Whether you’re a homeowner or a professional landscaper, having the right lawn care equipment can make a world of difference. In 2024, we highlighted the most innovative outdoor power equipment picks with our annual Pro Tool Innovation Awards. Below, I’ve picked five winning OPE tools that stand out among an elite group for you to consider adding to your lawn care arsenal for 2025!
Best Outdoor Power Equipment PTIA Winners for 2024
Chainsaws – Milwaukee M18 Fuel 20-inch Dual-Battery Chainsaw
Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel Dual-Battery Chainsaw produces up to 5.8HP of power, which is equivalent to a 70cc gas engine. The benefit here is that instead of defaulting to gas-powered machines where other battery-powered options stop short, the 2827 offers a legitimate gas replacement with the performance for tough tree-felling jobs.
Using a pair of 8.0Ah RedLithium Forge batteries, Milwaukee claims up to 60 cuts in 10-inch hardwood per charge. When you’re out of juice, the dual-bay rapid charger included with the kit will get you up and running quickly. The top-level performance is complemented by standard design features that we like seeing in a Pro-grade chainsaw, like dual metal bucking spikes and dual captured bar nuts.
Price: $899 kit
Battery-Powered Self-Propelled Mowers – Toro 60V Personal Pace Auto-Drive Mower
The Toro 60V eTimeMaster features a 30-inch dual-blade system, keeping a similar design as its gas forefathers. An obvious plus side to this is that it’s building off of a proven formula, optimizing it for a cordless design so you can ditch the gas can without sacrificing the performance and large cutting swath.
A pair of 10.0Ah batteries nets you over an hour of runtime, and adding another battery (which you can store onboard) gets you up to 100 minutes per charge. Since runtime and performance are two of the biggest priorities when shopping for a battery-powered mower, it’s safe to say Toro is covering all of its bases with top marks.
Price: $2399
Stand-on Lawn Mowers – Exmark Vertex X-Series Stand-on Mower
Shifting gears to the ride-on mower category, Exmark’s Vertex X-Series 72-inch model took home a PTIA win this year. It focuses on improvements to operator comfort and features intuitive controls with better maneuvering thanks to a low center of gravity.
This doesn’t mean the mowing capabilities were neglected in the design process—actually quite the opposite. Its Kawasaki FX1000 engines and UltraCut cutting decks ensure a superior cut quality. Experienced users can expect to mow up to 7 acres per hour with the 72-inch model, which is ideal for landscapers juggling multiple properties.
Price: $14,999
Battery-Powered Blowers – Toro 60V Max 900 CFM Leaf Blower
Battery-powered OPE continues to show out year after year, which means many brands are pushing their own limits to try to outperform their previous models. This is the case for the Toro 60V 900 CFM Leaf Blower, which reaches the highest CFM levels we’ve seen in a cordless model. That’s a big deal when it comes time for fall leaf collection.
They didn’t stop there, though. This model reaches its max speed of 165 MPH in just one second and measured more than 20 Newtons on our force meter, letting you quickly take care of blowing tasks in any season. With the included 4.0Ah battery, you can get up to 120 minutes on the lowest setting and nearly 15 minutes on the highest.
Price: $349 kit
Battery-Powered String Trimmers – Stihl FSA 200 R String Trimmer
The Stihl FSA 200 R string trimmer delivers up to 60% more power than the previous model thanks to a high-torque gearbox. With the gearing upgrade, the trimmer is able to use an 18-inch head. This means landscape Pros looking to switch to battery power no longer need to sacrifice cutting width or power to do so.
This trimmer is available with either a normal in-line handle or a bike handle. The latter design is ideal for heavy-duty brush-cutting applications and also features anti-vibration technology.
Price: $599
