How Battery-Powered Equipment is Revolutionizing Turf Care 

When we think of gardeners working outside our homes, on the golf course, or in public gardens, there is perhaps two sensory impressions that immediately come to mind. The first of these is, regrettably, noise, and the second is that familiar smell of petrol. Whatever your opinions of both of these, they could soon be on borrowed time. 

We have the rise of the lithium-ion battery to thank for many wonderful new battery technologies or, more accurately, many new technologies being powered by batteries where previously this would not have been feasible. From electric cars to water heaters and other household items, there are many such products. And not only that, but new and innovative battery products are constantly being produced. We might think here of things like portable solar-powered battery packs or the USB rechargeable smart batteries produced by companies such as Pale Blue Earth.

But what does this have to do with the noise and smell of common gardening equipment such as hedge trimmers and leaf-blowers? Well, their battery-powered equivalents tend to be more – and not less – energy efficient. This means less noise and, naturally, no petrol needed at all. This is where the lithium-ion battery comes in. Just their increased efficiency has seen the electric vehicle not only provide an alternative to the gas-powered vehicle, but to actually surpass it in many ways. We are seeing the same phenomenon where turf care and gardening equipment is concerned. Read on for the main reasons why gardening could soon be entirely battery powered. 

The Environmental Question 

One of the man reasons (in fact, the primary reason) that the battery-powered electric car is set to completely replace gas-powered vehicles is of course that they are more environmentally friendly. The cumulative effect of having millions of battery-powered cars on our roads instead of petrol-consuming ones is obvious. The same applies – although naturally on a much smaller scale – to the battery-powered gardening equipment that is becoming more and more common. 

The Financial Question

Another primary driver of the battery shift within this industry is simply that gardeners are looking to cut costs as well as grass. Naturally, the saving to be made here is on petrol. However, calculating how much is actually saved is not a simple matter of subtracting petrol costs from the operation of this equipment. It is a little more complicated than that. 

For one thing, there is a fairly hefty initial investment to be made (this equipment is still relatively new and therefore expensive) and, of course, electricity is not free. However, charging costs are a fraction of the price of regular petrol replenishment and, when you also subtract costs such as filter changes and new spark plugs, the operation (if not the actual price) of battery-powered gardening equipment is significantly lower. In the long run then, it is clearly a much cheaper option. 

The Comfort Question 

The thing about having a hefty petrol engine inside a piece of gardening equipment is not only that it makes a lot of noise, but it tends to rattle around a lot too. These vibrations require energy to be exerted on the part of the user in order to steady the equipment while using it. As surprising as it may seem, this can tire you out significantly quicker then when the need to do this is alleviate by using a battery-powered tool. 

In summary then, there is really no question that battery-powered equipment is greener, safer, cheaper, and more comfortable to use. That is why this equipment is the nothing short of the future of turf care.