BATTERY CHARGERS
Kress introduced its CyberLite charging device last year as a more affordable in-field refueling option for users.
KRESS Kress makes only power equipment, and only battery-powered power equipment. Nearly 100 years ago, the company started in Germany with electric motors; that evolved into power tools. When Positec, the Chinese equipment and tool manufacturer, bought the Kress brand in 2017, the company plugged in solely to cordless outdoor power equipment.
Does that give Kress an advantage in this battery-charging marketplace? Maybe, but more importantly it helps explain the company’ s relentless messaging around charging and battery equipment for pro users.
“ A decade before Kress Commercial made its appearance in North America in 2022, Kress engineers partnered with scientists to develop a new kind of battery,” said Todd Zimmerman, Kress VP of product development.“ With this battery technology, 240Wh and 660Wh CyberPack batteries can charge fully in as few as eight minutes using the Kress Commercial CyberTank. Without the CyberTank’ s flash charge, the batteries charge fully in 12 minutes.”
The CyberTank is the hero of Kress’ s Commercial CyberSystem which the company designed for charging on the job. This giant battery pack sits in a truck or trailer and is used to charge batteries throughout the day. Then at night, plug it in and it will recharge in four or five hours.
Two things to know: The CyberTank weighs about 350 pounds and retails for more than $ 13,000. That retail price stops a lot of people, but Kress says it shouldn’ t. Determine your gas use per week or month and do the math. The large device charges any size Kress battery throughout the day, some in as little as eight minutes. And the tank is warrantied for six years or 2,000 charge cycles, whichever comes first.“ Full-time landscaping companies,” said Zimmerman,“ typically save at least $ 2,000 per year per crew with Kress Commercial.”
Last year, Kress introduced the CyberLite charging solution. Not a battery pack or inverter, this device transfers energy from a Kress 1.5kWh CyberCapsule battery to other CyberPack batteries out on the job. The CyberLite unit retails for about $ 1,000, and you’ ll need the CyberCapsule battery as the fuel unit; that’ s another $ 1,500. With that, users can charge their Kress batteries in as little as 12 minutes, up to five per day.
That is for on-the-job charging, and it’ s a more robust system than any other manufacturer offers. For in-the-shop charging, Kress has a four-port battery charger that can refuel four backpack 660Wh CyberPack batteries in as few as 50 minutes. The company also has a power-management device with four outlets that will schedule the charging of multiple devices.“ One power management strip can support charging up to two 5kWh or 7.2kWh CyberTanks or one CyberTank and two CyberPlug chargers from one standard outlet,” said Zimmerman.
Kress puts a six-year warranty on its CyberPack batteries, or up to 3,000 life cycles.“ Combined, the longer lifespan and rapid charge time mean that Kress saves landscapers money in the long run,” said Zimmerman. The company offers financing options for pro users.
The company’ s app-based monitoring of batteries and chargers( as well as for its robotic mowers) works on a mobile device.
EGO Ego, a member of the Chervon product family, has battery-powered power equipment for both commercial and residential users. The company made a bit of noise – figuratively – with its batterypowered mini dirt bike last year; it runs off the same 56V batteries as the power equipment. Seems like a“ well, I already own the batteries” kinda purchase.
Ego’ s PGX charging system is based off a three-port charging dock that is scalable for in-shop or in-field charging.
www. OPE-Plus. com May 2025 OPE + 11