You underestimate just how big and heavy of a battery you would need to power a leaf blower all day. Gasoline has 50-80x more energy density than a lithium battery.
I suppose you could bring a bank of smaller batteries with you and swap them out throughout the day, but that means another piece of equipment to lug around, and climate control becomes an issue if you live in a hot climate. Batteries and heat are not a good combo for safety and reliability.
That’s the magic thing in the word “replaceable”. They are, you know, can be replaced. While you use one, the other is charging, and then you replace them. Just like, you know, construction workers are doing for the last at least three decades.
This all sounds like FUD to me. You might as easily complain about how much harder it is to refill the gas tank than swap the batteries a few times.
Lithium Ion batteries generally have a maximum optimal operating temperature of 122°F but will operate up to 176°F. If the temperature is approaching 176°F, I think the human will be the first thing to fail.
Also, nobody needs to lug around a full day of power. Spare batteries can stay in the truck until needed, at most you would have one spare on your person.
You’re talking as if it’s some kind of new unknown technology and there is no way to know if it’s even viable.
I was using battery operated tools when I worked in construction like 20 years ago, and they were performing fine.
I was thinking in the context of a landscaping company driving to a bunch of different clients’ houses and doing general cleanup and maintenance, lawn mowing etc at each one. Electric lawnmowers now have dual battery packs that you can swap between, each one lasting about an hour. I wouldn’t expect a leaf blower to be much different in power requirements. Could probably even share the same battery design with the mower.
If you’re only doing an hour or less of leafblowing per client then you can just keep swapping batteries and have spares in the van/truck. For a really big job you might need more but then you could probably ask the client if you can plug your charger into their house to charge. I think a lot of people have outdoor outlets. Otherwise you could have a charger in the vehicle.
Do you just assume that Gas powered leafblowers are lighter or did you do some research?
I did a Quick check and found that electric leafblowers are way lighter and allow you to carry around some extra batteries, without carrying more overall.
The Husqvarna battery BLi30 weights 1.9kg. Considering Gas powered leafblowers from Husqvarna are often 6-8kg heavier (up to 10kg for the big ones), you can carry around at least 3 extra batteries without adding weight.
Power usage on an electric blower is very different than other power tools. With a drill you are not constantly revving it. You use it for a few seconds to drive a screw and then setup for the next one. With the blower it’s running continuously.
I have a drill than can run on a battery for most of a days work, while my leaf blower using the same batteries gets maybe 20 minutes of use, if I am conserving it.
I’m not a landscaper, so maybe it can be done, but I’ll believe electric is better when the landscaping companies start using electric tools, just like carpenters switched from wired to battery when it made sense.
It can take a while to switch over. If a landscaping company has been running for years they’ll have a lot invested into gas powered tools that they aren’t just going to throw away. Plus they’ll have a lot of experience and familiarity with the way their tools work and how they fit into their workday. Switching over to electric would be a big investment in tools plus a bunch of re-training and planning to avoid issues with running out of batteries on a job.
A company owner who does their research could potentially get ahead of the game and save a lot of money on fuel costs by switching to electric before their competitors.
You get 5 minutes drive between clients bud. This whole thread is just City dwellers thinking they’re dunking on rural folks without a shit of a clue and it’s part of why both conservatives and leftists hate liberals
Oh boy, rugged no nonsense suburban cowboy who drives 5 minutes between houses to move some leaves around, is trying to play big.
You, fucking libs, will not survive a day in out suburban town driving air conditioned truck from home to home to stand on a lawn and blow leaves around. You have no idea how hard the real life is, sometimes you don’t even get lemonade from the client, and standing on a lawn is a hard job none of you city dwellers will understand!
Using a rake for 12-14 hour shifts, 5-6 days a week in the summer sun? Get real, my dude.
What a creative way to tell me you’ve never worked a day of physical labor in your life, without telling me you’ve never works a day of physical labor in your life. Raking leaves by hand all day every day would absolutely destroy your shoulders and forearms.
I don’t work labor (edit: anymore) but that’s the reality of the world we live in, my dude. Landscaping sucks, and doing it without a leaf blower would suck even more.
Makita just released a new 18 gauge that everybody’s gushing over. That said you’re not going to get that air Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam. It’s more like Bam…wazzit…Bam…wazzit…Bam…wazzit…Bam…wazzit…Bam…wazzit.
Carpenters do just fine all day with electric tools. Replaceable batteries are a thing!
You underestimate just how big and heavy of a battery you would need to power a leaf blower all day. Gasoline has 50-80x more energy density than a lithium battery.
I suppose you could bring a bank of smaller batteries with you and swap them out throughout the day, but that means another piece of equipment to lug around, and climate control becomes an issue if you live in a hot climate. Batteries and heat are not a good combo for safety and reliability.
That’s the magic thing in the word “replaceable”. They are, you know, can be replaced. While you use one, the other is charging, and then you replace them. Just like, you know, construction workers are doing for the last at least three decades.
This all sounds like FUD to me. You might as easily complain about how much harder it is to refill the gas tank than swap the batteries a few times.
Lithium Ion batteries generally have a maximum optimal operating temperature of 122°F but will operate up to 176°F. If the temperature is approaching 176°F, I think the human will be the first thing to fail.
Also, nobody needs to lug around a full day of power. Spare batteries can stay in the truck until needed, at most you would have one spare on your person.
Fairly certain that a battery will immediately get hotter than its surroundings with any kind of sustained use or charging.
176°F
You’re talking as if it’s some kind of new unknown technology and there is no way to know if it’s even viable.
I was using battery operated tools when I worked in construction like 20 years ago, and they were performing fine.
I was thinking in the context of a landscaping company driving to a bunch of different clients’ houses and doing general cleanup and maintenance, lawn mowing etc at each one. Electric lawnmowers now have dual battery packs that you can swap between, each one lasting about an hour. I wouldn’t expect a leaf blower to be much different in power requirements. Could probably even share the same battery design with the mower.
If you’re only doing an hour or less of leafblowing per client then you can just keep swapping batteries and have spares in the van/truck. For a really big job you might need more but then you could probably ask the client if you can plug your charger into their house to charge. I think a lot of people have outdoor outlets. Otherwise you could have a charger in the vehicle.
I work trails, carrying a bunch of batteries out into the woods would be awful.
Do you just assume that Gas powered leafblowers are lighter or did you do some research?
I did a Quick check and found that electric leafblowers are way lighter and allow you to carry around some extra batteries, without carrying more overall.
Imo the biggest argument is the price.
I think they will eventually make sense. Extra batteries are very heavy and expensive though (I only have experience with Husqvarna and Stihl)
The Husqvarna battery BLi30 weights 1.9kg. Considering Gas powered leafblowers from Husqvarna are often 6-8kg heavier (up to 10kg for the big ones), you can carry around at least 3 extra batteries without adding weight.
About the same as carrying a full canister of fuel.
Power usage on an electric blower is very different than other power tools. With a drill you are not constantly revving it. You use it for a few seconds to drive a screw and then setup for the next one. With the blower it’s running continuously.
I have a drill than can run on a battery for most of a days work, while my leaf blower using the same batteries gets maybe 20 minutes of use, if I am conserving it.
I’m not a landscaper, so maybe it can be done, but I’ll believe electric is better when the landscaping companies start using electric tools, just like carpenters switched from wired to battery when it made sense.
It can take a while to switch over. If a landscaping company has been running for years they’ll have a lot invested into gas powered tools that they aren’t just going to throw away. Plus they’ll have a lot of experience and familiarity with the way their tools work and how they fit into their workday. Switching over to electric would be a big investment in tools plus a bunch of re-training and planning to avoid issues with running out of batteries on a job.
A company owner who does their research could potentially get ahead of the game and save a lot of money on fuel costs by switching to electric before their competitors.
You get 5 minutes drive between clients bud. This whole thread is just City dwellers thinking they’re dunking on rural folks without a shit of a clue and it’s part of why both conservatives and leftists hate liberals
Commercial grade electric mowers can run for like 6-8 of straight mowing before a charge. They charge with EV ports like your moms tesla.
She might be a bitch but she drives a Mercedes thank you
Oh boy, rugged no nonsense suburban cowboy who drives 5 minutes between houses to move some leaves around, is trying to play big.
You, fucking libs, will not survive a day in out suburban town driving air conditioned truck from home to home to stand on a lawn and blow leaves around. You have no idea how hard the real life is, sometimes you don’t even get lemonade from the client, and standing on a lawn is a hard job none of you city dwellers will understand!
Use a rake?
Using a rake for 12-14 hour shifts, 5-6 days a week in the summer sun? Get real, my dude.
What a creative way to tell me you’ve never worked a day of physical labor in your life, without telling me you’ve never works a day of physical labor in your life. Raking leaves by hand all day every day would absolutely destroy your shoulders and forearms.
And I hope I never will. And having to work those kinds of hours to make a living is the really fucked up part of your story.
I don’t work labor (edit: anymore) but that’s the reality of the world we live in, my dude. Landscaping sucks, and doing it without a leaf blower would suck even more.
Bro has never had a callous
Are you jealous that somebody can afford gloves?
Shit sniveling soft handed ass attitude bro, I hope you live surrounded by concrete.
Charming.
Aww, did reality hurt your feelings? You live in a city don’t you?
I’m not the one hurling insults, champ.
Most of the stuff’s pretty good but finish nailers aren’t quite there unless you’re using the smallest brads available.
Air tools for finish nailer. Any nailer air is going to be better (in my narrow experience with electric nailers, I could be wrong.)
Air is definitely the preferred tool for the job.
Makita just released a new 18 gauge that everybody’s gushing over. That said you’re not going to get that air Bam Bam Bam Bam Bam. It’s more like Bam…wazzit…Bam…wazzit…Bam…wazzit…Bam…wazzit…Bam…wazzit.