Sep. 02, 2024
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While this new technology is exciting, the jargon that comes with it tends to be a bit confusing. To help, we&#;ve put together a cordless garden tool buyers guide, with all the information you&#;ll need to confidently choose the best cordless garden tool for you.
Looking for a new mower? Check out our round up of best cordless lawn mowers to buy this year. Or perhaps you'll be after a hedge trimmer, leaf vacuum or leaf blower this autumn? If so, we've got it covered with our pick of the best hedge trimmers, leaf vacuum buyer's guide and leaf blowers buyer's guide. For your next DIY project, take a look at our best cordless drills and best multi-tools.
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Five reasons to buy cordless garden toolsThere are a number of cordless tool system brands, below we've listed some of the most popular. And if you&#;re looking for specific cordless tool, you can see how various tools go head to head on test in our round-ups for the best hedge trimmers, the best cordless lawn mowers and the best pressure washers.
Worx&#;s PowerShare outdoor tool range includes:
The PowerShare range uses a 20V battery, which can also be used with their DIY power tools in the same collection.
Read our Worx WG779E cordless mower review and Landroid S300 WR130E robot mower review, which both won Gardeners&#; World magazine Best Buy awards.
Buy Worx cordless tools on Worx, Amazon and Ebay.
Stiga&#;s cordless tool range includes:
Read our Stiga Collect 136AE Kit cordless mower review and our Stiga 500 Multi Tool System review, both of which won Gardeners&#; World magazine Best Buy awards.
Buy Stiga cordless tools on Stiga, Amazon and Just Lawn Mowers.
Stihl&#;s cordless tool ranges include:
Read our Stihl Compact Cordless Power System review, HSA 56 Hedge Trimmer review and iMow 422P robot mower review, all of which won Gardeners&#; World magazine Best Buy awards.
Buy Stihl cordless tools on Stihl, Amazon and Just Lawn Mowers.
Bosch&#;s Power For All cordless tool ranges include:
Read our Bosch Power For All 18V Cordless System review and Rotak 32Li review, as well as the ALS Leaf Blower review and EasyHedgeCut 12-35 review, which both won Gardeners&#; World magazine Best Buy awards
Buy Bosch cordless tools on Bosch, Amazon and Tooled Up.
Makita Power For All cordless tool ranges include:
Read our Makita DLM460PT2 Cordless Lawn Mower review, which won a Gardeners&#; World magazine Best Buy award, and our Makita DUH551Z Hedge Trimmer review.
Buy Makita cordless tools from Amazon, My Tool Shed and Tooled Up.
Ryobi cordless tool ranges include:
Read our Ryobi One+ System review, which won a Gardeners&#; World magazine Best Buy award
Buy Ryobi cordless tools on Ryobi, Amazon and Ebay.
Greenworks cordless tool ranges include:
Read our Greenworks 24V Multi Tool review.
Buy Greenworks cordless tools on Greenworks, Amazon and Ebay.
Flymo cordless tool ranges include:
Read our Flymo 2 C-Link Multi Tool system review
Buy Flymo cordless tools from Flymo, Amazon and Homebase
These are individual tools, sold separately and usually with the choice of with or without a battery and charger. Therefore once you've bought your first tool, battery and charger from a particular range you only need to buy 'bare' tools from that range in the future. Tools available can include:
To find out more, watch our cordless tool system buyer&#;s guide:
Cordless tools can require a bit of forward planning to keep your batteries charged - there&#;s nothing more frustrating than waiting for batteries to charge when you&#;re ready to start the job at hand.
If your cordless tool uses a rechargeable battery pack, it&#;s often a good idea to have a spare, which can be charged while the other one is in use, but batteries can be expensive because they are complex to manufacture.
Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries need a special charger to match the battery&#;s specific size, but this can increase the costs. Some cordless tools don&#;t come with the battery and charger included, while others have a range of different sized batteries that fit the range and provide more power - great news, but they will require a specific charger to fit their size.
Think about your garden and what sort of tools you&#;ll need to tackle different jobs and choose your range accordingly.
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Once you&#;ve chosen which type of cordless power tool you&#;re looking for, it&#;s time to think about power. Most brands offer a range of cordless garden tools, which vary when it comes to the power they offer, from entry level needs to a higher spec that is designed to be used in large gardens, and by professionals.
Three factors determine the power of your cordless power tool:
Sometimes cordless tools can be bought with an integrated battery, in other words the battery is built into the tool and you charge the whole tool as opposed to just the battery, but most often they come with a chargeable battery pack - usually lithium-ion - which is removed from the tool to charge and can be used to power other cordless tools in a brand&#;s range. Integrated batteries are smaller than battery packs, making this type of cordless tool cheaper and lighter than those with removable batteries but the batteries don&#;t hold a charge as long so they&#;re ideal for smaller jobs.
Cordless tools with a chargeable battery pack might be a little heavier and more expensive but if you&#;re happy to stay with one brand, you can use the same battery with other tools in the range. While you can expect to pay a little more for them, if you&#;re happy to stay with one brand, you can use the same battery with other tools in the range assuming their size and voltage is compatible.
Further reading:Are you interested in learning more about Cordless Garden Tools? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
What do I need to know about Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries?The most common batteries used in cordless tools are lithium-ion. Technology behind lithium-ion batteries has dramatically improved in recent years, because they&#;re the same batteries used to power electric cars and energy storage. Significant investments have been made to develop the battery&#;s efficiency and performance and you can now expect the same power from cordless tools as you would get with corded and petrol alternatives.
Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries are ideal for cordless garden tools because they provide a decent amount of power, and, despite being relatively small, can cope with being charged time and time again regardless if it&#;s fully or half used, so you don&#;t have to worry about charging it at the right time and in the right way.
While this will always depend on use and storage, lithium-ion batteries hold their charge for months, even if only partially charged.
Lithium-ion batteries hold their charge for months, even if only partially charged.
In the long term, lithium extraction may have a detrimental impact on the environment, (according to earth.org, Lithium is extracted through &#;water-mining&#;, which requires an enormous amount of water throughout the process and toxic chemicals are needed to process lithium, leading to frequent water contamination and shortage lithium-producing countries). Ultimately, if lithium could be recycled, this would help manage the demands and make it a more sustainable option. In the meantime, they are a much better alternative to fossil fuels and signify a move towards sustainable development.
Although these rechargeable batteries come with a healthy lifespan of several years, ultimately when they need replacing they must be recycled. Some manufacturers will have the batteries back and recycle them, otherwise find your local recycling depot that will accept them.
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
Stiga 500 Series cordless tool system product review
Pros:
Cons:
Our testers found the SHT 500 AE Cordless hedge trimmer was able to cut woody growth well and the rotating head locked easily into five positions. The battery on this tool is quite large meaning it could be heavy for some users. The SGT 500 AE Cordless grass trimmer is easy to assemble and the wide head cuts efficiently. The tool is very adaptable as the shaft is telescopic, the handle adjusts and head also rotates, with a wheel for effortless edging.
This tool set sits at the higher end of the price-range and is best for committed gardeners. The tools performed every job well so we judged it a Best Buy.
Read the full review at: Stiga 500 Series review
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
Stihl Compact Cordless System product review
Pros:
Cons:
The hedge trimmer HAS 56 cuts woody growth efficiently and comes with a handy safety lock. The grass strimmer FSA 56 has an adjustable shaft and handle and copes with most rough lawn areas well. The leaf blower BGA 56 is light and quiet with an adjustable tube so it&#;s suitable for most heights. There&#;s only one speed setting but it handles leaves and smaller debris well.
There&#;s no assembling as the tools arrived ready to go and the batteries charge in 80 minutes. We found the system was efficient and good value money and would suit regular gardeners or bigger gardens. We judged this a Best Buy through our expert cordless garden tools reviews.
Read the full review at: Stihl Compact Cordless Power System review
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
Bosch 18V Power for ALL cordless tool system product review
Pros:
Cons:
We found the Universal Hedgecut 18-500 and Universal Grasscut 18-260 from this cordless garden multi tools system were simple to set up and the battery was easy to swap and recharge. The charger has indicator lights to let you know when the tool is fully charged. The hedge trimmer felt well-balanced and the &#;Antiblocking system&#; stopped growth jamming the blades. However, it was less powerful than other tools and felt a little flimsy, although the blades were longer.
The grass trimmer head rotates easily for trimming although the cutting diameter is quite small. We liked the ergonomically designed handle and the way the battery tucked comfortably under the arm during use.
Read the full review at: Bosch 18V Power for ALL Cordless System review
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5
Greenworks 24V Cordless Series cordless tool system product review
Pros:
Cons:
The 24 V string trimmer and hedge trimmer cordless garden multi tools set comes with battery and charger included, which is unusual for this style of tool.
The grass trimmer has a rotatable head for edging but a slightly small handle meant the tool was uncomfortable for some testers. The hedge trimmer also had issues with the handle, as testers felt it was insubstantial. It is a light tool but struggles with thicker growth. The leaf blower was more comfortable to use and felt powerful, with two speeds plus a nozzle for more focused blowing.
Read the full review: Greenworks 24 V Cordless Series review
Save £30.99 on the Greenworks G24HT 24 V cordless hedge trimmer on Mad4Tools
Save £50.99 on the Greenworks line trimmer in a bundle with the Greenworks cordless mower on Mad4Tools
Our experts have also put a number of individual cordless tools through their paces, from various tool systems, including:
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These days, more and more gardeners are eschewing petrol and corded electric garden tools for the convenience of battery power. There are a number of advantages offered by cordless tools: providing maximum operational freedom without the weight, noise and exhaust fumes of a petrol engine, they don&#;t have any power cords to become entangled or accidentally severed by blades, and recharging a battery is a much simpler task than buying, transporting, mixing and safely storing fuel. Traditionally, the trade off has always been lower power and runtime; however, today&#;s lithium ion machines are available in increasingly higher voltages, and with high capacity batteries for extended use, enabling the gardener to comfortably accomplish more demanding tasks.
So it&#;s not surprising that cordless technology represents one of the fastest growing areas in the outdoor tool market, and many gardeners are keen to replace their old machines with battery powered alternatives. However, if you&#;re thinking of investing in a new cordless garden tool, it is worth taking some time to consider the options.
Firstly, it is worth noting that most cordless tools are sold either with battery and charger, or without (and you should clarify this before purchasing!) &#; the reason being that the battery is capable not only of powering the tool in question, but also a range of other tools from the same manufacturer. For instance If you bought an 18v Bosch Power4All hedge trimmer with a battery and charger, and later decided you needed a new grass trimmer, you could buy a &#;body only&#; Bosch 18v Power4All trimmer and power it off the same battery. And in fact, in the case of the Bosch Power4All range (and many other ranges), this is not just restricted to garden tools. The same battery can be used to power any 18v Power4All machine from the Bosch DIY range of power tools. This saves you the expense of having to buy multiple batteries and chargers for every machine, so it&#;s worth considering what cordless tools you may want to add to your collection in the future, and indeed any that you already own. It may well be the case that you already own a compatible battery and charger for a suitable tool. As a general rule, as long as the manufacturer, battery voltage and battery chemistry are the same (for example, Black & Decker 18v lithium ion) then batteries are interchangeable. One notable exception to this is in the case of manufacturers who split their product groups into Professional & DIY grade ranges, in which case the batteries are generally incompatible &#; for instance Bosch Blue (professional) & Green (Garden & DIY).
If you&#;re choosing a cordless platform that offers you the most versatility, then you&#;re likely to consider an 18v range, as this is currently the most popular voltage for day-to-day professional and consumer grade cordless tools. Most manufacturers offer a wide range of options in this category. Makita&#;s 18v range, for example, consists of over 100 tools. Unfortunately, some garden machines (like lawnmowers) are quite power hungry and require higher voltages in order to run efficiently. If this is a problem, you may find a solution in the new Flexvolt and DualVolt ranges introduced by DeWalt and Black & Decker respectively. These powerful 54v tools run on special batteries which are also compatible with those manufacturers&#; 18v ranges, meaning you can power a wide range of cordless tools on just one battery. Some manufacturers also offer 36v tools which are compatible with their 18v ranges, being powered by two standard 18v batteries installed on the machine.
When buying any new cordless garden tool, it is worth checking what accessories are available from the supplier. Stocking up on consumables (such as strimmer line, brush cutter blades, hedge trimmer oil etc) will save you the hassle of having to order more in the future, and if you can afford it, it is a good idea to purchase a spare battery for your tools in case you need to replace one further down the line &#; additionally, having a fully charged battery on hand will enable you to complete longer tasks with minimal downtime. If you&#;d like to achieve longer runtimes, look for compatible batteries with a higher ah (ampere hours) rating.
Hopefully this blog has given you some pointers if you&#;re thinking about making the jump to cordless garden maintenance. Check out the Garden Tools section of the Tooled Up website to see our available garden power tools, hand tools and machinery, including a wide range of cordless power tools from some of the biggest manufacturers in the industry.
Categories discussed in this article:
Outdoor Power Tools
Garden Machinery
Battery Packs & Chargers
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