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

Students invent quieter leaf blower

hub.jhu.edu

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

421–430 of 440 posts

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#421

Post by CalRobert »

superultra wrote: post #223
CalRobert wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For what it's worth, automowers are great. I had a Husqvarna 330X doing .75 acres and was very happy with it. I don't even know how far it got on a charge to be honest, it just charged itself so I never had to worry about it.

Those look amazing. We have a rather long and complicated and hilly lawn and due to trees. Do you think a roomier like the 330x can handle a more complicated lawn layout?

Perhaps, ours had a gazebo, vegetable garden, dozen or so trees, and a very long rectangular path we mowed for access and it managed well. We spent some time getting it clear of rocks and divots though.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#422

Post by infecto »

derbOac wrote: post #256
cooperadymas wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who went all in on Ego about 3-4 years ago, let me tell you, the technology is nowhere close to capable enough for even small-time contractors yet. You would need at least 3 batteries per piece of equipment in use at one time in order to not have to spend time idle while a battery recharges ($700-$1000 upfront investment in batteries per piece). The lifespan of those batteries under constant usage would be…

Reading through the comments here I feel like I live in a parallel universe. I have Ego products and don't see any problems with them whatsoever. I've used and have gas and corded equipment, and by far prefer Ego. I haven't noticed any functional difference in how they perform, and if anything I get annoyed by gas models because they're heavier and more annoying to start and stop. Sure they're more powerful sometimes…

Like I said in another comment, perhaps some of the more recent models of ego mowers have better power but my model from 3 years ago is no where the quality of a cut that a cheap gas mower would provide. I still love my ego mower though.

1) You have to buy special blades because of weight.

2) The lift on these blades are not as great, you can definitely bag but its maybe 50% the lift a gas mower can provide.

3) This also impacts things like mulching where your not getting enough lift to chop up the grass enough.

4) It can bog down a lot quicker than a gas mower.

Still love my mower but at least the prior generation was under powered in the motor department.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#423

Post by actionfromafar »

travisb wrote: post #407
actionfromafar wrote: post #389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hybrid truck?

If you had a serial plug-in hybrid with a 20+Kwh battery which also supported exporting 120vac, that would work. AFAIK such a vehicle doesn't exist in North America yet and might not exist anywhere globally. You start stacking energy efficiency losses (engine -> charger -> battery -> inverter -> charger -> battery -> motor) and economic losses (expensive serial hybrid, higher than expected vehicle battery cycles, sti…

The Mitsubishi Outlander is not exactly a truck but it's close.

120 VAC:

https://youtu.be/dIZsACfqB-E?t=46

and it has 20kWh battery:

https://carbuzz.com/news/2023-mitsubishi-outlander-phev-has-...

I feel cars have been stuck in boring mode for 2 decades, but now with zany stuff like power outlets and such, they are getting more interesting.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#424

Post by duped »

Ferret7446 wrote: post #417
duped wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So use a rake and broom, it's what I do when I clear my yard and driveway. Edit: and for that matter we probably need to stop clearing so much yard waste. My village has crazy expensive yard waste tags (with free pickup on select weeks of the year, usually fall) and everyone agrees it's not worth it to bag grass and leaves for the better part of the year. Unsurprisingly we have tons of pollinators, healthy firefly po…

Uh, what? You realize the problem with electric blowers is that they don't have enough power for commercial use compared to gas blowers, so your suggestion is to use a rake?

The problem that blowers solve is moving light yard waste. Most people can do that with a rake and broom. And most of it doesn't need to be moved in the first place.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#425

Post by rurp »

atonse wrote: post #406
alach11 wrote: post #401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm on the (admittedly expensive) EGO system of lawn tools, and I can mow, trim, and blow my entire yard (front and back) in a relatively normal lot (8000 sq ft) on one 10.0Ah battery. It recharges in 2 hours. So I think electric is a touch more practical than your numbers might represent. But for commercial use I agree, the upfront capex cost is prohibitive. And the need for charging infrastructure (in truck or othe…

There are companies that make battery packs the sizes of small ice coolers that can serve as a charging “hub” on your truck. Plus there are trucks like the f150 lighting that have electrical outlets so you could recharge in the field. Thirdly, with 1-2 spare batteries that you can swap and charge, you basically have zero downtime.

Those are some awfully expensive purchases for a small low-margin business.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#426

Post by rootusrootus »

swayvil wrote: post #202
Mountain_Skies wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Makes me wonder if they intentionally kept some noise to combat consumer perception that it was weaker than gas models.

Good point. If you want a good accurate model of human psychology, look to world of marketing. There is a similar noise-is-strength in vacuum cleaner sales.

> There is a similar noise-is-strength in vacuum cleaner sales.

Thankfully that seems to only really happen on the cheaper, or smaller end of the vacuum spectrum. My Shark handheld is so obnoxious that the dog tries to rip it out of my hands so she can chew it to pieces. My Sebo canister vac, on the other hand, is much quieter. It's a selling point. And it really, really sucks!

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#427

Post by huhtenberg »

mlrtime wrote: post #411
CalRobert wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never dried my own cars but my dad and grandfather insisted on towel-drying cars to avoid water spots. Though come to think of it, a leaf blower might not work for that, unless it's actually managing to remove the water mechanically and eliminating evaporation. I recall mechanized car-washes using blow driers so maybe this does, indeed, work.

You're from a great line of dads! When you wash the car properly, you want to remove the excess water as it's not clean. Most people do this with a microfiber, towel or chamois. These can scratch the surface if not done properly. A strong blower will remove the water without scratching the surface. It also works in places too small to reach with a towel.

There are also something called "water blades" - soft strips of plastic/silicone that can be used to sweep water off car surfaces.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#428

Post by kbenson »

rurp wrote: post #425
atonse wrote: post #406

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are companies that make battery packs the sizes of small ice coolers that can serve as a charging “hub” on your truck. Plus there are trucks like the f150 lighting that have electrical outlets so you could recharge in the field. Thirdly, with 1-2 spare batteries that you can swap and charge, you basically have zero downtime.

Those are some awfully expensive purchases for a small low-margin business.

The truck, yes. A few extra batteries and a charger are somewhat expensive, but within expectation of the job I think. I doubt most locations are entirely without power that they can use. Even public parks often have outlets at specific locations.

In the end the extra battery cost might be cheaper than the gas and maintenance requirements for gas blowers over time.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#429

Post by ModernMech »

philbin wrote: post #404
ModernMech wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These were my neighbors growing up. Chain saws, quads, backhoes, bulldozers, fire engines, school busses -- anything with wheels and big motors they would be running all day long. Every day during the summer I'd wake up at 8am to 3-4 quads being driven around outside my window by the neighbor kids, and that would go on all day long until sunset. That actually wasn't bad though compared to moving to San Francisco, whe…

Earplugs really do work! Pay the money to get good ones.

Respectfully, no, earplugs do not work when they are jackhammering a mountain outside of your window. I shouldn't have to dull my senses just to live in society because some people have no consideration of making others uncomfortable in their own homes.

Re: Students invent quieter leaf blower

#430

Post by rad_gruchalski »

whiplash451 wrote: post #44
rad_gruchalski wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try this one: STIHL BGA 86 Akku Laubbläser. It's shocking how quiet it is.

mmm, the spec says 90dB [1] which is the sound level of a motorcycle at 25ft [2]. not amazing (at least on paper) [1] https://www.stihl.de/de/p/laubblaeser-blasgeraete-saughaecks... [2] https://www.chem.purdue.edu/chemsafety/Training/PPETrain/dbl...

It's not 90dB, I have one.
Post reply on HN