# Which Brand of Battery Operated Equipment? Why?



## JohnVanek (Jul 22, 2021)

I'm ready to upgrade from entry-level blower and string trimmer!

What brand of equipment would you buy to maintain battery compatibility among the tools, e.g., Ego, Makita, Ryobi, Greenworks, etc? And what other tools in the line do you recommend?

Just a homeowner with 8,000 sf of lawn and looking for more power :lol:

Thanks in advance!


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## M1SF1T (Jun 1, 2021)

I like Makita gear.

I have their split shaft unit with edger, line trimmer, I put a PRS attachment on, and I have a pole saw... lots of power and easy to use as far as I'm concerned.

I have their mower and a couple blowers too and I like them.

I got their stuff because I like the Makita tools I have in my workshop, I think Makita had some of best impact drivers and other cordless tools. Nailers, grinders, router, sanders, drycut saw... I have a bunch of their gear. Great service from my local Makita depot too when I needed a part one time.

I'm not a fanboy, I have other types of gear too, but no complaints on my Makita at all.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I have Ego, but if I was doing it again today I would look hard at Stihl because I think they have a battery powerhead that works with their Kombi system attachments now.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Milwaukee seems to be gaining ground in their outdoor power equipment offerings too.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

5 years ago everything I had was yellow (DeWalt). I'm probably 50/50 Milwaukee and DeWalt now with ALL of my outdoor stuff being Milwaukee. I want to be invested in Stihl, but I can't justify their battery costs.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

I only own one battery powered tool. I don't think that it's the best that's out there. I only bought the Ryobi One+ mower because they appear to be committed to the platform. I can hope that, in five or ten years, I'll be able to get a new battery that will fit.


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## marysommers (Mar 17, 2021)

I have 3 Makita battery powered 18 volt. I just got the hedge trimmer and I am very impressed. I did lots of research on the Ego and found many forums discuss battery issues. I spoke to a rep at HD and they mentioned that is why Ego was dropped from their line of products….now they are sold in Lowe's and Ace.


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## david_ (Aug 22, 2019)

I've been really happy with my Ryobi 40v stuff.

So based on the above, you can't really go wrong.


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## PodScot (Mar 18, 2021)

Milwaukee or Ego. I have Milwaukee stuff.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

To me the EGO stuff seems like top tier along with Stihl. The only battery outdoor equipment I own is an EGO 650 CFM blower that I mainly use to dry the cars after washing and for small clean ups after mowing. Everything else I own is Stihl gas powered equipment which I love.


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## Bombsquad85 (Jul 26, 2021)

I have the Milwaukee blower and string trimmer and love both.


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## falconsfan (Mar 25, 2019)

Ego for me. They are solely focused on the yard segment and the batteries are damn good. That being said I love the Milwaukee line of tools in general. High quality stuff.


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## Bmossin (May 31, 2018)

I have Makita because I was already invested in Makita. I love their stuff. Have not been disappointed with anything other than their 18v inflator. Their outdoor equipment I have is great. Trimmer, blower, hedge trimmer...no complaints on any of it.
We have the self propelled mower at work, and I like that as well. Cut quality is good...only issue there is the rubber coming off one of the back drive wheels, and that is because the guy who runs it constantly rubs against the curbs.

I have the 60v Toro self propelled mower. I like that as well, but wish I would have just bought the Makita mower instead since I already have the batteries. I went with the Toro for the folding handle, which in reality was dumb because I only fold it up during the off season.

If you are already invested in a tool platform that can make the decision easier. Milwaukee is coming out with a battery mower now as well.

Keep in mind, Ego is part of Chervon, who also makes SKIL. Skil has a strong line of battery OPE as well. TTI is the parent of Milwaukee & Ryobi.


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## ADanto6840 (Apr 1, 2021)

Checking in, very happy with my Ryobi stuff -- both [and especially] their 18V stuff, but also their 40V stuff [mower, blower, chainsaw].


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

I just want to throw this out there, because I feel it's worth mentioning The 40V Kobalt stuff, actually doesn't suck.

I have their original (2014-2015) time frame 40V weed eater, blower and hedge trimmer. I kept begging for them to die so I could buy shiny new brushless motor Milwaukee ones with more power. All 3 still to this day work, wife loves the weed eater because it's lighter then the Milwaukee.

When I needed a tiny push mower to mow directly between the pool and the fence, guess who makes one? Kobalt. Guess what, it's still on that same 40V platform, and it doesn't suck (It's a rotary mower so it sucks well, but....). If the Milwaukee one was out or when it comes out I may get it just because I'm a tool snob. That said, I have 4 different Kobalt outdoor tools spanning multiple generations of development and I can't kill the dang things. I've "upgraded" the three old ones all to Milwaukee ones (again tool snob) but we still have them.

They're not sexy, but they work.


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## situman (Nov 3, 2020)

Anything Ego except for their mowers. It bogs down too darn much. I'm much happier with the Toro 60v. All other lwn tools are Ego.


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## Hoghead22 (Jul 1, 2021)

Does anybody on here have any of the Toro Flex Force 60v tools? Been researching it some and was curious if anybody has any of it and if so how do you like it?


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## stevehollx (Apr 8, 2020)

I chose greenworks since they have 80v systems for mowing, blowing, and trimming. That was 4 years ago though when there was less competition.


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## M1SF1T (Jun 1, 2021)

Bmossin said:


> I have Makita because I was already invested in Makita. I love their stuff. Have not been disappointed with anything other than their 18v inflator. Their outdoor equipment I have is great. Trimmer, blower, hedge trimmer...no complaints on any of it.
> We have the self propelled mower at work, and I like that as well. Cut quality is good...only issue there is the rubber coming off one of the back drive wheels, and that is because the guy who runs it constantly rubs against the curbs.
> 
> I have the 60v Toro self propelled mower. I like that as well, but wish I would have just bought the Makita mower instead since I already have the batteries. I went with the Toro for the folding handle, which in reality was dumb because I only fold it up during the off season.
> ...


I've been happy with my Makita XML03 18" mower, but I'm considering a 21" mower - I see there are 2 self propelled Makita 21s (and 1 non-self propelled) which one have you used?

Any more details you can offer on your time with it? Does it leave anything to be desired vs. your Toro?

Any insight is helpful as there aren't a lot of people with experience with these mowers.

I like the simplicity of an electric mower, but if I don't get a Makita battery mower again, I'll probably get a gas mower, I'm committed to the platform.


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## Retromower (Jan 28, 2021)

I was Ryobi for a long time but they just have an overall cheap feel about them. Ive since switched to Craftsman and feel like its quite a bit better. The auto feed head on my old Ryobi would always seem to either jam up or it would feed out line to the point of being wasteful. Ive now got a Ryobi V20 trimmer/edger that works great. Ive also got a Craftsman V20 blower that works great, although it chews though batteries fast.
Ego is certainly an option but the batteries are stupid expensive.
Another good one that no one seems to ever bring up is Toro. They make some pretty impressive battery tools now.


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## JohnVanek (Jul 22, 2021)

Thank you all for the input! I've listened and also been doing more research. I'm leaning (heavily) toward Milwaukee for the following:
Great reviews on their M18 blower and string trimmer; the options for hedge trimmer, etc. and, their sprayer (though expensive) has great reviews plus the option of using two tanks that won't cross contaminate. Uh, certainly not the least expensive set of lawn tools, but I think it will pay off in the long run.

Thanks again!


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## BurtMacklinFBI (Jul 17, 2021)

Bmossin said:


> I have Makita because I was already invested in Makita. I love their stuff. Have not been disappointed with anything other than their 18v inflator.


My father and myself are big fans of Makita as well. We've had countless other brands and nothing has held up as well as Makita. That said, im talking about power tools and not lawn equipment. Last year he wanted a battery compressor that he could easily use around the house and take to his vacation house without having to lug his pancake around. Almost pulled the trigger on the 18v inflator but passed because of the reviews. Sounds like I made the right decision :lol:


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## Bmossin (May 31, 2018)

@BurtMacklinFBI Yeah, I have had it for a year and only used it once or twice. At the same time I need to remind myself I will not get the same performance as an air compressor. Little things though, like having to hold the trigger down the whole time instead of it having a trigger lock also disappoint me.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Bmossin said:


> @BurtMacklinFBI Yeah, I have had it for a year and only used it once or twice. At the same time I need to remind myself I will not get the same performance as an air compressor. Little things though, like having to hold the trigger down the whole time instead of it having a trigger lock also disappoint me.


Zip ties often make up for engineering oversights and this is no exception. :lol:


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## Bmossin (May 31, 2018)

@MasterMech that is exactly what I do lol.


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## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

I am invested in the EGO line of outdoor power equipment. But I am in the market for battery garage tools, things like impacts and ratchets, and woodworking tools.

Milwaukee vs Makita
I tend to lean heavily towards anything that Obsessed Garage YouTube recommends, and he heavily pushes Milwaukee on his channel. BUT, the Makita track saw gets such good reviews that it makes me also consider the Makita line of tools. I can't really imagine getting the Makita tracksaw and Milwaukee impacts.


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## Ngilbe36 (Jul 23, 2020)

Deltahedge said:


> I am invested in the EGO line of outdoor power equipment. But I am in the market for battery garage tools, things like impacts and ratchets, and woodworking tools.
> 
> Milwaukee vs Makita
> I tend to lean heavily towards anything that Obsessed Garage YouTube recommends, and he heavily pushes Milwaukee on his channel. BUT, the Makita track saw gets such good reviews that it makes me also consider the Makita line of tools. I can't really imagine getting the Makita tracksaw and Milwaukee impacts.


I recall someone saying this a while back (maybe Ware?) but either way. Having multiple battery platforms is not a big a deal as I initially expected and feared. It really doesn't feel a whole lot different tbh. I was 100% Dewalt for a long while and now I have Milwaukee and EGO as well. I wouldn't let the battery platform steer you away from a superior product.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

Deltahedge said:


> I am invested in the EGO line of outdoor power equipment. But I am in the market for battery garage tools, things like impacts and ratchets, and woodworking tools.
> 
> Milwaukee vs Makita
> I tend to lean heavily towards anything that Obsessed Garage YouTube recommends, and he heavily pushes Milwaukee on his channel. BUT, the Makita track saw gets such good reviews that it makes me also consider the Makita line of tools. I can't really imagine getting the Makita tracksaw and Milwaukee impacts.


I have DwWalt and Milwaukee. Was really happy when Milwaukee started to put out good outdoor stuff as it kept me from having to invest in Stihl. For the tracksaw, I ended up just buying one of those removable tracksaw kits and using it on the Milwaukee Circ saw. I use my table saw 90% of the time where possible. If I flat out have to cut down a sheet outside of the shop, that's where the tracksaw comes into play.

Also fwiw, I don't think you can beat the Milwaukee Impacts and ratchets. I have all of them in both 12V and 20V. 12V stuff all lives in my truck for tournament trips and the 20V stuff lives in the shop.

EDIT: If I'm being lazy and don't feel like putting the track guide on the saw, I just butt the circ saw fence up against the clamped track and use a 1" offset, works perfect.


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## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

Ngilbe36 said:


> I recall someone saying this a while back (maybe Ware?) but either way. Having multiple battery platforms is not a big a deal as I initially expected and feared. It really doesn't feel a whole lot different tbh. I was 100% Dewalt for a long while and now I have Milwaukee and EGO as well. I wouldn't let the battery platform steer you away from a superior product.


That is good advice.
I'm just really not sure, between the two, which one is the superior product. I guess it's not a huge deal if I go with Milwaukee for impacts and ratchets and things like that and Makita for the tracksaw. I would probably only get the tracksaw out of storage once or twice a year anyway.


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## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

Amoo316 said:


> Also fwiw, I don't think you can beat the Milwaukee Impacts and ratchets. I have all of them in both 12V and 20V. 12V stuff all lives in my truck for tournament trips and the 20V stuff lives in the shop.


That's good to know. I'm yet to hear of someone with Milwaukee tools who doesn't like them.


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## crazyrunner33 (Jul 12, 2021)

I'm pretty confident that Milwaukee's new battery powered outdoor power equipment will be top notch(but expensive). The reason is because TTI(the owner of Milwaukee) has been using Ryobi for working out all the kinks on these newer outdoor products, most of which are designed in the Carolinas.

Some of the Ryobi outdoor products have been great, some of them have been hit or miss, and typically the fit and finish isn't as decent as Milwaukee. With that said, the Ryobi 18v Expand-it(brand name for using universal attachments) power head was a phenomenal tool. I think they eliminated in the 18v line(still avaliable in the 40v) in order to avoid competing against the new Milwaukee trimmer.

EGO is decent, it's made by TTI's rival, Chervon. Chervon also makes Kobalt tools, some of the older models are made by Greenworks. I'll note that Chervon has lately had quite a few complaints about customer support on various subreddits over the past few months, whereas Ryobi has had decent support(surprisingly). I haven't heard about the support for Milwaukee(even though it's TTI), but that's because I never hear of anyone having issues.

Dewalt is also getting into the outdoor power equipment game, I believe some of it is manufactured in their Charlotte plant. Their 20v trimmers do not appear to have universal attachments, but I've heard good things about their blowers. Craftsman is also made by Dewalt's parent company, some of which are also made in Charlotte(likely because it's where Lowe's is HQd).


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

crazyrunner33 said:


> I'm pretty confident that Milwaukee's new battery powered outdoor power equipment will be top notch(but expensive). The reason is because TTI(the owner of Milwaukee) has been using Ryobi for working out all the kinks on these newer outdoor products, most of which are designed in the Carolinas.
> 
> Some of the Ryobi outdoor products have been great, some of them have been hit or miss, and typically the fit and finish isn't as decent as Milwaukee. With that said, the Ryobi 18v Expand-it(brand name for using universal attachments) power head was a phenomenal tool. I think they eliminated in the 18v line(still avaliable in the 40v) in order to avoid competing against the new Milwaukee trimmer.
> 
> ...


It helps that most of the battery companies are paying TTI royalties for their LI technology.

I'm really unsure of what Stanley (Dewalt/Craftsman...etc) are doing right now. It seemed for a while they were content with DeWalt being their flagship "shop/contractor tool line and were busy trying to turn Craftsman back into an "everything brand" consumers would trust because of the name. Then DeWalt turns around and drops a ZT and everybody was like ????. I thought for sure it would be red instead of yellow if they went that direction.

I stopped buying yellow tools when fexvolt first released as Stanley's 3rd battery platform in a 10 year time frame. They've gotten smart and fixed that issue quick. TTI/Milwaukee has stuck with the same platform instead of playing the same games Stanley was playing with attempting to get users to replace all their tools again. That's part of the reason everything new I have bought in the last 5 years has been red. Doesn't hurt that you can walk into a mechanical shop anywhere in the country and you're seeing more and more Milwaukee impacts mixed in with "Off the Truck" brands.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Battery platforms are making my head spin. Especially Makita, a brand of which I am a fan.

Makita -

XGT (40V)
LXT (18V)
CXT (12V)

Many of the CXT tools have sub-compact LXT 18V versions that are no bulkier/heavier than the 12V CXT version. So why on earth does the 12V CXT line exist? Then on the XGT side, there are LXT x2 tools that are more powerful than the equivalent XGT tool. :bd:

Multiple battery platforms in your tool collection is not the end of the world. I have a few truck-brand tools from back in my wrenching days. They were far and above better performing than any of the contractor brands at the time. But, I have two batteries for the screwdriver, two for the impact, two for the drill, one for a grinder, and cases/chargers to go with all. I can handle 2 specific populations of batteries, say one for OPE and one for other power tools. But more than that just leaves too much fragmentation and you end up having a bunch of money in batteries that don't get cycled, age prematurely, not to mention you could end up with more chargers than available receptacles in the workshop/garage. :lol:


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

MasterMech said:


> Battery platforms are making my head spin. Especially Makita, a brand of which I am a fan.
> 
> Makita -
> 
> ...


Again, this was the main reason I wrote off yellow tools and have been replacing them with red tools. Milwaukee has 2 battery platforms, 12V and 20V (Yes technically they have 3 with things like their jack hammer, but come on, it's a damn jackhammer). When Flexvot first came came out, DeWalt designed this really cool portable table saw that was flexvolt only. Not compatable with any old DeWalt batteries. You had to have a flexvolt battery. (Yes I'm still mad, I had almost every single yellow battery tool that existed)

Milwaukee came out with a new portable table say a few months later and kept it on the 20V platform. It was this very moment that I decided instead of having to now add "flexvolt" batteries to my lineup, I would instead start buying red tools instead of yellow ones.

Dewalt/Milwauklee/Makita, they all play on that upper end of home/contractor tools. I can pick one tool from each in different segments that is better then the others. At the end of the day, i got mad at Stanley for trying to take me to the cleaners with a "new platform" and decided the only new flexvot battery I needed was red. Haven't regretted the decision since.

Also fwiw, as time goes on I find I use my 12V tools more than my 20V stuff as they are lighter/more convenient for quick jobs. Obviously not the sustained run time and power as my 20V selection, but how often am I driving screws for 6 hours at a time?


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## ColeLawn (Nov 11, 2020)

I use Milwaukee for house/DIY tools and Toro for outdoor, non-gas powered equipment. No complains with Milwaukee, but my Toro 60V rapid charger has crapped the bed (maybe it's the battery, haven't made it into to a dealer yet to find out) after 2 months. I'm not giving up on Toro yet, and not giving up on battery yet, but I'm glad my mower (John Deere) and trimmer (Husqvarna) are gas powered...


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## MrT (Jul 30, 2021)

Went with toro (blower and trimmer) mainly because I wanted to pair with an electric rotary mower for when the grass gets long and I quite fancied the mower as it had a standard blade like the gas model and is supposed to cut well. Been plenty of delays with the mower so I haven't got that yet, Perfectly happy with the tools so far.


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## Johnl445 (Feb 11, 2020)

I don't want to disrupt the chat, but I thought this Swedish company Birchmeier deserves an honorable mention, they make very high-quality backpack sprayers and their battery platform is on the metabo/hitachi.

https://www.birchmeier.us/en/content/products/rec-15-ac1/index.php


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## A3M0N (Mar 17, 2021)

I've been using a 20in Kobalt 40v max mower for just about 2 years and am very happy with it. I used it on a 5K sqft St Augustine yard in TX, and used it for half this season on 0.5 acres of Bermuda/Zoyzia/weeds here in TN. After seeing how well the mower served me I picked up a 40v max blower, string trimmer, and backpack sprayer. The trimmer is attachment capable and its run a TrimmersPlus tiller/cultivator and a Hart blade edger very well.

I got them because the price was right for my budget, and continue with them because the work well. I recently got a riding mower for the front yard, but still push the Kobalt in the backyard.


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## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

Milwaukee confirmed last week that they will have a 21" M18 FUEL lawn mower available in 2022.


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## Bmossin (May 31, 2018)

Deltahedge said:


> Milwaukee confirmed last week that they will have a 21" M18 FUEL lawn mower available in 2022.


Will not be initially offered as a bare tool but only as a kit. 2 12ah batteries in the kit. They do not want to launch it bare, and have a poor customer experience by someone using too small of batteries.


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## kydegan (Jun 12, 2019)

Bombsquad85 said:


> I have the Milwaukee blower and string trimmer and love both.


I have the same after using Stihl gas equipment forever. The Milwaukee has been great and I cannot see myself returning to GPE ever.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Bmossin said:


> Deltahedge said:
> 
> 
> > Milwaukee confirmed last week that they will have a 21" M18 FUEL lawn mower available in 2022.
> ...


Wonder if they are using the 12Ah batteries in serial to power a 36V tool or if it's actually 18V. An 18V mower has to be drawing some serious amperage.


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## Bmossin (May 31, 2018)

@MasterMech that is a good question...I am not sure. I would think in serial like you mention.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Bmossin said:


> @MasterMech that is a good question...I am not sure. I would think in serial like you mention.


Milwaukee has historically been stubborn about moving to 36/40V platforms. M28 is currently drifting with no marketing and no new products on the horizon. Dewalt did it with FlexVolt (60V actually), Makita did it with XGT. Makita has been using LXTx2 for most of it's OPE and only recently made the OPE move to XGT.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

I would assume that is exactly what they are doing. The M28 line was only introduced for really large industrial stuff. Their stated plan was not to "flexvolt" us like DeWalt did. They want every average homeowner/contractor tool to be 12v or 20V.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Amoo316 said:


> I would assume that is exactly what they are doing. The M28 line was only introduced for really large industrial stuff. Their stated plan was not to "flexvolt" us like DeWalt did. They want every average homeowner/contractor tool to be 12v or 20V.


I think you're thinking of the MX Fuel line for the industrial tools. That's a 72v/80v platform. M28 tools consist of your ubiquitous recip saws, drills, circ saws, impact drivers, etc. The problem is for OPE - M18 is going to be constrained by it's voltage. And while I agree that voltage is not the end-all-be-all, it sure does help solve some of the engineering challenges for constant-run tools. A drill, impact, even a circ saw, runs for seconds and rests for minutes typically. I sure don't run my mower or even my trimmer that way. We could argue quite convincingly that the average homeowner would readily adopt 36V+ cordless platforms (Ego, Greenworks, Kobalt, etc.) due to the demand for battery OPE and the size of the average North American lawn. We have decent walk-behinds on the market already, and y'all are still clamoring for more.

Dewalt can now engineer high-demand tools that utilize 120V (which means in theory you could power corded tools, of any brand, with universal electric motors with just an adapter) or 60V while maintaining backwards compatibility with 20V and only sell one battery line. Is that not what the market wanted? To be able to upgrade at will, but not render legacy tools obsolete/useless? One battery pack powers all tools from a table saw down to a 20V Atomic impact driver. You also are looking at 120V power, without the 15A ceiling/headache here in NA, and/or the option to run corded or cordless. I don't get the hate on Dewalt and the FlexVolt platform. They introduced an adapter for 20V Max to power the old 18V XRP tools. FlexVolt can power most, if not all of the 20V Max tools. I don't remember near this amount of bellyaching when they went from 9.6V to 12V to 14.4V in the span of a few years. Maybe that has more to do with the rise of internet forums and social media. :nod: Oh yeah, we were running drills and screwdrivers on cordless back in those days.... Then 18V came out and we started seeing significantly more tools running on batteries.

I think a hard lesson (for the contractor tool OEMs) that's been interesting to watch how it plays out has been that you simply can't slap your battery and motor in a mower/trimmer/blower/chainsaw and have a competitive product. You're up against companies with decades of experience in OPE and on pretty much equal footing for available chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering/technology. But the market is YUGE apparently with room for dozens of suppliers despite fewer folks doing their own property maintenance today (especially outside) than ever before. We're seeing MORE brands enter the market, both for OPE and Contractor/DIY tools and very few dropouts, even from the entry-level brands sold at Harbor Freight, Wal-mart, etc. With all of the brands EXCEPT Milwaukee pursuing 36V+ platforms I just don't see them remaining competitive in OPE without a major change, and soon. (ie. a new 40V or 60V battery platform that falls in between M18 and MX Fuel) Even their sister brand, Ryobi, is 40V for mowers.  The major reason we did not see battery OPE take off, despite it having been around since the 1990's, is that even reasonably well-developed 18V platforms could not deliver the run time. The very first truly usable battery OPE lines were, 36v, with 18v technology catching up years later and most 18V solutions being relegated to entry-level tools. Sticking with 18V battery packs and tool design, especially at a Milwaukee price point, is a no-go for OPE. Just my opinion.

I'll get back to setting valve lash on my 4-Mix's now. :bd:


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## jedross86 (Apr 27, 2021)

M1SF1T said:


> Bmossin said:
> 
> 
> > I have Makita because I was already invested in Makita. I love their stuff. Have not been disappointed with anything other than their 18v inflator. Their outdoor equipment I have is great. Trimmer, blower, hedge trimmer...no complaints on any of it.
> ...


I have the second gen 21" self propelled Makita. Cut quality is good and it's well built (believe they made some improvements on the build quality between gen 1 & 2 - recall hearing about this on a youtube video). Also have a blower, chainsaw, trimmer, and drill. No issues with any of the items. The drill is 10 years old and still works great.

I do my lawn and usually have a little under half the battery life remaining when mowing.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

jedross86 said:


> .....
> 
> I do my lawn and usually have a little under half the battery life remaining when mowing.


What battery packs? - That seems pretty good for a 10k sq ft lawn.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

@MasterMech you're correct my mistake, I was thinking of their MX Fuel line. In regards to the bellyaching over the Flexvolt system, it literally comes down to not being there on launch. I'm of the opinion, the only reason they added it was because of how pissed off the contractor community was at the time. Again, just my opinion.

I would also strongly disagree that the incumbent manufacturers have an advantage over some of these other brands. Milwaukee basically owns the battery tech for LI most companies are using. Yes you have some die hard "truck only" guys that will overpay for an inferior truck battery impact and claim "quality", but when they're getting out performed and out lasted by the Milwaukee, they're starting to change their minds.

Makita is kind of the wildcard here as they are not using Milwaukee's battery configuration and are making their own inroads in different markets.

I can talk about the Stihl battery platform some as I've looked at it extensively. Do they have an advantage over a company like Milwaukee because of decades of building chainsaws and trimmers...etc. Possibly, but we're talking about basic 2 cycle engine machines that have been around for a LONG time now. All of the baked in advantages like carb jet sizes or motor tweaks....etc go out the window and you're left with the bare tool and the electronics. I said previously I'd like to get into Stihl battery stuff, but their cost (and runtime) is simply not justifiable compared to what I already have. I think the Stihl chainsaw balances a little better than the Milwaukee and cuts a little better than the Milwaukee. They would be different enough that if I was using it everyday I would consider it. That said Milwaukee has a reputation of putting out a 1st generation of tools into these different pro segments and being very fast to release a Gen 2. Makita seems to be a little better about putting out a better tool up front, but being overtaken by Milwaukee's quick improvement. So is Stihl's current chainsaw better then Milwaukee's? I would say so. Will that be the case when Milwaukee releases Cahinsaw Gen 2? I'm not as confident.


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## jedross86 (Apr 27, 2021)

MasterMech said:


> jedross86 said:
> 
> 
> > .....
> ...


5 amp batteries x4. I should have noted that I don't use the self propelled feature all the time. I don't really use it in the front and only use it in the back when I'm going uphill. I think one day I was being real lazy and used it most of the time, and still had a decent amount of juice left. The transition between the first pair of batteries and the second is manual. Some people complained about this when reviewing the mower, but it takes a second to switch and it also forces you to recognize when you're half way through your batteries - so I actually like it.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Amoo316 said:


> @MasterMech you're correct my mistake, I was thinking of their MX Fuel line. In regards to the bellyaching over the Flexvolt system, it literally comes down to not being there on launch. I'm of the opinion, the only reason they added it was because of how pissed off the contractor community was at the time. Again, just my opinion.
> 
> I would also strongly disagree that the incumbent manufacturers have an advantage over some of these other brands. Milwaukee basically owns the battery tech for LI most companies are using. Yes you have some die hard "truck only" guys that will overpay for an inferior truck battery impact and claim "quality", but when they're getting out performed and out lasted by the Milwaukee, they're starting to change their minds.
> 
> ...


Boy if only I was heating my house with wood still... (I was near 100% wood when I was in NY) Battery has a LONG ways to go to replace gas chainsaws in anything other than a carpentry or small job clean-up capacity. I'm quite confident my MS261C will embarrass anything battery powered for years to come. And even in hot-rod form, it costs less than some of Stihl's battery saws. There is a LOT more that goes into a good saw than the engine.

Remember the old Homelite circular saws? THERE was your first cordless circ saw. :lol: (1960's technology)






Stihl's advantage is, and always has been, in the variety and quality of the available KM attachments, which is the line that the majority of us lawn guys find the most useful. This is what has kept me from dumping everything gas other than my Jacobsens and going EGo. The introduction of a KM powerhead with an on-board battery helped keep me interested too. 
There are better products (than Stihl battery) out there in just about every other category that would concern a homeowner. Other than pro hedge trimmers. Their gearbox and blades are still head and shoulders above anything I've seen that's battery powered. The price reflects that too. Stihl's best battery available right now, without going to a backpack, is 281Wh. (AP300S), which is still better than a 5.0aH x 40v or Milwaukee's 12aH x 18v, and on-par with an EGo 5.0aH x 56V. All of the manufacturers that also make gas tools hold an advantage of being able to buy a gas-powered powerhead that works with any existing attachments you might own. That includes Makita, as they inherited Dolmar's no-mix four-strokes and their excellent two-strokes when they acquired Dolmar years ago.

EGo also has impressed me as well, as a relative newcomer, with their ability to put out good quality tools. The trimmers are good, the saw is good, the blowers are fantastic. But the batteries are decidedly OPE specific (large form factor) and with parent company Chervon putting the FLEX 24V (why 24V?) line out in Lowes, it's not likely we'll see EGo branded tools for DIY/Construction any time soon.

I've come to terms that I won't have one battery platform for all tools and be 100% happy. Someone will always have a better mower. A better blower (come ON Stihl!). Or offer an irresistibly low cost of entry. (Def NOT Stihl :bd I can accept one line for OPE, and one for my DIY/mechanicing stuff. I start to balk when we talk about three lines. Which is why I'm hesitant to add to my current Dewalt 20V Max line as they don't offer as much for a mechanic as Milwaukee and Makita.

If we were narrowing to focus on OPE - I'd have to say EGo probably offers the most value at the moment if seeking maximum power and run times. But if you were looking to have one battery type to run everything from your coffee maker to your lawn mower.... well, there's only one platform doing that currently - Makita LXT.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

I do find it fascinating that Ego basically started out as a joke of a brand and has positioned themselves as a legit option in today's market. If there's 1 thing I've learned since I've been on this forum it's that lawn enthusiasts take EGo seriously now.

Also I agree with you, not giving up my gas chainsaw. Bought father in law the Milwaukee one as shoulder injuries from military service have progressed to the point he couldn't pull the cord anymore. He does small limb jobs, basically anything under 3 or 4". If something big falls (21 mature pecan trees on 2 acres, they drop limbs like rain) he calls me and I come gas them up for him.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

jedross86 said:


> MasterMech said:
> 
> 
> > jedross86 said:
> ...


That's 400wH of power on-board. :thumbup: Pretty dang good, especially for tool-brand batteries.

I would like to see if they put out that unit on the new XGT platform for 2022. Two banks of 5.0aH 40V batteries, 800Wh, and they could tie the banks together and take advantage of 80V although that would mean updating the motors and control circuitry too.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Amoo316 said:


> I do find it fascinating that Ego basically started out as a joke of a brand and has positioned themselves as a legit option in today's market. If there's 1 thing I've learned since I've been on this forum it's that lawn enthusiasts take EGo seriously now.
> 
> Also I agree with you, not giving up my gas chainsaw. Bought father in law the Milwaukee one as shoulder injuries from military service have progressed to the point he couldn't pull the cord anymore. He does small limb jobs, basically anything under 3 or 4". If something big falls (21 mature pecan trees on 2 acres, they drop limbs like rain) he calls me and I come gas them up for him.


Sometimes I miss the firewood work. Then I go outside and remember that it was cold out (usually) when I was doing that. :lol:


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

MasterMech said:


> Sometimes I miss the firewood work. Then I go outside and remember that it was cold out (usually) when I was doing that. :lol:


Well the benefit is that I always have Pecan and nothing but Pecan on the wood rack by the firepit and some dried out under the smoker :thumbup: :lol:


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## lacrossekite (Aug 10, 2020)

Any thoughts/experience with Toro Flexforce?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

lacrossekite said:


> Any thoughts/experience with Toro Flexforce?


From the outside in - looks like a great system that is still growing and developing. The specs on the blower are beastly. I would like to hear more from actual users though.

Good 60V battery platform. Big aH batteries up there with the likes of Greenworks and EGo.
Tools seem like they are powerful. Front motors on all of the trimmer/edger/polesaw tools boosts efficiency, helps with weight balance.
Mowers are based on proven designs. Using the same batteries with the mowers and the other tools is a big strength.
Snowblowers - same. The only 2-stage snowblower to take on battery power?

No attachments - everything is a dedicated tool. (Storage space?)
Currently a limited selection of tools. We just got a stick edger and pole saw, No powersweep, no bed redefiners, no pole hedgetrimmers, etc. So far, this line is aimed squarely at homeowners so no tools that pros commonly use. If you think you might ever want something that's not on the list, you are stuck reinvesting into another platform. And don't worry, the tool you wanted will be released as soon as you commit to another platform! :bd: 
For us reel low guys, there is no tool that can be used with the Power Rotary Scissors.


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## NWS (May 26, 2021)

I am all Ego for tools. Blower 650cfm, Carbon fiber trimmer, powerhead with edger and hedge, and the dedicated hedge trimmer. Every tool has performed extremely well so far.

For mower I went with the Toro 60v platform for the cast aluminum server recycler deck. It also has a 2000W motor where the highest power Ego is only 1200W.


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## littleego (Jul 31, 2021)

My EGO mower is 3 years old. Still running strong. I have their trimmer, blower and edger. All works great to this day. Batter still running strong. Haven't noticed any battery degradation.

I thought about upgrading to the select cut but there is no need. Maybe when sales occur during the spring I will get a hold of the select cut. Can't seem to find any used one either.

As for the mower, it was struggling to cut my Bermuda that I was cutting too high. I tried to cut it at the #2 setting and it bogged down a few times but was able to eventually mow the entire lawn.

As for upkeeping the lawn at #2, the EGO now has no issues with maintaining it at that height after the initial scalping.


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## TerryTurf (Aug 14, 2021)

I currently use a EGO trimmer and mower. I believe EGO to be a great brand of tools with some dependance on application. Their trimmer is nicely balanced (I've found a lot of battery trimmers are bottom heavy) and more than powerful enough to handle anything.
I do like their mower for its maneuverability and general build. However after lowering my HOC (this year) to around 1.75", it bogs down and leaves frayed tips no matter how sharp the blade is. Prior to this year I had my HOC at 2.5" and I had no issues. I'm sure if you were to cut less frequently than 2x a week you may have more issues with bogging down. 
Their battery is quick to charge ~40mins from dead to full and I'm just starting to see some drop-off in battery performance after 4 years. The newer EGO has a smaller battery and I'd be curious to know how that affects the balance of the trimmer.
I have not had any dealings with customer service so I can't speak to that side of things.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Nearly all of the battery mowers I've come across run a slower spindle speed than gas mowers. Blade tip speed is a big deal with rotary mowers.


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## psbrown (6 mo ago)

M1SF1T said:


> I like Makita gear.
> 
> I have their split shaft unit with edger, line trimmer, I put a PRS attachment on, and I have a pole saw... lots of power and easy to use as far as I'm concerned.
> 
> ...


I have a Makita XUX01Z, couple shaft unit, I am trying to attach an Idech PRS. It appears the couple shaft has a 7 point 7mm female as does the adaptor for the PRS. How do you attach the two? Looks like a male 7 point spline to male 7 point spline would do it. Any suggestions?


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## vancwa (Oct 28, 2021)

situman said:


> Anything Ego except for their mowers.


Agree with this, but I'd look at the new Milwaukee battery mower. Looks awesome.


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## Bmossin (May 31, 2018)

psbrown said:


> M1SF1T said:
> 
> 
> > I like Makita gear.
> ...


Do you have all the original pieces from the rotary scissors? I don't remember exactly how the two come together but I have the same set up and I know it works.


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## M1SF1T (Jun 1, 2021)

psbrown said:


> M1SF1T said:
> 
> 
> > I like Makita gear.
> ...


Hi,

That's the same split shaft unit I have.

I can't remember how it all went together exactly, but I remember it was easy... there were a bunch of adaptors in the Idech box for various brands and one fit the Makita straight forward and it all went together without any problems. Took maybe 10 minutes and I was in business, I just followed the instructions.


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## M1SF1T (Jun 1, 2021)

OK...

Not sure yours is the same, but here's the box and accessories it came with.

Looks like I used the 6-10 adaptor...


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## tommydearest (9 mo ago)

I went with the Ego stick edger and blower. I may end up with the string trimmer attachment. I have no complaints about the edger and blower.


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