The Evolution of Battery Powered Groundscare Products

Jack Fielding is an Area Sales Rep for GGM Groundscare covering the Lancashire region. With many years experience in the industry, and with a background in Horticultural / Arboricultural, he has seen vast changes in machinery used over the past couple of decades……

People on the whole enjoy spending time outside in the spring and summer months –  parks, playgrounds, greenways and sport fields are usually a hive of activity on sunny days.  Yet when you’re visiting your favourite outdoor space, have you ever stopped to consider just how much work goes into its upkeep? From the most modest flower bed in a town centre, to sprawling recreation centres covering several acres – our green spaces all need a helping hand to maintain their beauty.

Ongoing maintenance

Mowing grass, blowing leaves and trimming hedges are just a few of the tasks undertaken by a park’s grounds keepers or landscaping crew on a daily basis, and that’s to say nothing of the additional work carried out by arborists!

Of course, such effort requires the use of power equipment and with that equipment comes two things that aren’t very popular: air pollution and loud noises!

Cities are keen to reduce the pollution emitted by small engines, and local communities don’t want the disturbance of loud noises and in response to this, over the past few years an increasing number of local authorities have put laws in place restricting the use of noisy leaf blowers and similar equipment.

You can find out more about the regulations here: www.gov.uk/guidance/noise

New regulations

As a result of these new regulations, several power equipment manufacturers began working on solutions, including leading outdoor power tools manufacturer, Husqvarna. The challenge they faced was this – how did they balance the needs of outdoor professionals with the preferences of today’s urban and suburban communities?

The solution was simple and effective – battery-powered equipment geared toward the commercial user.

A perfect solution

Fully electrical power equipment, such as Husqvarna’s battery series, produces extremely low noise levels. In fact, chances are you probably couldn’t tell if your neighbour was operating a battery product next door. In addition, thanks to their battery-powered operation, the units do not produce direct emissions.

These simple features alleviate the biggest concerns of private and public communities and at last, green spaces can be maintained with cleaner, quieter, more efficient machinery.

The benefits to professionals are even more impressive, with a professional battery products offering a wealth of advantages to commercial users including:

• Easier starting
• Lighter weights
• Reduced vibrations
• Eliminated exhaust fumes
• No routine engine maintenance
• Savings on fuel, oil, filters and more

As a dealer of both 2 stroke and battery operated hand held machines, as a company GGM Groundscare company make a profit on whichever we sell – however from a moral and environmentally friendly perspective, we are always happier selling the battery products.

While there have been vast changes in the market recently, I believe it will change even more and manufacturers will introduce more and more competitive long lasting machines – which is great news for both customers and mother nature!