? Absolutely. But the tools are way cheaper and I don't have to worry about how many batteries I have or replacement when they won't hold a charge anymore

Gas mower. Living in hurricane country I always have it on hand anyway, so even with an electric mower I'd still have gas around.
 
I have a mishmash of outdoor power tool brands/batteries and I would like to start moving to a single battery operated system. I am currently looking at Milwaukee M18, Dewalt Flexvolt 60v, and Toro Flex-Force 60v. To provide some context around expected usage, my home is on 1/4 an acre and I don't have anything too special going on (standard trees, shrubs, flowers...). To start, I will probably purchase a trimmer, blower, edger, & pole saw.

Do any of these systems stand out for value, quality, etc?
No. They're all pretty much the same. I've been through all the brands at work. One thing I did a few years ago was upsized the batteries to 3 amp. The batteries last longer and don't need to be charged as much which is a huge deal as the charging is what ultimately kills the battery. Grainger has tools with 3 amp batteries but you can probably find them cheaper elsewhere.
 
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The problem I've had with the battery powered stuff is that the tools outlast the batteries. That's OK right up until something better comes along and the batteries eventually go obsolete and you can't get them anymore. Or you can get them on Ebay for double the cost.

For trimmer and blower I've gone corded. Is the cord a hassle? Absolutely. But the tools are way cheaper and I don't have to worry about how many batteries I have or replacement when they won't hold a charge anymore

Gas mower. Living in hurricane country I always have it on hand anyway, so even with an electric mower I'd still have gas around.
Truth.
 
I have a mishmash of outdoor power tool brands/batteries and I would like to start moving to a single battery operated system. I am currently looking at Milwaukee M18, Dewalt Flexvolt 60v, and Toro Flex-Force 60v. To provide some context around expected usage, my home is on 1/4 an acre and I don't have anything too special going on (standard trees, shrubs, flowers...). To start, I will probably purchase a trimmer, blower, edger, & pole saw.

Do any of these systems stand out for value, quality, etc?

I have been pleased with the Worx line. I have the trimmer/edger, blower, hedge trimmer, drill. All use the same batteries.
My neighbor has a similar lineup from E-GO and he likes them as well.

On the Worx line, I've used my father's power washer which works remarkably well. It's nice to not have to worry about electric when spraying water and nice that for jobs away from a water source, you can use a bucket or even screw on a 2 liter bottle. He also has the snow blower which, based on early experience I wouldn't recommend.
 
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I have a mishmash of outdoor power tool brands/batteries and I would like to start moving to a single battery operated system. I am currently looking at Milwaukee M18, Dewalt Flexvolt 60v, and Toro Flex-Force 60v. To provide some context around expected usage, my home is on 1/4 an acre and I don't have anything too special going on (standard trees, shrubs, flowers...). To start, I will probably purchase a trimmer, blower, edger, & pole saw.

Do any of these systems stand out for value, quality, etc?
I have a Milwaukee M18 chain saw and hedge trimmer. High quality stuff and has worked flawlessly so far. I highly recommend them.
 
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I bought a high-end Ego mower last season and couldn't be happier. Four neighbors bought them as well. this season I bought a trimmer and a blower. The battery for the mower is larger than the trimmer and blower but I've been very happy with all three. The trimmer, if anything, is overpowered. The mower, if you read the reviews, is the best chordless on the market. I now have three chargers bolted to my garage wall. I do four lawns now. I do two at a time. I then get home and put the batteries in their chargers and go on. One lawn is a short drive so I put the mower into the back of my van without concern of oil or gas leaks. I also store the mower on its end to take up less room.

I recommend Ego fully.

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I bought a high-end Ego mower last season and couldn't be happier. Four neighbors bought them as well. this season I bought a trimmer and a blower. The battery for the mower is larger than the trimmer and blower but I've been very happy with all three. The trimmer, if anything, is overpowered. The mower, if you read the reviews, is the best chordless on the market. I now have three chargers bolted to my garage wall. I do four lawns now. I do two at a time. I then get home and put the batteries in their chargers and go on. One lawn is a short drive so I put the mower into the back of my van without concern of oil or gas leaks. I also store the mower on its end to take up less room.

I recommend Ego fully.

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Do you have the Power+ mower? I read reviews where that's a much better mulcher version the older version.
 
Do you have the Power+ mower? I read reviews where that's a much better mulcher version the older version.
I am not sure the name but it was the top model. I came with a dual blade system to mulch. It also has another blade that lifts (for leaves or whatever) but isn't as good as a mulcher. It has self propelled but I keep that off. The mower is so light is isn't needed.
 
The problem I've had with the battery powered stuff is that the tools outlast the batteries. That's OK right up until something better comes along and the batteries eventually go obsolete and you can't get them anymore. Or you can get them on Ebay for double the cost.

For trimmer and blower I've gone corded. Is the cord a hassle? Absolutely. But the tools are way cheaper and I don't have to worry about how many batteries I have or replacement when they won't hold a charge anymore

Gas mower. Living in hurricane country I always have it on hand anyway, so even with an electric mower I'd still have gas arou
I'm going along with 87 on this , i threw out more battery tools because the replacement battery out-priced the original tool.
I knew someone who had garden tools plugged in and lost them to a nearby lightning strike - surge.

I use a Craftsman 2 cycle combo blower- wacker , remove that for edger, pole saw, and hedge trimmer attachments.
 
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