In the spring of 2021 we tip-toed into the outdoor battery powered tool market and purchased an Atlas 40 volt string trimmer. By the end of the summer we had the 40 volt 16″ chainsaw and 10″ pole saw. This spring (2022) we purchased the 80 volt push mower, not the self-propelled model. We now also have four batteries, three 80 volt and one 40 volt, and of course a charger. Needless to say, we like this tool line so far.
The Atlas battery powered tools have been trouble-free and unexpectedly preferred over their gas powered equivalents. Insert a battery and go is much easier and quicker than the routine for using the gas powered mower, saw & trimmer. For the most part, the Atlas tools are lighter and easier to handle as well.
“I Love It”
This year when my wife tried the 21″ mower the first comment she made after using it was “I love it”. She repeated that at least once within the first two weeks. Although phrased differently, the guys who have tried the chainsaw & pole saw have made similar comments. A few have purchased their own based on their short time spent using ours.
There are a few differences of note and surprises with battery power vs. gas power and following is an attempt to put our experience so far into words with some pictures. This is more of an overview than a detailed review of each tool. More detail with specifications on each tool can be found on the Harbor Freight website.
String Trimmer – 40 Volts
This is the tool that started the switch to battery powered outdoor tools for us. It was meant as just something lighter that my wife could use on some of the lighter trimming around the house and I would take the heavier gas powered Stihl and do he heavier work. Now, she just takes the battery powered trimmer and does it all with two of the 80v batteries. We mow about 2.5 acres and on that there are several hundred feet of fence, and dozens of objects (trees, structures, etc.) to trim around. The trimming takes 1-2 hours total.
Initially I thought that was too much for this tool, but this is season two for the trimmer and it’s still going strong. There are a couple of items to be aware of with the trimmer though. First, the motor is down by the trimming head so it is a little heavy at that end, although the entire tool is not heavy. Second, it takes 0.08″ string which breaks off much quicker than the thicker string on the gas powered Stihl.
The head has a convenient wind up feature and replacing the string is not very difficult. This feature somewhat offsets the increased frequency of having to add more string. Threading the string through the head is hit or miss with the head assembled but removing the head assembly is simple which makes loading the string easier to line up. Reassembling everything back together is simple. Winding the string takes a little bit of grip strength as the head could use better traction for gripping.
16″ Chainsaw – 40 Volts
The chainsaw is the tool I had to convince myself that it made sense to get. We don’t heat with wood and for most trimming tasks I could get by with a handsaw or get the stihl 025 out and use it. But, for the small tasks I hardly ever made the effort to get the gas chainsaw out.
It’s so easy to pop in a battery and go that it’s just as quick as getting the hand saw out. We also take it camping, and without creating all the noise of the gas powered saw, cutting up a nights worth of firewood is a simple task. I’ve probably cut more wood with this saw than the decade of having the gas Stihl (which is a very good saw).
I grew up heating with wood and have spent a considerable amount of time operating a chainsaw in the past. I do not think the Atlas is a saw for a lot of heavy wood cutting. That’s just a thought though, it has worked fine so far but it just doesn’t feel as heavy duty. It has a thinner kerf blade which cuts fast, but also seems lighter duty. Also, one thing noticeable is that the saw cuts at a slower speed until it senses a load (blade resistance) while cutting, then it goes full speed and cuts fast.
My dad still heats with wood and has decades of chainsaw usage. He has commented on how nice this saw is to use. It’s light and cuts fast and is well suited for small to medium sized trees and makes a great limbing saw.
10″ Pole Saw – 40 Volts
Initially there was one specific purpose for getting this saw which was cutting down and trimming thorn apple trees on the family northern property. A thorn apple tree is a nasty little tree with big thorns and tough, twisty wood. Getting too close to them typically results in at least one thorn prick which usually leaves a piece of thorn in your skin to dig out later.
Being able to cut limbs and small trees from a distance makes this saw very handy for those tasks. The thin kerf blade cuts fast. The motor is at the blade end so it’s basically a small chainsaw at the end of the pole which is a little unwieldy at full extension. However, the battery is back by the user so it offsets the weight somewhat and the balance is not too bad.
The more vertical the cutting the easier it is to balance. So for cutting limbs higher up it’s easier to maneuver the saw than trying to cut down a bush or small treed with the saw more horizontal.
21″ Push Mower – 80 Volts
As mentioned earlier, this is our newest tool purchase in the Atlas lineup. So, this review is not a full season review but rather our impression after about a month of use. Honestly I haven’t used it as much as my wife has, but she finds it much easier to use than the gas powered self-propelled mower even though ours is not the self-propelled Atlas model.
It doesn’t take long to realize how easy this mower is to push and maneuver. Starting with a button is certainly easier than using a pull cord on a gas mower. This feature, and not having to fill with gas, is something my wife particularly appreciates. In fact, apparently the neighbor lady saw my wife start ours and has declared that she is getting one too. Just push a button, grab the safety bar and go is a nice feature.
It seems that on all the Atlas tools (at least the ones we have) the part that spins is a lighter weight version than found on gas powered equivalents, although I believe the 80 volt trimmer can use a thicker string. The mower blade is a thinner material than on our gas mower. It cuts great but time will tell how well it holds up. Also, it does not throw the grass clippings as far as the gas mower does.
Charger And Batteries
There are two chargers available for the Atlas batteries, the standard charger and the rapid charger. Both will charge the 40 volt and 80 volt batteries.
We have the standard charger which works fine for our needs. If we only had one battery then we would probably want to go with the rapid charger.
The larger 80v batteries of course cost more but a few times I’ve seen the 80 volt batteries marked down 20% in the clearance section. One of our 80v batteries is a clearance battery and it’s working fine so far.
Also notable is that the batteries are dual voltage and the 40 volt tools will use the 80 volt batteries and run longer with them vs. the 40 volt only batteries.
Future Purchases
The tools we have will probably be the last we buy of what Atlas currently offers. We don’t need a hedge trimmer, although I can see myself impulse buying a blower which we also don’t need. Now, if there was a small rototiller that would be interesting but it would probably be quite a battery drainer.
So, for now we’ll just keep using and enjoying the Atlas tools we have. If something fails or causes us to change our high opinion of these tools we will update this review. At this point we really like these tools.