BATTERY CHARGERS
also has a six-bay charger that can do“ rapid” charge or regular overnight charging, and a couple of multi-battery sequential chargers for overnight in-shop charging. Its simultaneous“ super charger” will refuel a pair of Milwaukee batteries to 80 % in around 35 minutes.“ Ultimately, there’ s no one-size-fits-all solution, which is why Milwaukee continues to innovate in both high-power charging and circuit maximization to meet the unique demands of different landscaping operations,” said Berkman.
He adds that users need to“ consider real-world conditions, not just lab results. A battery doesn’ t just need to charge quickly— it also needs to be ready to perform immediately after charging, even after coming off a tool in a hot environment.” A charger equipped with its Cool-Cycle Active Cooling System blows cool air through the battery upon connection.“ The battery cools in just 90 seconds so it can begin charging at its fastest possible rate without delay. As the battery continues to charge, it remains actively cooled.”
“ We believe on-the-go charging is the future of landscaping because it allows crews to work more efficiently without carrying excess batteries,” said Berkman. The Roll-On 7200W / 3600W 2.5kWh Power Supply is Milwaukee’ s portable solution for charging batteries on-site.“ It eliminates the need for gas-powered generators and temporary power hassles, such as heavy extension cords, or outlet overcrowding,” said Berkman. This pure sine wave inverter retails for about $ 4,500 and includes multiple outlets and USB ports. It charges to full capacity in three hours and can be used on site to recharge battery packs or power other tools.
Dewalt is working to grow its visibility in outdoor power equipment, and knows that battery charging for pro users in OPE is different than charging for construction pros. It also plans to announce new fast-charging solutions.
DEWALT“ The faster a landscaper can recharge their batteries, especially in the field, the less need they have to purchase a large quantity of batteries. This helps lower their upfront investment,” said Guy Dekowski, director of product management for Dewalt.
Landscapers, he said, investing in battery currently have two options.“ They can upgrade their shop on the electrical grid, which can be a hefty investment, or they can work to manage their chargers across branch circuits to avoid tripping a 15-amp breaker.”
“ We are also continuing to advance our in-field charging solutions to help ease the shift from gas to electric. Dewalt’ s in-field charging solutions work within the existing electrical infrastructure of our pros to avoid any necessary upgrades, while still ensuring a smooth workflow to enable charging on the go,” said Dekowski.
Dewalt currently offers an 8-amp four-port charger that allows users to charge batteries simultaneously. The manufacturer has other multi-port chargers and storage devices for use outdoors, but all require plugging in to existing electrical infrastructure.
Dekowski adds that Dewalt has“ new and exciting innovations coming in the next 12-24 months related to fast charging, overnight charging, and in-field charging.” The company does offer a unique single-battery charger that can mount to a mower or utility vehicle in the field, and charge using that vehicle’ s power.“ We understand that speed of charge is paramount for landscape users, and we will soon deliver our fastest Dewalt charger yet, ideal for heavy duty landscape applications requiring large capacity Flexvolt packs.”
“ Overall, we’ ve found there is no one-size-fits-all solution for professional landscapers. We’ re working to provide cost effective, scalable solutions for users and companies that need anything from five batteries per day, up to hundreds of batteries per day based on company size and services offered,” said Dekowski.
“ We target to provide charging solutions that recharge all of our batteries in less than one hour. This allows users to get their work done and maintain the same level of productivity compared to the amount of time they would need to refill a gas tank,” he said.
TORO Toro’ s battery-powered handheld lineup is more focused on homeowners than on pro users, though that’ s true for many power-equipment manufacturers. The homeowner market is certainly larger and homeowners already buy and use batterypowered tools and equipment. Plus, the line between homeowner and pro user can be blurry.
For handheld equipment, the company’ s offerings are powered by its 60V Max Flex Force batteries, with a variety of options from 2 amp-hour up to a 10 amp-hour battery. To charge that and its smaller batteries, Toro offers several charging solutions.“ These options cater to users with different charging speed needs as well
16 OPE + May 2025 www. OPE-Plus. com