Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

theatlantic.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 250 posts

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#151

Post by fiblye »

lurquer wrote: post #136
fiblye wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You and billions of others are doing it. Yet people act surprised when articles about insect and worm population collapse come up.

Billions of people are picking up leaves? The total area of ‘yards’ where leaves are picked up is so utterly insignificant that I wonder if you have ever been outside. In any case, the article is about D.C. and, regrettably, there will never be a shortage of worms in the capitol.

Have you ever looked at any sort of public grounds? Because your home isn’t the only place on earth with leaves and I don’t know where you got the idea.

Public parks, office perimeters, college campuses, busy roadsides, and yes, home lawns are all locations where people gather up leaves to burn them or send them off to the garbage. These are spaces in which billions of people spend all day and expect to be “cleaned” of leaves, so yes, the impact is significant.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#152

Post by creato »

imglorp wrote: post #129
tantalor wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Making them electric helps.

I just switched to an electric mower. It cost about the same as an decent mower, is lighter weight, always starts, is plenty powerful, and has about 45 minutes of charge on a swappable battery. I could buy more batteries if I wanted more runtime. I can also swap that battery with other equipment like string trimmers. I've overhauled my last temperamental gas carb. The end of gas lawn gear is indeed in sight.

I think electric only makes sense for individuals that use these tools once a day at most. Running a lawn maintenance business on electric tools would probably be far more expensive and logistics-heavy.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#153

Post by nate_meurer »

rootusrootus wrote: post #103
adamswann wrote: post #22

The ban is on gas -powered leaf blowers. I’ve switched to all electric yard tools at home. No regrets; the tools are durable, can easily handle the whole job on a single charge, quiet enough that I feel comfortable letting my children assist (they can hear my instructions and generally what’s going on around them), and no gas engines to maintain.

The real issue IMO is that the battery powered yard tools are infected by the same planned obsolescence as existing power tools. Most gas-powered yard tools last damn near forever even if you don't do maintenance on them. The battery powered ones are good for three years and then you're buying a new one. If you're lucky they still make the battery, but it costs as much a whole new tool. Wish we could standardize mode…

All the major tool companies use battery platforms that have been stable for much of the decade. I've used Dewalt 20v Max tools since 2011 and never broken one. Ego's yard tools were introduced in 2013, and the battery interface has not changed since. I have their mower, leaf blower, and two weed whackers, operating for over four years with zero problems. I haven't even had to replace any batteries.

Meanwhile, my neighbor's expensive new gas-powered mower has been in the shop twice in the past few years. When it does work it's loud and smells like shit.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#155

Post by ortusdux »

I don't know how I feel about bans like this that also ban stopgap solutions.

I've never used one personally, but it sounds like a LiquidPiston engine would solve every problem this writer discuss.

http://liquidpiston.com/technology/engine-benefits/

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#156

Post by Obi_Juan_Kenobi »

huntie wrote: post #145

Has anyone here done commercial lawncare? I mowed cemeteries and churches for 5 years. Electric tools might work for a tiny suburban plot but try doing even a single cemetery with them. We only used leaf blowers at the cemeteries a few times a year (Memorial day, etc.) but there is no way an electric blower would last long enough. D.C. has Arlington Cemetery too, so I'm not sure what they'll do. Maybe they have an ex…

Power density for batteries has been changing immensely, especially at the consumer level.

There are products now where you could easily get through a work day by swapping out for a charged battery two or three times. The extra batteries are a bit of a cost, but in a professional context could pay for themselves with saved gasoline.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#157

Post by ericd »

jakobegger wrote: post #122
ericd wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would making them 4 stroke engines make them burn significantly cleaner?

It would make them too heavy. Two stroke engines have a great power to weight ratio, which is pretty much the only reason that they are used.

Not sure I buy that it would be too heavy, especially in the case of the backpack models.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#158

Post by koboll »

huntie wrote: post #145

Has anyone here done commercial lawncare? I mowed cemeteries and churches for 5 years. Electric tools might work for a tiny suburban plot but try doing even a single cemetery with them. We only used leaf blowers at the cemeteries a few times a year (Memorial day, etc.) but there is no way an electric blower would last long enough. D.C. has Arlington Cemetery too, so I'm not sure what they'll do. Maybe they have an ex…

Arlington is across the river in Virginia.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#159

Post by koboll »

mc32 wrote: post #2

Instead of outright banning them, why not require a strict maximum dB level rating (in other words as tested by an independent lab). Personally I’m in favor of limiting noise output rather than outright banning. Otherwise it’s tyrannical for a minority to tell the majority what they may and may not do.

>Otherwise it’s tyrannical for a minority to tell the majority what they may and may not do.

Your liberty to blow leaves ends where damage to my hearing and breathing begins. When the minority is imposing direct negative health effects on the majority, it's not tyranny to prevent them from harming everyone else.

Re: How a small group of activists got gas-powered leaf blowers banned in D.C.

#160

Post by justatdotin »

I've always hated them. We once stuck tied a fan onto a broom to ridicule the neighour.

But a few years ago I got one as a fire management tool, after seeing Parks workers use them for that purpose along the roadside. They're an awesome way to train a burn, and useful if it starts to get away from you.

Post reply on HN