Toolbox Consensus

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Thinking about retiring a gas mower, blower or chainsaw? The battery vs gas lawn equipment question has a clearer answer than it did a few years ago, but not for every tool. We read Consumer Reports’ guide to switching to electric lawn equipment, Consumer Reports’ gas vs. battery mower guide and a recent Bob Vila article, then paired them with the expert reviews behind five tools we have already scored: three battery models and two gas ones. Here is where battery wins, where gas still earns its keep, and which tools the testers actually liked.

Quick picks

Award	Tool	Where to buy
Best battery leaf blower	EGO Power+ LB7654	Lowe’s · Amazon · Ace Hardware · Northern Tool
Most powerful gas backpack blower	Echo PB-9010T	Home Depot · Amazon
Best battery chainsaw	Husqvarna Power Axe 350i	Lowe’s · Amazon · Northern Tool · Rural King
Best gas chainsaw	Echo CS-590 Timber Wolf	Home Depot · Amazon · Northern Tool
Best battery mower for big lawns	Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2823-22HD	Home Depot · Amazon · Ace Hardware · Northern Tool

How we built this list

We don’t run our own tests. The general comparisons come from Consumer Reports and Bob Vila, whose articles we read in full. For the tools, we reused the expert verdicts from our earlier guides: each pick has independent, hands-on reviews of that exact model. Three of the five picks are battery tools and two are gas. Only the chainsaw pair is a like-for-like match; the gas blower is a backpack model, a different class from the handheld EGO. Treat the picks as examples of what each side does well, not a head-to-head contest.

1. EGO Power+ 765 CFM LB7654 — Best battery leaf blower

Why reviewers love it: This is the strongest case for battery in the yard. Family Handyman named it Best Overall and called it its favorite blower of any kind, gas included. Bob Vila gave it 8.9/10 after it cleared a 20-foot driveway and wet, matted leaves, and Pro Tool Reviews measured 25.3 newtons of blowing force in turbo, the strongest handheld it had tested at the time, and scored it 9.8/10. Consumer Reports rates it 83/100, and Project Farm ranked it first of ten battery blowers. Our battery leaf blower guide has the full test notes.

• Rated airflow: 765 CFM, 200 MPH (turbo)
• Weight: 9.6 lb with the 5.0Ah battery (Pro Tool Reviews)
• Measured runtime: about 22 minutes on high, 13 minutes in turbo (Pro Tool Reviews, 5.0Ah)
• Warranty: 5 years on the tool, 3 years on the battery
• Typical price: about $329 with a 5.0Ah battery and charger

What to watch for: Consumer Reports found it loud enough to want hearing protection, and Bob Vila noted it is heavier than other handhelds. Runtime is the trade-off: 13 minutes in turbo means a spare battery for a big property. Home Depot doesn’t sell EGO.

2. Echo PB-9010T — Most powerful gas backpack blower

Why reviewers love it: If you clear acres of wet leaves, this is where gas still pulls ahead. Echo rates its X Series flagship at 1,110 CFM and 48 newtons; Pro Tool Reviews measured 52 newtons, called it the strongest backpack blower it had tested and scored it 9.5/10. In Bob Vila’s 2026 test it came first in both timed tasks (5,000 square feet of leaves in 12 minutes, a gallon of damp sand in 14 seconds) and ran the longest on a tank. See our gas backpack blower guide.

• Engine: 79.9 cc, 2-stroke (50:1 mix, per Echo); CARB-compliant, per Bob Vila
• Air: 1,110 CFM, 220 MPH, 48 newtons (rated)
• Weight / fuel tank: 26.7 lb dry / 83.8 fl oz
• Warranty: 5 years consumer, 2 years commercial
• Typical price: about $650–$700 (Echo lists $699.99)

What to watch for: It is heavy, loud and expensive, and neither tester liked that it has no hip belt. It is a backpack blower, so it isn’t a like-for-like match for the handheld EGO. Want the throttle on your hip instead of the tube? That’s a different model, the PB-9010H.

3. Husqvarna Power Axe 350i — Best battery chainsaw

Why reviewers love it: No battery saw collected more expert wins. Popular Mechanics named it Best Overall: with the boost button pressed it cut an 8-inch log in about 5 seconds and stayed remarkably quiet. Outdoor Life picked it as its best large saw after 24 cuts through a 14-inch log on one charge. TechGearLab scored it 80/100 with 51 minutes of measured runtime, and Consumer Reports’ public verdict calls it fast through 10-by-10-inch oak and safe to use. See our battery chainsaw guide.

• Bar: 18 in.
• Battery: Husqvarna 40V platform; the kit (970601202) includes a 7.5Ah battery and charger
• Weight: about 14–14.5 lb with battery (Outdoor Life, Popular Mechanics)
• Typical price: around $450–$480 for the kit (Popular Mechanics, Top Ten Reviews)

What to watch for: Charging is slow: TechGearLab clocked 2 hours 45 minutes for a full battery, so a second battery helps. Outdoor Life found the tool-free tensioner occasionally jammed with debris. Wear the usual protective gear, including chaps, eye and ear protection.

4. Echo CS-590 Timber Wolf — Best gas chainsaw

Why reviewers love it: The gas saw that keeps beating pricier brands. In TechGearLab’s test it averaged 4.9 seconds through a 4×4, the only gas saw there under five seconds, and ran 29 minutes on a tank. Pro Tool Reviews scored it 8.9/10 and found it started on the first pull; Bob Vila named it Best for Firewood, and HomeFixated praised easy cold starts and low vibration. Echo backs it with a 5-year consumer warranty. See our gas chainsaw guide.

• Engine: 59.8 cc, 2-stroke (50:1 gas-to-oil mix, per HomeFixated)
• Bar: 20 in. (also sold with 18 and 24 in. bars)
• Weight: about 16–18 lb (TechGearLab measured 18.0 lb)
• Typical price: about $430–$480

What to watch for: It’s heavy, you tighten the chain with a scrench rather than a tool-free knob, and Bob Vila’s testers found it noisier and thirstier than smaller saws. On Amazon it is listed as the CS-590-20AA, the same 20-inch Timber Wolf. Use chaps, eye and ear protection.

5. Milwaukee M18 Fuel 21 in. 2823-22HD — Best battery mower for big lawns

Why reviewers love it: This is the battery mower that takes on the “it can’t match gas” argument directly. Pro Tool Reviews gave it 9.7/10 and called it the most capable professional-grade battery mower it had tested. Milwaukee rates it at 10 ft-lbs of torque, more than a 200cc gas engine. Bob Vila’s testers saw stronger uplift than any other battery mower they tried, and ToolGuyd’s reviewer said it outperformed comparable gas mowers. Our battery mower guide covers the field.

• Deck: 21 in. steel, rear-wheel drive up to 4 mph
• Battery: two M18 12.0Ah batteries plus a charger in the kit
• Runtime: up to about 60 minutes (Pro Tool Reviews, Bob Vila)
• Weight: 85 lb with batteries (Pro Tool Reviews)
• Typical price: about $1,099 for the kit (Pro Tool Reviews)

What to watch for: It’s expensive, it won’t run on one battery, and Bob Vila found it less nimble in tight spaces. ToolGuyd says it makes the most sense for people already on the M18 platform (see our DeWalt vs Milwaukee guide).

Battery vs gas lawn equipment: what the testers found

Where battery wins

Consumer Reports calls electric leaf blowers the clear winners over gas, says electric and gas string trimmers perform equally in its tests, and gives electric mowers the edge on noise, maneuverability and upkeep. In its 2026 mower guide, noise at the ear averaged 5.0 for electric mowers against 2.2 for gas on a 0.5 to 5.5 scale (higher is quieter), and handling averaged 4.2 against 3.8. Larger electric tools don’t need oil or spark plug changes or winterizing, and you don’t buy fuel. Bob Vila adds that charging costs much less than gasoline and that its writer found a battery mower much lighter than his old gas one.

Where gas still wins

Gas keeps the edge on run time, cutting evenness and upfront price. Consumer Reports measured an average 45 to 50 minutes of run time for battery walk-behind mowers, enough for about a quarter acre (maybe half an acre on flat ground), and scored gas slightly higher for cutting evenness (4.7 against 4.5) and bagging. Bob Vila’s writer used up an 8Ah battery on the first mow of a 0.16-acre lawn and needed a second pack for the trimming and blowing. For long days with a saw, our expert-tested gas and battery picks score within a point of each other, so the real question is whether you want to refuel and mix fuel (see our 2-stroke vs 4-stroke guide).

What switching costs

Consumer Reports’ analysis found an electric push or self-propelled mower generally saves money over a gas one within five years, though it left out replacement batteries, which it says run about $100 to $300 and sometimes more than $400. A very expensive battery mower compared with a cheap gas one may not save money, and gas tools never need that battery expense. Most batteries carry three-year warranties, according to the same report, and batteries can often be shared across tools from one brand, which is why choosing a platform matters. Bob Vila’s writer makes the same point: tool choice often depends on the battery system you commit to.

Noise, safety and local rules

Consumer Reports says long use of loud gas machines without ear protection can cause irreversible hearing loss, and Bob Vila reports that more than 100 communities have banned or plan to ban some gas lawn equipment. Consumer Reports puts it at about 100 municipalities, including Boston, New York and Seattle, restricting gas leaf blowers, and says California will require most newly made outdoor power tools to be zero-emission. Check your town’s rules before you buy gas. If you are weighing a gas generator, see our portable generator guide, and run any generator outdoors only.

Frequently asked questions

Are battery leaf blowers as powerful as gas?

Consumer Reports calls electric blowers the clear winners in its tests, and the EGO LB7654 won several expert awards. For raw force, a big gas backpack blower still leads: Pro Tool Reviews measured 52 newtons for the Echo PB-9010T and 25.3 for the EGO, though one is a backpack and the other a handheld.

Can a battery mower handle a big yard?

Consumer Reports found an average 45 to 50 minutes of run time and says about two-thirds of the battery walk-behinds in its ratings should mow a quarter acre on one charge. For more, you need a spare battery or a dual-battery mower like the Milwaukee, which runs up to about 60 minutes according to Pro Tool Reviews and Bob Vila.

Do I have to mix oil and gas?

Not with battery tools. The two gas picks here are 2-stroke engines that run on a fuel-oil mix (Echo’s 50:1 ratio, per Echo and HomeFixated). Read the manual for your exact model, and see our guide to 2-stroke vs 4-stroke engines.

How long do the batteries last before I need new ones?

Consumer Reports says most batteries carry three-year warranties and that battery life is hard to predict. It puts replacements at $100 to $300 or more every few years, and advises following the maker’s guidance on use, charging and storage.

The bottom line

For leaf blowers, trimmers and a typical suburban lawn, the testers say battery is ready: EGO LB7654 for blowing and the Milwaukee 2823-22HD if you want a battery mower that rivals gas. The Husqvarna Power Axe 350i and Echo CS-590 are rated almost equally by experts (84 and 83), so pick by how long you cut and whether you want to handle fuel. Stay with gas for very large or hilly property, long runtimes, or when the lowest upfront price matters most. Whatever you choose, commit to one battery platform.

Keep reading: our best battery lawn mowers, best gas chainsaws and DeWalt vs Milwaukee guides.

Sources: Consumer Reports (Should You Switch to Electric Lawn Equipment?, June 2024), Consumer Reports (Gas vs. Battery Lawn Mower, updated May 2026), Bob Vila (Robert Annis, Aug 2025), Pro Tool Reviews (EGO LB7654), Pro Tool Reviews (Echo PB-9010T), Bob Vila (backpack blowers), Popular Mechanics (battery chainsaws), TechGearLab (Husqvarna 350i), TechGearLab (Echo CS-590), Bob Vila (gas chainsaws), Pro Tool Reviews (Milwaukee 2823-22HD), ToolGuyd (Milwaukee mower). Specs and prices come from those sources and were accurate as of October 2026; check the retailer for current pricing.

Header photo: Michael Hutter on Unsplash.