Battery-Powered Lawn and Garden Tools Are Part Of An Evolution

The effort to make landscape maintenance easier and more efficient has a long history. Green spaces were originally maintained by grazing animals and with scythes and shears. Wielding a scythe takes a considerable amount of skill and produces uneven results.

In 1830 Englishman Edwin Beard Budding (1796-1846) invented the hand lawn mower. It was first patented in England. An engineer by profession, Budding got the idea after watching a cutting cylinder (a bladed reel) trim cloth. His invention was a triumph of gear technology. For many, lawns were and remain a symbol of status and their nearness to a uniform texture is critical. By the late 19^th century, urban and suburban landscapes featured lawns, and the need for their efficient maintenance created a market for innovation. For large areas, horse-drawn models of Budding’s invention were developed. In the 20^th century, gas-powered mowers became dominant, and in the latter part of the century, electricity was introduced, first through cords and then batteries. Today all variants – generally minus the horses – manicure the American landscape.

The effort’s most recent innovation is the development of the lithium-ion battery. Electricity is not new to garden tools, but until the advent of the lithium-ion battery (with some early exceptions), current was supplied by a cord. In some applications, a corded tool remains a good solution, but if the area to be maintained is large or complex — characterized by numerous twists and turns — a corded tool can quickly become bothersome. Well-designed tools powered by good old human muscle should not be underestimated either. However, they may not be appropriate under time constraints nor friendly to aging muscles.

Today there are models of battery-powered yard and lawn tools that are wholly comparable to or even superior to gasoline-powered tools. Differences in the performance of tasks or aspects of performance are noted in the articles referenced below.  Consumer Reports reviewers suggest that “cutting evenness” suffers slightly with electric mowers but handling is better. For leaf blowers, Consumer Reports  ranks the best electric models equal to the best gas-powered models, actually giving electrics the edge.  And it gives a slight advantage to battery-powered string trimmers and advises that it is easy to find an electric model that matches or is comparable to gas models. Should you switch, if you haven’t already?  Among countless others, the editors of Consumer Reports think you should seriously consider it! See Consumer Reports’ excellent  Should You Switch to Electric Lawn Equipment?  (June 8, 2024).

Now for the reasons for switching — they are not restricted to convenience!

Overall, what’s the problem with gas-powered tools? It’s their emission of particulates, climate pollution (greenhouse gases), ozone-forming pollution (ground-level ozone damages plants and especially impacts children), and noise. Cancers, heart disease, and hearing loss have been linked to their emissions and noise.  Environment America, U.S. PIRG Education Fund (Public Interest Group) and Frontier Group sponsored the carefully documented 2023 report — Lawn Care Goes Electric — which aggregates a wealth of statistics. The full 45-page report is available as a PDF.  Some highlights from its executive summary follow. I include them — quoted verbatim — to encourage you to read the report.

• “The inefficient engines in gas-powered lawn equipment can emit as much pollution in an hour as driving hundreds of miles in a typical car, and their pollution is released right in the middle of our neighborhoods, where people live and breathe.”
• “In the United States, lawn and garden equipment powered by gasoline and other fossil fuels released more than 30 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in 2020 — more than all the greenhouse gas emissions from the city of Los Angeles.”
• “Operating a commercial lawn mower for just one hour produces as much smog-forming pollution as driving 300 miles in a car.  Using a commercial leaf blower is even more polluting, emitting as much smog-forming pollution as driving 1,100 miles in a car.”
• “In 2020, lawn and garden equipment in the U.S. emitted more than 21,800 tons of fine particulates  — an equivalent amount to the pollution from 234 million typical cars.”

Earlier, in 2015, Jamie L. Banks and Robert McConnell published a paper entitled National Emissions from Lawn and Garden Equipment.  As of 2015, Banks was the founder and president of Quiet Communities and McConnell was an environmental engineer employed by the Environmental Protection Agency.  Their conclusion and recommendation (p. 13): “GLGE [gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment] is an important source of toxic and carcinogenic exhaust and fine particulate matter. . . Medical and scientific organizations should increase public awareness of GLGE and GLME [commercial landscape maintenance equipment] and identify GLGE as an important local source of dangerous air pollutants.”

The worst gas offenders are two stroke engines. Four stroke alternatives are more fuel-efficient but even they lack the emission controls present in cars. Two-stroke engines predominate, however, because they are lighter, more powerful for their size, and less expensive. Chainsaws, usually powered by two-stroke engines, produce a prodigious quantity of fine particulate emissions.   Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health advises that fine particulate pollution (“PM2.5”) “is made up of tiny particles that are 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair. These particles can penetrate deep into the lungs. In addition to being linked to early death, PM2.5 exposure has also been shown to lead to worsened asthma, heart attacks, stroke, and other diseases.” In fact, Lawn Care Goes Electric (p. 14) credits chainsaws with about a third of all fine particulate emissions across the lawn and garden equipment sector.

Commercial lawn and garden equipment is by far the dominant contributor to harmful emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Emissions Inventory (NEI) — used in Lawn Care Goes Electric (page 14) — illustrates the problem. For instance, in 2020, 82% of all fine particulate emissions came from commercially-operated lawn equipment. A NPR story in 2022 explains the roots of commercial reluctance to switch (but also notes some levels of acceptance and considers the mixed societal impact of bans).  Commercial operators say battery life is not yet long enough for their applications, that commercial mowers are expensive, that battery power may not be robust enough, and that battery-powered equipment would require charging stations and extra batteries. The report Lawn Care Goes Electric (see page 18) adds more clarity and makes some good points. It sees future change in the appearance of mobile charging trailers, the development of rapid chargers, the advent of electric pick-up trucks, trucks equipped with solar panels brought to job sites, and the continual improvement in battery technology. Lower maintenance costs associated with battery-powered equipment are also noted. All of this suggests that change will come to the industry — if not quickly, eventually! Some states are forcing change. The California legislature passed a law which took effect in January that requires new landscaping equipment sold in California be free of emissions. For reasons why a commercial service should consider switching, see Battery-Powered Equipment vs Gas-Powered Tools. Not to be forgotten is the fact that electric equipment would be healthier for the men and women who maintain our landscapes, as they are the ones most exposed to toxins as well as the noise and vibrations produced by the equipment they use. Of course, the concerns of landscapers have little relevance for those of us caring for relatively small properties. For today’s homeowners, battery-powered tools are more than adequate.

Along with air pollution, gasoline-engines emit enormous amounts of noise pollution. Until recently noise pollution has not received sufficient attention. Even the quietest gas-powered lawn mowers and other equipment are not as quiet as their electric counterparts, says Consumer Reports.  And while leaf-blowers are the most serious offenders, the entire suite of gas-powered tools are noisy.

It is not that we haven’t known for a long-time that noise can be dangerous. David Owen explores the topic in his book, Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World (Riverhead Books, 2019). In places where there is very little background noise, Owen explained in a NPR interview, the elderly “tend to hear as well as infants do.” Scientists have associated a diversity of health challenges beyond hearing loss with excessive and prolonged noise exposure, including high blood pressure and coronary disease. The Noise Control Act (1972) and the Quiet Communities Act (1978) established federal noise regulations.  In 1982, regulatory responsibilities were moved to local and state governments.  To learn what state and local governments have done to control the noise generated by gas-powered lawn equipment, see the clickable map maintained by Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet.  See also the wealth of material maintained by Quiet Clean PDX (Quiet Clean Alliance).  And, of course, consult Lawn Care Goes Electric. Clearly, some governments have made the switch to electric-powered tools an imperative.  The Albemarle County noise ordinance is accessible at the Code of Albemarle County Virginia  Sec 4.18 Noise. By itself — and in light of what has been done in more densely populated areas elsewhere — it is lenient. In the relatively tightly-packed communities spreading across the county, it is not unusual to hear the roar of gas-powered equipment wielded by homeowners and lawn services.

Whether supplied by a battery or a cord, electricity offers some obvious advantages over gasoline.  If you’re trying out the electrical option for the first time, keep in mind that you don’t have to switch across all your tools at once. You can transition. But if you intend immediately or over time to buy more than one battery-powered tool, you will want to keep it in the same brand family to ensure battery compatibility. This will allow you to switch your batteries across your various tools. This will be both convenient and a cost savings.

The current hero to our evolutionary story is the lithium-ion battery — at least until something better appears! While new residential equipment typically uses this battery, some larger equipment and older models use lead-acid batteries.  Today most electric power is brought to yard tools by the lithium-ion battery. A Consumer Reports piece by Paul Hope (Should you switch . . ., updated June 8, 2024) explains the advantages and disadvantages of lithium-ion batteries in electric outdoor tools.

A lithium-ion battery works by transferring lithium ions between the anode and cathode through an electrolyte.

As the battery discharges, ions move from the anode to the cathode.  This flow of electrons produces electricity. During the charging, ions move back to the anode, storing electricity.  This ion movement allows the battery to be recharged many times.  For an explanation of the process see the video How Lithium Ion Battery Works and, for an even deeper dive, see Chris Woodford’s piece in Explain That Stuff.  Lithium-ion batteries are lighter than lead-acid batteries and perform at consistent power until the battery is fully-discharged and they have a long life span.

Typical lithium-ion residential lawn mower batteries have an operating voltage of 40 – 80 volts. Voltage is the force that drives electrical current through a circuit. The higher the voltage the more power the battery can provide.  My battery has a high voltage — 82 volts — which is quite high and suitable for mowing and trimming. Higher voltage means more efficient operation and more torque. Another number that’s important is “Ah” — Ampere-Hour (amp-hour) — which indicates the duration over which a battery can support a specified current draw. It is a measure of capacity. Ah does not indicate overall power but how long the battery can be drawn on. Thus, a 2Ah battery can (theoretically) supply 2 amps of current for 1 hour at the battery’s stated voltage. The higher the Ah number, the longer the time between recharges because the higher number means the battery can store more energy. However, it does not necessarily mean it can supply more power (measured in watts) at any given time. Lithium-ion batteries provide stable performance until they are nearly fully discharged.

 Safety: Lithium-ion batteries are safe if used correctly! We are surrounded by them. Legitimate batteries display the Underwriters Laboratory UL certification or state certification in associated documentation. This is your assurance of quality construction and safe operation. To make things safe and easy, use the battery sold by the manufacturer of your equipment and install it as directed.

Basic safety warnings include (a) prevent overheating, (b) use the correct charger to prevent overheating, and (c) never open or attempt to open the battery. The electrolyte it houses can seriously damage skin and eyes and always keep it away from fire. It can explode! Never use a damaged battery! The dangers far exceed those associated with alkaline batteries. Unless your manual advises otherwise, always use the battery brand and voltage recommended for your tool and charger. Ah ratings can vary, but not voltage.Batteries with a higher Ah will generally be larger and heavier than those with a lower Ah, so there is potentially the issue of device fit. Your manual and the battery will also have warnings.

To complement these warnings, review Safety Measures for Lithium-ion Batteries prepared by the University of Washington (2024). See also the FAQs of the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Lithium-Ion Battery Safety.

Finally, recycle or dispose of batteries that can no longer hold a charge or which are damaged at a certified recycling facility. Call the Ivy Solid Waste & Recycling Center, a nearby government-operated facility in Albemarle County.  Never dispose of them in the trash. 

Environmentally Friendly.  Obviously, the most environmentally friendly power is human power. The noise and pollution caused by gas-powered tools are – to various degrees – disturbing and dangerous. Accidents happen.  Gas spills also can make gas-powered tools harmful in ways that may not be immediately apparent, such as when spilled gas makes its way into our waters.

Cost Effective.  For the user of an electric tool, there is no gas, oil, or tune-up cost. At some point batteries do wear out — and they are expensive — so ensure their health by following the advice associated with them. Do this by avoiding extreme temperature storage, following the manufacture’s charging guidelines, and keeping the battery clean. It is also good practice not to allow the battery to fully discharge. This can shorten its lifespan and compromise its ability to hold a charge. Also, store it at 50% charge. A well cared for battery will last 3 to 5 years or about 500 charging cycles. Some sources indicate a life span of about seven years under the best conditions. Depending on battery specifications, costs can currently range from about $85 to $330 (as per Lawn Love). Consumer Reports research shows that over a five year period, an electric lawn mower will save money over a similarly priced gas-powered mower. See Lawn Care Goes Electric pages 16-17.

Note also that our electrified world does not come without electricity costs, and as more and more lawn and yard equipment becomes electric the need for electricity will increase. Of course, over time, the equipment will grow in efficiency. There will, however, be what are termed “upstream” emissions. Studies have shown, however, that negative environmental and health consequences will be less from the by-products of power plants than from gas-powered equipment. Further, inefficient plants will themselves be phased out over time, also lessening negative environmental and monetary impacts. See Lawn Care Goes Electric, page 14.

Convenience.  This is a no-brainer. Human powered tools are certainly the most convenient to use, but they often do not bring enough power to a task.  Electric tools do and they can be turned on by the push of a button or pull of a lever. Inserting a battery is a low level skill!

Maintenance.  All tools need to be maintained.  All cutting tools need blade replacement and, as appropriate, replacement spools of cutting wire or cord. Gas powered tools though require regular maintenance of their ignition system and fluids to ensure reliability. Owning a small engine — not to mention a big one — can be a big hassle and — at times — a bit of a mystery.

Disposal A lithium-ion battery that’s reached the end of its life cannot simply be thrown into a trash or recycling bin. It must ultimately go to a special recycling or hazardous waste facility. For EPA guidance on recycling, see Used Lithium-Ion Batteries and the discussion above.

Noise.  We did not evolve to live in a world of constant or even intermittent or episodic loud noise.  Wear ear protection as appropriate.  There’s a reason why the phrase “Quiet, I’m trying to think!” is familiar to all of us. As a source of power, electricity is simply far quieter than gas.

If you have made the decision to go electric, consider the following factors before settling on a particular product:

Quality  For guidance in selecting power garden tools — using detailed reviews and comparative ratings — check Consumer Reports and Popular Mechanics. The former often provides especially useful overviews.  For this article I consulted 5 Green Reasons to Choose Battery-Powered Lawn Tools and Should You Switch to Electric Lawn Equipment?  Consumer Reports is readily available at your local public library, often in both paper format and online. Reading reviews will give you confidence. Visiting the displays at stores may be helpful, too.  Be sure to also check warranties. Finally, be dollar conscious, but don’t be cheap! Don’t buy a tool that feels flimsy in any way. It will be working hard and needs structural integrity for longevity.  Some tools may be designed better than others.

Power Source.  Select the appropriate power source for the job. Moving to battery-powered tools will be more important for some tasks than for others, and, of course, you may be unable to transition to the same power source for all tools immediately. Having a battery-powered lawn mower and a corded edger and leaf blower may work well for some yards.

Battery Performance.  Not all batteries are created equal! Generally, you will want to have two batteries or acquire more powerful batteries than those supplied with your tool.  This has already been considered above. Be mindful of voltage and Ah ratings and do nothing without consulting your manuals or the support web page.  There may also be a help line you can call.

While writing this article I discovered that an upgraded battery, which is perfectly compatible with my tools and charger, is available. The new battery is rated at 3.5Ah. The manufacturer states that it will provide 3 times longer runtime and stronger power than the original battery. Whatever brand you use, take a moment to consider possible battery upgrades and read the Web support page or manual. You can escape numerous recharges by purchasing a battery with a higher Ah rating, although the lower rating is what is commonly provided when a tool and battery are purchased together. If you have two lower-rated batteries, in reserve you should always be certain to have one battery fully charged or charging.

One more thing:  Aside from toxic fumes and exposure to possibly irritating and health-damaging noise, gas-powered tools and electric-powered tools can both be dangerous to the user in even more obvious ways.  My review of Cornell University Cooperative Extension’s Tips for Working Safely with Electric Garden Tools alerted me to some unwise things I have done occasionally.  I suspect you too will learn some things if you review this resource. While not about safety, I appreciated the reminder to use the shortest extension cord possible.  The longer the cord the more energy is lost in transmission as heat. Be sure to also consider Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Powered Hand Tools Safety: Lawn Care Training Guide. Obviously, electricity has its own unique dangers but common to both classes of tools is the cutting edge of a blade or the cord of a trimmer.

 

Sources

Featured Image: Lawn maintenance the old fashioned way! “Ecological Lawn Mower Squad.” A flock of white sheep in Gaseberg, Lysekil Municipality, Sweden, November 2, 2017.  Photo: W. Carter.  CCO 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

 

“Ask Me About My Super-Quiet Electric Yard Tools.” By Steven John. The Strategist (New York magazine), May 15. 2023.

5 Green Reasons to Choose Battery-Powered Lawn Tools. By Paul Hope. Consumer Reports, June 7, 2023.

From Lawn Mowers to Rock Concerts, Our ‘Deafening World’ Is Hurting Our Ears. By Dave Davies. NPR, November 5, 2019.

Gas Powered Leaf Blower Noise and Emissions Factsheet. Quiet Clean PDX.

Gas vs. Battery String Trimmer: Which Is Better?  By Paul Hope, updated May 7, 2024 by Kala Herh. Consumer Reports.

Gas vs. Electric Lawn Mower: Which Is Better? By Tobie Stranger. Consumer Reports, updated April 18, 2024.

Gas vs. Electric Leaf Blower: Which Is Better?  By Paul Hope. May 16, 2023. Consumer Reports.

Hate gas-powered leaf blowers? By 2028, Home Depot will have this solution.  By Daniel Munoz.  NorthJersey.com, June 28, 2023.

How Much Does a Lithium-Ion Battery Cost in 2024?  By Michelle Selzer.  Lawn Love, November 29, 2023.

Lawn and Garden Equipment. Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet.

Lawn Care Goes Electric (Why it’s time to switch to a new generation of clean, quiet electric lawn equipment). By Tony Dutzik, Louis Sokolow, Luke Metzger, and Kirsten Schatz. Environment America, U.S. PIRG Education Fund, and Frontier Group, 2023. The full report is downloadable.

National Emissions from Lawn and Garden Equipment.  By Jamie L. Banks and Robert McConnell.  2015. Accessible as an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) archived document.

Powered Hand Tools Safety: Lawn Care Training Guide. Publication BSE-50P. Virginia Cooperative Extension. See also Lawn Care: Powered Hand Tool Safety.

Professional landscapers are reluctant to plug into electric mowers due to cost.  By Matthew Schuerman.  NPR (Houston Public Media), July 30, 2022.

Should You Switch to Electric Lawn Equipment?  By Paul Hope. Consumer Reports, June 8, 2024.

Take Steps to Limit Air Emissions When Using Garden Equipment.  New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. 2020.

Tips for Working Safely with Electric Garden Tools. By Wayne Torgersen. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County.

Who Invented the Lawn Mower? Unveiling the Roots of Garden Revolution. By James Hardy. History Cooperative.

Why scientists who study noise pollution are calling for more regulation. By Joanne Silberner. NPR, July 1, 2024.