If you’ve walked into a big-box hardware store lately and noticed fewer gas-powered lawn tools, and wondered if there’s a trend to phasing out gas powered equipment, you’re not imagining it. With manufacturers like Honda announcing plans to no longer sell gas mowers in North America and retailers such as The Home Depot putting more focus on battery-powered lawn equipment, the writing is on the wall and it’s saying “goodbye, gas tools.”
“The shift to battery-powered equipment is being driven by a combination of practical improvements and long-term strategy,” says Ryan Murphy, director of product management at Greenworks Tools. “Crews and homeowners alike are seeing the benefits of battery platforms in day-to-day operations, including less downtime, simplified maintenance, and no more trips for fuel or oil.
“At the same time, there’s growing pressure to reduce noise and emissions, especially in residential zones. Battery equipment checks both boxes, and now that battery tools match or exceed gas in performance for many applications, people are choosing smarter, more sustainable options without sacrificing power.”
The Great Debate Over Gas vs. Electric Outdoor Power Equipment
I’ve owned my gas-powered 4.5 hp Craftsman mower for more than two decades. Like me, it’s showing its age, but unlike me, it still runs like a champ. However, every time I yank on that pull cord and the grey smoke belches out from the exhaust, I feel guilty, as if I’m personally killing a polar bear.
The debate between gas- and battery-powered tools has been waged for a while now. Over the past 10 years or so, I’ve bought and used battery-powered yard tools, but they almost unanimously left an underwhelming impression. However, after testing some of the newest battery-powered tools, I think we’ve reached a point where the new tools are as good as—and, perhaps in some cases, even better than—their gas-powered competitors. Is now the time to start phasing out gas-powered lawn equipment?
“Today’s commercial-grade tools use higher-voltage systems, more efficient motors, and smarter battery management,” Murphy says. “Those upgrades translate to real torque, runtime, and cutting power improvements.”
In some states and municipalities, you may not have an option between the two for much longer. More than 100 communities across the country, including the state of California; Burlington, Vermont; and Washington, DC, have banned or plan to ban certain types of or all gas-powered lawn equipment. (Some of these bans, such as California’s, prohibit buying non-zero-emission lawn equipment, but not the use or resale on secondary markets.)
Electric tools may not always match the power of their gas counterparts (yet), but they do have multiple other advantages:
Less Noise
Your neighbors may love you for switching over to battery tools. Testing by Consumer Reports found nearly all electric mowers were substantially quieter than their gas counterparts. Ryobi claims its 800 CFM blower is more than 80 percent quieter than similar gas models. I don’t have access to a decibel reader, but I could tell a massive difference between my gas mower and the Greenworks model I tested. Same goes for my neighbors’ gas string trimmers and blowers versus the battery-powered ones I tested.
More Reliability
The durability of battery-powered lawn tools has also improved thanks to fewer moving parts and simplified internal systems, according to Murphy, who adds: “Maintenance drops, reliability increases, and the end result is a tool that works harder with less [upkeep].”
The simplified engine also means battery-powered tools are lighter, sometimes by as much as a quarter or a third. My gas mower was substantially heavier than the wider battery-powered mower I tested. Over the course of a long day working in the yard, the lighter weight means less fatigue. (The post-mow beer will still taste just as good, though.)
Better Value
You do pay a premium for the top-line battery-powered tools over gas models, but the cost of ownership is actually lower over the life of the tool. Charging a battery is much cheaper than filling up a red gas can. Because battery-powered tools don’t require replaceable parts like spark plugs and belts, there’s less maintenance and fewer part replacements needed. Over the summer, I probably saved $30 for not having to refill gas, replenish the oil in my mower, and so on. It doesn’t take long for the savings to make up for the greater initial cost.
One caveat, for folks who have larger yards, you may need to invest in additional batteries or splurge on a larger mower capable of handling more powerful batteries like the Greenworks 80V lawn mower.
Cleaner for the Environment
The 2-stroke engines used in many lawn tools release obscenely large amounts of pollution, as they were never equipped with the emissions controls found on many automobiles. According to USA Today, using a commercial gas leaf blower for an hour produces emissions equal to driving from Denver to Los Angeles.
According to Grist, the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2020 National Emissions Inventory found that lawn equipment use in the United States released more than 68,000 tons of smog-forming nitrous oxides, which is equivalent to 30 million cars. They also emitted more than 30 millions tons of carbon dioxide, which is more than the total emissions of Los Angeles. Maintaining a pristine lawn with gas tools may be one of the worst things you can do for the planet. If you care about leaving a better world for your kids, you can start by ditching your gas mower and lawn equipment.
Ready to make the switch? I tested several battery-powered tools over the summer and here are a few I’d recommend. (That said, the tools you choose will most likely depend on the battery system you buy into.)
Greenworks 80V 25-inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower
I had second thoughts the first time I used this 25-inch Greenworks 80V lawn mower on my lawn. I let my grass get a bit long and scraggily to really test the new mower right out of the gate. The dual blades clogged up often and the cut seemed really uneven. But I was also attempting to cut it way too short on the lowest setting of 1-inch. On additional mows, the result was crisp, clean, and nearly clog-free.
The Greenworks mower houses two batteries, and I went through one 8-Ah battery the first time I mowed my relatively miniscule 0.16-acre lawn versus the half-tank of gas my Craftsman mower uses. (Subsequent mowings with shorter grass improved that.) I was able to remove the second 5-Ah battery and finish string-trimming and blowing my lawn with plenty of battery to spare. It takes just a few hours for the batteries to fully recharge.
Ryobi 40V 800 CFM Brushless Blower
Compared to my older Black and Decker 40V blower that wheezed out air like a 90-year-old with a smoker’s hack, the Ryobi 800 CFM blower blasted away grass clippings, sawdust, and other debris like it was reenacting a Great Depression-era duststorm. Ryobi claims this Whisper Series blower is more powerful than a 31cc gas blower and more than 80 percent quieter.
Greenworks 80V 16-inch String Trimmer
Working as a landscaper throughout and after college, I used plenty of gas-powered string trimmers; I would put this Greenworks 80V 16-inch trimmer up against any of them. I tore through tall grass and weeds quickly and effortlessly, like vintage Edgerinn James through NFL defense lines. Greenworks claims this trimmer is as powerful as a 27cc gas trimmer and can cut 2 miles worth of weeds on a fully charged 2.5-Ah battery.
Skil 20V Brushless 6-inch Telescopic Pruning Chainsaw
This Skil 20V PWRCORE mini-chainsaw won’t beat the power of my—or rather, my brother-in-law’s—full-size Stihl chainsaw, but it’s not meant to compete with that. This pint-size pruning chainsaw offers decent power for its size, adjusts easily, and is ideal for the tasks I need. I use it primarily to cut bundles of firewood when camping and to trim my neighbor’s branches that venture over the property line. The telescoping handle isn’t quite pole-saw length, but long enough for its intended purpose.
Ryobi 40V 26-inch Brushless Hedge Trimmer
I could almost see my bushes quake with fear when I started trimming with the Ryobi 40V 26-inch brushless hedge trimmer. This beast blasted through my overgrown shrubbery with abandon, easily cutting rose bush and purpleleaf sandcherry branches up to 1-inch thick. Like the other Ryobi tools I tested, the hedge trimmer was powerful, quiet, and ergonomically pleasant to handle.
“Battery technology is improving steadily, but it’s already at a point where electric tools outperform gas in many applications,” Murphy says. “That means there is clear value in switching now, especially if your gas equipment is aging or costing more in upkeep.”
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