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How long do 56 V battery products run on a single charge?

Work harder, work better

Battery-powered garden tools are becoming increasingly popular among green-fingered folk. In recent years they have conquered the market and won a place in the hearts of both gardening enthusiasts and green care professionals. This is down to giant advances made in battery technology, which has become increasingly sophisticated and high-performance.

We have been investing in researching this technology for a long time. The result of this work is, among other things, our new professional range of 56 V battery-powered gardening tools, which was launched recently and is the topic of today's article.

The new Efco battery-powered garden tools

Our new professional range of 56V battery-powered gardening tools comprises 10 models including brushcutters, multifunction brushcutters, telescopic pruners, hedgetrimmers, shaft hedgetrimmers, blowers and lawnmowers. The range is complemented by interchangeable batteries available in 3 sizes – with capacities of 2.5, 4 and 8 Ah – and a battery charger.

If you work in the green care sector and have only ever used machines with internal combustion engines, these battery-powered tools give you an effective alternative to engine-driven models in the same power category. The 56 V range is made for you, whether you are a professional or a demanding enthusiast who wants tools that can do intensive work, cut tough vegetation and/or cover large surface areas, both in the city and in the countryside.

Battery-powered tools hit the sweet spot between performance and respect for the environment. Let's summarise the general advantages of working with a battery-powered brushcutter, lawnmower or other tool in the Efco 56 V battery-powered range:

No exhaust fumes and little noise, meaning more comfort and less air and noise pollution.
More convenience on multiple levels:
You don't have the hindrance of a power lead or the need for a nearby mains socket, so you can work wherever you want and with greater freedom.
You have tools that are easy to use and handle, lightweight and produce less vibration.
You don't have to manage fuel, in terms of keeping a ready supply of it, preparing mixture, stopping to fill up, etc.
Simplified maintenance: limited to cleaning and looking after the batteries.

Looking inside the Efco 56 V battery-powered tools, at their heart are batteries with latest generation lithium-ion cells. This means:

Constant power while you work, throughout the entire charge duration.
High power-to-weight ratio, i.e. the batteries deliver a lot of energy for their weight (up to 149 Wh/kg for the Bi 580 403 Wh battery).
Fast charging times: approximately 25 minutes per 100 Wh, so you can fully charge the Bi 540 202 Wh battery in just 45 minutes.

Thanks to these batteries, combined with the advanced, high-performance brushless motor and motor control system, you have work tools that optimise energy and minimise energy waste, giving you long, high-quality running times. In short, these are very high performance battery-powered gardening tools that more than measure up to engine-driven machines in the same power category. As regards the construction features, the mechanical components are as reliable as those we mount on our machines for intensive use.

On the battery-powered tools there is also a display—which is easy to read even in direct sunlight—to check the remaining charge, selected speed and other information. Finally, with the Efco HUB app you can keep an eye on your battery-powered machines from your smartphone: You can view nearby machines, connect to individual models and locate them via GPS.

How long does the battery in the 56 V Efco range last?

Now let's talk about running times: in other words, how long does the battery last on the new range of gardening tools? Bear in mind that the data can vary depending on the specific situation, for example the vegetation (type of wood to be pruned, height of the grass to be cut, how moist it is, etc.) and the working conditions (forward speed, cutting mode in the case of lawnmowers).

We recommend that you pair each tool with the correct battery. The Bi 580 battery must only be used with lawnmowers (LRi 548 P, LRi 548 V and LRi 553 V), not with other machines. By contrast, you can use the Bi 540 battery with all the tools in the range. We particularly recommend it for the DSi 530 S and DSi 530 T brushcutters, the DSi 530 D multifunction brushcutter, the PTXi 530 pruner, the DSi 530 HL shaft hedgetrimmer and the SAi 570 blower. Meanwhile, the Bi 525 126 Wh battery is optimal for the TGi 560 hedgetrimmer and is compatible with other tools (excluding lawnmowers).

Here's how much work you can do on a single charge with each battery-powered tool in the Efco 56 V range:

DSi 530 S and DSi 530 T battery-powered brushcutters (respectively with single and double handgrip): up to 18–33 minutes with cutting line and 30–45 minutes with disc (depending on workload intensity).
DSi 530 D battery-powered multifunction brushcutter with attachment:

- Brushcutter: up to 16–30 minutes with line and 27–41 minutes with disc (depending on workload intensity).
- Pruner: up to 150–100 cuts (depending on workload intensity).
- Hedgetrimmer: 50–67 minutes (depending on workload intensity).
- Blower: up to 11–18 minutes (depending on workload intensity).

PTXi 530 battery-powered pruner: up to 85–125 cuts (depending on workload intensity).
TGi 560 battery-powered hedgetrimmer: up to 100–150 minutes (depending on workload intensity).
DSi 530 HL battery-powered shaft hedgetrimmer: up to 60–80 minutes (depending on workload intensity).
SAi 570 battery-powered blower: up to 17–30 minutes (at maximum/minimum speed respectively).
LRi 548 P battery-powered lawnmower: up to 1,100–2,200 m2 (with single or double battery respectively).
LRi 548 V battery-powered lawnmower: up to 1,020–2,040 m² (with single or double battery respectively).
LRi 553 V battery-powered lawnmower: up to 940–1,880 m² (with single or double battery respectively).

To complete the rundown, the 100% charging times of the Bi 525, Bi 540 and Bi 580 batteries are 35, 45 and 80 minutes respectively. To recharge them, only use the CRG 520 battery charger.

Pay attention to battery maintenance

As we often say, taking care of your tools is the key to prolonging their useful life and, in this case, also that of the batteries that power them. First and foremost, we advise that you only use the original batteries and chargers recommended by the manufacturer for the machine you are using. Refer to the safety warnings in the user manual and the instructions for charging batteries correctly, as well as for cleaning them and storing them properly. Be cautious to avoid falls and impacts. Also, once you have finished working, check that the batteries are intact: do not use them if you find them to be damaged or worn (the same goes for the battery charger).

To finish off, here are some suggestions for further reading on the subject of battery-powered gardening tools: