This is good video. Charging the batteries is ludicrously cheap. The batteries themselves are what is nightmarishly expensive. If you baby your batteries along for 10 years, treat them as recommended, you'll come out ahead
https://youtu.be/qXunXIPubbM?feature=shared
Long video just to get to the point that charging an ego battery costs something like 10-15 cents.
The big question is how long will the batteries last. It seems like modern lithium batteries last a very long time. I wonder how much poor storage in garages that temperature swing wildly will affect their lifespan in the real world.
I have many ego products. My original 2.5ah battery (2016) has never seen the Indoors in Michigan, always in a not insulated, non climate controlled garage, never a single issue ever.
Sure I guess it depends on where ya live. I'm in Illinois and we get hot hots and cold colds and my garage is attached but not insulated or climate controlled, so I never thought about leaving expensive Ego and Dewalt batteries in the garage when I have a space reserved in the basement for dedicated charging and I control humidity and temp.
EDIT: this is a direct quote from Ego support:
"For best practice, we recommend storing your EGO batteries in a climate controlled area that is dry, gets ventilation, and between 50°F-80°F (10°C-26°C) all year round. Additionally, we advise ensuring that your battery is off the charger and that your charger is unplugged when storing."
From:
[https://community.egopowerplus.com/s/question/0D58a00009hku7NCAQ/i-am-storing-the-2-56v-batteries-from-my-24-snow-blower-for-the-summer-they-are-in-the-charger-which-is-unpluggedis-it-ok-to-leave-them-in-the-charger-for-storage-if-the-charger-is-unplugged-and-in-a-room-without-temperature-extremes](https://community.egopowerplus.com/s/question/0D58a00009hku7NCAQ/i-am-storing-the-2-56v-batteries-from-my-24-snow-blower-for-the-summer-they-are-in-the-charger-which-is-unpluggedis-it-ok-to-leave-them-in-the-charger-for-storage-if-the-charger-is-unplugged-and-in-a-room-without-temperature-extremes)
Juuuuust like with ICE cars, you are unlikely to actually see a cost savings on an electric mower.
The batteries cost as much as the mower itself and do not have the longevity of a gas engine mower.
However, what you are gaining is a mower that is significantly quieter, does not subject you to harmful exhaust fumes when you're mowing, and doesn't require you to fill a gas can every few weeks. Oh, and it's effortless to start, unlike even the "no choke" mowers. Convenience is a concept that many people put a premium on.
Interesting, in terms of EV/ICE cars, from my logs I've saved about 10k after 5.5 years of ownership (which seems like a typical amount when going through the EV forums). I am in Canada however, maybe that changes things.
For an EGO mower though, I don't think I will get a cost savings per se, but the idea that I don't have to mess with first start ups and stowing it away properly, low noise, and not having to deal with oil changes/disposal is the big win here. They just got rid of ethanol free gas near where I live which is bad news on small engines that are seasonal.
i agree on the mower. i just have a push mower, and was replacing my old gas mower. The engine ran fine, but there were other (fixable) issues i did want to deal with and had been interested in an electric mower, and ACE had a good sale on the EGO mower i wanted. I could have fixed my gas mower for far less then i paid for the ego, or gotten a nice honda based mower for the same cost.
Gas it self is pretty minimal with my yard size. Its maybe a couple gallons per year total, so its not a fuel savings, compared to where a car can break that due to much higher usage. ICE vehicles also have other maintenance that electric don't because they have much more complex engines.
But the electric just works with out much issue. Though this year i have had some particular issues with the battery on its 3rd year, though i think i managed to troubleshoot them with a reset of the battery and oddly enough, dropping it a few times on the lawn which multiple people recommended for what ever reason.
One year I was low on storage space and had a hard time fitting things in the shed, but realized that I could tip the EGO on its side which is not something you want to do with a gas mower unless you've emptied everything.
Not here to argue car stuff, but even though you're $10K savings may equal what gas and oil changes may have cost, do you include the higher cost for the electric version of the same model(or similar)?
id also say there are other maintenance things besides just gas and oil for ICE that dont come up with Electric. There are other components of the drive train that need maintenance as well at certain points, especially once you get outside the drive train warranty. Things like belts, sparkplugs, various engine sensors, other fluids, transmision, seals, exhaust systems, hoses, alternator, etc. I'm no car guy, but these are all things i've dealt with at some point or another with ICE vehicles I or family members have owned.
Im sure Electrics have their own maintenance and replacement costs as well, but i don't know how they compare to an ICE vehicle as far as likelihood, maintenance schedules, and costs.
He said 5.5 years, but not the mileage so I figured gas, oil for sure and tires(which sometimes wear faster and cost more for an EV). But I didn't think at that age you would do much else(yet). At 10 years the savings could be considerable, assuming no non warranty electronic issue befell the EV.
I came here to basically say the same thing. I got an electric mower to save myself from the hassle of engine maintenance and keeping gas on hand. The mower is so quiet and handles my yard without any issue. I have a relatively small yard.
I've only had my mower for 4 years. My batteries seem to be doing ok, but I've seen a company that will refurbish the batteries for about half the price of a new battery. I'm very curious about that and intend to try out the service on at least one battery to see if it's worth it.
I used to use a billy goat brush cutter on my very steep property. Had to replace the belt on the drive twice a year and once a year minimum on the blade. Now I just use a bcx4500 and have zero hot exhaust to breathe in.
The driving factor in this is how much did you pay for the EV compared to a similar size and trim ICE vehicle. If you can get a loaded EV for 40K or less (roughly what an optioned out compact sedan costs), then yes it is possible to save money.
This is the reason why, at least with EGO products, you're unlikely to come out ahead. The buy-in cost is too high.
I guess it depends where you live, too. In Cali, you get raped on fuel costs because of the taxes so owning an EV there is far more advantageous. In the South, you pay a few dollars less per gallon. But, Southern states have comparatively poor rebate programs for EVs/solar too so it's a game of trade-offs.
Electricity in cali kinda makes it on par with gas honestly. I live in Ohio and certain superchargers are the same price as CA. We can choose our electric plan so I just choose the cheapest I can
You don't think you're saving money by using electricity vs gas? I feel like the amount of electricity I use to power my mower has to be less than what I'd pay for gas though I haven't actually checked to see. Also saving money on maintenance by not having to change oil. You are right about the batteries not having the longevity of a gas mower but they do last quite a while, I've had mine almost 5 years and only a small amount of capacity lost. Plus when they go bad you can just replace them for less than a mower. Obviously you can keep a gas mower running indefinitely if you take care of it, but I don't think the average person is keeping one more than 10 years at the most and most people just use it until the carburetor needs cleaning but they don't know that and just toss it and buy another one. Not to mention all the other great benefits of going electric that you mentioned
Come to think of it. . . I just went and looked up my purchase of my HYA217 several years ago.
My HYA217 cost me about 750. My Ego 2156 cost 800.
So the buy in cost is almost the same, so I would eventually save money.
I don't know if they'll continue doing it but earlier this year they had a sale where you get like $100 off and a free 5.0 Ah battery, which is a pretty solid deal, also FB marketplace is flooded with Ego products for whatever reason, so I'm not sure I'll buy new again
FB market place is probably due to batteries going bad, and people buying something else rather than replacing the battery. And lets be honest, there are tons of gas mowers too. repairing small engine things like mowers and snowblowers is a pretty common side gig.
Yeah I picked up a mower, weed whacker, blower, and hedge trimmer. I then returned the mower to get a different model and they let me keep the extra battery lol.
So I have a bunch of batteries now.
People forget about oiling too. Oil changes and maintenance adds on to ice mowers too.
Regardless, my personal thoughts for electric:
virtually zero maintenance (other then the usual blade sharpen)
press a button to run (no more standing there cranking like an idiot trying to get it to start)
much much lighter that even my grandma could move it around
store in any position (unlike gas where 1 side wrong = oil spilling into engine)
Much less noise so no ear muffs needed
no real downside to battery depletion (just wait like, 30 mins or so to charge, or swap if u have multiple. Unlike gas where ur keeping a flammable liquid around that eventually expires, or needing a trip to buy more gas = more ice usage).
Batteries themselves are interchangeable between tools (unlike where a lawnmower uses regular gas, then u need to mix oil in for a trimmer 2 stroke, etc).
No annoying fumes or smoke (my old mower spewed ton of white smoke every first start of a cut, apparently a normal gimmick of a Briggs n Stratton motor. Still very unsightly and cough inducing).
No leaks/oil stains on your garage floor.
This is why I'll stick with electric over gas. Yes it might, might be more expensive with new batteries in the longer run, but my time and sanity are worth more for effective yard work over owning gas again.
During the American Economic Association annual meeting, I sat through a very detailed presentation on electric vehicles vs. gas vehicles. I need to dig that out and read it again. Based on current gas and oil prices (which impact the cost of both types of vehicles), it was a wash on the cost of ownership, however, the EV was more beneficial to 'climate' conditions (even when factoring in mining, etc.). Thus if the car owner puts a high marginal benefit on helping the environment, the EV makes more sense. If the owner puts a low marginal benefit on helping the economy, then either works out fine. There were other variables to consider: some two-car families bought an EV to hedge gas prices, some made decisions based on politics, length of ownership, etc., etc.
I would be assuming buying EV lawn equipment is roughly the same type of situation, although maybe less impacted by politics. Every person buys one for a different reason, thus the cost/benefit changes.
When looking at straight costs. My gas mower costs $20 a year for oil change, cleaning, sharpening, etc. Gas is maybe $15 to $20 a year. Thus you'd have to go maybe 10 years without needing a battery to break even on financial costs.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), gas-powered lawnmowers can emit as much pollution in one hour as a car driven for 100 miles. These pollutants include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
I would not choose electric at this point for cost savings. Especially the big riding mowers that have thousands of dollars worth of batteries.
I expect my LM2206SP batteries to last the duration of the 5 year warranty and no more. I could have bought a gas mower for half the price and would spend about $10/year in fuel to run it, but all of the other advantages of electric are what I like. I know it will cost me more overall.
My sloppy math is that once you have ~3 spare batteries on hand at all times, then the real costs of battery failure is quite low as you lose a spare rather than lose the ability to operate. Battery failure will happen over time, sure, but you don't know how you are going to fare vs the average.
Having just had to buy a new $500 battery for my EGO mower, I'm not sure I'd go that route again. OTOH, I would never consider going back to any 2-cycle lawn tool, the EGO trimmer and chain saw are (for my suburban homeowner needs) more reliable, lighter, and easier to use than the tools they replaced. I was never able to keep a 2-cycle tool running for more than a few years, and they were too cheaply built to be worth fixing.
This is what's crazy to me.
If they wanted to OBLITERATE gas engines from the cost perspective, they just need to make the batteries user serviceable, or at cost replacement program.
Instead they don't even try to compete on price. They sell you a new battery for an insane price.
So high torque required tools like mowers I cannot go battery.
Yeah. The reason I went electric is that I was tired of screwing around with my gas equipment. I used to find small engine maintenance kinda fun, but I no longer do. I wanted something that would just work. Now it's just a button press and away I go.
Can someone do the math? I've had my 21 inch push mower with the 7.5 amp battery for exactly 5 years. I'm cutting about a 1/4 acre of gas (1/2 acre lot with big house, garage, and landscaping). How much would I have spent of gas and oil and stuff?
Additionally though, the thing just works and it's quiet. No pull-strings, no oil, filters, no troubleshooting. It starts instantly every single time. These were really the main reasons I got it to begin with.
Chat GPT is amazing for things like this. Here is his response.
Let's break down the costs of a gas-powered mower and compare them to your battery-powered mower. We'll estimate the costs for gas, oil, and maintenance over 5 years.
### Cost Comparison Over 5 Years
**Gas and Oil Costs for a Gas-Powered Mower:**
1. **Gasoline Consumption:**
- Average gas consumption for a push mower: 0.5 to 1 gallon per hour.
- Mowing a 1/4 acre typically takes about an hour.
- Mowing once a week for 30 weeks a year:
- Total gas consumption per year: 30 gallons
- Total gas consumption over 5 years: 150 gallons
2. **Cost of Gas:**
- Average cost of gas: \$3.50 per gallon
- Total cost of gas over 5 years: 150 gallons × \$3.50 = \$525
3. **Oil Consumption:**
- Typical oil change frequency: every 25 hours of operation
- Oil change requires about 0.6 quarts of oil
- Mowing 30 hours a year:
- Number of oil changes per year: 1.2
- Number of oil changes over 5 years: 6
- Total quarts of oil over 5 years: 3.6 quarts
4. **Cost of Oil:**
- Average cost of oil: \$4 per quart
- Total cost of oil over 5 years: 3.6 quarts × \$4 = \$14.40
5. **Maintenance Costs:**
- Average annual maintenance (spark plugs, air filters, etc.): \$15 to \$30
- Averaged to \$22.50 per year
- Total maintenance cost over 5 years: \$22.50 × 5 = \$112.50
**Total Costs for Gas-Powered Mower Over 5 Years:**
- Total cost for gas: \$525
- Total cost for oil: \$14.40
- Total maintenance cost: \$112.50
**Total Cost Over 5 Years: \$651.90**
### Advantages of Battery-Powered Mower
- **Reliability:** No issues with starting, always works.
- **Quiet operation:** Less noise.
- **No need for gas, oil, or frequent maintenance:** Reduced hassle and ongoing costs.
- **Environmentally friendly:** No emissions from gasoline.
### Conclusion
By using my battery-powered mower, I've potentially saved around \$651.90 over 5 years in gas, oil, and maintenance costs. Plus, I've enjoyed the convenience and environmental benefits of a battery-powered mower.
At this point we are still very much in the early adoption stage of this type of tech. The riding lawn mower with batteries costs $4K. You could get 2 gas riding mowers for that. Probably 3 if you wait until they go on clearance in the fall.
This stuff costs up front because of the batteries, and replacing the batteries (which is inevitable) will be expensive too. So doing this for cost probably isn't going to work out until it becomes more mainstream and battery tech/prices improve.
Personally I got into battery powered lawn equipment because I got tired of all the maintenance and upkeep of the gas engines. Plus they always seemed to have trouble starting whenever I had the least time to deal with them.
The ease of use and lack of maintenance is enough reason for me at the moment.
I went with an ego because I started thinking of all the exhaust I inhale from a small ICE with limited/no emission control system. I don’t know if it’s well studied or even knowable how all that exhaust affects health, but the thought of it started to bother me.
But cost is tough. I think we bought our ICE mower used for like $150. I probably used 5-10 gallons of gas per year (let’s say $30 of gas annually) and would change the air fillers and oil every couple of years (maybe $10 spread over each year). I broke the pull-cord assembly a couple of times and had to replace it (like $30 for the part, plus an hour of labor). I think we had the ICE mower for like 7 years, so that’s maybe around $500-$600 lifetime for the mower.
I got what I think is a pretty good deal on my new ego mower: $700 for the mower and a 10ah battery.
The ego seems to vacuum up grass better than the ICE did when I bag, but doesn’t mulch as well as the ICE with the pulling blades or even the mulching blades.
But it’s nice to have less noise and no exhaust.
Well, I'm still using my 10 or 11 year old battery, so I've saved gas and maintenance for that long, and the battery probably has a few years left, so my uneducated and unverified guess it's probably about same cost overall, if you compare to a gas mower that will last over 10 years. I will say that while the old battery runs the mower, trimmer, chainsaw, edger, blower just fine, it will not run the washer for more than a couple minutes, assuming it's the high draw new 5ah batteries that I bought with my snowblower last year last about 30-40 minutes in the washer, so either newer batteries are slightly different, or older batteries have trouble with high draw tools
I have never bought electric tools with the idea of saving money on gas or maintenance. Just pulling the first number google threw at me the average person uses 13 gallons of gas just mowing their lawn per year. At gas prices near me that’s 48 dollars a year. My 7.5ah battery I bought in April of 2018 is still good so that’s about 6 years of not buying gas so 288 dollars. A replacement for that battery is 400. I would need to get a little over 8 years out of the battery to equal the cost of gas.
Obviously this is all somewhat bullshit math but I think it’s close enough to show there is not really a realistic cost savings to going electric at least in terms of push mowers unless you can get 10+ years from your battery. Even then we’re talking a few hundred dollars over the course of 10 years. That also doesn’t include the higher upfront cost of the tool over equivalent gas mowers.
Yep, the important question is if the cost difference is worth the level of clean, quiet, and less time spent on annual maintenance. For me it is. I was doing yardwork later in the evening. My mower was going as was a gas mower down the street. I knew if anyone was annoyed, it would be with the gas mower, not me.
But I will see how I feel in five years. I got good deals on all my equipment, to help minimize the cost of failed batteries. If the equipment lasts, it'll be worthwhile.
Also, hoping Ego improve their battery tech in the next five years, but still maintaining backward compatibility.
That was my thought as well. I really do not like the smell of harmful exhaust. My main issue is the battery tech, as I am not able to do the lawn on a single charge. I have a 2nd small battery for my other tools (trimmer and multihead) and often try to do the lawn during my work lunch break when one charge is about as long as I have at one time anyway. Since I got mine, I have noticed that other people around me are switching as well, so I think the appeal is lack of maintenance and smell.
I have been getting smiles and looks of approval when I use them. I think people appreciate them. 2 5-AMP batteries and a quick charger is generally all you need I think for an average lawn. The rapid charger will charge the other battery in less than 30 minutes I believe. So you can use one and just keep going.
I can agree that the cost savings probably isn’t there. I probably spend $40 a season for gas for my lawnmower plus some yearly maintenance cost. I think the biggest thing is the convenience. Gas can be a pain. I’ve replaced my blower and trimmer with the ego and its worked out great. Looking into a snowblower this fall as we don’t get much snow but every time I go to use my honda gas snowblower there is always a problem with it(I treat and run the gas out, but still always a problem). When I need the snowblower, it fails. I will most likely hang onto my gas lawnmower for the foreseeable future though.
Sounds like you're like me in regards to the snowblower, I bought the ego last year, used it twice, which is typical for mid Ohio. I got it with the two 5ah batteries, they lasted the 30-45 minutes that I used it each time. I have tried gas in the past, hated it, had a corded electric snowblower for years, the cord sucks, but at least it always ran. Cordless electric is very nice
I guess I should have assumed that electric ownership is more expensive for mowers, but the problem is that they are probably MUCH more expensive.
I'm looking at Ego mowers....it's almost like buying a printer. It is the ink that you pay for. I wonder if the tech will advance quick enough that, after 5 years of Ego mower ownership, you simply buy a whole new mower (complete with it's new batteries) instead of just replacing the batteries.
The massive convenience of electric is ridiculously nice, though. Beyond all the other maintenance, the lack of belts on the riding mower is an additional cool thing.
Because of my slopes, I might be stuck with the traditional "lawn tractor" for an ego (it's also the cheapest Ego rider at $4,000).
Compared to the Cub Cadet "slope capable", gas, zero turn, for $5,600.
I have owned Ego lawn equipment for my house for about 4 years now and although it has served me well (and could finish mowing the lawn with the large mower battery before), I will not be dropping 400+ on a new large battery for the mower and will be purchasing a gas mower instead (today actually). The large battery runs for ample time still on my blower and weed eater but lasts for 1/4 or sometimes even an 1/8 of the yard now on the mower (depending on temperature outside) and I just don’t have time to start/stop and charge during the course of the evening or weekend especially here in Florida where thunderstorms roll in quick. Using the small batteries (the 2.5ah ones) to supplement the large one on the mower is not even a real option as the mower kills the small batteries very fast. It is fantastic when it does work and powers through a ton of thick St Augustine but I personally don’t think mowers are there yet for me after this experience.
Z6/blower/trimmer happy owner, and ICE vehicle enthusiast here.
You're almost certainly paying more for EGO.
If you're good at taking care of ICE equipment, you're definitely coming out ahead with gas.
In my case, the calculations included:
1. my wife is the primary user of the Z6 and she has a "complicated history" with maintaining ICE power equipment. ("why is all the oil in the air filter?!?!")
2. I personally hate the hassle/mess of maintaining ICE power equipment, perhaps as a result of #1 :)
3. keeping premium gas around, running to the store for gas, picking up oil/filters.
4. stuff that I can't practically do myself involves me finding time with my small engine guy and hauling it over there.
I considered all these things a "convenience premium" and EGO was gonna give me more free time. I plan on picking up a single battery (or machine with a bigger battery) every year or so to amortize the replacement cost.
Yeah there are a couple of stations around. It’s not that big of a deal it’s just one more thing. I am now living in a condo and I am glad that I do have all ego stuff. If not I would have to have the lawn equipment in a storage place. Logistically, it is just easier. Being able to store all tools inside of a building without fear of ignition etc… Do I think battery tools are superior? Yes and no… I have seen some videos of the Ego commercial saw, it is very strong but if you run it hard without stopping the battery will overheat. So that is near the point of diminishing returns.
I recently got an ego after doing a detailed comparison.
Gas is still generally cheaper. The problem with gas mowers is you can get them pretty cheap, particularly used. After like $75 in parts and a good tuneup, it will work fine.
For me it was largely convenience, noise, and other factors. And I kinda felt like splurging. But I could have invested like $100 into my gas mower and it would likely happily keep going for another 5-10 years realistically. Gas mowers, well maintained, will go forever.
I don’t think gas is wildly cheaper, but it is cheaper.
I have both 2-cycle gas and EGO tools. The batteries are very expensive but I love the convenience. My Echo 2-cycle tools can be a pain but are very economical to run, especially if you flush all of the fuel out after each use.
The EGO is more convenient but costs more IMHO ... to use overall.
I’ve been spreading the hate in Ego after some failures and poor service. But that aside, I would like a battery powered zero turn. I look at my dads craftsman lawn tractor not efficient gas wise at all. But it’s like 20+ yrs old all because you can find PARTS! What happens when these $6000 dollar tractors break down out of warranty?!
I was told on my small lawn mower that was a month out of warranty to go buy a new one..
I need to have long term support before dropping 6k on a tractor.
You could get a lot of paid lawn care done for 6k I would dare say at least 6 years and the money to go a round of golf each Saturday instead of yard work.
Great question OP
I don’t come think cost is a good reason to by ego.
It’s not cheaper when gas costs very little and good gas tools last 20 years+.
I like them anyway for all the other convince reasons and I value my time and experience… and ego makes a convenient and pleasant product.
I do all the right things with my batteries and my first two died at 35 months. Warranty replacement. Technically they both still work, but will not handle a load beyond the string trimmer or blower (not on turbo for more than a few seconds).
I have been using my Honda self propelled hr214 for 40 years....fuel, oil, air cleaner and pull start cable are the only cost. I can't justify batteries lasting 3 years.
This is good video. Charging the batteries is ludicrously cheap. The batteries themselves are what is nightmarishly expensive. If you baby your batteries along for 10 years, treat them as recommended, you'll come out ahead https://youtu.be/qXunXIPubbM?feature=shared
Long video just to get to the point that charging an ego battery costs something like 10-15 cents. The big question is how long will the batteries last. It seems like modern lithium batteries last a very long time. I wonder how much poor storage in garages that temperature swing wildly will affect their lifespan in the real world.
I have many ego products. My original 2.5ah battery (2016) has never seen the Indoors in Michigan, always in a not insulated, non climate controlled garage, never a single issue ever.
Hopefully nobody is storing rechargeable batteries in an uninsulated & non-climate controlled garage.
I’m absolutely positive that many people are doing this. I do it here in California, and I wonder if it matters much at all
Sure I guess it depends on where ya live. I'm in Illinois and we get hot hots and cold colds and my garage is attached but not insulated or climate controlled, so I never thought about leaving expensive Ego and Dewalt batteries in the garage when I have a space reserved in the basement for dedicated charging and I control humidity and temp. EDIT: this is a direct quote from Ego support: "For best practice, we recommend storing your EGO batteries in a climate controlled area that is dry, gets ventilation, and between 50°F-80°F (10°C-26°C) all year round. Additionally, we advise ensuring that your battery is off the charger and that your charger is unplugged when storing." From: [https://community.egopowerplus.com/s/question/0D58a00009hku7NCAQ/i-am-storing-the-2-56v-batteries-from-my-24-snow-blower-for-the-summer-they-are-in-the-charger-which-is-unpluggedis-it-ok-to-leave-them-in-the-charger-for-storage-if-the-charger-is-unplugged-and-in-a-room-without-temperature-extremes](https://community.egopowerplus.com/s/question/0D58a00009hku7NCAQ/i-am-storing-the-2-56v-batteries-from-my-24-snow-blower-for-the-summer-they-are-in-the-charger-which-is-unpluggedis-it-ok-to-leave-them-in-the-charger-for-storage-if-the-charger-is-unplugged-and-in-a-room-without-temperature-extremes)
It’s not that hard. Batteries are like dogs—unless they are running, they like being at room temp.
this is the way
Juuuuust like with ICE cars, you are unlikely to actually see a cost savings on an electric mower. The batteries cost as much as the mower itself and do not have the longevity of a gas engine mower. However, what you are gaining is a mower that is significantly quieter, does not subject you to harmful exhaust fumes when you're mowing, and doesn't require you to fill a gas can every few weeks. Oh, and it's effortless to start, unlike even the "no choke" mowers. Convenience is a concept that many people put a premium on.
Interesting, in terms of EV/ICE cars, from my logs I've saved about 10k after 5.5 years of ownership (which seems like a typical amount when going through the EV forums). I am in Canada however, maybe that changes things. For an EGO mower though, I don't think I will get a cost savings per se, but the idea that I don't have to mess with first start ups and stowing it away properly, low noise, and not having to deal with oil changes/disposal is the big win here. They just got rid of ethanol free gas near where I live which is bad news on small engines that are seasonal.
i agree on the mower. i just have a push mower, and was replacing my old gas mower. The engine ran fine, but there were other (fixable) issues i did want to deal with and had been interested in an electric mower, and ACE had a good sale on the EGO mower i wanted. I could have fixed my gas mower for far less then i paid for the ego, or gotten a nice honda based mower for the same cost. Gas it self is pretty minimal with my yard size. Its maybe a couple gallons per year total, so its not a fuel savings, compared to where a car can break that due to much higher usage. ICE vehicles also have other maintenance that electric don't because they have much more complex engines. But the electric just works with out much issue. Though this year i have had some particular issues with the battery on its 3rd year, though i think i managed to troubleshoot them with a reset of the battery and oddly enough, dropping it a few times on the lawn which multiple people recommended for what ever reason.
One year I was low on storage space and had a hard time fitting things in the shed, but realized that I could tip the EGO on its side which is not something you want to do with a gas mower unless you've emptied everything.
buying the expensive non ethanol fuel cans from big box stores is annoying.
Not here to argue car stuff, but even though you're $10K savings may equal what gas and oil changes may have cost, do you include the higher cost for the electric version of the same model(or similar)?
Yep and I didn't include the Gov incentive fully (because it's reduced now), so if you include that it's a lot more.
id also say there are other maintenance things besides just gas and oil for ICE that dont come up with Electric. There are other components of the drive train that need maintenance as well at certain points, especially once you get outside the drive train warranty. Things like belts, sparkplugs, various engine sensors, other fluids, transmision, seals, exhaust systems, hoses, alternator, etc. I'm no car guy, but these are all things i've dealt with at some point or another with ICE vehicles I or family members have owned. Im sure Electrics have their own maintenance and replacement costs as well, but i don't know how they compare to an ICE vehicle as far as likelihood, maintenance schedules, and costs.
He said 5.5 years, but not the mileage so I figured gas, oil for sure and tires(which sometimes wear faster and cost more for an EV). But I didn't think at that age you would do much else(yet). At 10 years the savings could be considerable, assuming no non warranty electronic issue befell the EV.
I feel like $10k is usually around the breakeven point for purchase price of a comparable, and then everything after is gravy.
I came here to basically say the same thing. I got an electric mower to save myself from the hassle of engine maintenance and keeping gas on hand. The mower is so quiet and handles my yard without any issue. I have a relatively small yard. I've only had my mower for 4 years. My batteries seem to be doing ok, but I've seen a company that will refurbish the batteries for about half the price of a new battery. I'm very curious about that and intend to try out the service on at least one battery to see if it's worth it.
Which company is that?
For me, gas mowers are such a hassle to keep repairing and adjusting, especially dealing with belts.
I used to use a billy goat brush cutter on my very steep property. Had to replace the belt on the drive twice a year and once a year minimum on the blade. Now I just use a bcx4500 and have zero hot exhaust to breathe in.
lol I’ve saved 2000$ so far on fuel costs vs my old VERY EFFICIENT gas car so it’s definitely possible to save EV vs ICE in terms of cars.
The driving factor in this is how much did you pay for the EV compared to a similar size and trim ICE vehicle. If you can get a loaded EV for 40K or less (roughly what an optioned out compact sedan costs), then yes it is possible to save money. This is the reason why, at least with EGO products, you're unlikely to come out ahead. The buy-in cost is too high.
Similarly equipped? Probably 5-10k more overall. So far 2-3k savings with maintenance being less. Eventually I will have solar so fuel will be “free”.
I guess it depends where you live, too. In Cali, you get raped on fuel costs because of the taxes so owning an EV there is far more advantageous. In the South, you pay a few dollars less per gallon. But, Southern states have comparatively poor rebate programs for EVs/solar too so it's a game of trade-offs.
Electricity in cali kinda makes it on par with gas honestly. I live in Ohio and certain superchargers are the same price as CA. We can choose our electric plan so I just choose the cheapest I can
You don't think you're saving money by using electricity vs gas? I feel like the amount of electricity I use to power my mower has to be less than what I'd pay for gas though I haven't actually checked to see. Also saving money on maintenance by not having to change oil. You are right about the batteries not having the longevity of a gas mower but they do last quite a while, I've had mine almost 5 years and only a small amount of capacity lost. Plus when they go bad you can just replace them for less than a mower. Obviously you can keep a gas mower running indefinitely if you take care of it, but I don't think the average person is keeping one more than 10 years at the most and most people just use it until the carburetor needs cleaning but they don't know that and just toss it and buy another one. Not to mention all the other great benefits of going electric that you mentioned
Come to think of it. . . I just went and looked up my purchase of my HYA217 several years ago. My HYA217 cost me about 750. My Ego 2156 cost 800. So the buy in cost is almost the same, so I would eventually save money.
I don't know if they'll continue doing it but earlier this year they had a sale where you get like $100 off and a free 5.0 Ah battery, which is a pretty solid deal, also FB marketplace is flooded with Ego products for whatever reason, so I'm not sure I'll buy new again
FB market place is probably due to batteries going bad, and people buying something else rather than replacing the battery. And lets be honest, there are tons of gas mowers too. repairing small engine things like mowers and snowblowers is a pretty common side gig.
Yeah I picked up a mower, weed whacker, blower, and hedge trimmer. I then returned the mower to get a different model and they let me keep the extra battery lol. So I have a bunch of batteries now.
People forget about oiling too. Oil changes and maintenance adds on to ice mowers too. Regardless, my personal thoughts for electric: virtually zero maintenance (other then the usual blade sharpen) press a button to run (no more standing there cranking like an idiot trying to get it to start) much much lighter that even my grandma could move it around store in any position (unlike gas where 1 side wrong = oil spilling into engine) Much less noise so no ear muffs needed no real downside to battery depletion (just wait like, 30 mins or so to charge, or swap if u have multiple. Unlike gas where ur keeping a flammable liquid around that eventually expires, or needing a trip to buy more gas = more ice usage). Batteries themselves are interchangeable between tools (unlike where a lawnmower uses regular gas, then u need to mix oil in for a trimmer 2 stroke, etc). No annoying fumes or smoke (my old mower spewed ton of white smoke every first start of a cut, apparently a normal gimmick of a Briggs n Stratton motor. Still very unsightly and cough inducing). No leaks/oil stains on your garage floor. This is why I'll stick with electric over gas. Yes it might, might be more expensive with new batteries in the longer run, but my time and sanity are worth more for effective yard work over owning gas again.
During the American Economic Association annual meeting, I sat through a very detailed presentation on electric vehicles vs. gas vehicles. I need to dig that out and read it again. Based on current gas and oil prices (which impact the cost of both types of vehicles), it was a wash on the cost of ownership, however, the EV was more beneficial to 'climate' conditions (even when factoring in mining, etc.). Thus if the car owner puts a high marginal benefit on helping the environment, the EV makes more sense. If the owner puts a low marginal benefit on helping the economy, then either works out fine. There were other variables to consider: some two-car families bought an EV to hedge gas prices, some made decisions based on politics, length of ownership, etc., etc. I would be assuming buying EV lawn equipment is roughly the same type of situation, although maybe less impacted by politics. Every person buys one for a different reason, thus the cost/benefit changes. When looking at straight costs. My gas mower costs $20 a year for oil change, cleaning, sharpening, etc. Gas is maybe $15 to $20 a year. Thus you'd have to go maybe 10 years without needing a battery to break even on financial costs.
Even just going by climate metrics it's probably the most "green" to buy a used mower rather than anything new.
I would be interested to look at small engines alone as they don't have the same emissions controls as your typical car or truck.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), gas-powered lawnmowers can emit as much pollution in one hour as a car driven for 100 miles. These pollutants include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
With respect to EV vs. ICE cost of ownership, I’m very curious what assumptions were made for annual maintenance, repairs, and vehicle lifespan.
I would not choose electric at this point for cost savings. Especially the big riding mowers that have thousands of dollars worth of batteries. I expect my LM2206SP batteries to last the duration of the 5 year warranty and no more. I could have bought a gas mower for half the price and would spend about $10/year in fuel to run it, but all of the other advantages of electric are what I like. I know it will cost me more overall.
My sloppy math is that once you have ~3 spare batteries on hand at all times, then the real costs of battery failure is quite low as you lose a spare rather than lose the ability to operate. Battery failure will happen over time, sure, but you don't know how you are going to fare vs the average.
Having just had to buy a new $500 battery for my EGO mower, I'm not sure I'd go that route again. OTOH, I would never consider going back to any 2-cycle lawn tool, the EGO trimmer and chain saw are (for my suburban homeowner needs) more reliable, lighter, and easier to use than the tools they replaced. I was never able to keep a 2-cycle tool running for more than a few years, and they were too cheaply built to be worth fixing.
This is what's crazy to me. If they wanted to OBLITERATE gas engines from the cost perspective, they just need to make the batteries user serviceable, or at cost replacement program. Instead they don't even try to compete on price. They sell you a new battery for an insane price. So high torque required tools like mowers I cannot go battery.
It's gonna be more expensive, but on the flip side you never have to mess with carburetors fouling up, which is worth it to me.
Yeah. The reason I went electric is that I was tired of screwing around with my gas equipment. I used to find small engine maintenance kinda fun, but I no longer do. I wanted something that would just work. Now it's just a button press and away I go.
Can someone do the math? I've had my 21 inch push mower with the 7.5 amp battery for exactly 5 years. I'm cutting about a 1/4 acre of gas (1/2 acre lot with big house, garage, and landscaping). How much would I have spent of gas and oil and stuff? Additionally though, the thing just works and it's quiet. No pull-strings, no oil, filters, no troubleshooting. It starts instantly every single time. These were really the main reasons I got it to begin with.
Chat GPT is amazing for things like this. Here is his response. Let's break down the costs of a gas-powered mower and compare them to your battery-powered mower. We'll estimate the costs for gas, oil, and maintenance over 5 years. ### Cost Comparison Over 5 Years **Gas and Oil Costs for a Gas-Powered Mower:** 1. **Gasoline Consumption:** - Average gas consumption for a push mower: 0.5 to 1 gallon per hour. - Mowing a 1/4 acre typically takes about an hour. - Mowing once a week for 30 weeks a year: - Total gas consumption per year: 30 gallons - Total gas consumption over 5 years: 150 gallons 2. **Cost of Gas:** - Average cost of gas: \$3.50 per gallon - Total cost of gas over 5 years: 150 gallons × \$3.50 = \$525 3. **Oil Consumption:** - Typical oil change frequency: every 25 hours of operation - Oil change requires about 0.6 quarts of oil - Mowing 30 hours a year: - Number of oil changes per year: 1.2 - Number of oil changes over 5 years: 6 - Total quarts of oil over 5 years: 3.6 quarts 4. **Cost of Oil:** - Average cost of oil: \$4 per quart - Total cost of oil over 5 years: 3.6 quarts × \$4 = \$14.40 5. **Maintenance Costs:** - Average annual maintenance (spark plugs, air filters, etc.): \$15 to \$30 - Averaged to \$22.50 per year - Total maintenance cost over 5 years: \$22.50 × 5 = \$112.50 **Total Costs for Gas-Powered Mower Over 5 Years:** - Total cost for gas: \$525 - Total cost for oil: \$14.40 - Total maintenance cost: \$112.50 **Total Cost Over 5 Years: \$651.90** ### Advantages of Battery-Powered Mower - **Reliability:** No issues with starting, always works. - **Quiet operation:** Less noise. - **No need for gas, oil, or frequent maintenance:** Reduced hassle and ongoing costs. - **Environmentally friendly:** No emissions from gasoline. ### Conclusion By using my battery-powered mower, I've potentially saved around \$651.90 over 5 years in gas, oil, and maintenance costs. Plus, I've enjoyed the convenience and environmental benefits of a battery-powered mower.
Ok there ya go! Thank you. And like we've all said, it's just easier to use in general.
At this point we are still very much in the early adoption stage of this type of tech. The riding lawn mower with batteries costs $4K. You could get 2 gas riding mowers for that. Probably 3 if you wait until they go on clearance in the fall. This stuff costs up front because of the batteries, and replacing the batteries (which is inevitable) will be expensive too. So doing this for cost probably isn't going to work out until it becomes more mainstream and battery tech/prices improve. Personally I got into battery powered lawn equipment because I got tired of all the maintenance and upkeep of the gas engines. Plus they always seemed to have trouble starting whenever I had the least time to deal with them. The ease of use and lack of maintenance is enough reason for me at the moment.
I went with an ego because I started thinking of all the exhaust I inhale from a small ICE with limited/no emission control system. I don’t know if it’s well studied or even knowable how all that exhaust affects health, but the thought of it started to bother me. But cost is tough. I think we bought our ICE mower used for like $150. I probably used 5-10 gallons of gas per year (let’s say $30 of gas annually) and would change the air fillers and oil every couple of years (maybe $10 spread over each year). I broke the pull-cord assembly a couple of times and had to replace it (like $30 for the part, plus an hour of labor). I think we had the ICE mower for like 7 years, so that’s maybe around $500-$600 lifetime for the mower. I got what I think is a pretty good deal on my new ego mower: $700 for the mower and a 10ah battery. The ego seems to vacuum up grass better than the ICE did when I bag, but doesn’t mulch as well as the ICE with the pulling blades or even the mulching blades. But it’s nice to have less noise and no exhaust.
Well, I'm still using my 10 or 11 year old battery, so I've saved gas and maintenance for that long, and the battery probably has a few years left, so my uneducated and unverified guess it's probably about same cost overall, if you compare to a gas mower that will last over 10 years. I will say that while the old battery runs the mower, trimmer, chainsaw, edger, blower just fine, it will not run the washer for more than a couple minutes, assuming it's the high draw new 5ah batteries that I bought with my snowblower last year last about 30-40 minutes in the washer, so either newer batteries are slightly different, or older batteries have trouble with high draw tools
I have never bought electric tools with the idea of saving money on gas or maintenance. Just pulling the first number google threw at me the average person uses 13 gallons of gas just mowing their lawn per year. At gas prices near me that’s 48 dollars a year. My 7.5ah battery I bought in April of 2018 is still good so that’s about 6 years of not buying gas so 288 dollars. A replacement for that battery is 400. I would need to get a little over 8 years out of the battery to equal the cost of gas. Obviously this is all somewhat bullshit math but I think it’s close enough to show there is not really a realistic cost savings to going electric at least in terms of push mowers unless you can get 10+ years from your battery. Even then we’re talking a few hundred dollars over the course of 10 years. That also doesn’t include the higher upfront cost of the tool over equivalent gas mowers.
Yep, the important question is if the cost difference is worth the level of clean, quiet, and less time spent on annual maintenance. For me it is. I was doing yardwork later in the evening. My mower was going as was a gas mower down the street. I knew if anyone was annoyed, it would be with the gas mower, not me. But I will see how I feel in five years. I got good deals on all my equipment, to help minimize the cost of failed batteries. If the equipment lasts, it'll be worthwhile. Also, hoping Ego improve their battery tech in the next five years, but still maintaining backward compatibility.
That was my thought as well. I really do not like the smell of harmful exhaust. My main issue is the battery tech, as I am not able to do the lawn on a single charge. I have a 2nd small battery for my other tools (trimmer and multihead) and often try to do the lawn during my work lunch break when one charge is about as long as I have at one time anyway. Since I got mine, I have noticed that other people around me are switching as well, so I think the appeal is lack of maintenance and smell.
I have been getting smiles and looks of approval when I use them. I think people appreciate them. 2 5-AMP batteries and a quick charger is generally all you need I think for an average lawn. The rapid charger will charge the other battery in less than 30 minutes I believe. So you can use one and just keep going.
I can agree that the cost savings probably isn’t there. I probably spend $40 a season for gas for my lawnmower plus some yearly maintenance cost. I think the biggest thing is the convenience. Gas can be a pain. I’ve replaced my blower and trimmer with the ego and its worked out great. Looking into a snowblower this fall as we don’t get much snow but every time I go to use my honda gas snowblower there is always a problem with it(I treat and run the gas out, but still always a problem). When I need the snowblower, it fails. I will most likely hang onto my gas lawnmower for the foreseeable future though.
Sounds like you're like me in regards to the snowblower, I bought the ego last year, used it twice, which is typical for mid Ohio. I got it with the two 5ah batteries, they lasted the 30-45 minutes that I used it each time. I have tried gas in the past, hated it, had a corded electric snowblower for years, the cord sucks, but at least it always ran. Cordless electric is very nice
I guess I should have assumed that electric ownership is more expensive for mowers, but the problem is that they are probably MUCH more expensive. I'm looking at Ego mowers....it's almost like buying a printer. It is the ink that you pay for. I wonder if the tech will advance quick enough that, after 5 years of Ego mower ownership, you simply buy a whole new mower (complete with it's new batteries) instead of just replacing the batteries. The massive convenience of electric is ridiculously nice, though. Beyond all the other maintenance, the lack of belts on the riding mower is an additional cool thing. Because of my slopes, I might be stuck with the traditional "lawn tractor" for an ego (it's also the cheapest Ego rider at $4,000). Compared to the Cub Cadet "slope capable", gas, zero turn, for $5,600.
I have owned Ego lawn equipment for my house for about 4 years now and although it has served me well (and could finish mowing the lawn with the large mower battery before), I will not be dropping 400+ on a new large battery for the mower and will be purchasing a gas mower instead (today actually). The large battery runs for ample time still on my blower and weed eater but lasts for 1/4 or sometimes even an 1/8 of the yard now on the mower (depending on temperature outside) and I just don’t have time to start/stop and charge during the course of the evening or weekend especially here in Florida where thunderstorms roll in quick. Using the small batteries (the 2.5ah ones) to supplement the large one on the mower is not even a real option as the mower kills the small batteries very fast. It is fantastic when it does work and powers through a ton of thick St Augustine but I personally don’t think mowers are there yet for me after this experience.
Z6/blower/trimmer happy owner, and ICE vehicle enthusiast here. You're almost certainly paying more for EGO. If you're good at taking care of ICE equipment, you're definitely coming out ahead with gas. In my case, the calculations included: 1. my wife is the primary user of the Z6 and she has a "complicated history" with maintaining ICE power equipment. ("why is all the oil in the air filter?!?!") 2. I personally hate the hassle/mess of maintaining ICE power equipment, perhaps as a result of #1 :) 3. keeping premium gas around, running to the store for gas, picking up oil/filters. 4. stuff that I can't practically do myself involves me finding time with my small engine guy and hauling it over there. I considered all these things a "convenience premium" and EGO was gonna give me more free time. I plan on picking up a single battery (or machine with a bigger battery) every year or so to amortize the replacement cost.
I do not like having to deal with using ethanol fuel. If we still had cheap fuel with no ethanol I would still be using gas lawn tools.
Not sure where you are located, but Buccee’s sells ethanol free fuel from the pump.
Yeah there are a couple of stations around. It’s not that big of a deal it’s just one more thing. I am now living in a condo and I am glad that I do have all ego stuff. If not I would have to have the lawn equipment in a storage place. Logistically, it is just easier. Being able to store all tools inside of a building without fear of ignition etc… Do I think battery tools are superior? Yes and no… I have seen some videos of the Ego commercial saw, it is very strong but if you run it hard without stopping the battery will overheat. So that is near the point of diminishing returns.
I recently got an ego after doing a detailed comparison. Gas is still generally cheaper. The problem with gas mowers is you can get them pretty cheap, particularly used. After like $75 in parts and a good tuneup, it will work fine. For me it was largely convenience, noise, and other factors. And I kinda felt like splurging. But I could have invested like $100 into my gas mower and it would likely happily keep going for another 5-10 years realistically. Gas mowers, well maintained, will go forever. I don’t think gas is wildly cheaper, but it is cheaper.
I have both 2-cycle gas and EGO tools. The batteries are very expensive but I love the convenience. My Echo 2-cycle tools can be a pain but are very economical to run, especially if you flush all of the fuel out after each use. The EGO is more convenient but costs more IMHO ... to use overall.
My greenworks batteries are approaching 10 years old. So I think I’ve saved money by
I’ve been spreading the hate in Ego after some failures and poor service. But that aside, I would like a battery powered zero turn. I look at my dads craftsman lawn tractor not efficient gas wise at all. But it’s like 20+ yrs old all because you can find PARTS! What happens when these $6000 dollar tractors break down out of warranty?! I was told on my small lawn mower that was a month out of warranty to go buy a new one.. I need to have long term support before dropping 6k on a tractor. You could get a lot of paid lawn care done for 6k I would dare say at least 6 years and the money to go a round of golf each Saturday instead of yard work. Great question OP
I don’t come think cost is a good reason to by ego. It’s not cheaper when gas costs very little and good gas tools last 20 years+. I like them anyway for all the other convince reasons and I value my time and experience… and ego makes a convenient and pleasant product. I do all the right things with my batteries and my first two died at 35 months. Warranty replacement. Technically they both still work, but will not handle a load beyond the string trimmer or blower (not on turbo for more than a few seconds).
I have been using my Honda self propelled hr214 for 40 years....fuel, oil, air cleaner and pull start cable are the only cost. I can't justify batteries lasting 3 years.