Power plays - professional battery equipment

Professional battery equipment has taken a giant leap forward in recent years, with most manufacturers offering electric versions of the key groundcare machines.

With the increasing range of battery equipment on the market, groundcare teams may need to charge multiple batteries each day.

But compared to the relative simplicity of using and fuelling petrol and diesel engines, there’s a dilemma as battery fleets grow - how to ensure that operators know how to get the best out of them and how to charge multiple machines safely and economically.

Machinery utilisation consultant, Angus Lindsay, was group head of assets and fleet management for national contractor Idverde when the business began to trial battery equipment five years ago. It was, he explains, a step into the unknown that many businesses are now facing.

“One issue is how the equipment will be accepted by the workforce and also how best to operate it.”

“Another challenge is that while two-stroke or four-stroke machines are largely interchangeable, because each battery manufacturer uses its own power pack and chargers, you have to commit to a brand.”

Mr Lindsay points out that where hand tools are concerned, battery type needs to be matched to the tool and the job.

“If the job takes more than an hour or so, using a cassette type battery on the machine itself makes the task arduous, so a backpack battery may be better. Yet, if the operator needs to carry the equipment with him on a ride-on mower or in a tractor, a big battery isn’t practical; equally, a backpack is not the solution for an arborist.”

Correct installation of equipment is a must, he comments, for example to ensure that a backpack is correctly adjusted to be comfortable for the operator.

Deciding where and how to charge batteries can be another challenge, he points out.

“Consider the applications and need for charging – a battery that lasts an hour and a half on a chainsaw may only do 20 minutes on a pedestrian mower.”

Performance, he suggests, can be as good as petrol machines, in some cases even better.

“Take a long reach hedgecutter – it’s a lighter and better machine without a heavy drive shaft.”

He comments that choosing the right machine for the job can also impact on viability of battery equipment.

“Electric ride-ons are improving all the time, but if you try to cut too low or too much growth it will impact on battery life. Fine turf is a better fit, as the requirement is to cut less material on a more frequent basis, and several manufacturers in this market have progressed well with some very good electric machines.”

Electric cylinder mowers, he comments, are now a match for the best four-stroke machines.

Mr Lindsay points out that good battery care is important.

“Operators must be aware not to misuse them – it’s easy to throw a machine in the back of the truck, but if the case fractures and moisture gets in, the battery effectively becomes a ‘bomb’.”

He comments that Idverde suffered two incidents of batteries exploding during their initial trials.

“Both led to fires - in one case, the battery was in a charging cabinet so the blaze was contained, but there was considerable damage to the depot on the other occasion.”

This, he says, highlights the usefulness of charging cabinets, which contain all the batteries being charged and are plugged into a single power source. They can then be monitored remotely.

“Batteries must also be inspected regularly to ensure that they are safe to use and charge.”

For smaller batteries, a charging rail is a good alternative to multiple leads and sockets.

He adds that the reduced servicing requirements for battery powered equipment can ease demands on the workshop and allow attention to be paid to charging and storage.

“For hand tools and turfcare equipment, the power supply itself in workshops will be more than adequate. Modern sites will all have been built with EV charging in mind, so this includes the vehicles, although older depots may need reconfiguring.”

“There are considerable advantages for sites such as cemeteries and schools from the quiet operation of an electric mower, and the nature of this sort of work with multiple sites means trickle charging in the van between jobs could be an option.”

However, he points out that a powerbank kept in the van also needs to be charged and that safety needs to remain the priority when charging away from the workshop.

A final consideration is end-of-life for equipment.

“Most manufacturers will now take back and recycle equipment, but it is Important to have an end-of-life plan.” 

Charging systems

Powering up battery equipment is a challenge that manufacturers are looking to address.

Husqvarna has been offering battery equipment since 2011, and National Key Account Manager, James Walker, suggests that many of its customers now have the infrastructure to charge multiple batteries in the workshop up and running well.

Electrically powered versions of fine turf equipment such as cylinder mowers can now compete with their petrol equivalents in terms of performance. 

“It’s still a very individual situation and there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution,” he comments. “We do still see groundcare businesses looking to charge 50-60 batteries overnight and using multiple sockets, which is not safe or efficient.  Equally, there may be several operators working from one van with lots of different equipment, who may be field based and not necessarily return to the workshop each night.”

The company’s workshop-based solutions include the 40-C80 charging rail which works from a single socket and provides 80W charge overnight, at a cost that is 75% of the day tariff. It provides a safe charge, without producing heat and doesn’t need fans, Mr Walker points out.

Husqvarna also supplies a range of charging cabinets where there is a fire risk, with a 90min burn time.

Ego Power Plus launched the workshop-based Pro X Charging Hub in 2024, which has the

PGX Power Hub at its heart – a 1600W charger that converts AC current into DC battery charging current.

“This draws just 7amps from a standard 13amp socket and provides power to up to 30 three-port docks, or PowerBanks, capable of connecting to 90 batteries. It works sequentially, charging the first three and then the next three so on, and can autonomously charge 70 2.5-amp batteries, or over 250Ah of energy overnight,” explains the company’s IoT Product Manager, Andrew Frohock.

Dennis Multi Charger Hub.

“50Ah of energy is sufficient to power 10 hours of trigger time on our Pro X line Trimmers, or five hours mowing time on the LMX walk behind mower,” he explains. “So, 250Ah should be more than sufficient to keep two landscaping crews running for a normal day.”

Dennis has made strong inroads into the battery powered professional mower market with its E-series cylinder machines.

To cater for growing fleets, the company has now introduced the Multi Charger Hub.

This mobile unit can recharge up to eight E-Series machines, and includes a smart system that shuts down each mower at 100% charge, preventing overcharging and preserving battery life. The display screen provides an indication of each mower’s state of charge (SOC) and highlights which machine is currently being charged.

The 3kW charger can charge an individual machine from 0-100% in less than two hours. Overnight, it can charge all eight machines from 10%-15% to 100%.

It is trolley-mounted for convenient positioning in workshops and individual cable connections prevent unused wires from trailing across the floor.

Operators can choose to charge all connected mowers to a selected level before moving on to 100% SOC, charge from low to high or high to low. The Hub also has a default setting that charges all connected mowers to 60% initially, then completes the charge to 100%, ensuring all mowers have sufficient charge for short turnaround times.

Users can manually skip to the next mower if required, and the display shows all connected mowers’ SOC and indicates which machine is being charged.

Mobile and in-vehicle chargers

Husqvarna has developed multi-chargers for mobile use, including the 40-C1000X4 portable charger, an IPX4 rated power bank which provides 1000w charging power with a maximum of 600W quick charge per slot, determined by smart charging.

“This is ideal for operators who do lots of shorter jobs as it can be powered from the vehicle via an inverter or plugged into an outdoor power socket,” says Mr Walker.

EGO’s Pro X power bank is compatible with the company’s 40ah high capacity battery and any two portable batteries.

“This is a DC-to-DC charger, using the energy from a high capacity battery to charge the smaller ones – it can charge two 5ah batteries in 30 mins. It’s more efficient than running from AC, giving 40ah usable power,” explains Mr Frohock.

“The advantage of a mobile system is that it can be used as a central charging point and is scalable, he comments.

“The PGX System can be installed in a vehicle, wall mounted or on e-track, and vibration proof cable connections mean that it withstands being transported. It’s also safe to charge from an extension lead back at the yard, or from a leisure hook-up.”

“Flexibility is another benefit. When machines are in use that have a high power draw, such as blowers – the powerbank can simply be swapped between vehicles.

EGO Power Plus is also developing technology with EVs in mind, he explains.

“A national contractor is trialling PGX charging in Ford E-transit vans, with a 2kw power supply which runs from the vehicle battery and keeps the system topped up throughout the day, then charges up when the van is being charged up overnight.”

Husqvarna’s in-vehicle charging hubs include versions for small and large vans plus pick-up trucks. These can charge 8-16 batteries using an 80w slow charge, with power supplied via a leisure hook-up or outside power socket and use temperature-controlled drawers for use in cold conditions.

“A major benefit of this on-vehicle equipment is the time saving from not having to take batteries into the workshop to charge,” says Mr Walker.

“It can also be used on petrol-hybrid and fully electric vehicles, and the advantage there is that it can take power from the vehicle battery even when it is not in motion, so batteries can be kept topped up all the time.”

Battery design

As a battery manufacturer, EGO Power Plus has been able to develop larger and more sophisticated units, Mr Frohock points out.

The new batteries themselves are suitcase style units, used in the company’s power banks and offer the extra power needed for larger machinery.

“Our current range of ride-on mowers may use up to six portable batteries, and Peak Power Tech manages how they discharge. As the voltage drops in each battery, the available power also drops, but Peak Power monitors this and balances the voltage across the battery packs as they discharge. This gives optimum power and longevity.”

Safety concerns are being addressed both with battery management, with each cell on Ego batteries monitored, and manufacturing, where each cell selected for a battery pack is carefully balanced to build safety in. The connection between the battery and charger is also monitored.

Many of Husqvarna’s products run from common batteries, reducing the number of different charger types required; the company has also invested in a battery development programme of its own. Professional pedestrian mowers are currently the largest battery machines in the range, using the largest BLi950X backpack battery, best charged overnight in a fast charger, suggests Mr Walker.