Today’s homeowners want to know: are electric or gas lawn tools a better fit for their needs? Gas tools have a long history, but new innovations in battery technology are bringing down the price (and raising up the performance) of battery-powered tools.
For everything from riding mowers to string trimmers, from leaf blowers to chainsaws, lawn tools are an essential part of caring for a property. Choosing lawncare tools doesn’t have to be a headache— but like the old saying goes, it is important to have the right tool for the job!
There are multiple factors to consider when selecting a tool, including:
- Power
- Runtime
- Environmental Impact
- Convenience and Maintenance
- Cost
We’ll walk you through the important considerations in each category, to make sure have the information you need for success!
Gas VS Electric: The Question of Power
Gas tools have a reputation for being powerful, but modern electric tools have become competitive with these older engines. When it comes to cutting back overgrown weeds, sawing through large branches, or mulching a field of damp grass, more power makes a huge difference.
If your property has wilder areas, you’ll want to select either a higher-voltage electric tool or a comparable gas tool. Electric engines can even overperform gas equivalents, although only top-of-the-line tools achieve that highest level of power. The good news is that most users don’t need that power, and 40V or 60V tools can handle a residential yard just fine.
Runtime of Gas VS Electric
One of the biggest factors when choosing a lawncare tool is making sure that the tool can run for long enough to complete your entire project. A common lawncare mistake is to get halfway through a task before having to stop and leaving your bushes lopsided—with proper planning, either class of tool can avoid this pitfall.
Gas tools are simple—if you have more gas, you have more runtime. Most users keep a gas can with their stored tools and refill their engine before starting work. Getting more gas is simple enough, if a bit messy; if you’ve transported a gas can in your car, you probably remember the smell!
For electric tools, the runtime question is more complicated. Manufacturers will provide an average runtime in the tool’s documentation, and one battery will usually be plenty to handle a standard suburban yard. For larger lawns and acreage, you may want to have a second battery charging while the first is in-use.
Many manufacturers offer rapid chargers that can refill a battery in 30-60 minutes, and a higher amp hour (AH) battery will last much longer. For homeowners looking to update their current old tools or invest in a complete platform, you can also share batteries between tools, so that each tool you add to your collection expands your total effective runtime.
Many manufacturers offer rapid chargers that can refill a battery in 30-60 minutes
A higher amp hour (AH) battery will last much longer
Dual-chargers can make it easier to manage your battery collection
Most modern batteries and chargers include indicator lights to show current charge status
The Environmental Impact of Lawn Tools
Another important factor to consider in Gas VS Electric tools are the environmental impacts. Today’s shoppers care about their carbon emissions and want to preserve the beauty of their land for the next generation.
Although it might be surprising, the two-stroke gas engines used in tools like string trimmers and blowers are actually major polluters! They burn an oil-gas mixture, with lubricating oil mixed directly with the fuel, and this mixture emits more hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide than larger styles of engines.
There are also personal impacts to consider; breathing in gasoline fumes is harmful to your health and contributes to respiratory illness. The noise and vibration of gas-powered tools is also significant—mowing at 6AM or 9PM isn’t very neighborly if you’re using a noisy gas engine, and some HOAs or properties have strictly-enforced noise ordinance rules.
A Convenient Tool is a Well-Loved Tool
Working on your property is a satisfying way to spend a Saturday morning, and everyone loves the joy of a job well done. That doesn’t mean, however, that things are always so easy: a tool jamming at a key time or leaking during the offseason can ruin your momentum for a project. Everyone has that one half-complete project lurking in their life!
To that point, electric tools do provide some advantages. They are essentially maintenance free and are simple to store—some electric mowers can even be stored vertically to take up less space. The push-to-start designs remove the need to crank an engine, making them especially appealing to anyone with less arm strength.
The Cost of Electric Tools VS Gas Tools
Although the other factors we’ve discussed all matter, at the end of the day, price is a major factor in any shopper’s electric VS gas tool decisions. Lawn tools can get expensive, and making sure that you’re getting as much performance as possible within your price bracket is important!
For high-end commercial lawn equipment, electric tools are noticeably more expensive than comparable gas offerings. That difference in price, however, is partially offset by electricity being a much cheaper fuel source than gas over time, plus the reduced cost of maintenance. Commercial crews that switch to a battery platform for their lawncare tools typically expect to see the costs equalize after a couple years, and 3+ years down the line, electric pulls ahead.
For large or wooded residential properties that need high-power, long-lasting tools, the price between an electric tool and a similarly powerful gas tool is closer. Gas is usually still cheaper, and it may take a few years for the maintenance costs to equal out those values.
For standard residential tools, the price gap has almost disappeared! For tools suited for your standard suburban lot, if you shop within the same quality of brand name, you’ll find similar price tags for gas or electric. This allows homeowners to use other factors to guide their purchasing decisions.
And the Winner is…
The winner is, whichever tool fits your needs! Once upon a time, electric tools couldn’t compete with the power, runtime, or performance factors of gas engines. But, as time has passed and technology has improved, electric tools have made huge strides in every category. These aren’t your dad’s tools—they’re powerful, sleek, ergonomic, and designed with the user in mind. The Gas VS Electric debate is alive and well!
For larger properties and homeowners who don’t mind keeping gasoline on hand, gas tools have clear advantages. For standard lots and homeowners who value convenience, the environment, or noise, electric tools win out.
Ultimately, choosing what tool to buy can be a decision with long-term ramifications. Once you buy one battery tool, there are big advantages to staying within one brand and voltage platform. Similarly, buying a gas tool commits you to years of maintenance and fuel costs, unless you want to replace tools early.
If you want to explore battery powered tools, we recommend starting with our top sellers
Gas VS Battery Power Conclusions
At the end of the day, only you can decide the right tool for your lawn and your family. Although we may be biased in favor of battery tools, there are clear advantages to the convenience, simplicity, cleanliness, and power of electrical tools. Once you’ve decided on the style of tool you want, the next step is choosing a brand, then a voltage platform. Here at Greenworks, we offer 4 primary voltages, each designed for a different level of lawncare.
No matter what style of tool you choose, we hope that this guide was informative!
Written by The Green Team, a creative arm within Greenworks Tools.
Our team of writers, designers and content creators bring a breadth of experience and a touch of fun to all things tools. With an assist from the Greenworks product teams and technology experts, we’re here to provide helpful and engaging content to make your yard (and life!) beautiful.
