Stupidity

[reaperman1]

I just about puked what I read in the local news today (Second paragraph). All of this green bull**** is getting out of hand. It’s going to put us back into the Stone Age. People today have no recollection or concept of the achievements that built this nation. Most people today are spoiled brats and take our push button society for granted. I firmly believe everyone should have their electricity and heat shut off for at least one month in the dead of winter. Then for once they may finally grasp that modern conveniences are necessary for survival, regardless of where they come from. I needed to rant.

Pols have authored the bill that would prohibit the sale of non-electric powered lawn and garden equipment starting on January 1st, 2025. That includes lawnmowers, leaf blowers, hedge clippers, chainsaws, lawn edgers, string trimmers, and brush cutters.

Read More: MN House Bill Would Ban Gas Powered Lawn Equipment | https://wjon.com/mn-house-bill-woul...pment/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

 

[lml999]

"Modern conveniences?"

In twenty years, someone will post on hearth.com: "Remember when we had to wear ear protection to cut our biomass?"

Modern is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[begreen]

I borrowed an EGO mower from our tool library last summer to check it out and have to admit that the greatly reduced noise was delightful. Now I am considering getting a lawn tractor with a bad motor and converting it to electric.

 

[Elucidus]

Yeah, when we first moved into this house, we had our power go out for almost two weeks due to an ice storm. I was already of the mindset of doing this stuff, but I had to start over due to my stuff being stuck in quarantine overseas for a year when we moved back, so I wasn't ready. Needless to say it was a crazy two weeks or so. The whole family came together and we learned a lot, real quick.

To add to your point, they have been pushing this green agenda, as far as I can find in news archives, back to 1910. Most of them talk about how the world is screwed in 10-12 years from one catastrophe or another. The earliest one I found was talking about how we will run out of wood and coal.

Heck in the 90s we had our own Greta Thunberg who said almost exactly what she said to the UN. There's even a video on youtube somewhere, wish I had bookmarked it. Most of these people don't care on iota about it, they are more interested in being a good face, making lots of money, or both.

This is coming form someone who owns an electric mower, used to drive an electric car. I used to believe this stuff until I started researching for myself and seeing things don't really add up.
//End of Rant

 

[reaperman1]

I’m not totally against electric power equipment. I bought an electric Stihl weed-trimmer and leaf blower and my wife loves them. However, I do take issue where real power is needed. For instance, I mow a couple acres of grass and cut a lot of firewood, and I know I’m not alone. Current advancements in electronics haven’t reached the power needed to sustain several hours of continuous heavy use. And I cant see that happening before Jan 1 ‘25.
Im quite certain that his bill will stall out, but nothing can surprise us these days. For lawn care companies this would be a total nightmare and most likely drive them out of existence. I see they haven’t went after snowblowers which is interesting because they basically use the same engines a lawn mower does. I’m quite sure those mentioned in the article and those who voted them in all have a snowblower parked in their garage they would never part with. But if they ever want to trade them in for a shovel, go for it.

The trouble with this type of legislation is lawmakers have nothing to offer in terms of a solution for the current shortcoming of electric vs gas. If they had some new cutting edge technology for a direct replacement it would be one thing. But too sit back and throw out a 20 month window for a new law to take effect is laughable, IMO.

 

[begreen]

I would be surprised if the bill even made it to the house floor and certainly not past the local senate.

 

[Elucidus]

Seems to be what they do though, arbitrary dates with no forethought, so they can tell their constituents, look what I did. They even do it knowing it won't make it just to tout what they did.

 

[begreen]

There are tons of bills proposed that never get out of committee. Up to that point, they are just ideas. Some serve personal agendas and some serve as payment to the lobbyists. This hits both sides of the aisle all the time. a couple of years ago in Tennessee, they tried to ban a book on seahorses. Why? Because it normalizes gender fluidity and that males can get pregnant. It's so wild that you can not make this stuff up. Yes, stupidity.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I borrowed an EGO mower from our tool library last summer to check it out and have to admit that the greatly reduced noise was delightful. Now I am considering getting a lawn tractor with a bad motor and converting it to electric.

I bought an EGO mower 2 years ago. My mower died and I didn’t have a back up used one to take over. I’d never bought a mower, lol.

I love it!

The best thing is my kid can’t complain that it won’t start. She tried complaining it was too dark to see the lawn one time and then I showed her the headlight. The look on her face in the light of the headlight was priceless!

I wouldn’t hesitate to buy their 2 stage snow blower either. The thought of eventually being without small engine maintenance is exciting.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I’m not totally against electric power equipment. I bought an electric Stihl weed-trimmer and leaf blower and my wife loves them. However, I do take issue where real power is needed. For instance, I mow a couple acres of grass and cut a lot of firewood, and I know I’m not alone. Current advancements in electronics haven’t reached the power needed to sustain several hours of continuous heavy use. And I cant see that happening before Jan 1 ‘25.
Im quite certain that his bill will stall out, but nothing can surprise us these days. For lawn care companies this would be a total nightmare and most likely drive them out of existence. I see they haven’t went after snowblowers which is interesting because they basically use the same engines a lawn mower does. I’m quite sure those mentioned in the article and those who voted them in all have a snowblower parked in their garage they would never part with. But if they ever want to trade them in for a shovel, go for it.

The trouble with this type of legislation is lawmakers have nothing to offer in terms of a solution for the current shortcoming of electric vs gas. If they had some new cutting edge technology for a direct replacement it would be one thing. But too sit back and throw out a 20 month window for a new law to take effect is laughable, IMO.

100% agree. I have a small lawn. A lawn care company would need another truck driving around just to charge the batteries. Same with chainsaws. Power density just isn’t here yet. I don’t think EVs are a solution for every body for the same reason. I couldn’t make one work.

 

[begreen]

My main problem with the EGO products is that they are all plastic and a recycling nightmare.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I’m hoping it’ll last a good long while.

Saturn vehicles still look new and we’re last made in the late 90s (I think). I’m not sure why plastic skins never gained traction in vehicles.

 

[begreen]

I mainly mow with the lawn tractor, but I did enjoy trying out the EGO. I will try out some of their other tools at our tool library.

PS: I think Corvettes switched over to plastic body panels at some point in the early 1980s.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Maybe, they were fiberglass.

I know Cameros had a plastic door starting Gen 4.

 

[begreen]

Maybe, they were fiberglass.

I know Cameros had a plastic door starting Gen 4.

The last fiberglass Vette was in 1982 from what I have read.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I’m a bit behind then, lol.

 

[kennyp2339]

Lets see what happens in the mtn's a cali after this winter, many homes are snowed in and its the smaller snowblowers that are bailing people out, whether its roofs being cleared, decks, patio's walkways or even driveways, most places above 5,000ft have hit well past 200" for the year.

 

[Ashful]

My main problem with the EGO products is that they are all plastic and a recycling nightmare.

I have a family member who's a total EV enthusiast. Early Tesla owner, now a model 3, and all EGO lawn and snow equipment. So, I play with his battery toys whenever I go over there, and agree that the EGO mower is nice and quiet, a real pleasure to ride.

His was probably a 2020 model, and it's a fun toy, but has several problems for my usage patterns. Looking at the spec's of the latest models on the EGO site, it looks like they've already improved on many of these issues, but here's what I experienced when using his EGO zero turn:

1. Weight: EGO was heavier than ICE, not just inch per inch, but net total. I'm not sure if that's still the case with the latest models, as today they list mower at 480 lb., but that's without batteries. I cannot find any reliable source to tell me what ~4 acres (reliably 4 acres, not "up to 4 acres" BS) would actually weigh.

2. Speed: EGO could only do 8 - 9 mph, which it appears is still the case. Any decent zero turn should be at least 20 - 25% faster than that, i.e. 10 - 11 mph. This sounds like a small difference, but when you spend several hours per mowing and mow every 4th day, this really adds up and affects level of frustration vs. enjoyment in the job. My cousin's EGO (largest model they made at the time) is rated 1.5 acres per hour, my ICE was rated 4 acres per hour.

3. Mower deck gauge: They went thin and cheap on the mower deck, which means it won't last. I assume this was done to keep the weight in check, but it will seriously affect usable lifespan of the mower due to corrosion from bottom up, and how well it can take a hit from a rock wall, landscaping, etc.

4. Skinny tires, which when combined with weight problem = mud ruts, sinking, getting stuck. This is already a problem around here on my ICE, which is lighter and rides wider tires.

5. Cost: They seem to have resolved this, now they have the 52" under $7k, which is competing with the homeowner ICE zero turns of similar size and quality.

I'd love to see a serious competitor for a commercial zero turn at the $10k price point, with better weight, better speed, and a normal 7-gauge 60-inch deck. My ICE probably has more than 10 years of life left in it, so I guess I have time to wait and see what happens, here.

No ICE chainsaws or handheld blowers? That's gonna be a rough transition for some landscapers and tree pros, if it really happens, anytime soon.

 

[joop]

danish guy on russel brand a greeny said what there doing will only effect 1 pct of problem, but it looks good as they take control of everything in your life without the majority of people noticing.last part is me lol