Our Lawn Care Business Made The Switch To Battery Powered OPE
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- Our Lawncare Company Tries To Ditch Gas for Milwaukee Battery Power
This season, we decided to make a switch to Milwaukee's M18 FUEL line of battery-powered equipment, and let me tell you, it's been a ride.
Why We Went Battery Powered
The decision to go cordless was for our video documentary and your information. Here are the biggest reasons we made the switch:
Reduced Noise: Battery-powered trimmers and blowers are significantly quieter, making our crews much more welcome by clients.
Less Maintenance: Battery-powered equipment requires minimal maintenance, freeing up our crew's time for actual landscaping. But this comes with challenges also.
The Cost Breakdown: Gas vs. Battery Power
Of course, the initial investment in battery-powered equipment IS daunting.
Initial Investment: We purchased several Milwaukee M18 FUEL string trimmers, blowers, and a variety of M18 batteries (with different capacities to match the job). The upfront cost was definitely higher than buying new gas-powered equipment.
Battery Replacements: While batteries will eventually need replacing, Milwaukee's M18 batteries are known for their durability.
While the initial investment was higher, the long-term savings on fuel and maintenance make the switch to battery power a win-win IF and only IF the batteries last 5-years or more.
Thinking of Going Battery-Powered? Here are some Tips:
Do your research: Not all battery-powered equipment is created equal. Look for brands with a reputation for durability and performance.
Consider your needs: How big are the yards you typically service? This will help determine the battery capacity you'll need.
Talk to a dealer: Local equipment dealers can help you choose the right equipment for your business and may even offer financing options.
We're thrilled with our switch to Milwaukee's M18 FUEL line, but we do not know if you can actually save money in the long run.
Please keep us updated with how everything is going! We have a small lawn care business here in SoCal and switched to Stihl's commercial battery line at the beginning of the year. We got everything except the lawn mower as well. It been a very smooth transition for us. We go through 3 AP batteries and about half of the huge AR backpack battery (for the blower) everyday. We unload and charge the batteries at the shop after every work day.
Overall, we're very happy with our decision and love to see/hear about other people's experience in these changing times in our industry.
Get some solar panels
Solar panels on the roof of the trailer, combined with a LFP battery and inverter could be very helpful.
Particularly CIGS (copper, iridium, something, something) solar panels. They are incredible.
I went with Ego for my lawn business. I have now switched to mostly the commercial Ego line. I like that with the bigger batteries compared to 18v platforms you get more runtime. I think Milwaukee just needs to introduce MX Fuel ope to enhance runtime. The biggest annoyance for me is when batteries go bad you either have to make do with the others or buy more batteries.
That makes a lot of sense. We also do a lot of skid steer work and all our tools are milwaukee.
MX Fuel? You want to be buying $2k trimmers, $700-$1k batteries, and $250-500 [single port] chargers? MX Fuel makes even Ego Commercial look cheap by comparison.
@@rolandm9750 why would the trimmer have to be that much?
@@jronmanbuilds Just take a look at what MX Fuel stuff costs. It's not likely they're going to make something like a trimmer or blower and sell for a few hundred bucks unless they really want to change the market for MX Fuel and really bring the battery prices way down too. This is Milwaukee we're talking about here, "cheap MX Fuel" is nothing but a pipe dream.
But hey man if you have some huge and successful business and can afford to buy/invest in $600+ a pop batteries, chargers that cost nearly as much (if you want quick ones)...that charge a single battery? Well power to you...though of course you'd still need them to actually make OPE type tools which I don't see happening but you never know.
I ended up going the EGO route for my lawn business. The Milwaukee OPE tools are just too heavy. I wish they would focus on reducing the weight on them.
They can't, they run at too low of a voltage to trim weight. If they trim weight, they either use exotic materials (price goes up) or smaller motors (power goes down).
The M18 batteries built in the past couple years have a built in odometer so to speak. Hold the battery's fuel gauge button for 4-5 seconds and it will go into a read out mode. it shows the battery's first charge date, charge cycles and a couple other things. also, the date of manufacturing is printed on the bottom of all the batteries.
Upgrading to electric is way harder vs starting fresh on electric.
For upgrading like you did, i already see plenty of people suggesting solar panels. You could also get 1-2 more deep cycle batteries and get a 12v charger and charge back at the shop, let the truck just trickle charge with the 10a line throughout the day. Just make sure you have a charge controller on the 10a line from the truck so you don't over current and blow fuses.
Wallmounted packout is also an option for keeping things up and out of the way, and according to milwaukee, their packout holders are rated for bouncing around in a vehicle. As for the rapid charger concerns, i wouldn't worry about it on the 12ah battery, this is well within operating territory for the big boy. If you wanted to get a regular 6 port charger for the smaller batteries id understand. Since you're not running an electric ride on, you dont need nearly the power requirements that a full electric company would, so you can get away with this
If you were starting fresh on electric, youd pick up an f150 hybrid with the 7.2kw onboard inverter, that would run your chargers all day long. And personally i would of went ego, thrown 1-2 6 bay chargers in the bed of the truck (or in the trailer, you can run the 7.2kw to the trailer while the truck moves) considering ego has everything, riding mowers, ope, 2 stage snow blowers, they are perfect for an electric lawn care company
Good advice. TY
This only proves further my issue with OPE and Milwaukee HO batteries. They aren’t meant for serious work. I switched all of my company’s tools to XGT. I go through multiple 12ah batteries a year. They don’t even get used hard like yours. Milwaukee will warranty them but it’s still a joke. XGT doesn’t overheat and kill the battery cells like Milwaukee does. Plus the power is better and the runtime is better. XGT is simply a far better platform. Milwaukee is desperately trying to stay relevant with their 18v platform but they’re pushing things too far. Their batteries get fried very quickly. You’re going to hate those 12ah batteries within six months. You’ll start noticing that some lose charge more quickly when on 36v variant tools. You’ll either go back to gas or switch to XGT.
That's a lot of money for people who actually have to pay for the batteries and tools.
On top of that, those batteries don't last in the long run.
Yeah, they still work years down the road, but battery capacity is greatly reduced because they're not thermally controlled like electric car batteries.
I actually have Ego tools, they're good, but gas will outlast them 10:1.
That's not very eco friendly or economical if you have to buy new batteries every 5 years.
After 3 years all electric, my gas Blowers have been in our storage in the back. I think we'll do a quick change of gas and do the maintenance on them, then sell 2 of 3.
For noise and there is nothing better. Also my wife used to complain ALL the time that I smelled like gas and oil, now she says a smell "like outside" which I think is an improvement.
I have a mix of Milwaukee and Stihl, I started with Milwaukee as I had a bunch of tools and batteries. It was a bit hard on the wallet, but as a business expense, it made it worth it. 70% Milwaukee
The stihl I added 2 Blowers, kombi system, chainsaw, 2nd mower. Everything is incredible, and to be honest we still use our Milwaukee mower as it's a bit better. Stihl mower is light so great for really small yards.
Still haven't changed my ride on, stihl just came out with one that's 28k(?) I will just wait till my ride on breaks down.
I have only had 1 Milwaukee battery go out, it was an 8ah, sent it in got a replacement free.
All the haters don't know what they are missing out on. No maintenance besides greasing the heads in trimmers and sharpening blades. God send. If you can't afford it, don't buy it until you can or must replace a broken machine. If you can afford it, do your research and listen to the owners of these machines who have used them consistently.
28K for the Stihl sounds right. I believe the Toro was 32K for the battery Zero Turn. I am more than thrilled with My Kawasaki FX1000 engines and plan to stay on gas for some time. All of our Zero Turns were replaced this year, so we have some time.
I don’t run a business but it just seems like a waste of money..instead of spending 2-4 grand in batteries and equipment maybe put it in yours or your employees pocket
WATT HOURS!
Ok just my 2 cents but I believe something like the 40v RYOBI or the 56v ego may be a better product line to go with if your doing large jobs. The Milwaukee, 12ah is only 180 or so WH where as a RYOBI 12ah is 432!
You can switch to a platform makes larger capacity batteries and be just fine Running a green business
Appreciate the video, but you’re not gaining anything making the switch. If anything losing quite a bit of money. You got almost 5k in plastic battery equipment, when all your gas equipment is paid for, and working great.
Ego( I know you’re not a fan) but two of friends in the lawn care and maintenance use that system and love it .
My building co. Is all Flexvolt and 20v 24/12ah and 24/5ah and we use EcoFlow delta pro with 400 watts solar . Keeps all the batteries charged all day and no temp needed. Plus powers the trailer for lights and my office and fans.
You can get expansion batteries or the new delta 3 or ultra , they also can use alternator charging. But solar works for us. Rolls out and in very easy or keep it stationary and plug the trailer in.
Best of luck , love the channel!!!
The Milwaukee solution is $4500 and less watts. Get delta on sale for half that w solar and a lot more watts.
How do you control the EcoFlow? Just leave it on the auto shut off mode?
@@WorkshopAddictyou can set the ecoflow like a UPS (back up battery for computers)
It will always stay on, use all input power to power your devices (solar when available, wall power when you're at home) then switch to battery to compensate. It extends life of the battery since it get cycled a lot less.
And if you leave it always on it really don't use that much stand-by power.
I use my clients power to charge whenever possible 🤓
My first foray into Milwaukee was M18 drill/driver kit to replace a nearly 20 year old Craftsman. Loved them. My first yard equipment was the leaf blower (not that big one here). It is awesome for my needs cleaning sidewalks, driveway, deck, garage floors. Recently I added the M18 pole saw and Hatchet. These are great to a) cut small dead branches that are up high and b) cutting up those small branches or ones that fall after a storm for bundling for pick up. I still have a small Stihl 180 for anything over about 2 1/2 inches. The battery operated stuff is perfect for me because I seldom spend more than 30 minutes on those chores, usually after a storm.
yeah husqvarna is the best in this area yet I love and have many m18 tools
husqvarna 36 volt is the best for my business
Workshopaddict, can you do a video about yourself and explain who you are abd what you do?
I am just a guy who works hard and has his hands in a lot of small businesses. I am your average entrepreneur. I farm, do skid steer and forestry work, own business rentals, build deer blinds, enjoy working on cars and building motors. I am probably leaving out a few things. I like to be busy. How do you make a video on that?
Thats a good start. How about what you review? How much is sent to you, and how much do you buy?
you should Mount chargers on a board on the wall of the trailer, at night just plug in your trailer and charge them all up. having to pack all you batteries in every night is a pain in the butt.
make power station with solar panel i sure it will work used lithium battery with inverter 12 V 100A LITHIUM BATTERY USED 2 LITHIUM BATTERY WITH INVERTER
Get high power Solar panels on top of trailer
and charge Yoshino Power station to recharge your batteries
use the dual rapid charger from mower / shop vac charger
First time seeing a video from you.
I run a small outfit in Dallas. I have a 42” ego Z6 with ten 12.0 batteries. 1 M18 Lawnmower, 2 single battery hand blowers, 1 duel battery blower. 2 single battery quick loks, with all attachments, 16” chainsaw, 8” chainsaw. I have eight 12.0’s, six 8.’s and six 6.0’s. (I also have six 3.0’s and eight 5.0’s. Those don’t get much love) I have a total of 17 houses that i split every other Friday. With a couple being weekly. I’d like to get solor panels but since I only cut 1 day a week this makes do just fine.
Crazy how everything is going battery operated. I have some battery powered tools as well but my only issue is the cost of replacing batteries. I already had MW batteries that died on me and I had to replace them. Not cheap. On the other hand, my last gas lawnmower lasted me 15+ years.
Running through our second spring now in West Coast Nor Cal wet conditions with pretty much complete Milwaukee ope. Great choice with 100% reliability. Just take lots of batteries and charge at the end of day. My wife just recently took most of our push mowing accounts and continues to use the Milwaukee stuff. I jumped back into the Ego line since we know have an excellent commercial dealer locally. Been taking minimal batteries and charging them throughout the day will a Bluetti 2000 watt battery tank.Figured I will flog the few batteries daily while under warranty since that is by far Egos week point.
You need to talk more about maintenance. I winterize my electric lawn mower by cleaning it and pushing it into the corner of the garage. No fuel stabilizer, no oil change, no air filter cleaning/change, no spark plug cleaning/change. I (and my neighbors) really appreciate the reduction in noise of the electric equipment and I really dig not dealing with gas and oil.
My mowers are all Gas, as I stated. Zero turn mowers are stupid expensive in battery powered for commercial. My Stihl gas string trimmers and blowers get no maintenance for storage. They just get put in a corner.
Great vid. Hope to hear more thoughts down the road!
@@WorkshopAddictyou're right, that maintenance thing is a bit overstated.
Empty the gas tanl, run them dry, put them away and you're 100% garanteed they'll start as good next year.
I have a small wood chipper, i don't use it often but every time i use it, i shut the gas valve off to turn it off and let it run dry. It's been 3 years now and it still start first pull.
Need to remove battery’s and not let them get too cold.
I do DIY small stuff around my community. I mostly have Dewalt 20v XR and 60 Flex Volt, some Milwaukee Fuel 18v, a few Ryobi 18v and one 40v. Dewalt and Milwaukee are what I use the most (impact driver drill driver, circular saws, table saw, jig saw, reciprocating saw, sander, tripod light). Ryobi is now and then or seldom as those are my low drain devices (misting fan, clamp light). I think the only 120v electric tool I have is a pancake compressor for pneumatic tools. No gas tools. I have etched (1/8" scribe) my initials traced with marker on my tools near the information/serial number panel in case they get stolen. We live in a small community with pawn shops almost 2 hours away or the thieves are dumb enough to try and sell stolen items by posting it online. I need to take pictures of my items in the future as well...kind of like the way people in a larger community post "Lost Dog" posters.
Put ~2kW of solar on the roof and add a good solar generator, your trailer will power itself autonomously. No brainer for about $3K, just need to clean the panels periodically (slant them slightly so rain will do most of the work).
I use an EcoFlow Delta 2 Max for power at my construction site. It has 2 500W solar inputs and a 2kWh LFP battery good for 3000 full charge cycles.
Careful selecting panels for small solar generators. Voc and Vmp need to be carefully considered to get the best from the inverter.
wait what, out of all the options you choose milwaukee ope, even though they have issues with their 12ah packs? and you even wrote something like "Milwaukee's M18 batteries are known for their durability. " yeah right... and you had the option to go with XGT ope line which has much better batteries and reliability in general...
I dunno if I can speak to having them as a business. But I can tell you as a home owner I really don’t know why you wouldn’t want the Milwaukee tools. I’m a mechanic by trade soo all my extra batteries work out but I absolutely love my Milwaukee string trimmer and all the tools. One less thing I have to keep track of gas or oil. All I gotta do is put a battery in and pull the triggers no starting required and it is not near as loud. Also power is really good. It may not be as good as the top model units but it’s surly better than any off brand cheaper models. Don’t pay full price home depot has deals all the time on the app and sometimes in store. You get a tool and usually 1-2 free batteries.
To charge the batteries inside the trailer, install a power inlet, like RVs have.
Solar panels would work along with a "solar generator".
I have a power inlet and plugs in the trailer. We could line up chargers and let them go. BUT, I fear the day we pop a breaker and nothing is charged. I need people to monitor them being charged. It is not like we can make a 10 minute stop to the gas station.
I have EGO and Milwaukee OPE just home owner use
I use Milwaukee tools at work, RV technician
The 56v platform has so many more watts for the size
And while $500 for a 12amph EGO isn’t cheap Milwaukee 12 amph was $250 now $200 not on sale makes it $600-$750 for the same watts.
Milwaukee does go on sale though and can be cheaper ($110-$130 for a 12amph) but if you have to buy and can’t wait for a deal then EGO is cheaper per watt
EGO has their own solar package too
My EGO blower moves way more air than my M18
My EGO chainsaw outperforms my M18
No Milwaukee mower to compare to my EGO
I’m new to EGO so can’t speak on batter longevity
Messing with too many batteries on M18 vs EGO for working all day using OPE. 3 to 1. Milwaukee batteries needed to EGO batteries at same amph rating
One word of caution running heavy gauge from truck to trailer for power. Don’t burn your alternator and battery up. If you seriously want to power from truck consider another alternator and a deep cycle or lfp battery
Makes sense to try and go electric I just can't get over the inefficiency of it. I bought a simple leaf blower that runs on 12 Amp hour and on high it only lasts 20 minutes. Batteries are expensive and end up being recycled. I'm sure all these batteries even Recycled generate some type of waste that eventually makes it's way to the environment. Not to mention all that electricity is being generated in a way that isn't great for the environment. We are here on this planet in mass and I don't think we are technologically capable yet of really stepping back our carbon footprint. Solar panels generate a ton of toxic waste... call me old fashioned but I will take a motor and some gas any day. I do see how a business like yours would really benefit from all the hassle and investment though. Quiter for clients, be able to say you are "green", and eventually I would suspect you will see savings on gas consumption, especially if you have solar at the shop that charges those batteries.
I think Maybe the new super charger might be what you need for the 12amp batteries for the backpack blower
Don’t have any advice, but would be interested to see how the change works out as you move forward.
My take on battery tools -
If they're only used for a short time - 10-15 minutes, battery powered tools make sense.
Tools that need longer running times, gas or corded still have the advantage.
My trimmers were the first to be battery, as sometimes it took longer to get it started than when I was using it.
Anything with an electric start would be the last tools to be converted.
I'm battery everything and I do just fine. Corded just sucks, plain and simple (especially with ope where you drag a 100ft cord around) and gas is just a lot of maintenance I simply don't care for. How I winterize my lawn equipment? I put the batteries in my basement and I'm done.
As for handheld tools, if you're using them all day, batteries are friend because you're once again not dragging a cord. Oh no every so often you swap a battery.
Corded really only makes sense for stationary things like miter saws, and even then finding a plug isn't always easy, so back to the 100 foot cord. Metabo hpt has a huge win on the 36v tools having a Corded option, run with a cord when you can and use a battery when you can't
I'm semi switched over to battery equipment also using Milwaukee. I'm only part time so I don't need nearly as many batteries as you. Last season was the first season doing this and it has been great. This year not so much. My 8ah xc battery does not last as long as it should any more. I've only had it for a year and half. It was always rapid charged and I taxed the heck out of it this spring using it on my impact. I still believe in battery power, but sometimes you have to watch how you care for and use your batteries.
I'm planning on setting up an enclosed trailer for next season and at least plugging the trailer in, keeping batteries and chargers in there, so I don't have to take them between the truck and house all the time.
I'll be interested to see how you setup everything and how your experience goes!
I will keep everyone up to date. I know I cannot go 100 percent battery. Watch Monday and I will start to unfold the story.
Thank you for such a “real world” informative video. Great stuff!
Check out the Swiss firm, Kress and their battery grounds maintenance equipment range especially their 60v range on their website and then watch the UK RUclips channel Flawless Cleaning Services to see Kress 20v equipment in use during his recent videos where he's dealing with seriously badly overgrown gardens and how it copes with them. Might suit you better.
To charge our ProBarrows and other batteries right from the trailers going from job to job, we ran 4 gauge cables right from the vehicle alternator and hooked up a Renogy 40 amp DC to DC charger. No more trickle charging the trailer batteries through the trucks 7 pin trailer harness. This system works great and can easily handle all of our battery charging needs.
My thoughts from France mate: you have only 2 lungs, breathing fumes all day is not good at all, so I think just for your lungs and your employee's lungs it is all worth it. Also if I were you I'll put some big powerfull solar panels on top of your trailer with some Lithium batteries and with an inverter you could charge the batteries... Have a good day !
Tesla charging stations in the future should be able to help people that do lawn care.
I imagine in the future people can go to a Tesla supercharger and charge all their batteries. Battery powered generators for all sorts of use, everything from landscape, camping, tailgate and parades, etc.
I’m not a fan of Tesla cars, but I am a fan of their charging system and infrastructure. I think in the future once they’re more creative, that’s gonna be their bread and butter. Because Legacy car manufactures make better cars, Tesla is just really good at charging and the charging infrastructure(in my opinion Teslas have poor build quality).
Get more batteries and charge batteries overnight. You should have at least 3 sets per tool based in your experience.
As a contractor that runs a business, we principally use DeWalt and we have over 60 batteries, including some 15 FlexVolt batteries. You need more batteries than you use throughout a day; that’s the cost of battery tools. Battery tools are a high upfront expanse but do have great benefits and lower costs to run.
I really like what you're doing and look forward to where this goes. But the cost and complexity just seem to much for not a lot of gain. I have been using the Ryobi 40v lawn mower on and off for the last two years and I got say it's been a mixed bag. Yes I went there. Honestly for the lawns I do I eventually switched back to gas as it just became less of a hassle. If it was something that I did full time for a living I just don't see the battery tech being there. In the future maybe but not right now. Just my2c.
The cost of the batteries is kind of insane. Maybe you could have something like an Ecoflow Delta in the trailer for recharging during the day?
Maybe on businesses that have one or two yards a day but commercially not at all and never will batteries are two unreliable at the end of the day a new client walks up to you hey can you go ahead and cut my yard no I can't my batteries are dead will the guy down the road that has gas powered everything jump right in there and do the job you didn't have to go home and charge his batteries battery power will always be a short-term and unreliable
Batteries are a trend. I have tools that are 40 plus yrs old. How is your battery in ten years? Stihl rocks, batteries are a marketing ploy.
There are places where battery is awesome, but still falls way short in other areas. The new Milwaukee telescoping pole saw is incredible. However there is no replacement for my stihl br800 blower. We use husqvarna battery top handle saws, but the gas is still much stronger. Battery is just convenient.
There is no replacement for the BR800! Agreed 100%!
Get a decent sized battery generator with some solar panels on the room and plug all your Milwakee tool batteries to that and keep them charged all day.
Is there a reason you didn’t go with ego power tools, or even Dewalt? I’m considering doing the same myself! I know ego tends to be kind of pricey, but I believe they have a better system.
If this all does not work for me, the Milwaukee batteries can be used on the farm.
I'm interested in the Milwaukee M18 duel battery string trimmer. I love the quk lock but am looking to upgrade
Heavy but massively power
I recently bought the Milwaukee M18 brushcutter, it cuts fine, but the run time on the two 8.o batteries it came with is pretty crap! Admittedly I had patch of 3ft grass the size of 3 tennis courts, but finished the job with my Husqvarna 535LK, which pissed through it!!
Runtime is the issue on almost all the battery items. We keep our gas with us all the time just incase.
Ryobi has a much better lawn care line than Milwaukee
We use ego commercial equipment. Love it! We installed an inverter and extra battery and alternator on our trucks to charge the batteries. No problems. Each man has 1 extra battery. Once a battery is depleted, the other one is charged. No battery pack charger is needed. No more mix, carbs, tune ups. BEST DECISION!!
You leave the inverter running and charging a battery with the truck off?
@WorkshopAddict yes. The inverter will start beeping when we need to turn it on
Let me know how many new batteries you need to replace 😮
Solar panels on the roof with an extra battery inside.
Why are you allowing this to happen in your state?
I think you should calculate the total Watt/hour of your system, times 1.5, times the amount of time you charge them in a day.
This number ( probably around 2-3kw/h) should be you Lifepo4 battery pack in the trailer, hooked to a solar home inverter (home is the key here)
Fill the roof with solar pannels. The home inverter will charge the lifepo4 pack with solar when you work, and if it's a cloudy day, you'll have enough juice to do your day, then when you get home, plug your trailer and use the home's 120v supply so the inverter will charge the pack.
Another great way (but a bit expensive) would be to use an ecoflow system with an additional battery. More expensive than Diy but all those features are build in one simple unit.
Battery OPE tools are great, but the life cycle of those batteries is not long enough. If you cycle them 2 times per day, you will already be at around 80% capacity next year.
I’m a truck mechanic for and I gradually switch to Milwaukee to replace my pneumatic tools. I’ve had a Milwaukee quick lock trimmer
For 3 seasons,it’s light and has great run time. I didn’t know that you had a lawn care business. I assumed you were a mechanic.
Awn
I think ego would have been a better option
I sell this type of equipment. Blowers really are a challenge. Especially since it seems that its often the first tool customers are looking at when making the switch. The power requirements of a blower v.s. a trimmer is quite a bit. I have customers every day that come in looking for a blower. You can tell they get a bit discouraged when they find out about the run times. So, I have to give them a little talk about the massive power needs of the tool. That not everything battery operated is going to be like that.
We actually did a little test in our shop. We set up a blower and a trimmer with similar engine size. Put in the same amount of gas and let them run full throttle until they ran out. The blower ran out well before the trimmer.
I'm a big advocate for homeowners switching to electric yard tools. Especially here in WI, where we only use them half the year. Gas and engines don't like to sit idle. Stihl's equipment is great. But its hard to beat the tool selection that Milwaukee has. Its easy to convert someone to a Milwaukee string trimmer when they already have batteries and chargers from their drill or other tools.
the two battery string trimmer ,had the same exp you showed . Found myself bending my knees .Bought a 17$ shoulder harness from amazon and I miraculously have a different machine/experience .
i put a 12ah and a 6ah forge in the trimmer at the same time . when 12ah went dead the forge still had two bars .
i so love the ease of use ,not having all the noise . if i can i go cordless also .
You can slide that shoulder strap mount forward to balance perfectly on the trimmer.
I can, but that makes me bend over even more to trim around things. On commercial jobs we have large areas we string trim because a handicap sign is close to a light pole pr mail box. In many cases, a bicycle handle style trimmer with a full harness would be better for us than this.
I got solar and a lifpo4 battery with a inverter, to recharge my Milwaukee batterys and other things. Nice setup!
So battery socks......!!!!
Would be interesting if you keep us updated on this. I’m all for battery powered tools for home gardening/landscaping but I wouldn’t have thought it was as economical when it comes to something commercial like yourself. Especially since here in the UK those 12ah batteries go for around £200/$200. Maybe they’re cheaper over your way. Aren’t you concerned with their deterioration? Surely you wouldn’t get the 5+ years out a battery like you would from a quality gas powered tool. Keep us updated.
All told, I have about 5 to 6 times the amount of money in battery equipment here as I would have gas. It is not economical if you can maintain your gas equipment yourself.
@@WorkshopAddict Allot less days not able to work because of oil changes/maintenance though. Looking forward to finding out if you’re happy you made the switch in time.
Our Deere Z900's take 10 minutes to change oil in and there is zero mess. IMHO, same maintenance needed with battery (blade sharpening). Currently, I have more battery charging anxiety than anything else. If things are not charged, we would not be working. BUT, I carry our gas stuff just to be sure.
@@WorkshopAddict In that case I’m curious why you even bothered switching to the battery equipment?
Solar panels on top of the trailer
Curious why you went with Milwaukee over things with larger batteries at higher voltages, e.g., the Ego line of tools? While I understand the allure of using powertool batteries for lawn equipment, especially in the pro-use-case, dedicated batteries for the lawn equipment makes more sense imo. I'm Ryobi for power tools, and Ego for lawn equipment. If I had a lawn care business, I'd go Ego all the way, with a large capacity power station in the trailer with solar on the roof. The power station would charge the batteries between jobs, and should hold enough energy (with solar coming in) to keep everything topped up, and can be charged at home overnight (or over lunch in a pinch; the Anker Solix 1kWh power stations take about an hour to charge from flat).
2 reasons.
1. I have always told my audience that I think tool batteries are the way to go with OPE as you can also buy other tools you would need.
2. We do a lot of skid steer and farm work so all our tools for that seem to be Milwaukee so if we invested a ton in batteries and it all went south, we could use them in other areas.
@@WorkshopAddict Thanks for the reply! What's OPE?
While I understand #1, my concern is trying to use batteries that are "universal" for use-cases for which they aren't designed. Typical power tool use is high draw for short amounts of time. Typical lawn-care use is medium draw for a long time. 18V systems are 4S, and have 3x the current as 56V (12S) systems would. High current through batteries = heat = shorter lifespan.
#2 very fair. I think the power tool batteries can work well for the smaller equipment, like string and hedge trimmers, and even hand-held blowers. If you go bigger than that, including larger leaf blowers, push mowers, snow blowers, riders, a dedicated battery platform should seriously be considered. Carefully consider how the battery gets rid of excess heat. Brick style batteries are bad at this and die quickly. My in-laws have the Toro electric mower with brick style batteries, and the batteries have lost a significant amount of capacity over just one year while my Ego batteries are still holding strong after multiple years.
@@tjncooke OPE= Outdoor Power Equipment
You make some great points! TY.
I run the milwaukee dual battery string trimmer with .105 and the forge , i don't think there is an more powerfull steing trimmer out of any string trimmer on the market and it will not overheated no matter what you put it throught , the mower and the blower 600cfm are great too
I will have to try two Forge batteries, but that will lower the runtime slightly and cause us to buy more batteries. LOL. People are only willing to pay so much for lawn care. It is too saturated of a market for many to do this type of spending.
Have you tried the Ego 17.5 inch commercial? Could be on par with the Milwaukee.
I have not. I had some bad experiences with EGO in the past and I did not want to invest there again to try it. If this does not work, I can use the batteries on the farm.
@@WorkshopAddict yeah I have batteries and tools from Ego go bad too. I have had other brands go bad too. I kinda feel locked into the Ego brand but at the same time I like their tools. If what I hear about other brands is true I think I would have a similar experience with M18. I am looking forward to trying out the new PGX charging system from Ego. Being able to grow into the system as much or little as you need seems nice.
@jronmanbuilds I had the EGO power station blow up almost everything in my camper. That cost me a ton to repair over time. Hard to get past that one and support them.
electric easier to start.
I see little need for thirsty electric tools while superior gas tools are available. Being said, am I wrong to believe EGO offers superior batteries and tools? I haven’t seen a big blower like that Milwaukee back unit, but again, can’t justify the thirst battery cost for inferior tools.
Be loud at a convenient time of the customers day, or ask if the customer wants to start paying for expensive batteries?
i agreed that Ego is quieter and move more air even without running turbo mode
their batteries are very well made and keep cells balance, they actually use bms to charge and balance their cells
earlier version has weak bms and often burn out caps/diode
Power goes out your done for that day.
You cannot imagine how much that is in my head every day.
Dewalt is coming out with pro lawn care system way better than Chinese Milwaukee
Tesla charging port is open source and free. Why doesn’t Milwaukee (and other outdoor power equipment manufacturers) just equip one of their power stations with the Tesla power port? That way you can go to supercharger, just like you’re going to a gas station.
Tesla superchargers are only free to those who bought cars with free supercharging. How can one get free tesla supercharging?