How long before Compact Diesels are obsolete?

   / How long before Compact Diesels are obsolete? #71  
I've got a 1950 Fordson tractor, Runs good, I've only replaced the battery ONCE in the 40 years I've owned it. It's got a hand crank out front, and a magneto on the side.
It will pull, it runs the gen set, it pumps water, and it plows snow. Tell me a battery tractor will do that over 70 years.

I HATE batteries. They are the about the single biggest trouble of my life.

That and mufflers!
 
   / How long before Compact Diesels are obsolete? #72  
Batteries Batteries Batteries, I think is the problem although a lot of companies are working on it. I`ve looked at an electric car, but after 8 years top, it costs more to change the battery than the car is worth. I see some guys are going to send a ship, Mayflower Automatous Ship MAS over the pond to you next year on the same route the original Mayflower took. Electric motor, solar panels, average 20 knots. Don`t tell anyone she has an ICE just in case the batteries get too low. I see the big fishing boats that go out still have big diesels, It would be nice to see it change, but I don`t think we`re ready yet.
 
   / How long before Compact Diesels are obsolete? #73  
Electric vehicle success is going to depend largely on solar affordability. I think it has been coming down but haven't done any research to support that notion. I have seen a large solar field just east of me. The panels are on automated pivots that follow the sun. I'm talking several hundred acres as far as the eye can see.

Most of us have some solar panels in use. I have been pleased with my limited use of panels to keep batteries charged.

The problem with solar on equipment that operates during the day is the need for a separate battery bank. The solar panels will need to charge an idle battery bank during the day to then transfer that charge to the batteries that are parked at night

I'm not a tree hugger but the other problem is how much forest you gotta cut down for those things, I'm in GA and there's 5 of those fields you're talking about I can think of within a 30 min drive. Hard to believe the juice is worth the squeeze.
 
   / How long before Compact Diesels are obsolete? #74  
I don't think the idea of having to throw away your battery set every 5-10 years is environmentally sensible. I have a pile of perfectly good cordless drills I can't buy batteries for, and the new ones are always a proprietary design and way over priced.

If the government mandates an interchangeable design and charging standard for all battery devices then adoption of battery devices will be more wide spread. Right now the trend is design for obsolescence and prevent end users from maintaining and servicing. Disposable by design. Companies should be forced to pay for the complete life cycle of a product...from retail packaging dunnage to 100% recycling of the products at end of life. The fact that it's cheaper to throw it in the garbage indicates that convenience is more important than being responsible.

For the average home owner electric is good enough. For commercial operators it isn't a competitive technology compared to IC engines that can run indefinitely as long as you have ample source of non-proprietary fuel...gas and diesel at every street corner.
 
   / How long before Compact Diesels are obsolete? #75  
One of the contractors cutting wood for me has two relatively new John Deere skidders... they're so quiet going through the woods all that I hear is the chains rattling. Contrast that to the old 540 on another job... he was 1/2 mile away yet I could just head toward the sound of his machine to find out where he was.

Was building a driveway yesterday with a new JD road grader. Owner and a couple friends were standing 50ft from me watching. When done all three commented that they couldn't hear the engine running.
 
   / How long before Compact Diesels are obsolete? #77  
I've got a 1950 Fordson tractor, Runs good, I've only replaced the battery ONCE in the 40 years I've owned it. It's got a hand crank out front, and a magneto on the side.
It will pull, it runs the gen set, it pumps water, and it plows snow. Tell me a battery tractor will do that over 70 years.

I HATE batteries. They are the about the single biggest trouble of my life.

That and mufflers!

I hate ...some batteries .... too!
Your "1950 Fordson tractor" if truly a Ford 1950 model, would actually be a Ford 8N.
Fordson tractor production (nearly 740,000) was terminated in 1928.
 
   / How long before Compact Diesels are obsolete? #78  
Cummins will probably be making more job site generators to charge the EV backhoes. The CASE one we're discussing t will be higher)here says it will work for an average 8 hour backhoe day. Some days less like concrete hammering, some days more with just loader work. But it has to be plugged in for about 8 hours to charge overnight. Where we gonna plug it in on the worksite > a Cummins powered diesel generator. So we now have a diesel engine running 8 hours to keep a diesel engine from running 8 hours.... :rolleyes:
I'm not saying it's perfect, just noting it may be closer than we think. And that generator running for 8 hours is probably going to be charging more than one machine. And with the operating costs supposedly being lower, (although initial investment will be higher) there may be savings involved eventually. I'm sure I'll not live to see it as normal.
 
   / How long before Compact Diesels are obsolete? #79  
Cummins will probably be making more job site generators to charge the EV backhoes. The CASE one we're discussing here says it will work for an average 8 hour backhoe day. Some days less like concrete hammering, some days more with just loader work. But it has to be plugged in for about 8 hours to charge overnight. Where we gonna plug it in on the worksite > a Cummins powered diesel generator. So we now have a diesel engine running 8 hours to keep a diesel engine from running 8 hours.... :rolleyes:

Now THAT is ridiculous
 
   / How long before Compact Diesels are obsolete? #80  
I'm not saying it's perfect, just noting it may be closer than we think. And that generator running for 8 hours is probably going to be charging more than one machine. And with the operating costs supposedly being lower, (although initial investment will be higher) there may be savings involved eventually. I'm sure I'll not live to see it as normal.

So we have the battery backhoe and the Cummins generator. Generator has to be maintained (oil changes, fuel filters, etc). I would also need to be transported (presumably on a truck & trailer) and it will also pollute with greenhouse gasses.
I can’t see how the up front cost and the continuing need of a Cummins Diesel engine running 8 hours per day makes the green new deal backhoe really worth all the trouble? The diesel generator may be able to recharge a few backhoes at once, but it’ll have to run harder, consume more fuel and blow more pollution into the atmosphere.
Theres no free lunch.
 

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