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Jessica Schwartz
ECHO Launches eFORCE 56V Battery System
This week, ECHO Incorporated introduced its new cordless platform to the industry — the ECHO eFORCE™ 56V Battery System. This new battery-powered product line provides a powerful option for professional landscapers seeking versatility across their fleet of outdoor power equipment. The product line features one battery platform for all ranges of ECHO 56V cordless units. The ECHO eFORCE™ 56V Battery System includes 10 units, two batteries, and two chargers. Each of ECHO’s key categories are included in the new lineup, including ECHO’s Pro Attachment Series™, with two powerheads that will run up to 15 or 16 attachments. “As battery-powered growth continues to soar, we wanted to give customers a superior option,” said John Powers, director product management for ECHO Inc. “With a full lineup of 10 new units spanning the range of users from high-end homeowners up to professional landscapers and arborists, the 56V e-Force platform delivers the performance that users have come to expect from the ECHO brand.” The ECHO eFORCE™ 56V cordless lineup includes: Chainsaws 12″ Top-Handle Chainsaw (shown below) 18″ Rear-Handle Chainsaw String Trimmers 16″ String Trimmer 17″ String Trimmer 21″ Self-Propelled 3-in-1 Lawn Mower (shown below) 550 CFM Handheld Blower 22” Hedge Clipper 17″ Brushcutter (shown below) Two Pro Attachment Series Trimmers 16” Pro Attachment Series Trimmer, compatible with 14 PAS attachments 17” Pro Attachment Series Trimmer, compatible with 15 PAS attachments Two Batteries 2.5Ah Battery 5.0Ah Battery Two Chargers Standard Charger Rapid Charger The announcement was made as a pre-cursor to GIE+EXPO, being held ...
ECHO Launches eFORCE 56V Battery System
This week, ECHO Incorporated introduced its new cordless platform to the industry — the ECHO eFORCE™ 56V Battery System. This new battery-powered product line provides a powerful option for professional landscapers seeking versatility across their fleet of outdoor power equipment. The product line features one battery platform for all ranges of ECHO 56V cordless units. The ECHO eFORCE™ 56V Battery System includes 10 units, two batteries, and two chargers. Each of ECHO’s key categories are included in the new lineup, including ECHO’s Pro Attachment Series™, with two powerheads that will run up to 15 or 16 attachments. “As battery-powered growth continues to soar, we wanted to give customers a superior option,” said John Powers, director product management for ECHO Inc. “With a full lineup of 10 new units spanning the range of users from high-end homeowners up to professional landscapers and arborists, the 56V e-Force platform delivers the performance that users have come to expect from the ECHO brand.” The ECHO eFORCE™ 56V cordless lineup includes: Chainsaws 12″ Top-Handle Chainsaw (shown below) 18″ Rear-Handle Chainsaw String Trimmers 16″ String Trimmer 17″ String Trimmer 21″ Self-Propelled 3-in-1 Lawn Mower (shown below) 550 CFM Handheld Blower 22” Hedge Clipper 17″ Brushcutter (shown below) Two Pro Attachment Series Trimmers 16” Pro Attachment Series Trimmer, compatible with 14 PAS attachments 17” Pro Attachment Series Trimmer, compatible with 15 PAS attachments Two Batteries 2.5Ah Battery 5.0Ah Battery Two Chargers Standard Charger Rapid Charger The announcement was made as a pre-cursor to GIE+EXPO, being held ...
Power Tool Institute Advises Against Third Party Batteries
Is your power tool pairing with its battery and battery charger? If all three are made by the same manufacturer and designed to work together as a system, then the answer is “yes,” says the Power Tool Institute, a leading industry organization for power tool safety resources. However, if you’re using a third-party battery or an adapter that purports to allow battery-switching between brands, the answer is a resounding no. You might wonder why choosing only batteries designed to match the tool system matters. But when you look inside, you see that it gets to the very heart of what makes a power tool run safely and efficiently. Power tool battery packs contain very high amounts of stored energy. Original equipment manufacturers manage this energy storage and release by employing a sophisticated battery management system (BMS) present in the battery, in the power tool, and in the battery charger. The BMS allows electronic synchronicity between system components so that, in addition to numerous parameters it monitors, proper charge and discharge levels are achieved during use. Third-party batteries do not contain the same electronics, so the battery, charger, and tools of different manufacturers either don’t work at all, or work—but at greater risk—when paired with each other. The use of either a third-party battery or a battery adapter may bypass the BMS elements contained in tools or chargers, which can create a potentially dangerous situation. This can include causing contact with caustic chemicals, burns from escaping chemicals, fire, or even explosion. ...
Power Tool Institute Advises Against Third Party Batteries
Is your power tool pairing with its battery and battery charger? If all three are made by the same manufacturer and designed to work together as a system, then the answer is “yes,” says the Power Tool Institute, a leading industry organization for power tool safety resources. However, if you’re using a third-party battery or an adapter that purports to allow battery-switching between brands, the answer is a resounding no. You might wonder why choosing only batteries designed to match the tool system matters. But when you look inside, you see that it gets to the very heart of what makes a power tool run safely and efficiently. Power tool battery packs contain very high amounts of stored energy. Original equipment manufacturers manage this energy storage and release by employing a sophisticated battery management system (BMS) present in the battery, in the power tool, and in the battery charger. The BMS allows electronic synchronicity between system components so that, in addition to numerous parameters it monitors, proper charge and discharge levels are achieved during use. Third-party batteries do not contain the same electronics, so the battery, charger, and tools of different manufacturers either don’t work at all, or work—but at greater risk—when paired with each other. The use of either a third-party battery or a battery adapter may bypass the BMS elements contained in tools or chargers, which can create a potentially dangerous situation. This can include causing contact with caustic chemicals, burns from escaping chemicals, fire, or even explosion. ...
AGZA Initiatives Today
One of Turf’s first reports on The American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) was back in 2014 when Jamie Banks, Executive Director of Quiet Communities Inc., wrote about meeting Dan Mabe, AGZA President and Founder, in April 2013 and deciding to collaborate. Banks wrote, “I thought then we could be on the verge of an electric revolution in landscape maintenance.” Later in the article, she added, “The era of electric landscape maintenance is in its infancy. It has a long way to go before it becomes mainstream.” At the time, Banks predicted slow adoption of the technology, starting with schools, hospitals, luxury properties, parks, and municipalities. Seven years later, she hasn’t been wrong. Mabe describes AGZA as “a group of people whose mission is to ‘prudently’ help facilitate low impact, cleaner, and quieter technologies and operations for the grounds maintenance industry.” Despite the inertia of change in any industry, the movement is steadily growing as electric and battery technology improves, product costs come down, and environmental awareness increases among clients and providers. Today, AGZA represents an alliance of communities, advocacy groups, service providers, manufacturers, and more who are leading the landscaping industry toward what they see as the inevitable future. Interestingly, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, AGZA experienced a surge of community interest as kids and parents were schooling and working from their homes. “We were overwhelmed with inquiries because people now started to realize the elevated noise levels from gas powered service on their own properties, which ...
AGZA Initiatives Today
One of Turf’s first reports on The American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) was back in 2014 when Jamie Banks, Executive Director of Quiet Communities Inc., wrote about meeting Dan Mabe, AGZA President and Founder, in April 2013 and deciding to collaborate. Banks wrote, “I thought then we could be on the verge of an electric revolution in landscape maintenance.” Later in the article, she added, “The era of electric landscape maintenance is in its infancy. It has a long way to go before it becomes mainstream.” At the time, Banks predicted slow adoption of the technology, starting with schools, hospitals, luxury properties, parks, and municipalities. Seven years later, she hasn’t been wrong. Mabe describes AGZA as “a group of people whose mission is to ‘prudently’ help facilitate low impact, cleaner, and quieter technologies and operations for the grounds maintenance industry.” Despite the inertia of change in any industry, the movement is steadily growing as electric and battery technology improves, product costs come down, and environmental awareness increases among clients and providers. Today, AGZA represents an alliance of communities, advocacy groups, service providers, manufacturers, and more who are leading the landscaping industry toward what they see as the inevitable future. Interestingly, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, AGZA experienced a surge of community interest as kids and parents were schooling and working from their homes. “We were overwhelmed with inquiries because people now started to realize the elevated noise levels from gas powered service on their own properties, which ...
Get Equipped: Battery-Powered
Take a look at this assortment of battery-powered equipment that can improve and add value to your professional lawn care and landscaping services. VANQUISH Mower from Mean Green Mean Green’s new VANQUISH™ model was designed with maximum power in mind and brings stand-on mowing to the company’s “evolution” series of commercial, electric mowers. Planetary gearing combined with the latest electric hub motor technology results in nearly three times the power and weight carrying capability of Mean Green’s current, already powerful 60″ mower. Available with a 52″ or 60″ cut (side/rear discharge), the VANQUISH runs for up to seven hours continuously at speeds of up to 11.5 mph. It features Mean Green’s patented ZTR technologies that make it competitive with any gas mower in its class. Constructed of a strong aluminum alloy, it has strength but with lightweight efficiency. And the full CANbus communication system allows all components to “talk” to each other. The VANQUISH is a quiet, low maintenance, zero emission mower that is built for all-day professional use. 580 EV From CASE CASE Construction Equipment introduces “Project Zeus,” or 580 EV (Electric Vehicle), the construction industry’s first fully electric backhoe loader. The power and performance of the 580 EV is equivalent to other diesel-powered backhoes in the CASE product line and provides considerably lower daily operating costs while also producing zero emissions. The 580 EV is powered by a 480-volt, 90-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged by any 220-volt/three-phase connection. While applications will vary, each charge will ...
Get Equipped: Battery-Powered
Take a look at this assortment of battery-powered equipment that can improve and add value to your professional lawn care and landscaping services. VANQUISH Mower from Mean Green Mean Green’s new VANQUISH™ model was designed with maximum power in mind and brings stand-on mowing to the company’s “evolution” series of commercial, electric mowers. Planetary gearing combined with the latest electric hub motor technology results in nearly three times the power and weight carrying capability of Mean Green’s current, already powerful 60″ mower. Available with a 52″ or 60″ cut (side/rear discharge), the VANQUISH runs for up to seven hours continuously at speeds of up to 11.5 mph. It features Mean Green’s patented ZTR technologies that make it competitive with any gas mower in its class. Constructed of a strong aluminum alloy, it has strength but with lightweight efficiency. And the full CANbus communication system allows all components to “talk” to each other. The VANQUISH is a quiet, low maintenance, zero emission mower that is built for all-day professional use. 580 EV From CASE CASE Construction Equipment introduces “Project Zeus,” or 580 EV (Electric Vehicle), the construction industry’s first fully electric backhoe loader. The power and performance of the 580 EV is equivalent to other diesel-powered backhoes in the CASE product line and provides considerably lower daily operating costs while also producing zero emissions. The 580 EV is powered by a 480-volt, 90-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged by any 220-volt/three-phase connection. While applications will vary, each charge will ...
Three Sustainable Groundskeeping Ideas
By Daniel G. Schied, CGM From the February 2021 Issue of Facility Executive As individuals charged with the maintenance and stewardship of either entire facilities or aspects within them, when facilities professionals hear the word “sustainable” we often wonder what the cost associated with that effort may be. We think about our budgets and bottom lines. In many instances this can be a false way to look at this since some efforts may be cost-neutral, or may even save valuable resources of labor and materials. Let’s look at some opportunities within grounds operations that may provide some low hanging fruit allowing both environmental and fiscal prudence. 1. Mowing Practices. Does your site have some areas that are challenging to mow safely? Have you considered a meadow? A meadow can be a fancy term for just letting the grass grow, while encouraging some naturalism and supporting pollinators in the process. I am not qualified to comment on the challenges our pollinator populations are facing, but that should not suggest that simple efforts to assist their activities can’t be found. Celebrate your effort with signage while giving the pollinators a place to thrive! Another simple approach to benefit pollinator populations is to consider a “No Mow May.” Are there sections around your facility in which you could allow the lawn areas to grow for the month of May, encouraging pollinator habitat? This initiative could also be extolled with signage highlighting your team’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and support local honey ...
Three Sustainable Groundskeeping Ideas
By Daniel G. Schied, CGM From the February 2021 Issue of Facility Executive As individuals charged with the maintenance and stewardship of either entire facilities or aspects within them, when facilities professionals hear the word “sustainable” we often wonder what the cost associated with that effort may be. We think about our budgets and bottom lines. In many instances this can be a false way to look at this since some efforts may be cost-neutral, or may even save valuable resources of labor and materials. Let’s look at some opportunities within grounds operations that may provide some low hanging fruit allowing both environmental and fiscal prudence. 1. Mowing Practices. Does your site have some areas that are challenging to mow safely? Have you considered a meadow? A meadow can be a fancy term for just letting the grass grow, while encouraging some naturalism and supporting pollinators in the process. I am not qualified to comment on the challenges our pollinator populations are facing, but that should not suggest that simple efforts to assist their activities can’t be found. Celebrate your effort with signage while giving the pollinators a place to thrive! Another simple approach to benefit pollinator populations is to consider a “No Mow May.” Are there sections around your facility in which you could allow the lawn areas to grow for the month of May, encouraging pollinator habitat? This initiative could also be extolled with signage highlighting your team’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and support local honey ...
