Strauchschnittarbeiten mit einer Heckenschere

2025-02-21 Testing + Certification

Garden Appliances – Testing and Certification at the VDE Institute

Lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, scarifiers, leaf blowers and chainsaws are standard tools for gardening fans. As these tools are subject to high standards, quality and safety are a must. Garden tools must be robust and stable, easy to use, safe and electromagnetically compatible. The VDE Institute offers manufacturers of garden power tools a range of services regarding safety, usability and electromagnetic compatibility.

Aleksei / stock.adobe.com

Anyone wanting to bring their ideas to life in the garden relies on a range of different electronic and petrol-powered tools. Many hobby gardeners underestimate the dangers of using tools in the garden. Each year, around 200,000 accidents take place in gardens and allotments, partially due to faulty or improperly used power tools. Anyone wanting to avoid any such risk should look for the VDE mark when buying a garden power tool, which has stood for safety and quality in electronics since 1920.

Tour of VDE garden devices laboratory

Household and professional tools on the test bench

At the VDE Institute, gardening tools are tested in a variety of ways - even during the development process. Through our position as a Notified Body for the Machine Directive, we support the market introduction of products subject to model approval. Furthermore, we are a recognized authority on sound pollution guidelines for the use of tools and machines outside (Outdoor Noise Directive). We offer all tests in one place. This means you not only save time, but also money.

VDE

Our special test facilities include

Ball shooting facility to assess the mechanical safety of lawnmowers
Braking time measuring equipment
Engine breaking time tests for all performance classes
Testing equipment for the kickback angle on chainsaws
Test facilities to assess the safety and performance of batteries, e.g. lithium ion batteries
Precision class 1 acoustics measuring room and acoustic camera
Modern EMC test center
Chemistry laboratory with comprehensive analysis facilities

Lawnmowers

We carry out 50 different individual tests on lawnmowers alone.

One of these many tests involves measuring standstill detection. Shutdown time after switching off is an especially important safety aspect when it comes to cutting tools like lawnmowers. A lawnmower must automatically turn off after the user lets go of the switch to avoid injury from the cutting blades after a fall or other accident.

The VDE Institute checks the kickback angle of chainsaws

Chainsaw “kickback”

Using chainsaws can come with various risks. The “kickback” is one of the biggest dangers when using a chainsaw.

The European and international safety norms for chainsaws stipulate maximum values for chainsaw kickback angles and the chain stop angle. International norm ISO 9518 is used to establish this. The VDE Institute has modern, universal equipment that can provide this information in accordance with ISO 9518.

Herbstlaub wird von einem Laubbläser aufgewirbelt und leuchtet im Sonnenlicht

Petrol-powered forestry, municipal grounds and gardening equipment

Since 1 February 2022, the VDE Institute has been testing and certifying petrol-powered equipment in the field of forestry, municipal grounds and gardening technology.

Thanks to our collaboration the KWF (Kuratorium für Waldarbeit und Forsttechnik [forestry work and technology committee]), there are a number of other testing options, especially for chainsaws..

We offer GS and type examinations for these small power tools (petrol-driven and electric):

Chainsaws and high pruners (complete type examination)
Lawn mowers, scarifiers, hand-held motor mowers, motorised hoes
Brush cutters, grass trimmers, lawn trimmers, lawn edge trimmers
Hedge trimmers
Leaf blowers, leaf vacuums
Earth drills
Grinders
Flail mowers

For municipal use, the VDE Institute tests, among other things, mowing decks as attachments or subassemblies of municipal carrier vehicles as well as large lawn mowers.

The tests are offered at our locations in Offenbach and Groß-Umstadt, where the VDE Institute has taken the former engine equipment laboratory of DLG TestService GmbH into operation.