Hey fellow landscapers! I'm curious about the experience of anyone using Milwaukee trimmers and blowers all day in a professional setting. Specifically, I'd love to know:
1) What kind of batteries are you using, and how long do they last?
2) If you had the choice again, would you stick with battery-powered tools or switch back to gas?
I've been using Milwaukee tools for my home yard work, but I'm finding that my batteries die pretty quickly even with smaller jobs. I'm using a 9.0, 5.0, and 4.0 battery, and they seem to drain fast when I'm trimming and blowing. Also, my old 9.0 battery is only charging to two bars now. Thoughts?
3 Answers
I’ve been using a Milwaukee trimmer and blower, but I can’t run them all day. The trimmer lasts me about 2 hours with the 8Ah battery (on the slower setting), and the blower? Just about 15 minutes. I figure it might be because I primarily handle smaller gardens here in the UK, and my work mainly involves weeding and mowing. I wouldn’t switch back to gas though—except I still keep my gas blower for those intense autumn leaf days!
I’ve had a good run with two big batteries for small properties, and the string trimmer has been solid. The only issue I face is the string loader jamming all the time. Overall, I don’t regret going battery-powered, but for bigger jobs, I still lean on my backpack blower.
I can get through about 3-4 half-acre properties using the trimmer with an 8Ah battery. However, I’m not ready to fully ditch my gas backpack blower for battery power just yet. I still use the battery blower mainly for light jobs—like blowing off my shoes before I jump back in the truck. It’s worked well enough for three years, but eventually, the head gave out!
Yeah, I’ve noticed that with the trimmer too! Those string loaders can be a pain, but I guess it’s great to have a backup for the larger jobs!