Year-End Shipment Data Available for Key Handheld Lawn and Garden Products

According to estimates prepared by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), 9,850,603 gasoline powered handheld products were shipped in Model Year 2002. This total breaks down as follows:

- Chain Saws, 2,427,166
- Handheld Blowers, 1,568,535
- Backpack Blowers, 300,785
- Trimmer/Brushcutters, 5,097,294
- Hedge Trimmers, 342,099
- Cut-Off Saws, 114,724

Handheld products have been an integral part of OPEI’s comprehensive shipments survey since 1997. This is the first year that OPEI has augmented its data collection program with estimates for manufacturers that do not submit data, resulting in a true measure of the size of the market for handheld power products.

The model year for the products was September 1, 2001 through August 30, 2002. By the end of Model Year 2003, OPEI anticipates that comparative data will be available for the handheld product reports. These estimates cover products destined to U.S. markets only.