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  Andrew Midgley November 4, 2015 at 12:47pm

  I got to say I tried an electric domestic Bosch mower which belongs to my customer and I was pleasantly surprise how good it was to use. It's lightweight and it was set up to mulch the clippings. You would have to cut the grass at least weekly and when it's dry or possibly when it's damp. I would be interested to see the Profesional range in action as I will eventually switch over to a greener source of power at some point.
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  Paul McNulty November 4, 2015 at 1:22pm

  Interesting, but I wonder how performance would compare with a pro petrol machine? The battery life is also dependant on the workload, so that 1 hour could well be less in the real world.
  
  Cost is an issue as well. The non pro Bosch is about £400 with one battery, so needing 4 would take you up to about £800 already. Factor in that great big battery pack as well, and the cost of a pro machine, it'll be a lot of outlay.
  
  That may well be acceptable, but my concern would be whether the mower stands up to a few years commercial use. The whole point of electric is moving the polution and noise somewhere else, but that isn't much use if the increased cost of the machine means it's not economical when it gets damaged or worn out. Great if the battery and motor last for years, but will the body, handles, wheels etc. last as well?
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    Andrew Midgley > Paul McNulty November 4, 2015 at 7:54pm

    I would hope that over time the prices of buying batteries and the charged longevity will be drastically improved. As for parts wearing out I would think it would on a par to petrol mowers.
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      Paul McNulty > Andrew Midgley November 4, 2015 at 10:12pm

      The issue is "over time" when it comes to prices and reliability.
      
      A friend of mine got a trade deal on an electric car, but the battery life is way over estimated, the charge network often broken, and in reality his Nissan Leaf has cost more to run than a Nissan Micra with a new-tech engine. let alone a second-hand Micra with less depreciation!
      
      As they say in the video, batteries are increasing 50% per year. That rate of obsolence is scary if you're investing perhaps £1200 on a mower.
      
      As for parts wearing out, we have all run Honda pros where the engine runs for decades, but the rear rollers only last two seasons. It's not the motor that breaks on most trade mowers: it's how often the little things like a cable let you down on a job, and how fast the dealer fixes it.
      
      I think it's a real leap of faith to consider being an early-adopter of this tech. I'd keep a well-proven machine in the van as a back-up.
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        Seth Burgess > Paul McNulty November 4, 2015 at 11:02pm

        I agree Paul. Even if all these issues are ironed out, is it even a decent mower? If its useless at collecting wet grass its no good for a commercial operation especially as its only a 4 wheeler.
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        Green Hand > Paul McNulty November 5, 2015 at 8:18am

        "As they say in the video, batteries are increasing 50% per year"

        I would love to see the evidence to back up this claim. In actual fact batteries are one of the few technologys that do not advance much at all. The increase actually comes from the advanced electronics using less power and giving the impression of improved battery life. One of the things Tesla is trying to do is massively reduce the cost of batteries by processing and making them in one place. Untill a new type of battery is developed I would not hold your breath on large improvements.
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          Green Hand > Green Hand November 5, 2015 at 8:31am

          I am just watching the video now. It's interesting he actually dodges the question has the energy density increased but responds with the battery next year will be 50% larger capacity. Maybe they have improved the tech but not announced it yet but I would bet money that the battery will need to increase in size to accommodate that. To my mind this is not an improvement it is just a larger battery.
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          Phil Voice > Green Hand November 10, 2015 at 7:35am

          An interesting article on battery technology: http://fortune.com/2015/04/27/gigafactory-obsolete/
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  Darren Walters November 4, 2015 at 6:43pm

  Looked at this at Saltex today and it does look quite good.  I'm not sure the payback time would be as quick as their literature suggests though.  Unless this was the only mower you used and you mowed all day 5 days a week.  One thing that I wasn't so keen on was that if you lean on the drive lever... off it goes! (sorry to the man in brown shoes!) Although there is an isolator on the front, its not as practical as a simple on/off switch.
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  Alistair Simpson November 10, 2015 at 7:12pm

  Having used both the mower and strimmer, I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised with how good these are. However commercially I don't think they cut it at all, neither tool has the power when the going gets tough. The mower with the mulching system on struggles compared to say a toro petrol mulching mower when the grass is slightly long or wet. The strimmer also is short of power compared to a petrol, for light work it works reasonably well but any thick stuff and the cord just flaps around. As for battery life, as others have commented the life is dependant on workload. The mower ranges from 2 hours on flat ground and only short grass down to 30 minutes on heavy work or banks. The strimmer likewise cannot make more than an hour down to 20 mins for heavy stuff.
  
  There are some cool features like the cord system on the strimmer, pulling through from one side and winding in not having to cut two lengths or take the head to pieces.
  
  In general though I think they have got a long way to go to, improve the battery life, improve power, put a roller on the back and reduce cost. In the mean time Honda mowers and stihl strimmers.