There is nothing wrong with trying to get the most bang for your buck! When it comes to cordless electric lawn and garden tools, I hope you have come to this site while researching what you want to buy. I’m here to help you find the best deals.
When we are shopping for lawn and garden, or even for our tool box, we want to be able to buy cheap power tools. Now cheap can mean different things to different people. Cheap can mean low quality. We definitely don’t want that. Cheap can mean a low price, and we do want that! We want low cost and high quality. We want to have our cake and eat it too.
Let’s find out how we can do that.
Look for Sales
Finding items on sale is second nature for most of us. If we can get the exact same product from two different reputable vendors, we’re going to pick the one that costs less, right?
There are a some tips when it comes to finding items on sale.
- I mentioned reputable dealers. Be careful when purchasing from a vendor you’ve never heard of, if it might just be saving you a few dollars. Certain websites actually serve as a portal for multiple vendors or individuals. In that case, pay attention to any reviews of that vendor that have been posted.
- Allow yourself time to shop. Unless you absolutely must have your item now, then keep tabs on it over time and watch for the sales to emerge. Perhaps a holiday is just around the corner, and there is a pretty good chance the item will go on sale.
- Don’t get too focused on one specific model of item. It’s great to do research and pick out what you want based on that. Surprisingly, now and then you can find a superior model actually selling for the same or less than the model you’ve selected. That happened to me when I was shopping for my electric hedge trimmers, for example. More about models below.
- When it comes to electric lawn and garden tools, make sure to evaluate the various packages that come with your item. It may come with various configurations of batteries. It may come with various types of chargers, or other accessories, such as a strap for your string trimmer.
Purchasing the Battery by Itself
Keep an eye out for good deals on just the batteries that you use for your tools. Batteries can go on sale just like the tools they are for. Purchasing the battery by itself might allow you to save money now or later when you only need to buy a bare tool (see below).
I recommend that you choose a system where you like the brand and the various tools available, with the knowledge that they will all use the same battery system.
If you purchase one individual tool of different brands for every need you have, you’re going to end up spending a lot more money on batteries and chargers. Typically, each brand has its own unique battery configuration.
Purchasing a Bare Tool
Many electric lawn and garden tools can be purchased as a “bare tool” without any battery, charger or other accessories. This can result in a significantly lower cost than purchasing the tool with battery and charger.
This is a great option for someone that is purchasing a tool when they already have batteries and a charger that work for that tool.
Do remember to check for sales as noted above, though. Once I was searching for a bare tool and found the same item on sale bundled with a battery and charger for barely any additional cost. In that case it was wise to spend just a few more dollars to get myself a spare battery and charger.
Quality Matters
As I mentioned before, we want both a quality tool and a great price for it. We want it “cheap” in the positive sense of the word.
Quality does matter.
If you find a very inexpensive tool that quickly breaks or can’t do the job you purchased it for, you might end up spending even more money to finally get what you want. We want to evaluate cost over time as well as your initial out-of-pocket expense.
Two broad categories of lawn and garden products are residential and commercial. I currently use residential grade electric lawn and garden tools both at my home and business.
Residential Tools
- Residential products are made for the typical homeowner or perhaps small business owner. Use might be several hours a week.
- Residential products may come with a longer warranty than commercial, but keep in mind that warranty is covering only residential use.
- You can find excellent low cost, high quality residential products, but they are not intended for the frequency and demands of commercial use.
Commercial Tools
- Commercial products are meant for use in a professional setting. Use might be many hours every day.
- Commercial products may have a shorter warranty than residential, but the warranty covers demanding professional use.
- Typically they cost more than the equivalent residential model.
- Apart from durability, commercial products may have ergonomic or other improvements over the residential version.
When you are researching what you want to buy, I do recommend you take a look at whatever commercial offerings are available as well as residential. If you can find a commercial product of similar cost to the residential model, it is likely going to be worth it in terms of how long that product is going to last. A commercial product may even be worth paying a bit more for. Although the warranty may be different, a product designed for commercial use is typically going to last a very long time if used in a residential setting.
Cheap can end up being expensive if a tool can’t do the job you want it to, or if it doesn’t last long.
Don’t Have Model Envy
I hope that when the time comes to purchase a lawn or garden tool, you’ve done your research. That’s why I’ve created this website.
Most of us will have researched on the Internet. We may have asked friends and neighbors what they think. Maybe we’ve even gone by the local hardware store to look at an item in real life. Ultimately, you will have finally decided on what specific brand and model you want.
That’s great! But, my advice is not to become too married to that specific model while you’re shopping for the best deal.
There’s a thing that I’ve named “model envy”. Some folks need to have the latest and greatest model. It has to be the absolute newest, whether it be a television, computer or lawn and garden tool. But, the very latest model is also often going to be the most expensive in a line of models as well.
- For example, let’s pretend that I have researched and picked out a lawn mower: Brand X Model 751.
- I follow the various above tips and have found the best price I can find, from a reputable source.
- I notice while I’m searching for the best price, that there is a Brand X Model 750 which is no longer produced, but very similar to Model 751. In fact, 751 is a newer version that only has some minor changes from 750.
- I can buy Model 750 at a much lower cost, new, with the same warranty as Model 751.
- I should give serious consideration to buying Model 750.
If you find yourself with the option I’ve just laid out above, then it comes down to what the actual differences are between the newer and older model, and whether the differences are worth the cost.
Buy Cheap – But Buy Wisely
When you are shopping for just about anything, including of course lawn and garden tools, look for the best price. However, don’t forget to factor in quality.
A full consideration of price needs to include not just what you pay up front, but how long a product will last, as well as maintenance and upkeep costs.
Don’t forget, by “cheap”, I mean low cost, not low quality! Have your cake and eat it too!
