The ROI of Switching from Gas to Battery Ep. 25

Summary

Podcast Summary: Charged Up with Tim Allard

Episode 25 – The ROI of Switching from Gas to Battery

Date: April 16, 2026
Guest: Barnaby (EGO Power+)

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Main Theme

This episode dives deep into the real-world return on investment (ROI) of switching from gas-powered to battery-powered lawn equipment, focusing on commercial and residential perspectives. Tim Allard and Barnaby, from EGO Power+, explore not just the numbers but the practical realities, evolving technology, maintenance, service, and the broader lifestyle impacts of electrification and automation in the lawn care industry.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The True Cost Comparison: Gas vs. Battery (01:19–02:36)

• Fuel Savings and ROI:

  • Barnaby breaks down the cost of gas vs. battery, urging listeners to look at annual fuel expenses versus the minimal cost to recharge batteries. Although there's a hefty upfront cost for batteries and chargers, the investment pays off, typically breaking even in a year or so—not accounting for added efficiencies like reduced downtime and fewer repairs.
    • Quote — Barnaby (01:20):
      “Look at that number and then think, okay, now let’s look at a couple of bucks to keep all the batteries charged each day... In a little over a year's time, you're going to have a wash. But then you have to factor in all the new business: no downtime, going to the gas station…”

• Unexpected Savings:

  • Efficiency gains emerge: No more lost time on gas station stops, fewer repairs, and much less maintenance—think "zero-oil" and "no belts" machinery.

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Serviceability, Durability, and Evolution (02:36–04:28)

• Field Repairs and Modularity:

  • Gen2 EGO commercial tools are engineered for user-serviceable repairs. Diagnostics are made easy with onboard dongles and consistent designs, enabling most field repairs in 15 minutes or less.
  • Major parts are interchangeably designed, and products are IPX5.5-rated for water and UV resistance.

• Material Advances & Durability:

  • The move to carbon fiber shafts provides superior flexibility, reduced weight, and increased strength over traditional aluminum.

• Notable Warranty:

  • Two-year tool warranty if registered within 90 days—described as "pretty bulletproof”.

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Design Decisions and Real-World Use (04:34–05:50)

• Trimmer Design Insight:
  • Discussion on the pitfalls of head-mounted motors (damage from ground impacts) and why EGO positioned motors for durability and user comfort, especially in their multi-head commercial systems.

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Standout EGO Innovations (05:50–07:37)

• Coolest EGO Tool: The Mini Bike:
  • Barnaby enthusiastically discusses EGO’s battery-powered mini bike—remarkably quiet, with instant torque and a “ready button” for safety and control.
    • Quote — Barnaby (05:58):
      “Who would have thought? ...It’s really just so crazy how quiet it is… immediate torque. It actually has a ready button on it, so you have to press that to signal intent.”
• Lifestyle Accessories:
  • EGO has diversified with fans, pressure washers, wet/dry vacs, and a high-performance, daisy-chainable boombox—“Sounds better than my Sonos system at home with a subwoofer...and you can hook a hundred of them up wirelessly.” (07:14)

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Battery Technology, Modularity & App Integration (09:06–12:38)

• Modular Battery Systems:
  • New stand-on and ZTR mowers will allow customers to buy only as many 40Ah batteries as needed, unlike competitors with fixed internal batteries.
  • Large batteries are transferable to other high-demand tools (like leaf blowers) or charging banks.
    • Quote — Barnaby (09:56):
      “With ours, you're just going to put these 40amp hour batteries in, that look like a small suitcase... and so then you buy two batteries, and now your cut time requirements increase, buy another battery as you need to, don’t over invest.”
• App Integration:
  • Upcoming products will interconnect with EGO’s Power Manager app for smart usage, upgrades, and tailored performance. Some mowers will have unlockable features via app (e.g., “IoT extra speed” — 34:44).

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EGO Company Origins & Battery Design Philosophy (13:22–15:10)

• Company Story:
  • EGO originated as a contract (OEM) tool manufacturer, before developing its proprietary battery—from scratch, over eight years, for optimized safety and performance.
    • Quote — Barnaby (14:00):
      “We could have just gone, hey, you know what, there’s other batteries out there. Let’s just buy one of those... No, look at this: either I’ve got the biggest hands in the world or this is a USB. This is the EGO battery right here.”
• Battery Features:
  • Arc-lithium design allows for superior cooling and durability (phase-changing material, “keep cool” technology, and resin-embedded control boards for water/drop resistance).
  • Over 1,000 charge cycles, substantial lifespan.
  • Nearly all battery components—except the cells—are EGO-made. Batteries are fully recyclable.

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Robotics: Present and Future (16:20–18:27)

• EGO’s Robotics Trajectory:
  • Robotic mowers are in use in Europe, with plans to introduce them to the US after refining for local needs.
• Industry Quirks:
  • Fun anecdote: College students in Europe have used large robotic mowers as transportation.
  • Observes that US adoption lags Europe, partly because of larger lawns and market differences.

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Innovation vs. “Don’t Fix What’s Not Broken” (18:35–20:32)

• Design Continuity:

  • EGO is deliberate about not updating tools for novelty—engineered evolution trumps stylistic redesign. Products are “methodical...If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

• Product Highlights:

  • New “Link” and “Double Link:” Backpack systems for carrying and powering tools with standard EGO batteries, making commercial work more ergonomic and efficient.

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Lightweighting, Power, and Maintenance (21:25–23:54)

• Performance & Portability:
  • Notably, their 30-inch commercial mower weighs 40% less than typical gas counterparts, using composite (“armor deck”) materials and direct-drive motors for durability, mobility, and consistent power.
  • Supporting tools (e.g., pole saws) are substantially lighter, reducing operator fatigue.

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Adoption Tips and Demo Programs (23:15–24:49)

• Encouragement to Try Battery:
  • Urges listeners to try demo units; EGO tools are typically available for trial through dealers or commercial reps.
    • Quote — Barnaby (23:55):
      “There’s plenty of people who want to buy your used stuff... Be the nose of the horse, not the tail.”

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Availability, Dealer Network & Warranties (24:52–30:25)

• Dealer Expansion:
  • Commercial dealers are still growing, but residential products are widely accessible.
• Warranty Details:
  • Two years (commercial tools, with registration), up to five years on the battery (residential); easy registration process emphasized.
    • Quote — Barnaby (29:54):
      “On residential, it’s five years on the tool, three on the battery… If you register. It’s a big dollar commitment to switch over to battery... But again, all the fuel is paid for up front.”

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Behind the Scenes & Personal Anecdotes (30:25–38:46)

• Content Creation and Real-Life Testing:
  • Tim discusses plans for testing, creating content, and attending industry events like Equip and the LCR Media Summit.
• Work-Life & Parenting:
  • Both Tim and Barnaby share stories about balancing work, parenting, and finding joy in their kids’ activities—emphasizing the realities of small business and family life.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Battery Life & Service:
  Barnaby (15:10):
  “People do drop things, right. Batteries never. Gosh, did it crack? With EGO battery all the electronics are potted...you can drop it, you can get it wet, whatever, it's going to run long.”

• On Adoption Pace:
  Barnaby (18:02):
  “It is slow to adopt. Right. So you know what you know, and so eventually, because we do have the equipment in Europe already, it'll make its way here. Again, we want to make sure that it is perfect for the environment we're putting it in.”

• On ROI:
  Barnaby (01:19):
  “In a little over a year’s time, you’re going to have a wash...But then you have to factor in all the new business, right? No downtime. No repairs virtually.”

• On Product Design Philosophy:
  Barnaby (13:27):
  “Better tools, better world. So what I want to do is start developing alternatives…”

• On Ergonomics:
  Barnaby (21:50):
  “Our 30 inch...weighs probably 40% less than gas counterpart...as powerful as any 230cc gas. You can one hand it around corners.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:19 – Cost breakdown: Fuel vs. battery
• 02:36 – Serviceability, repair, upgrades
• 05:50 – Most innovative product: Mini bike
• 09:06 – Modular batteries, new stand-ons and ZTRs
• 13:22 – EGO’s origin story and battery innovations
• 16:20 – Robotics: industry present & future
• 18:35 – EGO's approach to innovation & design
• 21:25 – Lightweight tools and commercial mower features
• 23:15 – Advice for skeptical buyers and accessing demos
• 29:54 – Warranties and registration
• 30:25–38:46 – Personal/family/lifestyle discussion

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Summary & Takeaways

• ROI on battery-powered equipment is quickly realized—both cost- and productivity-wise.
• Durable, serviceable designs make maintenance simple, modular, and largely field-repairable.
• Battery technology and smart integration are at the center of EGO’s evolution, with transferable, cool-running batteries, robust warranties, and app-driven upgrades.
• Robotic and automated innovations are coming to North America after successful launches in Europe.
• EGO’s company philosophy prioritizes reliability and true improvements over superficial redesigns, ensuring that when new versions do come, they’re field-tested and customer-driven.
• Demo opportunities exist via dealers; trying before buying is encouraged.
• Lifestyle integration and lighter tools benefit not only pros but also homeowners looking for less fatigue and more flexibility.

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Closing Note:
This episode blends actionable ROI analysis with insider tech talk, real-world customer stories, and the kind of playful banter and firsthand expertise that makes Charged Up essential listening for anyone curious—or skeptical—about going electric in the green industry.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to Charged up, the podcast, where the cutting edge meets cutting grass. We're diving deep into the electrification and automation revolution, transforming lawn care from the ground up. Whether you're a weekend warrior, a green tech enthusiast, or a landscaping pro, we're here to keep you powered up with the latest in robotic mowers, battery breakthroughs, and the smart tech reshaping your backyard and beyond. Your host, Tim Allard has over over 15 years in the industry and has been charged up about the electric revolution for years. So plug in, power up, and let's get charged up.

[B]

Welcome to the Charged up podcast. This is your host, Tim Allard. This week we are going to dive into part two of our interview with Barnaby from ego. If you didn't catch last week's episode, please go back and listen to part one before listening to this one. But if you did, I hope you enjoyed it. And this is the follow up to that conversation. Thank you for joining us. Appreciate you listening and supporting the podcast and I hope you have a great day. Be blessed and we'll see you on the next one.

[C]

I'm sure everybody that's in business understands what they spent on fuel last year. Yeah, look at that number and then think, okay, now let's look at a couple of bucks to keep all the batteries charged each day. Multiply that by the number of days you work. Okay, there's my fuel cost there. Add on the cost of the batteries and the charging system, go. Okay, now it's an apples to apples comparison. And I think in a little over a year's time, you're going to have a wash. But then you have to factor in all the new business, right? No, no downtime. Going to the gas station. Oh, I got to get a burrito. Oh, you're going to get a burrito. I got to get a Slurpee. Oh, wait a minute, I got to go over here. You know, before you know it, it's just like, geez, we've been here for an hour. What are we doing right? And no repairs virtually. You know, I can tell you quickly on the commercial, one of the things, you know, you had asked about difference between Gen1 and Gen2. Gen2, we understand that things can go south with a tool. So what we did with all of our stick tools is we from the trigger up to the battery, each one of those stick tools is exactly the same, right? Same number of screws, same location of screws. Just back them all out, put the dongle in, it'll tell you exactly what your problem is. And Most repairs can be done by the average person if you understand what the problem is in the field in 15 minutes or less.

[B]

Oh wow.

[C]

Right. You can take it in for service and maybe because they don't break, you know, you can get it in and out that day, who knows. But it's going to be easily service. I mean our big 30 inch commercial for our riders. No belts. Right. All direct drive, no oil, nothing like that. So no. The maintenance boop. Getting down to zero. Plus it's the Stick Tools IPX5.5. So you can be rolling down the road on an open trailer. All of a sudden Hawaii. Like torrential rains coming down, no problemo. These things will take direct hits of water with no problem. They're UV resistant now. They're not going to degrade. I mean to your point, we grind on things. We really work hard to make sure that if we introduce a tool, it's going to be the best tool that we are capable of making and we're not going to release it before it's time. It's always going to be predictably great. So what's evolved is carbon fiber shafts. Right. So I mean we've got a guy that demoed this just the other day. He was just like standing on it and it's bending. I mean flexing the carbon fiber shaft. If that was aluminum. See ya. It's done. Right. It's lighter, it. Yeah, it's just better carbon fiber. Beefed up commercial motors, Hardy electronics, I mean the triggers, they're all beefed up. Yeah. 17 and a half inch cut radius. It's going to have the, the twist load because we do have the power load in residential. But to your point, that's like once a week, twice a week if you're doing it every day.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

But the twist load is pretty standard in the industry. It's pretty quick and it's just, it's great.

[B]

Yeah, No, I, we've been using those free. Even when we had gas, we used to use them.

[C]

Oh yeah. So two year warranty on the tools if you register inside 90 days. So pretty bulletproof.

[B]

I, I know another brand, I won't speak brands but I think originally there they had a line that the motors were in the, in the head versus the battery, the top side battery, which in my mind was. Well, that sounded like a great idea. Right. Because it's right there. I mean you've got a motor, you've got a trimmer head. Makes sense.

[C]

But he's going to be like this. Whoa.

[B]

But the thing I found not so much with the battery, it displaced it pretty well. But the issue, I think that, and I'm not sure where they're at now, I haven't even looked recently. But I know one of the issues we had is you figure you're always bumping that head on the ground, right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And so that's like impact right to the drive motor. And I think that caused a lot of issues. I know that we had several. I know somebody else that had several and I think now they've moved it back up the other end just because it's not taking that hard impact on the ground constantly. And it was, was killing them, I mean.

[C]

Right. Yeah. And with our, you know, we got a multi head system, so we very definitely move the motor to the back on that. So you can then just snap on the attachments. So you know, you can have a pole saw, string trimmer, edger, whatever you want. If for some versatility, we've got that in the commercial realm.

[B]

Out of your 13 years with ego, what's the coolest thing that you have seen come across? The mini bike

[C]

only because, I mean, who would have thought, right? And being a two wheeled man as I am, um, it's really just so crazy how quiet it is. It gets back to my time on a battery powered bike in California, the Zero. But it's, you know, great range, it's got immediate torque. It actually has a ready button on it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So you, when you get ready to go, because that's the one thing, the first thing the guy said to me when I rolled up on my Harley and his test rode the battery powered bike, he goes, all right, dude, you're used to a certain gradual clutching here. This is like if you twist that throttle, you're going to be wearing that bike and you're going to be on your backside side. So on the EGO mini bike, there's a ready button. You have to press that to signal intent, saying, okay, I know I'm about to twist the throttle. And I got to think about this for a second because if I just go for it, you know, you can go back, but that's a cool thing. I think the lifestyle tools, we started coming out with those a few years back because with all the batteries that are out there for the residential, we thought, what are you going to do with the batteries when you're not actually working with them?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So now we've got, you know, two different fans, two different pressure washers, two different wet dry vacs. We got a boom box. That is crazy. Have you Heard that thing?

[B]

No.

[C]

Oh my God. It's got seven speakers in. Sounds better than my Sonos system at home with a subwoofer. I mean it's killer. And it'll run 50 hours on a 5amp hour battery and you can hook a hundred of them up wirelessly. So you have just a giant party that the cops are getting crazy.

[B]

Yeah, you can hear it over your gas mower.

[C]

Yeah, I was watching. It's interesting. I was watching Good Morning America this morning. Yeah, Just kind of. I don't watch that program necessarily, but it was on and my wife is like, oh, look at that. They're talking about battery powered stuff. They had a handheld leaf blower that looked like almost like a battery powered flashlight, you know, so you got the battery down here, then you got the stock and then you got what's up top. This thing was so loud, it was beyond believable. I mean, the hosts didn't do the manufacturer any favors when they go, well, hey, I can barely hear what you're saying over the noise of that thing. Oh geez. I'm like, okay, well that's probably not a good selling point. But yeah, that's the thing about ego is, you know, 85 decibels or less, which is great. And I will tell you that I was talking to a guy with a podcast that was saying that he has a landscaping cruise and they're using battery power. He goes, I have to tell him, all right, different workplace etiquette. Now you can't be yelling like off color comments to your co workers because everybody can hear what you're saying. Now it's not like you've got the built in muffle of gas going on. So it is. I mean if you're inside and there's a battery powered crew outside, chances are you're not even gonna know they're there.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Which is great. Yeah.

[B]

What can you tell us what's on the horizon? What's, what's new? What's coming up that's not here yet.

[C]

Well, you saw the, the stuff, the stand ons and the ZTRs.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

They're coming. Should be next year is what we're thinking. Best case scenario. And it's gonna be again, it's going to be kind of a modular system where you're going to be able to buy as only as many batteries as you need. So there. If you think about, I'm not sure what you're running. If you have a ctr, we have several. A lot of times they are just dedicated batteries. Right. So it's just inside the frame, you can't do anything else with them and you pay for potential power. So it might be that the selling point would be cuts for eight hours. That's great. Unless with the Power Manager app, you go in you go. When you think about it, I'm really only mowing four every day, so why did I buy eight hours of energy? Because the battery is the most expensive part of the tool, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

With ours you're just going to put these 40amp hour batteries in that look, I mean if I were to just say like a small suitcase, each one of them. So if you're used to the regular EGO battery, it's going to be probably four times, five times as big volume wise.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

But it's going to give you a lot more runtime. And so then you buy two batteries and now your cut time requirements increase. Buy another battery as you need to, don't over invest. But then two. The great thing about it is unlike maybe the dedicated battery we were talking about inside the riding mowers, you can take these 40amp hour batteries during the season when you're not mowing much, which would be fall and your energy requirements are through the roof when it comes to blowing leaves. You can take these big batteries, the 40amp hours and put them on what we call the power bank, which looks like a framed generator. Right. So you put it in and now you can charge two batteries at a time quicker than you can discharge them on a tool. So you have all these batteries for mowing, not using them for mowing because you're blowing now. Oatmeal almost went bye bye. That would have been a mess. So yeah, it's, it's just such a smart system, you know, there's nothing set in stone with us. There's multiple uses for everything we make. Right.

[B]

So yeah, good, good. What can. I mean we kind of saw what that stuff's going to look like, what's going to be new at equipped this year, anything.

[C]

I don't know. You know, I, the they talk about all. I mean we are a buddy of mine designed cars and he goes seven years over the horizon with cars. You know, we know stuff that's going to happen well in advance because we got to price it out, test it out, make sure it's going to work with us. We're probably, you know, it takes us a little bit longer than the average person to release things because again it gets into the grinder mode where it's like okay, we can throw it out there and see what happens. Or since we have such a reputation for reliability and performance, let's just introduce it when it is perfectly ready. Like case in point with our residential zero turns. We went to school on those. The 42, both Lap Bar and Eastier and then the 52, they are much quieter now. The decks have been tightened up. They have better electronics on them. We've done different battery configurations because instead of putting like say 6 tens into something, what can you really use? A 10amp hour battery for sure. If not just. It's got to be a wheel vehicle, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So now it might be smaller, you know, you might have 10 sixes in there. Now you can't have 10 sixes, but you'd have six sixes. It's going to have a little bit less range as far as runtime, you know that going in. But now you can use these batteries for all your handheld tools. So we're trying to figure out based on. We're never going to just go, ah, the customer. You don't really know what you want. We're so engaged with the customer saying what do you think? What do you know? How does this work? How does it feel? What would you like to see that's different? And then we go to town on that and we're just grinding always to say best for you, the customer. Like the cut line for the company is better tools, better world. Right. So do you know the story of ego?

[B]

No, tell me.

[C]

Yes, yes. Well, essentially we've been around for about 25 years and it's a guy that started the company just saying, you know what? My cut line is better tools, better world. So what I want to do is I really want to start developing alternatives. So he started with the mainstream, you know, just making tools for other people. He was an OEM and we are still to this day like a contract tool maker. But then he said, I really want to do battery power. So show of fingers, eight years to develop the battery. There's the grinder faction.

[B]

Right.

[C]

We could have just gone, hey, you know what, there's other batteries out there. Let's just buy one of those batteries and put them on our. No, look at this. Either I've got the biggest hands in the world or this is a usb. This is the ego battery right here. Which, you know, look at it, it's like arc lithium design. So what we did was instead of having just a brick battery, it is a. It's got a little arc to it which means that the cells are fanned out and on top of this are airports.

[B]

Right.

[C]

Land planes on, but rather just for air to get in and out. And then two, it's got what we call keep cool cell technology. So each one of these batteries, cells is wrapped in something. It's a phase changing material that keeps the battery cooler. Right. So that gets you longer runtime, longer lifespan of the battery as far as number of charge cycles. But also you don't have to wait for the battery to cool. It's going to a cooler. And it's we figure, you know, depending on temperature and load and everything, thousand plus, you know, up and down charge cycles. So a lot of life to it. But the real secret to the sauce is up here, which is the power management system.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

Which is where the electronics are. And you know people do drop things, right. Batteries never. Gosh, did it crack? With ego battery all the electronics are potted. So when we put the motherboard in, then we put a resin in there, just goes, fills it up, hardens y so I mean you can drop it, you can get it wet, whatever, it's going to run long. And we make every component except for the cells themselves for the batteries. So very much hands on, much the same as we make all the solar panels for our inverter which now has pass through technology. You can charge two 6amp hour batteries in 4.8 hours on this thing. It's pretty good. If you're a prepper or a hunter. You know, whatever you're doing, it's a, it's trying to solve the problem.

[B]

Just, just don't buy the, the speaker. Deer away.

[C]

Deer calls. Yeah, the mating call of the deer.

[B]

I'm gonna throw this one at you because you know, this is all, all the rage now.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Robotics.

[C]

Yeah. Got him in Europe.

[B]

Egos doing something in Europe.

[C]

Yep. Yeah, different footprint. You know, I, I mean I remember Husqvarna's got one, right? Yep, yep. Now, first of all, I just want to say something. I just don't know why. I just think this is the most amazing thing in the world. But Husqvarna's logo, you've seen it, right? Do you have any idea what that is?

[B]

No.

[C]

Okay, so it's an H. Right. And then it's got this like little, almost looks like a crown of sorts.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

It's a gun sight because they used to make firearms back in the day. Yeah.

[B]

Who was that?

[C]

Yeah, but they had a robotic mower. Y still Echo's got one I think when I was out at Michigan State University five, six years ago, I think they had a robotic mower out there that was maybe a 48 inch cut. It was giant.

[B]

Yeah, that, that echo. It just looks so fake. I look at it. It's just this big plastic looking thing. Looks like. Yeah, I don't know. It looks like the ground screw.

[C]

I said. So, I mean, that's got to be great. You know, cuts grass at night when nobody's looking. They go. And you know the one downside that we founded that out this way and we've put the kibosh on it, obviously. But they said college students were riding them. Yes, transportation. There goes one now. But yeah, so I guess because we have big lawns and people are, I mean, again, to your point, it is slow to adopt. Right. So you know what, you know, and so eventually, I mean, because we do have the equipment in Europe already, it'll make its way here, you know, again, we want to make sure that it is perfect for the environment we're putting it in. So it'll perform admirably. But yeah, robotics for sure.

[B]

It's really the thing that blows my. It seems like we always get everything after Europe and all of these other, you know, everything starts over another country. And then all of a sudden, Scandinavian

[C]

countries, they're so much better than ours. They got vending machines that are better than ours. What's up with us?

[B]

Yeah, like we, we get robot. It should be all dialed in by time. We get it because it's been tested in other countries prior to coming here.

[C]

But, you know. Yeah, it's just we're different over here. It's a bigger country, so we got, you know, a lot of variables.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It's. That, that's good that I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure what your answer was going to be on that one because I know you guys have. You're very methodical from what it. From my perspective, looking at ego, it's very methodical. You don't, you know, you're not good and bad. I guess a lot of stuff doesn't change with you guys. I mean, no, the, the tool today doesn't look bad. Much different than the tool five years ago. If it's broke, don't fix it. That's what we. Even though we all like shiny new stuff, when a new design comes out, us as consumers, you know, oh, hey, this one looks way better. It's not as boxy as the other one. Yeah.

[C]

I mean, again, when EGO first came out, I remember I used to go around with my. What was the flip camera precursor to the GoPro. And I got some guy, I just said, so I just saw him in the aisle of a big box store. And I said, so what do you think about this mower? And he goes, dude. And it wasn't even California, it was Michigan. He sounded like a stoner, like a, you know, surfer. He's just like, dude. He goes, that looks like a spaceship. And I'm like, you know, because it is. I mean, it's people, they want stuff that looks kind of like what they're used to. And so ego does still have a very mower esque and string trimmers. What are you gonna do with that? The blowers?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Pretty space age like. And they're cool.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And now we have the link. Have you seen the link?

[B]

I have not seen the link.

[C]

Okay, so that's going to be. Remember at the beginning of our conversation we had the, the giant backpack battery that was first gen. Yep. For a commercial. Then we introduced the link, which is essentially just a small plastic, though very heavy duty plastic backpack frame that you put a regular battery on your back. Can't even feel the weight. And then it's got an umbilical cord with a dummy battery that slips onto the tool. So now we've got the double link. So it's going, going to be stacked up. Batteries, two of them.

[B]

Yeah, I'm looking at it right now. I just pulled it out.

[C]

Yeah, so it's, you know, just use the batteries that you have already. Just snap them on and get off and make some money.

[B]

What, what's the weight of those batteries?

[C]

You know, it depends. Goes all the way from 2.5 up to 12. So I mean it's. You're not going to need a gym membership to pick it up. I would say that for the 40amp hour, that's a little more of a chunk of funk. That's going to be probably 15.

[B]

Looks like this one comes with the 10amp. 10amp hour.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah, Yep. See, I'm so strong. I don't even think about weight.

[B]

You don't, you don't even notice?

[C]

No, I just go, you want to see this?

[B]

I mean, realistically, it's, it's funny because we think about, oh, the batteries are heavy and it's like, yeah, but when was the last time you picked up a, you know, echo 9010 or, you know, something, something of that size or. Those aren't him. Those aren't light.

[C]

I mean, our 30 inch mower, we have a residential and commercial. Have you seen that guy?

[B]

I have not taken a good look at it. But yes, I have seen.

[C]

Okay, if I see you at equip next year, I'm gonna drag you into the booth and go get over here. I'm gonna give you a personalized Tour. So the 30 inch, it weighs probably 40% less than the gas counterpart.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And it's as powerful as any 230cc gas. Right. So how do we do that? Well, we have a, an armor deck which is basically what they make football helmets out of. Right. So it's not going to scratch, it's not going to dent, it's not going to rust. Right. It's got two motors to it, but no belts, no metal. Big metal components. So I mean you can one hand it around corners, which is great. You know, it's not like you're pushing a bulldozer along. Like would be the gas counterpart. Very heavy. Right. If you want to get it on the trailer, you got to get your buddy over to help you. This is markedly lighter. I mean our pole saw, commercial pole saw is 40% lighter than the competition. So I always just say it's almost like balancing a pencil on your finger.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

You know, why get. I mean you're already kind of moving a lot of stuff up, but make it as exact as possible because what's up in the air can kill you sometimes. I mean, you want to hit the branch. Not. Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's that? I'm going towards over there. Right?

[B]

Yeah, I know some competitors. 30 inch mowers. Heavy, very heavy.

[C]

They can, but necessarily. Right. Because I mean if you have metal is heavier than the composites to the

[B]

point where you really need casters on the front, not fixed wheels because.

[C]

Right.

[B]

It is a bear to turn.

[C]

Yep. Yeah, you gotta. You know, I tell you what, man, I wish a quip was tomorrow. I'd say let's meet at the booth.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And then we can. Another podcast. Yeah. Because it, you know, you got it. Trying it. And that's what I always tell people. If you are on the fence about battery power, get to your dealer, get to your wherever you buy commercial stuff and just try it. You know, just say, okay, can I take this out and just blow some stuff in the lot? Can I take this mower and just push it around a little bit? I just want to monkey around with it and see how it feels. It's hard to resist. Except you know, you already have your gas. Right. And then everybody always says, oh well, I'm gonna wait until the gas doesn't work anymore. Really? What's easier selling A car that runs or a car that doesn't run.

[B]

Right.

[C]

There's plenty of people who want to buy your used stuff, get off the dime to your point earlier and be the nose of the horse, not the tail of the horse. Right. You definitely want to just be cutting edge.

[B]

Do you guys do a demo program?

[C]

Don't. I mean, the dealers and some ACE stores are going B2B, where they'll have commercial and they will have demos and we have reps out in the field. So I would say that get in touch with whoever is selling ego commercial in your area, ask them that very question. And you know, these guys that are scurrying around the country are dealer reps. Sure. They will hold days where they'll let you try them out, but it's hard for us to just leave stuff with you unless you're a huge operation.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

And then we could find a way to do it, but we have to keep moving around to let everybody try it.

[B]

Sure.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I was just looking to see where our nearest dealer is there.

[C]

Yeah. Where are you located?

[B]

We're in Vermont.

[C]

I love it. My sister's in Burlington.

[B]

Oh, really?

[C]

I could take the bus there this year. Did you?

[B]

It hasn't been bad. We got like a sloppy wet. I mean, some people said 6 inches. It depends where you were.

[C]

Right.

[B]

I didn't get much at my house.

[C]

Well, I was thinking about the ski

[B]

areas, but yeah, no, ski areas did pretty good this year because it was so cold. So it was. They. I think they had a lot of natural snow. They had, you know, great snowmaking conditions with cold temps. A little colder than I like. It was pretty cold.

[C]

But you spend half your life in a hockey rink, bro. What are you talking about?

[B]

You know, so here's the thing with that. I always tell people because. Because my kids, you know, one of my sons plays baseball and football and my daughter does dance and, you know, so we have all these sports. And the thing is, I always tell people my favorite sport is hockey because I always know what the weather's going to be.

[C]

Right.

[B]

There's no mosquitoes. There's no black flies. It's not snowing. It's not raining. It's not, you know, is it going to be cold today? It's, you know, no, it's going to be cold or it's going to be colder, depending on what rink you're at. But you know exactly what it's going to be. You're not going to get wet. So that's that. That's my thing. I really, I hate the cold. Honestly, if I could just, you know, pack my bags and head out the door, I'd go south really quick.

[C]

Don't do it, bro.

[B]

I'm. I'm so. I actually gave. I gave up plowing this year, so maybe, maybe in the next couple years I'll start to like snow more. Yeah, you know, I. I quit plowing and our business is pretty much phasing out of it completely. This was like the last go around. My brother did a little bit and I had some subcontractors that, that did some plowing for us, but we're. We're phasing out of hoas and we're just saying, you know, we're done. We're done with snow. I want my life back. I want to, you know, I don't want to. Well, I'm gonna go away for the weekend and say, oh, well, no plans. Plans gotta change. We got a snowstorm coming.

[C]

No, you can't do that. Not if you have kids. Yeah, so it's like being a farmer, you know, you just in the off growing season, you just want to relax, maybe work on your equipment a little bit, which you won't have to do if you have ego battery power. Commerc. But yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So I think my nearest quote unquote dealer is probably about an hour away, give or take. Yeah. Which. Which is surprising me because how come your sister doesn't have a dealership?

[C]

She's in Burlington, but she's, you know, she's got all the ego residential. You can go over there and try.

[B]

There we go. Yeah, we don't have any. There's only five dealers in Vermont, actually. No, take that back. There is four. Four dealers, most of them further south. There is one north of me and then the rest of them are south of me. Nothing. Nothing in this general metropolis.

[C]

Right. Well, it'll happen. I mean, it could be that the next thing will pop up would be an ACE store that has the B2B. So you just have to look for EGO commercial there.

[B]

So there is, There's Bibbins Ace and North Springfield. They have Bibbons Aces everywhere over Vermont. So I'm not sure why it only maybe. Maybe they do have it and they just don't list it on your website.

[C]

Yeah, well, we definitely. Anybody that has it, we definitely put it on our website. So it's going to keep growing and growing. I mean, we really. It's. We're about a year into the new stuff. I mean, figuratively speaking. Introduced it late last year. And now we're moving along so it's really, it's going to be a thing if it's not here now, it's going to be here very soon for everybody.

[B]

I gotta say I like your batteries. They've always had this weird futuristic almost.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Star Trekkie, Star Wars.

[C]

Just the name with the arc. Lithium. It sounds like Scottish.

[B]

Yeah, well I mean like you look at the top and they've got that little design with the green button in the middle. And yeah, they've always had this futuristic look to them so.

[C]

And they are recyclable. A lot of people wonder about that. Oh really? They're not running anymore. Yeah. And two, I would always say, you know people, it's boy talking about AI and what's real and what's not. A lot of stuff that's online when it is just comment based. Everybody's got a cure to whatever ill is preventing or facing them. And so like with the EGO battery somebody will say well the best thing to do with an EGO battery if it's not performing is drop it or do this or do that. No, the best thing to do with an EGO battery if you have a problem with it is to call the customer service number and have them walk you through it. Because there are things you can do like diagnostic checks and things of that nature. There is a great warranty. Don't get me started too late on warranty. What is up with people not registering for warranty?

[B]

I was just reading that one year warranty optional. Two years with registration completed within 90 days, right?

[C]

Yeah. Or with the residential it's five years on the battery, it's you know, excuse me, five years on the tool, three on the battery. If it's 10amp hour or more on the residential it's a five year warranty. If you register. I mean it's a big dollar commitment to switch over to battery relative to just trying another gas tool. But again all the fuel is paid for up front and so I mean why not get it all going, you know, just register it, it's quick, it's easy and then if there's a problem, boink you're going to get a new one. Sure, what's wrong with that?

[B]

Yeah, no, that's good stuff, right? It's good stuff. Well, I appreciate you coming on here with me, Barnaby.

[C]

Is our date over?

[B]

Well, you know, we're, we're about an hour or so in. I'm going to keep an eye on ego. I'm going to keep watching what's going

[C]

on Here I'm going to be sending you emails every time. Anything new?

[B]

No, that's, that's good. I'm. I'm going to have to. You know, I think what, what I want to do is try to get my hands on some of this, maybe to shoot some. Shoot some content. Unfortunately, I. It's really hard to shoot content during the winter.

[C]

Yeah, well, what I can do is.

[A]

Let me.

[C]

I'll figure out who the dd, the dealer rep is in your area and I will give your contact information to them and see if I can hook you guys up and get a demo for you so you can see what up.

[B]

Yeah, I'd love, I'd love to take it out and kind of run it through its paces and, and get some video and, and kind of get some real life stuff that we can put on our socials because unfortunately I. Some guys managed to do it and I didn't stockpile a whole bunch of stuff this year and I should have. And, you know, you get caught up. Like, I was going to record a bunch of stuff at Equip, but I was doing the podcast and I was talking and you just get so caught up and then you're like, oh, man, that would have been great if I would have been recording that. So I'm gonna buy, I'm gonna buy more stuff this year. I'm gonna get one of those. Cool. The 360 camera things. Oh, yeah, yeah. And we'll, we'll get some more content. That way we have stuff to put out there during the winter. It's, it's, you know, I mean, this is the Charged Up Podcast and it's not really just about, you know, mowing, but there's. I mean, you've got snowblowers. That's it. There's not, not a whole lot of other options to record content for. For winter. So. But yeah, I'm gonna keep an eye on ego. We're definitely gonna stay in touch. And I'm sure what's gonna happen is, is I'm gonna have you in the booth at Equip, still trying to figure that out. One of my older sons is getting married that Saturday, so I'm, I haven't had the scheduling that I know well, usually because. So usually I leave Sunday to go down to Kentucky because then I. I'm with the LCR Media Summit on Monday, Tuesday, so I'm not sure. I haven't had this conversation with my wife. Logistically, how we're going to do this if we're all going to the wedding if, you know, if she's flying back home without me. It's a conversation that needs to be had. Yeah, I know.

[C]

Conversation.

[B]

Why? I'm avoiding it.

[C]

I know.

[B]

Thankfully, I don't think she listens to my podcast, so. She doesn't.

[C]

She will now.

[B]

Maybe somebody will tell her to be like, I listened to your husband's podcast and he was. But, yeah, I was like, really? I want to text my son. Be like, you can't change it, like, weekend before or something. I don't know.

[C]

Reception hall.

[B]

I know, I know. But it's my. My plan is to be there. We'll have to figure it's more the LCR thing on whether that's going to throw a curve into that. I mean, obviously Equip doesn't start till Wednesday, so either way, I'll probably be in town by Tuesday. We'll have you. We'll have you over to the table. We'll record some stuff, maybe do some video stuff at your booth, and. And hopefully I'll get my hands on some ego stuff this the spring and summer to try it out and shoot some content for our audience. And, you know, the. The app stuff is cool, I can tell you. Other companies have had some of the app stuff, but a lot of it doesn't work. Yeah.

[C]

And then, you know, you really. That's again, getting back to the old grinder.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Mentality. We really want to make sure that when it launches because you get one shot at it.

[B]

You know, it's good to have Bluetooth capability if it actually works.

[C]

Right. We could push much the same as, like, with a ev. We could push updates to the mowers and that sort of stuff. So it's fantastic.

[B]

No, absolutely.

[C]

Yeah. Well, hey, even on the 30 inch, you. There's an Iot where you can get an extra speed out of it.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Off your phone.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[C]

It's almost like, you know, unlock the secret prize.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know? Yeah. So is it.

[B]

No, that's. That's good because sometimes the. The crews can be a little. Little much on equipment. Yeah, they're tough on equipment. My brother used to say I was tough on stuff.

[C]

I'm like, maybe you could be an ego tester.

[B]

There we go. Hey, you know, send me some stuff. We'll test it out.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

We'll run it through his paces. But yeah. Thanks for coming on. It's great catching up with you. I'm sorry it took us like five months to finally nail this down.

[C]

You were busy. You were busy.

[B]

I'm always busy. Hockey Season's kind of over. I mean, not really. He was on the ice yesterday and I think he's, he got called out to pick up a game on Friday. But.

[C]

What are you doing?

[B]

I, I work. I, I come to work in the morning, I drop the kids at school, I come to work, I leave work, I go pick up kids. Most nights we go somewhere. I mean it's either girls on the run or girls for hockey or regular hockey ball.

[C]

Man get into pickleball, you know.

[B]

We just started lacrosse. He started lacrosse. So. Yeah, no, it's, it's sports. The, the hopefully be some me time when my kids are all gone. But being that the youngest is six, I got a few years.

[C]

Then you'd be like this. You'd be so sad.

[B]

I know I will be sad. I just. Because honestly I really, I love, I love watching the kids do their stuff. My daughter's doing competition dance now and so she had, she had a comp weekend before last and we're heading out to Massachusetts this on Friday. She's got another one this next weekend. It's just so good to see him having fun and, and doing stuff they love like. Yeah, it's just, it, it fills my cup, I can tell you that.

[C]

I was talking to a lady yesterday and I don't know how it came to be that got into her kids lives, but one of the kids shows pigs and that is the kid's life. Yeah, it's like deal with the pigs, go to school, come back, deal with the pigs. I mean imagine you're a travel hockey dad. Imagine being a travel pig dad.

[B]

Yeah, right. Going to the picture, going to the pig show.

[C]

Right.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So there's all different to enjoy your kids lives.

[B]

Yeah, it is. I mean the fact that they're happy that they're doing something they like, you know, hopefully it amounts to something later on but if not, you know, they're going to have memories and yeah, it's.

[C]

I mean, look at you. Yeah. I mean, what'd you do when you were a kid? Probably sports, right?

[B]

No, I did not do any sports. I tell you, I'm mad at my parents. They always say, well you didn't want to. I'm like, well, you should have made me a lot of things I don't want to do.

[C]

Right.

[B]

Until you do it. And then you're like, oh, actually this is pretty fun, you know. And so no, I didn't do sports. I started my first business at 18. I couldn't wait to get my first real job at 16. I mean I, I think three summers I kept going back to the store and I was like, can I, can I? No. Another. Another year. As soon as I was old enough, boom, right?

[C]

The only 12 year old reading Fortune magazine.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Business dad.

[B]

It's like, I just, I, I like to do. And I've actually had to, you know, I still do. I've had to slow my due down to do my kids stuff, but, but I still, like, I'm.

[C]

You got a lot of tread in.

[B]

I honestly worry like, what am I going to do when this all stops?

[C]

Pick a pickle ball.

[B]

Golf. Oh, yeah, golf. Pickleball seems like a lot of, lot of exercise. I want to go more low key golf. Little slower speed. I've, I've tried it. I like it. I just need to find time for it.

[C]

And promise me that you will not be a cart golf. Golfer. You've gotta walk.

[B]

Oh, I don't know.

[C]

You'd be a better golfer, man.

[B]

I know, but with the cart, I got a place to put my beer.

[C]

Yeah. Golf should not be rushed. It's like, let's go to the ball. It's like, no.

[B]

Yeah. No. Yeah. All right, my friend. It was great catching up.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Appreciate you coming on.

[C]

Super fun. Glad I met you on the plane.

[B]

I am too. And things happen for a reason. I, I know we're going to have many more conversations. I, I am sure that I appreciate your time. For my listeners. This is Barnaby from ego. This is the Charged up podcast. Thanks for listening. Thanks for being on, Barnaby, and we'll catch up real soon and you have a great rest of your week.

[C]

I'm all charged up.

[B]

Yeah, that's good, that's good. We'll talk real soon, my friend. Have a good day.

[A]

That's it for this episode of Charged up, where tech meets turf. If you enjoyed the ride through the world of electric and automated lawn care, don't forget to follow the podcast. Leave a well worded five star review and share with your fellow green thumbs and gearheads. To connect with Tim, check out the show description. Thanks again for listening. And until the next time, stay sharp, stay smart, and stay Charged Up.