How long before small engines go electric?

[john welsford]

[QUOTE=David G;6333362]Interesting. Brands?


Greenworks.

John Welsford

[Art Haberland]

I believe that Greenworks makes the Kobalt stuff for Lowes.

[epoxyboy]

My son is an electrician, and he tells me that all the younger carpenters on building sites he visits have pretty much all gone cordless, even for largeish things like mitre saws.

I know that before I retired the only time I got out my corded drill was if I had lots of concrete drilling to do.

Our truck mechanic son is the same - air driven rattle guns etc have gone the way of the dodo, replaced by cordless. His brand of choice is Makita, he reckons the reliability is far better than DeWalt and Milwaukee in a commercial workshop environment.

Pete

[Art Haberland]

well yes. The Electric impact guns and wrenches are just as powerful as the air powered, but without the hoses that always seem to get in the way. I think they are also quieter. SnapOn must be having a fit!

[Nicholas Carey]

We've got a Black & Decker cordless electric mower. It's an older one, with lead-acid batteries, but it will do our yard and both neighbors' yards without breathing hard.

And I picked up a Milwaukee M18 cordless weed eater. Came with a gonzo M18 battery. If I put it in a drill, I could run it for prolly 8 hours straight.

[Breakaway]

The Electric impact guns and wrenches are just as powerful as the air powered, but without the hoses that always seem to get in the way. I think they are also quieter. SnapOn must be having a fit!

Air tool are also smaller and lighter, though the hose can be clumsy.

Of course, tools powered by an electric compressor are using the same energy source as a batery operated tool.

Kevin

[john welsford]

Air tool are also smaller and lighter, though the hose can be clumsy.

Of course, tools powered by an electric compressor are using the same energy source as a batery operated tool.

Kevin

I'll be hauling my ship for a repaint in a month or so, have a good sized compressor so rather than all the carp associated with dust extraction and power cords, will be buying an air powered sander and wet sanding. More power, less weight, and I'd have to sweep up anyway.

John Welsford.

[David G]

I'll be hauling my ship for a repaint in a month or so, have a good sized compressor so rather than all the carp associated with dust extraction and power cords, will be buying an air powered sander and wet sanding. More power, less weight, and I'd have to sweep up anyway.

John Welsford.

I use a DA air sander a lot in the shop. If you don't already have all your air hose... I've found the very flexible or 'lay-flat' versions are quite worth the premium.

[john welsford]

Our truck mechanic son is the same - air driven rattle guns etc have gone the way of the dodo, replaced by cordless. His brand of choice is Makita, he reckons the reliability is far better than DeWalt and Milwaukee in a commercial workshop environment.

Pete

For my sins I am occasionally handed a box of power tools and asked to go and fix them. Ryobi or AEG get their brushes checked but otherwise go in the trash, Milwaukee Bosch and DeWalt are better, but not much. I'll spend time on a Makita or Hitachi, and I think I've only ever seen one Festool, and that had only a cord that had been damaged.
The big box store house brands? I don't even pick them up out of the box. If they don't go, they go.
A lot of this though has to do with the availability of spares, and Bosch here are dreadful in that respect.

John Welsford

[lagspiller]

Same could be argued for large engines.

Toyota announced today that it is phasing out all vehicles that are not 0-emission by 2035. That's only 15 years from now and that is when their very last model will roll off the production line. Meaning most conventional-Dino models will probably be gone within the coming 10 years ... from the largest motor vehicle producer in the world.

Here, our ferry went full electric last year. It uses 10 minutes to charge between crossings (35 minutes). A fairly large ferry, takes about 140 cars. And the govt has announced that only 0-emission ferries will be allowed to compete for the ferry concessions all around the coast. That's a lot of big engines going electric very soon.

Times, they are a changing.

[Hugh MacD]

My neighbor got a Stihl electric chainsaw. Came with two batteries and by the time they need a recharge, so does he. I'll be switching over when mine finally dies. I don't see electric as feasible yet for our 3 acres of field, though. It may come, but probably not in my lifetime (I'm an old fart).

[heimlaga]

I think the only way out of the environmental predicament is to rely less on small motor powered contraptions. Replace the leaf blower with a rake and the trimmer with a scythe. Maybe replace the lawn mower with a couple of sheep.

However there are two machines that is hard to substitute. Rototillers for growing vegetables and chainsaws for logging and log building. An electric chainsaw is as useless in log building as the proverbial umbrella and horse cart and naval officer aboard a north sea coaster.

[Garret]

I think the only way out of the environmental predicament is to rely less on small motor powered contraptions. Replace the leaf blower with a rake and the trimmer with a scythe. Maybe replace the lawn mower with a couple of sheep.

However there are two machines that is hard to substitute. Rototillers for growing vegetables and chainsaws for logging and log building. An electric chainsaw is as useless in log building as the proverbial umbrella and horse cart and naval officer aboard a north sea coaster.

Many people are going away from tilling & just digging a spot for a plant/seed. Supposedly better. Big farms have been no-till for years. On chainsaws, I 99% agree & in fact just bought a new Husky gas saw. However, many climbers & arborists around here are switching to electric for their climbing saws. Much safer & one I talked to said he'd never go back.

[Joe (SoCal)]

California to eliminate new gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers by 2024. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted Thursday to ban the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers starting in 2024 and portable generators by 2028 in an effort to reduce harmful pollutants.

https://www.axios.com/2021/12/10/cal...zero-emissions

[Canoez]

Many people are going away from tilling & just digging a spot for a plant/seed. Supposedly better. Big farms have been no-till for years. On chainsaws, I 99% agree & in fact just bought a new Husky gas saw. However, many climbers & arborists around here are switching to electric for their climbing saws. Much safer & one I talked to said he'd never go back.

Did a neighborhood clean up of a common area and one of the neighbors came with a cordless chainsaw - 16" bar. Did a great job - no noticeable difference from my gas-powered Husqvarna - other than the nearly utter lack of noise and fumes. I was impressed. Would I want to cut cordwood with it? No. Pruning, limbing and the occasional larger piece? Yeah, sure. He said the battery is typically good for about 20 minutes of good work.

[Dan McCosh]

I think the only way out of the environmental predicament is to rely less on small motor powered contraptions. Replace the leaf blower with a rake and the trimmer with a scythe. Maybe replace the lawn mower with a couple of sheep.

However there are two machines that is hard to substitute. Rototillers for growing vegetables and chainsaws for logging and log building. An electric chainsaw is as useless in log building as the proverbial umbrella and horse cart and naval officer aboard a north sea coaster.

[john welsford]

I was looking at the snow blower thread, and thinking that would be a big ask for battery power - though I see small cordless snow blowers are a thing.
Which got me thinking, with the push to go all electric for vehicles, how long before the sale of small gas engines is banned? They seem to be flying under the radar for now, but I'm about 100% sure our next push mower will be cordless - about ten years from now when our current Briggs and Stratton powered one dies.

Pete

I dont think that it will need a ban. I was in the local big box hardware tool dept the other day, looking for a corded power drill and there were none to be found, all cordless.

Their lawnmower dept was much the same.

John Welsford

[phiil]

Me on my ebike, pulled up to an all-electric lawn mowing service truck at a red light. Guy claims to be super busy, and can charge less than traditional gas based operators.
Of course, he was pulling all his emowers around with a diesel f250…….
And then the light turned green.

[John Smith]

I was looking at the snow blower thread, and thinking that would be a big ask for battery power - though I see small cordless snow blowers are a thing.
Which got me thinking, with the push to go all electric for vehicles, how long before the sale of small gas engines is banned? They seem to be flying under the radar for now, but I'm about 100% sure our next push mower will be cordless - about ten years from now when our current Briggs and Stratton powered one dies.

Pete

I believe in CA gas lawnmowers and such will be outlawed in two years.

[epoxyboy]

California to eliminate new gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers by 2024. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted Thursday to ban the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers starting in 2024 and portable generators by 2028 in an effort to reduce harmful pollutants.

https://www.axios.com/2021/12/10/cal...zero-emissions

Battery powered portable generators it is then....hang on a minute

Pete

[John Smith]

Looking at mowers, I'm reminded of one of my frequent complaints.

They all say "up to" 'x' number of minutes run time. I'd prefer they give a minimum, rather than a maximum. Up to one hour can include 10 minutes.

I'd rather they say 30 minutes or more run time.

[WszystekPoTrochu]

I'd very much like an electric lawnmower, if just for the noise, but getting through the whole yard with one battery change might be a problem.

Those are relatively easy to address with a robotic lawnmower. Electric, battery powered, and if it runs out of juice before finishing - so what? It's not like it's wasting your time self charging or self mowing

While I don't like chips creeping in into every smallest part of our life, things like electric mowers are neat: they use an engine that easily has ten times less power, and run in a mode where even if it were less effective, you don't really care that much if it's slower. "I don't have time for this" doesn't apply if you don't spend time on the chore apart from issuing a start command

My neighbor got a Stihl electric chainsaw. Came with two batteries and by the time they need a recharge, so does he.

I have several Ryobi power tools and only two batteries: a 5Ah for most work and a cheap 2Ah for when the 5Ah charges. The 2Ah is barely used, I'll usually be done for the day before the battery dies.

[jpatrick]

Looking at mowers, I'm reminded of one of my frequent complaints.

They all say "up to" 'x' number of minutes run time. I'd prefer they give a minimum, rather than a maximum. Up to one hour can include 10 minutes.

I'd rather they say 30 minutes or more run time.

My EGo's run time varies widely with the length and quality of the grass I'm cutting. Manufacturers can't give a minimum run time because somebody will tax the mower and disprove them. In this regard, electric isn't really any different than IC engines. All a consumer can do is read reviews, talk to friends, etc. as you've done here. Then make a choice. I expect that if one makes their choice based mostly on up front costs, they are going to be disappointed.

Jeff

[The Q]

The biggest battery electric item I have has a 10kW motor.

I'm gradually moving over to battery electric tools, but many of my mains electric items will last many years.

I still have petrol, chain saw and lawnmower. Chain saw because battery chainsaws weren't around when I bought it. The mower because a battery mower is twice the price or more than a petrol of the same capabilities.

Oh the 10kW.. that's the 27ft motorboat..