It goes without saying that having a garden, no matter how large or small, goes hand in garden-glove with caring for a garden. Whether you are a casual gardener or certified green-thumb enthusiast there are two keys to being successful in your garden; learning as you grow, and secondly, having the right tools for the given task.
For many of us this isn’t just about a shed full of shovels and garden forks, it also involves needing a selection of power tools to cover our needs.
For generations these tools have been powered by petrol-driven engines, 2-stroke, where oil is mixed with petrol, or 4-stroke. They have typically been heavy and bulky, often requiring a lot of storage space. Older models could be noisy and smoky too. As they were petrol driven, storage wasn’t just required for tools but for the flammable petrol, sometimes two or more tins if you have machine requiring different fuels, and oils. They also required regular servicing to keep them running efficiently.
Back in the day of the quarter-acre block with a double-garage, workshop and a well-proportioned garden shed this may not have been an issue but for today’s home-owner bulky tools and their accoutrements can chew up valuable space.
Over the last decade there have been enormous advances in battery technology. Batteries now provide more power, run for longer, are quicker to charge and are lighter. At the same time battery-powered garden tools themselves have come along in leaps and bounds as motors became quieter, lighter and more efficient.
Victa®, the trusted power tool partner for Aussie gardeners since 1952, have embraced battery technology to expand their range to better suit the needs of today’s home-owners and gardeners. Victa utilises Briggs & Stratton batteries to deliver reliable and trusted performance for their range of battery powered products.
Today’s battery powered garden equipment uses lightweight and efficient lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries to deliver long-lasting stable power. These modern li-ion batteries have extremely long operating lives, remaining powerful and efficient for over 1000 charging cycles, that translates to years of use.
When you shop for power garden tools you’ll often hear ranges being described as being ‘in the same ecosystem’. This refers to battery interchangeability – the same batteries can be used across a range of tools so you only need a battery or two and one charger. Meaning you can use the same battery for your mower and blower.
Batteries will come in different power ratings too. With Briggs & Stratton batteries you’ll find 2.5Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah and 8.0Ah options available.
Many tools are sold as ‘skin-only’, this means it comes without a battery. If you are just starting out with battery gear you’ll need to start with a piece of equipment that includes the battery, or batteries, and charger or buy the battery and charger as separate items. This may seem odd at first but it makes it much more economical when you want to expand your tool kit.
So what are some of the advantages of li-ion powered garden equipment?
- Lightweight and easy to handle.
- Push-button, instant starting.
- No mixing or storing of fuel and oils.
- Don’t require lots of space to store, you can, for example, hang a mower flat on the wall, store it standing on its tail in a cupboard or lift it onto a shelf.
- Virtually zero emissions during operation with no smoke or fumes.
- Noise pollution reduction – quiet operation creating a more peaceful outdoor environment.
- Associated emissions can be zero if you have solar and charge during the day.
- Require little or no servicing beyond cleaning.
Victa’s battery-powered range covers an extensive array of outdoor equipment, from lawn mowers and trimmers to leaf blowers and chainsaws. This versatility allows users to build a customised set of tools tailored to their specific needs. Here’s a look at the main groups of tools and how they’re powered.
Lawn mowers – The Victa battery system uses efficient and lightweight Briggs & Stratton® 18V batteries. Mowers have higher power demands due the blade load so most of the Victa lawn mowers use a dual-battery system making them, technically, massively more powerful 36V machines. As with petrol driven mowers they are generally grouped by their deck size or cutting width. In the Victa range you’ll find single and dual-battery 14″ models designed for smaller lawns and courtyards.
They then progress to 16″ cut models for small to medium lawns and 18″ machines for larger lawns.
When selecting a battery mower consider your lawn size. The Victa 36V (18V+18V) models can cut as much as a whopping 585sq/m on a single charge; ample for most home-owners, but if you’ve a larger lawn consider a second set of batteries.
Line trimmers – The range of line trimmers is designed to cover different needs. Running on a single battery the Victa trimmers are available as traditional-type trimmers and also a lightweight pivoting-head model designed to make edging of paths and driveways simple.
Runtimes vary with use and models however you can expect to get as long as 120-minutes of trimming from a single charge.
Blowers – Leaf blowers are an invaluable clean-up tool and you’ll be pleased to hear that the noise levels from battery blowers is a much more user, and neighbour, friendly level. Victa have a number of single and dual-battery models to suit spaces small and large. Run times are up to 34-minutes on a single charge.
Hedging and heavy pruning – Every garden needs a haircut and the Victa hedge trimmers make it easy and efficient to get a professional level finish. With a blade length of up to 22″ and the ability to cut through branches of up to 16mm these trimmers are an absolute pleasure to use.
When you need to do some serious pruning, cleaning up or cutting firewood then turn to a Victa chainsaw. The 14″ bar length will let you tackle large tasks with ease and the dual-battery system will deliver just over 165 cuts from a single charge.
Mini Handhelds – Not all pruning is on the larger scale and Victa have released a fabulous range of handheld cutting and trimming tools using the same 18V Briggs & Stratton batteries.
- Pruning saw – ideal from small branch trimming this reciprocating-style saw features a branch clamp to make perfect cuts every time. The clamp can be removed and the saw can be used for general DIY level timber cutting too.
- Mini chainsaw – when you don’t need its full sized cousin this one-handed chainsaw is perfect for heavier trimming and pruning.
- Hedge trimmer and shears – with the trimmer blade fitted you can trim small hedges and topiary like a pro. At the push of a button you can swap-out the trimmer blade set for the shears and use it to trim fiddly edge or lawn or hedges.
- Hand pruner – this fabulous tool is a battery powered pair of secateurs! They take all the strain out of repetitive pruning and make it a breeze to cut through large branches.
Battery equipment has come long way, covering every possible power garden need. You can trust Victa to deliver quality and technology that’s been engineered for Aussie gardeners.
Images: Victa.
This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Victa.