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MARKETPLACE
Walk-Behind Mowers
Steve Huddleston agrees that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to battery in outdoor power – “The technology isn’t there to do everything, every job at the same quality,” he says.
“The majority of users have only experienced positive things from battery. But people who let their lawns frequently get a bit out of hand definitely notice that battery has its challenges,” agrees Phil Needham at STIHL NZ.
“They have to learn that when using battery, you need to be able to mow the lawn more frequently.”
This may be a key negative around battery walk-behinds for the more sporadic lawnmowing consumer, but for lawnmowing contractors it’s the opposite.
“The battery technology of today is
really quite well suited to the mowing contractor,” says Phil Needham. “They want to be on-site mowing as much as they can
– regular visitation is part of the business model.”
Battery vs petrol – professionals not so much
Battery’s suitability for contractors doesn’t mean that petrol mowers are done and dusted, far from it.
Indeed, Masport may be doing well with its LawnMaster Lithium products in the
consumer market, but Steve Huddleston is clear that petrol power walk-behinds remain the lawnmowing contractor’s weapon of choice
“There is a real division between battery and petrol,” he says. “And there’s more leaning towards petrol than battery in the commercial market.”
A lot of contractors are simply not willing to try battery: “For them it’s complicated. They’re not sure how to service it if something goes wrong. It’s expensive. And the longevity of batteries is nothing like with petrol engines,” says Steve Huddleston.
Brentyn Jonson, Masport’s Product & Training Manager, adds: “When you look at it in terms of power, just stop, start, stop going all day, they still prefer petrol.”
Multiple batteries are also a big upfront investment, says Brentyn, and remembering to charge them requires a lawnmowing contractor used to topping up with petrol and oil to change their daily habits.
Phil Needham is happy to confirm
that the commercial uptake for battery applications may be slower than the consumer uptake, but STIHL is nevertheless working hard to turn this situation around.
“More and more lawn mowing contractors are taking on battery,” he says. “We are growing in that area.”
One key obstacle to overcome is the issue
of charging. On-site charging solutions like using an inverter or solar are neither ideal nor inexpensive leaving multiple batteries a clear choice for contractors.
STIHL’s experience in Europe is for increasing numbers of contractors to install purpose-made battery cabinets
in the back of their utes and that “quite
a number” of large-scale European landscaping businesses that are now 100% battery equipped.
“They might have four or more of our AL 301-4 chargers, all connected to a single power point in the vehicle,” says Phil Needham.
“And when they get back to base in the
the way...
The tipping point for commercial
operators taking up battery lawnmowers will be about cost, battery life, torque, run times ... and cost, says Gavin Lowndes.
What’s the outlook for walk- behinds?
Potential for a coming softening of the market aside, 2021 and 2022 appear to have been very good years for outdoor power, whether battery or petrol-powered.
Although describing the mass market
as “quick and dirty,” Steve Huddleston at Masport remains convinced that many Kiwi
There is a real division
between battery and petrol... For many contractors battery is ‘complicated’... They’re not sure how to service it... It’s expensive. And the longevity of batteries is nothing like with petrol engines
evening, they just connect up a single power lead, like you would a caravan.”
Here too STIHL NZ’s sales of these AL 301-4 four pot chargers has been “reasonably good.”
“There are a number of users out there that over time are learning that the most sensible approach is to put their money into a few more batteries and simply charge them up overnight,” says Phil Needham.
Indeed, a recent STIHL all-battery pilot project with a New Zealand lawnmowing contractor showed that they required
10 batteries a day to do a normal, full, productive day’s work.
But that’s more by way of a work in progress than a genuine swing towards Kiwi lawn professionals going all-in on battery.
“A lot more contractors are starting to use battery handheld product. There’s no doubt about that, says Steelfort’s Gavin Lowndes, “But I think from a lawnmower point of view, it still seems to be mainly petrol.”
And offering a common battery platform just isn’t quite enough right now?
“Not at this point in time,” says Gavin, who’s eyeing a New Year launch for a new 21-inch petrol-powered self-propelled mower.
“It will be more aimed at the domestic market but will also be a commercial grade machine. So yeah, we’re still putting commitment into petrol models.”
Steelfort is also working on some refinements to its iconic cylinder mower by
consumers will continue to buy premium products – as long as they see value in the purchase and that the product proves durable and reliable.
And, with the low-end battery market “saturated” and DIY big barns showing a lot of stock which it’s said they’re battling to shift, Steve Huddleston for one remains convinced that you’d be “a brave person to say that petrol will disappear.”
STIHL’s outlook couldn’t be more different, with the STIHL-branded New Zealand lawnmower offering remaining battery-only and with more to come.
“We are not looking to introduce petrol walk-behind mowers into our range, despite the fact that globally there are STIHL branded petrol mowers in European markets, in the UK etcetera. [eg Germany where almost half of STIHL’s lawnmower offering is powered by petrol],” says Phil Needham.
“But for outside of Europe and particularly for our market, the same for Australia, we are sticking with battery.”
Look out then for product enhancements and new STIHL battery products, including more lawnmowers.
“We already have one of the largest battery lawnmower portfolios out there and we’re looking to expand over time and grow probably a little more,” says Phil.
“We have massive growth in the pipeline with batteries, it’s a big topic internally. So, full steam ahead for us.” n
HONDA DROPS PETROL MOWERS IN THE USA
IN EARLY OCTOBER, Honda in
the US shocked the North American outdoor power industry by announcing that it would stop making petrol powered lawnmowers by September 2023.
At that point, production of lawnmowers at its North Carolina manufacturing facility will shut down, after something like 40 years.
A statement on the Honda dealer Interactive Network said the decision
to end lawnmower production was “driven by market forces such as stricter
environmental regulations, shifting customer preferences, and our focus on growing profitable products in our portfolio.”
Honda in the US will continue to sell other outdoor power and industrial power products including GX engines, generators, and water pumps, and would “continue to support its service and parts operations in the US market.”
Having reached out to Honda here,
a spokesperson says the news doesn’t affect the New Zealand market, with production coming from other factories.
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