Tips for Selecting Battery-Powered Equipment
Regulations and ethanol are pushing landscape contractors toward electric handheld equipment. Use these tips to select the right tool.
The past few years have seen a tidal wave of new battery-powered handheld equipment from seemingly every power equipment manufacturer. Rest assured what's happening in this space is no fad and will soon change the game for many landscape contractors.
Many cities, counties and neighborhood associations are implementing local noise ordinances regulating the hours of operation for noisy gasoline-powered equipment. This move is simply the latest expression of a consumer desire to see the green industry become greener.
Most of the U.S. electricity supply is still generated by burning coal or natural gas, so the debate about what's holistically cleaner is far from over. But for contractors the more troubling trend is the expansion of ethanol in gasoline which wreaks havoc on small engines and shows no signs of slowing down.
As a landscape contractor, if local regulations aren't pushing you toward battery-powered handheld equipment, then the wear and tear from ethanol may cause you to at least consider it. In addition to expanded hours when quieter battery-powered equipment may be operated, it also carries greatly reduced maintenance requirements compared to gas-powered units.
There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting battery-powered tools for your professional landscaping crews:
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