Mowers, blowers, trimmers and other powered lawn care staples have traditionally run almost exclusively on gasoline — until recently.

Battery powered lawn tools have become a viable alternative and developed quite a following with many Powell retailers offering them. 

Retailers seem to agree that the biggest appeal to switch from gas to lithium ion is convenience. The battery powered models can offer lighter weight, less maintenance, less noise and no smoke.

For the past three years Heart Mountain Farm Supply has been carrying Greenworks Commercial products. They began carrying the products after Greg Wilson, the general manager at Heart Mountain Farm Supply, discussed the difficulties that can come with cheap gas powered chainsaws with his father-in-law, including trouble starting at altitude and gummed up carburetors.

“We had both bought battery power chainsaws, of different brands, and were happy with the instant performance, and I said, ‘Maybe we can help our customers with this, you know, make life a little easier,’” Wilson said. 

Nate Cole, of Powell Welding and Industrial Supply, was “staunchly a gas person” he said, but he tried one of Milwaukee’s battery powered mowers and sold his old gas mower. 

“The performance was fantastic. It gave a better cut than my gas mower just due to more power, and with a gas mower it’d start to bog down and not provide a good cut. This one just powered through it — and then also the lack of noise was fantastic,” Cole said. “I could mow my lawn and not have my ears ringing for hours on end afterwards.”

Powell Welding and Industrial Supply offers a variety of battery powered Milwaukee tools for lawn and home care including mowers, weed whackers and blowers.

Ace Hardware carries battery powered lawn equipment from Ego, DeWalt, Craftsman and Milwaukee, said Julie Cannon, the head of the lawn and garden department.

Battery operated tools are also a little lighter than gas powered tools and you don’t have to worry about cords as you would with a plug-in tool, Cannon said. 

Most customers are choosing battery powered tools, she said, and they can be purchased with or without battery and chargers as most are interchangeable within their own brands. 

So do they last?

The consensus is that battery operated tools will last the average homeowner through their tasks, while professionals may need a commercial grade tool with a battery of 50 volts or over.

A logger won’t use a battery powered chainsaw, Wilson said, but the charge will be enough to use on a camping trip.

One Heart Mountain Farm Supply customer builds log fencing and uses a commercial grade battery powered chainsaw. He carries multiple batteries and uses the chainsaw for 30%-40% of the time he’s building a project, Wilson said. 

A standard battery is 18-24 volt, but more powerful commercial batteries will make a big difference for those who have more work.

It’s hard to gauge how long a battery powered tool will last on one charge, said both Cole and Wilson. The lifespan of the battery per charge depends on the size of the battery and how the tool is used.

“I will say that it's hard to put an exact time on it, but longer than you would think, let's put it that way,” Cole said.

When shopping for a battery powered tool it can be difficult to compare specs because all tools are different, Cole said. He advises that looking for brands with a good warranty instead.