OT - gas versus electric leaf blowers

NYT

The gas leaf blower is by all measures, and without dispute, harmful — to the environment, to neighbors, to workers who carry them on their backs. These hazards have been the subject of countless articles. Local and national organizations work to educate and empower property owners, providing guides to alternatives.

Neighborhoods remain divided into those who allow the noise and pollution and those who have no choice but to live with it. Yet we all bring our recycling to the curb on the same day.

The fix is so easy. Electric leaf blowers are effective, available and affordable. They emit no fossil fuel pollution directly. Their decibel output is safe. The best part? To make the switch requires only the simplicity and speed of personal decision. Yours. Today.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/15/opinion/climate-change-ga…

Jaak

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Electrics also don’t blow (or suck+mulch) anywhere nearly as effectively as gas. I can’t even get more than 3-4 feet with my line-powered electric before I’m manually raking onto a tarp and dragging it to the street. Dad can do the entire freaking lawn with his gas backpack.

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We love our Greenworks 80V battery operated tools, but the replacement batteries are so expensive that it was a better buy to pick up a second blower that came with two batteries and another charger when it went on sale off season. Also have the lawn mower, 18" chainsaw and hedge trimmer, all of which I love. Less happy with the pole pruner and the weed whacker. You can buy them with or without batteries, but best to have at least two so one can be recharging if you run out of power, which happens very quickly with the blower, surprisingly slowly with the chainsaw.

I believe Costco is still having a sale on these.

IP,
a Greenworks enthusiast since 2017 and needing to find a place to recycle these batteries as they die

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You can buy them with or without batteries, but best to have at least two so one can be recharging if you run out of power, which happens very quickly with the blower, surprisingly slowly with the chainsaw.

Now picture trying to operate a commercial landscaping service for 10 hours a day on batteries. From last year:

Gasoline-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers to be banned under new California law
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/10/gas-powered-lawn…
Gasoline-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers will soon be a thing of the past in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill that will ban the sale of small internal combustion engines predominately used in lawn and garden equipment, starting as soon as 2024.

The new law, authored by Assemblyman Marc Berman from Menlo Park, will offer rebates for consumers to purchase electric replacements, and it builds on previous rulemaking already underway at the state’s air regulator, the California Air Resources Board, better known as CARB. The phaseout will begin as soon as is feasible or by January 1, 2024, whichever comes later.

DB2

Now picture trying to operate a commercial landscaping service for 10 hours a day on batteries.

Takes about a half hour to charge. Have it in the contract with the homes they maintain that they need to supply a couple of outdoor outlets for the company to charge the batteries. Or have something on the truck to give portable power.

The neighborhood will appreciate the transition. The noise pollution from the blowers is a given b!tch fest every Fall on our neighborhood’s board.

IP

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Gasoline-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers to be banned under new California law

<< The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. - Albert Einstein >>

Einstein never tried to start a gas-powered lawn mower…

The Captain

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Now picture trying to operate a commercial landscaping service for 10 hours a day on batteries.

Let’s see try to picture it…no belching blue smoke and much quieter. No hauling gas cans around. Less maintence on the equipment. Fewer complaints from the neighbors. Sounds awesome!

I can why everyone is excited about this transition.

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Electrics also don’t blow (or suck+mulch) anywhere nearly as effectively as gas. I can’t even get more than 3-4 feet with my line-powered electric before I’m manually raking onto a tarp and dragging it to the street. Dad can do the entire freaking lawn with his gas backpack.

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You got the wrong machine. You need a battery operated Sthil that will work better than gasoline.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/blowers-and-shredder-vacs/…

Jaak

Now picture trying to operate a commercial landscaping service for 10 hours a day on batteries.

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Easy - have some extra batteries.

Jaak

Gasoline-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers to be banned under new California law

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That is exactly what CA needs to reduce air pollution.

Jaak

I’ve used an electric (corded) blower for years. Switched to Stihl 2 stroke gas blower end of last season. A HUGE improvement not only in blowing, but in reduced effort. If the emission is the issue, why not restrict the two-stroke engines to direct injection type instead of carburetors or why not restrict 2-strokes to special applications and go to emission-controlled 4-strokes?

We just recently had to replace our lawn mower and I was considering a battery driven electric until I read the reviews that said these simply don’t have the power to cut tall or thick grass making it necessary…at least around here…to mow every 3 days or so. So we went with a Honda. Nice mower!

BruceM

I was considering a battery driven electric until I read the reviews that said these simply don’t have the power to cut tall or thick grass making it necessary…at least around here…to mow every 3 days or so. So we went with a Honda. Nice mower!

I have an EGO battery powered mower which works great. It has the cutting power of the Honda mowers I’ve used in the past. Normal tall grass is no problem, but as with any mower if you’re trying to cut thick damp grass that’s a foot tall, there will likely be some issues. With the gas mowers I’ve had, you had to go slowly with the cutting height all the way up, maybe tilt the mower back, etc … to keep it from bogging down and the engine dying. The EGO benefits from similar, but when it starts to get bogged down the mower senses it and instead accelerates the blade to crazy high RPM to keep it cutting. Works great, but do it too much, especially on a hot day, and the battery will get over heated and will need to be pulled out and replaced to keep going. That heavy duty work also sucks juice fast.

Anyway that’s extreme, letting your lawn go two weeks during rainy growing season situation. Normal tall grass after a week of rainy growing season is no problem, the EGO is as fast or faster than the Hondas. Cutting my mom’s lawn (.5 acre lot) I do need to have an extra battery handy if I want to do the whole thing in one shot without waiting a bit to recharge.

Vastly more pleasant mowing experience than gas mower!!!

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My 80V cordless does 500CFM which seems quite adequate

https://www.greenworkstools.com/pro-80v-cordless-500-cfm-bru…

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We just recently had to replace our lawn mower and I was considering a battery driven electric until I read the reviews that said these simply don’t have the power to cut tall or thick grass making it necessary…at least around here…to mow every 3 days or so.

I suspect it depends on how powerful a mower you use. Our 80V Greenworks is amazing.

IP

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Sheep: organic mowers

In Ohio, Eddie Miller and two of his Jacob sheep, Panda and Nerd, walk to their truck after a mowing job. Customers pay $1 per sheep per day.Credit…Randy Harris for The New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/garden/sheep-lawn-mowers-…

The Captain

PS: Sheep also fertilize the lawn

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Electrics also don’t blow (or suck+mulch) anywhere nearly as effectively as gas. I can’t even get more than 3-4 feet with my line-powered

Line-powered is likely the issue.

https://egopowerplus.com/blower-600cfm/

I have one of these and it easily replaced my gas blower. I live on a wooded lot with sycamore, walnut, buckeye, and maples. It will even blow away the fruit from the walnut and buckeye.

I also have an Ego mower and chainsaw. The mower came with a battery so I have two batteries and can easily switch them out if one dies while I am working.

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Deer, goats and cows: organic mowers and farm fertilizers.

Jaak

greenworks sells a line of commercial 82 volt chain saws. we got one change the chain to advanced cut and can cut down 2 foot trees thick.

greenworks sells a line of commercial 82 volt chain saws.

Beware chainsaws… https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi…

Courtesy PoodleLover https://discussion.fool.com/toons-35097310.aspx

The Captain