stefcl100

On a separate website: https://www.greenworkscommercial.com/

Isn't Greenworks 80 volt a dying battery system? Seems like 60v and 82v platforms are getting all the new tools...

Would the newer Stihl AP500s batteries fit into that category?

64 volt has been launched: https://www.makita.co.nz/search/64Vmax

The EGO reel mower you have been waiting for :

New commercial preview video on youtube.

German manufacturer AS Motor has announced a whole new range of landscaping machines based on the EGO 56v battery platform. https://www.as-motor.com/products/?electric=1&_ga=2.15768502.1851110912.1625292688-942542610.1625292688 Some of their equipment will be compatible with the 28ah backpack battery and feature the EGO Peak-power technology (2x56v). AS may not be that famous in the US but it's a highly regarded professional brand in Europe. They build indestructible mowers designed to perform in rough conditions (tall grass, uneven terrain, steep hills). This new system is expected to be available in 2022. AS previously released a couple of models featuring the Briggs and Stratton 82li motor (similar to Snapper) before switching to EGO batteries. Also one has to note that unlike Kobalt, Greenworks, Greenworks Commercial, Stiga, Powerworks, Menard and Snapper, there is no artificial trick to make the battery incompatible across brands.

@JronmanSince you own both, how powerful is the commercial trimmer compared to the power head? Is there a noticeable difference?

Multiple possible reasons... Perhaps the marketing argument losing some of its weight, people used to compare power tools by voltage alone but this seems to have changed now. Form factor of lower voltage packs is more versatile and often results in lighter handheld tools while batteries can always be coupled to fit the power requirements of larger (wheeled) tools. I suppose that, from a purely marketing standpoint, it is difficult for globetools to let both "80v pro" and "82v commercial" lines coexist with blatantly similar battery packs and tool design.

You are probably talking about their newer 48 volt (serie 500) battery... It seems that many third-party lines based on greenworks 80 volt are now abandoned. Greenworks itself has introduced a new 24/48 system because they thought the world needed a new battery. Such moves make me question the durability of a serious battery investment, not mentioning the environmental aspects...

Possible.... the carbon shaft version has not been released in Europe so I have not tested it. My favorite ego trimmer is the attachment capable version.

Are you talking about the 15"? I hated it, or should I say, it didn't work for me 😆... Torque is excellent but rotation speed is low. It works wonder against hard stuff but dense, healthy grass tends to bend without getting cut. If you are used to gas trimmers (my previous one was a husqvarna 525lk) that's perhaps where you'll notice the biggest difference. The blowers are excellent! Mowers... well they are decent. My gen2 mower lacks lift, cut quality isn't the best, its self-propelled mechanism takes some time to get used to. Despite all its quirks, it is surprisingly pleasant to use and does a good job even in difficult conditions. Haven't tested the gen3 but I have read that many issues from gen2 have been addressed/improved.

I came across a video on the Makita NZ facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/makitanewzealand/videos/200625024860234 Don't expect to learn a lot from it, it just announces a XGT x2 (80 volt) system. There is no information about this line, we can only imagine that it will be aimed at the larger demanding tools (mowers / backpack blowers). While looking for more information, I found a couple of new tools on the japanese website: PDC1200 - A 1200Wh backpack battery compatible with both XGT / LXT x2 platforms. MUX01GZ - a XGT power head with 3 speed settings. Despite rumors about a new 50-60 volt system, It seems that XGT could finally be Makita's next main platform for OPE...

It's global... I found an official document in English on the IR website: https://www.makita.biz/ir/upload_file/tdnrelease/6586_20201029412045_P01_.pdf

I asked many people that question (neighbors, friends, professionals). The issues for pros are runtime and performance. Large brushcutters, blowers (eg: Stihl magnum backpack) still lack a battery equivalent. Homeowners are discouraged by the high upfront cost of batteries and the risk of them failing or losing capacity after a couple of years. When you highlight reduced service cost, there is always someone who answers that his mower/trimmer has been running fine for 10 years without any maintenance.

I came across this press release on Makita BE website (in french) : (https://www.makita.be/actualite/communiqué-de-presse-notification-de-l’arrêt-de-la-production-de-produits-à-moteur-thermique-1.html) It announces that the Makita group is officially stopping the production of gas-operated products in March 2022. This decision is based on the growing demand for eco-friendly OPE and should only have minimal impact on financial results. R&D resources will be concentrated on battery technology.

According to protoolreviews, their respective blowing forces are 11.3N (DUB184) and 14N (DUB362). DUB184 on high lasted 10 minutes with a 5ah battery, DUB362 ran for 11:20 with 2x5ah in their tests. Unfortunately, there are no data regarding low/medium speed settings, where I'd expect the runtime difference to be largely in favor of the 36 volt version.

The EGO trimmer with the motor on the rear is much more powerful than the regular version that has the motor located in the head. The power head from Makita (DUX60) also seemed insanely strong compared to the DURXXX equivalent. I also noticed that the most powerful battery trimmer from stihl (Kma 130) and the newest husqvarna (325ilk) both use a rear-mounted motor. I am no expert but my guess is that having the motor on the rear removes some size constraint and offers more options when it comes to gearing (gear reduction? not sure how exactly it is called in english but you'll get the idea). They may be less energy efficient, but ultimately superior when it comes to speed and raw power.

Not sure I am doing the math right, but dimensions would be at least 144x65x64 mm or 168x70x84 mm depending on the size of cells. Perhaps an OPE dedicated battery platform?

As long as their model names are the same, I would not expect much of a difference performance wise. Blueprints are mostly the same and they must comply with the specifications on the product sheet, you should not expect less than advertised. Even durability doesn't obey a straight logic, it has a lot to do with the quality of the various parts used for assembling the final product. There can be good and problematic series, you can never tell.

Have you checked the manual? I attached the relevant pics.

After the incident, did you inform somebody at Dewalt? I guess they might be interested to learn more about the circumstances, exact tool model etc...

Certainly, I saw that this can be achieved with most Greenworks clones. But considering the high cost of batteries, I am not sure It's worth sacrifying warranty, unless the tool line gets discontinued.

According to a local dealer, EGO and Honda batteries were not compatible despite being pure clones. Honda HRX/Twincut design and EGO batteries would have been a nice combo. I wonder why so many manufacturers targeting the EU market settle for 36/40 volt systems (toro, stihl, husqvarna, honda...).

A couple of years ago, Honda started selling a 56 volt battery system manufactured by Chervon (the chinese group that makes EGO). For some unknown reasons, this 56 volt battery line has never been extended beyond the limited initial offering and looks pretty much outdated and abandoned. While browsing a german dealer site, I was surprised to notice a 46cm (19") mower based on a brand new 36 volt platform, along with a brushcutter, hedge trimmer and blower. Available battery sizes are 4, 6 and 9 ah. Altough none of these new tool seems particularly impressive on paper (except perhaps for the high price tag), it's interesting to see more and more high-end brands investing into battery OPE.