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

theatlantic.com

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

#161

Post by perilunar »

05 wrote: post #124
perilunar wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many rechargeable battery packs are just assemblies of 18650 or similar cylindrical cells — if they just made the packs openable then it would be easy to replace and recycle the cells.

The cells are welded together with contact strips, you need a spot welder to rebuild a pack. Making cells removable isn’t economic, because vibration resistant electrical connections are not cheap.

> Making cells removable isn’t economic

I disagree. Until relatively recently all battery powered devices had removable batteries, which is why we have standard battery sizes in the first place. Welded and sealed proprietary battery packs are a backward step.

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

#163

Post by tgsovlerkhgsel »

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…

Presumably, those large cemeteries will have mains voltage somewhere, so you'd charge one or two batteries while using another.

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

#164

Post by eggy »

The amount of pollution they make is horrible, but my actual disdain for them is that when just a dusting of snow is on the ground, two or three guys with leaf blowers are clearing the town sidewalks at 6 AM. The noise wakes my wife and child, and it goes on for about twenty minutes straight.

I have used a light, wide broom for the same purpose. I use technology, and I am not a Luddite, but leaf blowers don't seem to have enough pluses for me to think otherwise. You still have to strap on a leaf blower, and wave the blower, wear earmuffs (or go deaf), procure and fill it with fuel, and haul it back to your truck or shed.

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

#165

Post by geerlingguy »

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…

As the years have worn on its gotten better. Still not great yet, and interoperability would be even better... but I have standardized on the 20V line from De Walt and have a number of hand, larger power, and yard tools that all use the same batteries. I buy a new battery or two every year and cycle out the oldest one (sell at steep discount on CL). Been doing that for 6 years now, and I don’t see them discontinuing the 20V line for years.

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

#166

Post by geerlingguy »

jakobegger wrote: post #125
rootusrootus wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Lithium-Ion batteries have a much longer lifetime than the old NiMH batteries, though. Haven't had much issues with electric power tools in the last couple of years. And I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of the reliability of gas powered tools. Our lawn mower needed repairs frequently...

The dratted carburetor... next time mine clogs again, I’m jumping to an electric. They’re finally wide and powerful enough that they’re better than gas for actually mowing.

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

#167

Post by gwbas1c »

tantalor wrote: post #116
ericd wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Making them electric helps.

I considered a battery leaf blower a few years ago. It was as powerful as the average gas leaf blower.

The problem is that the batteries needed to sustain running the leaf blower at high speeds are very heavy.

I just shlep a cord through my yard, but that would not work if leaf blowing was my profession

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

#168

Post by sjwright »

creato wrote: post #152
imglorp wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

For now you’d probably be right in some cases but not all. It’s certainly on the cusp of changing.

A petrol lawnmower still wins for long runtimes, though even that can be mitigated by having multiple batteries. It’s fair to say the electric upsides are marginal with mowers.

Whereas with hand tools like leaf blowers and line trimmers, the benefits are massive. Professional electric garden tools place the battery pack on a backpack so that the handheld component is light weight. They are quieter so no ear protection is needed, no sooty emissions so no face mask needed, and less vibration so it’s far less fatiguing for all-day use.

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

#169

Post by sjwright »

nate_meurer wrote: post #59
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.

Agreed. My Ego battery-powered leaf blower is one of my favorite tools. I use it to clean all around the outside of my house, especially the porches. In just a few minutes it will scour the dirt and cobwebs from every nook and crack, and it blows the dirt right out the thin outdoor carpet that covers my porch. It will clean my outdoor shelves of dust and grime, as long as I stand back far enough so that it doesn't ta…

Best part about electric blowers is you can use them inside safely. I love using my ego leaf blower for spring cleaning the wardrobes, and it’s a brilliant way to shift all the mess and crud from under your car seats.

Love my Ego tools. Bought the mower because I wanted to be able to stow it vertically for space.

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

#170

Post by hinkley »

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.

Someone was proposing a sleeve valve design to fix the weight problem, but that was years back (when blowers first hit the level of nuisance), so I’m assuming that didn’t pan out...
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