September is right around the corner, bringing that first hint of Fall weather…but the reality is that we’re still locked in the hot, wet simmer of Summer for at least a few more weeks. And that means your yard is going to just keep growing.
But if you’re going to have to keep doing yardwork, you can at least make it more pleasant for yourself (and your neighbors).
No matter where you live, this is the perfect time of year to retire your failing gas tools, with their loud, unreliable engines, leaking fluids, and inconvenient maintenance, for reliable, battery-powered ones. While the up-front cost is usually higher, you end up saving in the long run. Battery-powered tools don’t have an engine, so there’s no maintenance, you don’t have to pay for consumables like oil and gas, they always turn on at the first try, and there’s no air pollution! Plus, you can run them in the morning and night without waking up the neighbors.
Luckily for us in Florida, we’re on the cusp of a tax-free holiday for power tools and yard maintenance gear. Elsewhere in the country, municipalities are offering assistance on switching out your gas-powered tools for ones with rechargeable batteries. Plus it’s Labor Day weekend, which means there are sales all over.
While I still love the versatility of EGO Power Plus tools and their interchangeable batteries, I recently had the chance to try out a pair of tools from Husqvarna that have me thinking that the Swedes know a thing or two about superior lawn maintenance.
Their latest Max Battery Series tools provide commercial power for those of us that fight the good fight and still do our own yardwork.
Husqvarna Hedge Master 320iHD60
I’ve used a lot of hedge trimmers in my time and, as someone who’s on the short side, they all suck. I have to try and operate the trimmer with my arms over my head, keeping my finger on a top-mounted handle trigger the entire time. It usually ends up with uneven hedges and sore shoulders.
That why I was deeply interested in the Hedge Master’s tri-handle grip. It has three triggers on the split handle, allowing you to activate the blades even when you’re gripping it at an awkward angle. It worked like an absolute dream. Will it make me want to trim my hedges more? Probably not, but my shoulders were much less angry with me at the end of my first session with the Hedge Master.
The 40V battery provides ample power, with fast blade speed and active cooling so that you can tear through even thick branches. I really like the removable Clean Sweeper that you can use to swipe away branches as you tear through them. It’s way better than having to dig through your hedge to retrieve cuttings.
Even after going around my entire house, the included 4 amp battery had charge left, which means I could easily pop it in to any other Husqvarna Max Battery tool and keep on working. Interchangeability is a huge benefit when it comes to battery-powered tools. All you need are a couple to ensure that your weekend maintenance session goes uninterrupted.
Right now, Husqvarna is offering the Hedge Master with a free battery and charger, it’s an extremely good deal at $269.
Husqvarna Leaf Blaster 350iB
Leaf blowers are one of those necessary evils when it comes to keeping your yard neat and tidy. They’re already loud by default because of the whoosh of the blower but their motors, in my experience, are some of the loudest on the market.
That’s why battery-powered leaf blowers are incredible. Yes, they’re still noisy, but nowhere near the “I’d better get my noise-blocking protective gear” levels of their gas-powered counterparts. Plus, without having to worry about gas, manufacturers can pack commercial-level wind speeds into consumer-grade hardware. That means you can have 200 MPH air speed in a device that’s 15% lighter than a gas blower. No backpack required.
The Leaf Blaster comes with a larger 7.5 amp capacity battery, letting you tackle your entire property at the highest possible speed. It sports some really nice quality of life features as well, like a cruise control operation that lets you set the speed and have the blower run without having to keep the trigger pressed. Between that and the lighter weight of the Leaf Blaster, you can tidy things up without feeling like you just finished an arm workout.
There’s also a convenient scraper included with the Leaf Blaster. I was super happy to see this, I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s spent longer than they’d like to admit hacking away at some stuck bit of debris with the blunt end of their blower, trying to loosen it. The scraper gives you the power to take care of it in a second.
Like other Max Battery tools, the Leaf Blaster has an active cooling system, which means that what’s already a long-lasting tool will last even longer.
Husqvarna is running a similar free battery and charger deal on the $329 Leaf Blaster right now.
And this is just the beginning! With interchangeability being a big feature of the Max Battery line, you can switch batteries between the tools, including chainsaws and string trimmers. It’s convenient, it’s more reliable, it’s less noisy…and for this Labor Day weekend it’s cheaper. So why wouldn’t you switch?
