Not that this really matters at all, but no, that was another member.
Anyone go from gas to electric, then back to gas?
- Thread starter Hay Dude
- Start date
chim
Elite Member
I'm glad I don't have the same power supplier as you do (but we did have an increase I forgot about). I just checked our most recent bill and the rate is $0.0839 per KWH. That computes to nearly $0.78.
The cost of a gallon of gas would be enough to charge about 5 batteries.
Snobdds
Elite Member
I was using your number.
Grumpycat
Elite Member
EGo 56V batteries have a lot of smarts built in. If left to sit a month on full charge they will intentionally self-discharge to 50% and stay there a year or more. 50% is the optimal long storage SOC for lithium-ion.
Grumpycat
Elite Member
You are getting screwed. This site says the average residential cost is $0.1753 in Lancaster County, PA.Interesting. Let me throw something else into the mix. A gallon of gas around here is $3.89 and a gallon of electricity is about $0.63.
Electric Rates & Providers in Lancaster County, PA
See how electric rates in Lancaster, Ephrata, and Elizabethtown which range between 0-0.175/kWH compare to national electric rates.
findenergy.com
RammerJammer
Member
Gas? Generators. Vehicles. Tractors.
Electric? Tools.
I started with those Makita 9.6-volt tools. Nah.
Went to 12-volt, 14.4 volt and, finally, 18-volt Ryobi in the blue battery days. Better. But, still Ni-Cads at the time. Then, Lithium. MUCH better in durability, performance and life span. Just had a 2015 era 18-volt battery fail. Still have older ones which are operational. Not necessarily "new" performance but usable.
My 40-volt blowers run rings around 18-volt ones. Wife uses 18-volt blower and trimmer. Fine for her needs. As is the 2014 4-AH battery which she says, "Never seems to run down" before she does.
I have an 18-inch, 40-volt mower for small stuff. Got it cheap with battery/charger. Works great. (You may be asking: So, what do you use for the big jobs, Electric Boy? See, that's just it - I don't. The guy that shows up every other week to cut our small "acreage" handles that!)
I recently cut down and removed two 30-inch trees (Oak) which were 60 feet tall. No gas involved. Used a Ryobi 40-volt, 18-inch saw, a couple of 120-volt saws and a modified Harbor Freight corded pole saw - added an 14 inch bar to it. Threw in an 18-volt Ryobi reciprocating saw now and then.
The battery powered manlift has power in the bucket - That Harbor Freight pole saw allowed me to be "away from the action" without having to worry with starting, fuel or batteries. It's also great for bucking/limbing on the ground - NO bending over. One of mine is 11 years old and has been through hell - Even strapped to a piece of fence top-rail and hauled up into a tree, on a rope, to cut some 25 foot high limbs a time or three! (You need a helper to plug/unplug it on command, though. And, the ability to judge/dodge falling limbs!)
Even rigged up a 2000 watt inverter to mount on the brush-guard of my tractor so that Harbor Freight saw can go anywhere the tractor can.
Yes, I have a couple of gas chainsaws. They may not have been started this century, though.
Electric tools are much quieter, no smoke (most of the time!) and, as someone else said, always start.
Sure. You have to take care of the batteries. And, running them all the way to "flat" is not taking care of them, based on my experience. In some instances, doing so will reduce their voltage to the point where a "smart" charger may not "see" them. Thus, no charge. Whose fault is that? At least, partially, the operator's.
I fully agree that electric tools have their limitations. Batteries are not cheap. Cords are an inconvenience. And, they are, generally, not as powerful as some gas models. But, they definitely have their place if you plan your work properly, have sufficient charged batteries and operate efficiently. When I used an 18-volt blower for a while, I became a much more efficient operator. Plus, for folks, like me, who really don't want to work 8 or 10 hours continuously anyway, those sympathetic, little batteries tend to run down before I do. Break time! And, regarding non-battery tools: Yes, my Milwaukee corded Sawzall has a really smooth cutting action. Battery circular saws do need help from corded ones now and then on deeper/longer cuts. And, if my job was cutting trees, I'd need a gas saw or two.
Battery prices? High? Buy on sale or in package deals. I've found several opportunities where a tool/charger/battery could be bought for less than the cost of buying the battery separately. Yes, that sounds crazy, but I have the receipts.
And, manufacturers do play games with battery voltage: 18, 19.2, 20, 21 or whatever all have the same number of cells in series with the same intrinsic voltage. (Same deal with 18 versus 40 volt batteries. If 18 is "right" for 5 cells in series, why isn't 36 "right" for 10 in series?) There ought to be a law . . .
One other point: I have tried to stick with one manufacturer due to battery interchangeability. I can think of only one battery tool that I use regularly which doesn't use Ryobi batteries: A small Craftsman multi-tool which uses a mini 12-volt battery. Everything else electric is 18 or 40 volt Ryobi or line powered. I kinda lucked out with Ryobi in that their battery form-factor has remained constant in the 18-volt realm. That has been a huge plus.
Now, I see that Ryobi is getting into 'miniature' 4-volt, USB lithium batteries. Might be OK for some things but there's an obvious limit to stuff like that.
By the way, I have had exactly one 18-volt and later Ryobi tool to become unusable - A little 18-volt blower (they describe as a "sweeper") had a cracked blower wheel hub. And, of course, several batteries have croaked over 15 years or so. (Whoops - Check that. The 18-volt tools came out in 1996! Time flies, doesn't it?) The rest may "die" tomorrow. If so, they've served me well in convenience, performance, longevity, durability, etc. And, I've never had to replace a single starter rope! YMMV.
Electric? Tools.
I started with those Makita 9.6-volt tools. Nah.
Went to 12-volt, 14.4 volt and, finally, 18-volt Ryobi in the blue battery days. Better. But, still Ni-Cads at the time. Then, Lithium. MUCH better in durability, performance and life span. Just had a 2015 era 18-volt battery fail. Still have older ones which are operational. Not necessarily "new" performance but usable.
My 40-volt blowers run rings around 18-volt ones. Wife uses 18-volt blower and trimmer. Fine for her needs. As is the 2014 4-AH battery which she says, "Never seems to run down" before she does.
I have an 18-inch, 40-volt mower for small stuff. Got it cheap with battery/charger. Works great. (You may be asking: So, what do you use for the big jobs, Electric Boy? See, that's just it - I don't. The guy that shows up every other week to cut our small "acreage" handles that!)
I recently cut down and removed two 30-inch trees (Oak) which were 60 feet tall. No gas involved. Used a Ryobi 40-volt, 18-inch saw, a couple of 120-volt saws and a modified Harbor Freight corded pole saw - added an 14 inch bar to it. Threw in an 18-volt Ryobi reciprocating saw now and then.
The battery powered manlift has power in the bucket - That Harbor Freight pole saw allowed me to be "away from the action" without having to worry with starting, fuel or batteries. It's also great for bucking/limbing on the ground - NO bending over. One of mine is 11 years old and has been through hell - Even strapped to a piece of fence top-rail and hauled up into a tree, on a rope, to cut some 25 foot high limbs a time or three! (You need a helper to plug/unplug it on command, though. And, the ability to judge/dodge falling limbs!)
Even rigged up a 2000 watt inverter to mount on the brush-guard of my tractor so that Harbor Freight saw can go anywhere the tractor can.
Yes, I have a couple of gas chainsaws. They may not have been started this century, though.
Electric tools are much quieter, no smoke (most of the time!) and, as someone else said, always start.
Sure. You have to take care of the batteries. And, running them all the way to "flat" is not taking care of them, based on my experience. In some instances, doing so will reduce their voltage to the point where a "smart" charger may not "see" them. Thus, no charge. Whose fault is that? At least, partially, the operator's.
I fully agree that electric tools have their limitations. Batteries are not cheap. Cords are an inconvenience. And, they are, generally, not as powerful as some gas models. But, they definitely have their place if you plan your work properly, have sufficient charged batteries and operate efficiently. When I used an 18-volt blower for a while, I became a much more efficient operator. Plus, for folks, like me, who really don't want to work 8 or 10 hours continuously anyway, those sympathetic, little batteries tend to run down before I do. Break time! And, regarding non-battery tools: Yes, my Milwaukee corded Sawzall has a really smooth cutting action. Battery circular saws do need help from corded ones now and then on deeper/longer cuts. And, if my job was cutting trees, I'd need a gas saw or two.
Battery prices? High? Buy on sale or in package deals. I've found several opportunities where a tool/charger/battery could be bought for less than the cost of buying the battery separately. Yes, that sounds crazy, but I have the receipts.
And, manufacturers do play games with battery voltage: 18, 19.2, 20, 21 or whatever all have the same number of cells in series with the same intrinsic voltage. (Same deal with 18 versus 40 volt batteries. If 18 is "right" for 5 cells in series, why isn't 36 "right" for 10 in series?) There ought to be a law . . .
One other point: I have tried to stick with one manufacturer due to battery interchangeability. I can think of only one battery tool that I use regularly which doesn't use Ryobi batteries: A small Craftsman multi-tool which uses a mini 12-volt battery. Everything else electric is 18 or 40 volt Ryobi or line powered. I kinda lucked out with Ryobi in that their battery form-factor has remained constant in the 18-volt realm. That has been a huge plus.
Now, I see that Ryobi is getting into 'miniature' 4-volt, USB lithium batteries. Might be OK for some things but there's an obvious limit to stuff like that.
By the way, I have had exactly one 18-volt and later Ryobi tool to become unusable - A little 18-volt blower (they describe as a "sweeper") had a cracked blower wheel hub. And, of course, several batteries have croaked over 15 years or so. (Whoops - Check that. The 18-volt tools came out in 1996! Time flies, doesn't it?) The rest may "die" tomorrow. If so, they've served me well in convenience, performance, longevity, durability, etc. And, I've never had to replace a single starter rope! YMMV.
Grumpycat
Elite Member
Intellectuals can do the math until they are blue in the face. All that matters is real world application.
An EGo 56V 7.5Ah battery will almost mow my lawn on one charge.
Previously a Snapper Ninja 21SP mower with B&S engine could almost mow the lawn on 38 oz (1.2 quarts) of gasoline.
56 * 7.5 = 420 Wh, it probably doesn't have that much, but we'll use this number anyway. And considering I stop before the battery is fully discharged.
Will allow 15% charging losses. So
0.420 kWh * $0.010/kWh * 1.15 = $0.483
At $0.10/kWh it costs $0.483 or 4.8¢ to mow the lawn.
At $3.249/gallon the cost is $0.9747, or 20 times what the battery electric got the job done with.
EPA tries to pull a similar game by rating EVs with "MPGe" based on the kWh heat content of gasoline vs kWh from the power grid. An intellectual game, doesn't matter in the real world. In the real world we understand MPG$, the cost per mile for fuel. I've said it many times, the dollar is the only honest metric of resource consumption. Every man demands fair payment for every contribution toward the final product, these payments accumulate and are reflected in the final price whether it is gasoline or electricity.
An EGo 56V 7.5Ah battery will almost mow my lawn on one charge.
Previously a Snapper Ninja 21SP mower with B&S engine could almost mow the lawn on 38 oz (1.2 quarts) of gasoline.
56 * 7.5 = 420 Wh, it probably doesn't have that much, but we'll use this number anyway. And considering I stop before the battery is fully discharged.
Will allow 15% charging losses. So
0.420 kWh * $0.010/kWh * 1.15 = $0.483
At $0.10/kWh it costs $0.483 or 4.8¢ to mow the lawn.
At $3.249/gallon the cost is $0.9747, or 20 times what the battery electric got the job done with.
EPA tries to pull a similar game by rating EVs with "MPGe" based on the kWh heat content of gasoline vs kWh from the power grid. An intellectual game, doesn't matter in the real world. In the real world we understand MPG$, the cost per mile for fuel. I've said it many times, the dollar is the only honest metric of resource consumption. Every man demands fair payment for every contribution toward the final product, these payments accumulate and are reflected in the final price whether it is gasoline or electricity.
RammerJammer
Member
Forgot I had this before/after photo of the Harbor Freight pole saw. Sort of a Big D and Little D thing, huh?
Rbertalotto
New member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2020
- Messages
- 8
- Tractor
- John Deere 214, IH Cub Cadet 782
I'm on my third electric garden tractor and I'll never go back to Petro......The huge power, the lack of noise, the zero maintenance, The "It ALWAYS" starts, Simply nothing like it for a smaller property that only needs a few hours of run time.....Check out my youtube channel; to see it running.....https://youtu.be/LG7G7R7p-JI
Rbertalotto
New member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2020
- Messages
- 8
- Tractor
- John Deere 214, IH Cub Cadet 782