Battery-powered equipment is a major focus for many manufacturers, with companies such as Kress, Stihl, Husqvarna, DeWalt and more introducing new electric lines at the 2022 Equip Expo.

As part of our annual State of the Industry report, we asked our readers about their interest in incorporating battery-powered equipment into their operations. Responses split evenly among those who plan to add electric equipment and those who don’t. And 14 percent of survey takers already use battery-powered equipment. This is up from 2021 where only 6 percent of respondents said their operations already deploy electric equipment.

Sound off

An owner of an operation in the Midwest that provides maintenance, lawn care, irrigation and snow removal operation is investigating electric handheld equipment and plans to add a hybrid truck next year — if vehicle inventory issues level off.

“We are testing battery-powered string trimmers and chainsaws,” the owner said. “We are adding a hybrid truck next year (if we can get it).”

An owner of a weed, disease and insect control, fertilizer, design/build and irrigation operation in the Southwest uses Stihl electric equipment but doesn’t plan to add more soon.

“There are also many items that use gas and oil that we will not be changing to battery-powered because we like the equipment as-is, and we will not be purchasing new equipment while the current equipment still works,” the owner said.

The CEO of a full-service operation in the West plans to continue using handheld battery-powered equipment.

“For our operations right now, we are sticking with small hand tool (battery-powered) equipment. We have tested mowers but are struggling with cost and efficiency,” the CEO said. “Technology is getting much better, but we feel holding off for a bit is OK.”

Trialing is the name of the game for an operation in the Southeast that currently deploys Stihl, Mean Green Mowers and Toro products. The company plans to continue to trial more equipment to see what works best for the operation.

“We’re still trying to find the best fit,” the supervisor said.

A co-owner of a full-service operation in the Midwest said the company’s battery-powered DeWalt chainsaws are great for small jobs.

“We currently use Greenworks, and it is roughly 5-10 percent of our total inventory,” a general manager of a full-service operation in the Southwest said.

Taking the leap

Forty-three percent of respondents said they plan to add battery-powered equipment.

This number is slightly down from last year where 53 percent of survey takers said they planned to add electric equipment. Their answers vary as to what type of equipment they intend to add.

The vice president of a full-service operation in the Southeast plans to add blowers first.

“(We are) experimenting with electric blowers for fertilizer apps,” said an owner of a lawn care operation in the Southwest. “We’re (also) trying to locate a viable option to replace small engines powering spray pumps.”

An owner of a maintenance, lawn care, irrigation and snow removal operation in the Midwest plans to add electric trimmers. An owner of a maintenance, lawn care, irrigation and snow removal operation in the Midwest plans to add electric string trimmers to the company’s fleet of battery-powered equipment, which includes push mowers and backpack sprayers.

A vice president of a maintenance, lawn care, irrigation and snow removal company in the Southwest said it’s important to remember the reasons for adding the equipment in the first place.

“We are always open to trying a new product. But we look for quality that the product can deliver, ease of use and total cost,” the vice president said