1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Battery Power for Lawn equipment -- is it time?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Stevewoods, Jan 24, 2018.

  1. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,795
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I guess they all truck now.

    yep grass is always wet down here my Kobalt is a metal chassis and the paint has come off the bottom. Its about a year old. I take the battery out of it turn it on its side and hose the bottom off after every session.

    I got about 1/3 of an acre all in. Its alot in this humidity. Its been like 90% humidity lately. 2 mins outside doing anything your soaked.

    But I dont have to pull the cord on a mower any MORE!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!
     
    jerrymildred and George W like this.
  2. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,380
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    One step backwards.

    I now own a gas-powered riding mower. My neighbor bought a new one and offered me his old one at a price I could not refuse. It's very noisy and stinky but it's getting the job done. Eventually I'll replace it with an electric.

    Of note, the only real issue with this one is um, electrical. The 12v battery is weak and doesn't always offer enough amperage to fire the PTO clutch. New battery next spring, I think.
     
  3. iplug

    iplug Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2012
    2,447
    1,695
    0
    Location:
    Rocklin, CA
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Lawn was getting too long this afternoon, so went out to get it done. But with all the smoke it looked more like dusk than the 3 hours it really was before then. So put on an N95 mask and turned on the Ryobi mower and was caught off guard to enjoy a feature previously useless to me - the LED headlight.
     
  4. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,251
    15,474
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Here's what the sky looked like at high noon in Solano County:eek::

    AB955C29-ADA8-4606-9352-5D90A21B0DA3.jpeg

    Always nice to find a seldom used feature though:).

    Stay safe in your neck of the woods(y).
     
    iplug likes this.
  5. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    A mower with a light seems useless, but you just gave me an idea. I just ordered a portable waterproof rechargeable LED work light. I am going to somehow attach it to my snowblower. I am far more likely to use it in pitch dark than a lawnmower.

    Stay safe, those who live in the fire-affected areas which seem to be most of the west coast states.

    Fire and Smoke Map
    Screenshot 2020-09-08 at 11.16.58 PM.png
     
    Raytheeagle and iplug like this.
  6. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,380
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Mine came with one. I added two more (rear/side for hi-vis safety) and "while I was in there" a heated handlebar kit. As a headlight, it's not as good as the floodlights on the house, but it does help in some parts.
     
    iplug likes this.
  7. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Yeah, I have 4x 100w equivalent LED flood lights on my house and garage walls shining our driveway. The problem is they are on timer and motion sensor. When I am away from the building for a while, it turns off. Coming back toward the house in pitch dark in deep snow is sometimes difficult. I have been using a headlamp on me, but I think putting a bigger work light on the snow blower would give me better visibility.
     
  8. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2008
    6,155
    4,146
    1
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
  9. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,380
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Mark57, Salamander_King and iplug like this.
  10. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2009
    2,945
    2,735
    0
    Location:
    OK
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    That looks so cool, I need one for our once every 3 year 5" - 6" snow. :D

    If I got one, it's guaranteed 7 or 8 neighbors would have to have one. ;)
     
  11. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,380
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    In that case, buy it without batteries and then order some when the forecast turns. That way they won't go bad sitting around for 3 years.

    I just applied asphalt sealer to my driveway over Labor Day weekend.

    All 5500sf of it. That's 27 buckets worth for one coat. Was thrilled to find a water/latex formulation that had almost no stink to it.

    Even though most of our winters have little snow accumulation here, I would not want to try blowing it clear with less than a 2-stage machine.

    Now I'm curious to see what effect the sealer has on snow accumulation/removal.
     
  12. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2009
    2,945
    2,735
    0
    Location:
    OK
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    Good method. I was kidding though. I still shovel it, well mostly just push it around.
     
  13. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,073
    14,980
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Ego batteries, sitting around on the charger, will adjust their charge levels for storage and kind of take care of themselves. At least the book says they do; I haven't staked them out to catch them doing it.
     
  14. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,380
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    That's good to know. My DeWalt gear absolutely does not do that, and I've noticed capacity lost over winter unless I manually intervene.

    My Greenworks batteries don't claim any feature like that. I tend to keep those batteries almost as busy in the winter anyway, so I can't pin any lost capacity on storage.
     
  15. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,039
    10,013
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    That is also a way to have them stuck in shipment, or on backorder, when they are needed. Just like winter tire installation, the moment the forecast turns, the shops are swamped with very long waiting lines and must turn many customers away.
     
  16. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I am very tempted. But I am going to wait to read some reviews. Power and durability is the key. The photo looks very plasticky... Yeah, "Steel Auger" but what else? Also what does " clear an 18 car driveway with 8" of snow on a single charge" mean? I need to know how long, in minutes, it will run on full charge batteries.
     
    #416 Salamander_King, Sep 13, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2020
  17. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2018
    6,690
    6,380
    1
    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius c
    Model:
    Two
    Good point.

    So if you're up against batteries that don't self-manage, the better-still way is to buy the batteries in the fall weeks before they are needed, then sell them in the spring, assuming that they also fit a summer tool.

    That way you go into each winter with strong ones. I'm willing to bet that the costs of doing it this way are lower than running them into the ground over a few years. Many buyers can't or won't consider depreciation on used batteries.

    10-15% cheaper than new, and it's only a year old?? *snap* goes the trap.

    @Salamander_King raises a good point about durability. If I were still in Alaska I'd never take this- seen far too many plastic things shatter under the lightest touch once it gets properly cold. But now in PA? It could be worth a shot, so I'll be watching.
     
  18. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,073
    14,980
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Seems to me the "what area and depth" approach is the right one. Minutes would be far too easy to game. A machine that throws half the snow could run for twice the minutes on the same charge. Also the Ego will probably run about twice as long if you're clearing half the depth or half the weight of snow.

    The area ✕ depth formulation will still have a YMMV component based on light powder, packing, wet, slushy, etc., but that's nowhere near as open-ended as "look, our blower with a third the power gives you three times the minutes!"
     
    Zythryn likes this.
  19. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,073
    14,980
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Hmm, the book actually says they'll do the self-discharge trick on their own, without having to be on the charger. That would be good for me, as at the moment only one of mine is on the charger.

    ego.png

    I have never noticed the "5-LED indicator" on the older of my two; that one might be an older version. I should try to find the version of the manual that came with it.
     
  20. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2015
    10,958
    8,836
    0
    Location:
    New England
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    The power of the machine will tell what depth and how far it can throw the snow. Yeah, I need to know the machine can handle a certain amount of snow for the job, but I still need to know how long the full charge will run. That's a different parameter. 8 inches of light powder snow and 8 inches of heavy wet snow are two totally different jobs. Similarly, if I am blowing a straight driveway that can be cleared in a few passes, it takes far less time than when I am doing a wide-open parking area or irregular shaped corner of a building that requires many passes for the same area and depth.
     
    #420 Salamander_King, Sep 13, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2020