What about electric mowers and outboards?

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I have all electric yard machines - corded, that is. Earthwise 20" mowers are great - they have ball bearing wheels which alone makes them much better than most mowers. I have a electric weed wacker and an electric chainsaw and pole saw. I have a Snow Joe snow blower that did yeoman's work this winter. I have Toro leaf vacuum / blowers, and a chipper that takes up to ~2" branches.

All of them use a tiny fraction of the energy as their gasoline powered counterparts. They each use no more than 10-15¢ per HOUR of heavy duty use. No oil changes, and no maintenance, other than sharpening in some cases.
 
Its great that so many folks have electric push mowers, but I'm looking at a lawn tractor. As far as I can see, there is still only one consumer-level choice, the Cub Cadet RZT S Zero (http://cubcadetrztszero.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). Looking online, I can't find any real reviews or experiences anyone has had with it, and its kind of expensive to just take a flyer on.

Likewise, I'm looking at Elco and Ray Electric outboards for my boat (in addition to the well-known European Torqeedo brand). I'd like to buy one of these U.S.-built electric outboards, but they are quite pricey, and again, I don't want to be a Beta tester.

I was figuring that all you LEAFers would also have experience with electric tractors and outboard motors, but so far, not so much. :|
 
ALF said:
Its great that so many folks have electric push mowers, but I'm looking at a lawn tractor. As far as I can see, there is still only one consumer-level choice, the Cub Cadet RZT S Zero (http://cubcadetrztszero.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). Looking online, I can't find any real reviews or experiences anyone has had with it, and its kind of expensive to just take a flyer on.

Likewise, I'm looking at Elco and Ray Electric outboards for my boat (in addition to the well-known European Torqeedo brand). I'd like to buy one of these U.S.-built electric outboards, but they are quite pricey, and again, I don't want to be a Beta tester.

I was figuring that all you LEAFers would also have experience with electric tractors and outboard motors, but so far, not so much. :|

Did you not find my review of the Torqeedo useful? Like I said, I've had it for the past 4 summers and would gladly answer questions you have from a user perspective (not just the website/marketing material)

I have seen the Ray electrics in action on a pontoon boat cruising down the Erie Canal. It's not a fancy looking thing, but it certainly gets the job done. I don't know the owner, but he shows up at the local "Canal Day" every summer and it seems to be the same motor putting around.

I don't have any experience with ride-on mowers, true. I have 1/3 of an acre, and a push mower does just fine. Plus I really need any excuse to exercise. I used to use a Reel mower, but the holes in my yard kept destroying the handle.
 
ALF said:
Its great that so many folks have electric push mowers, but I'm looking at a lawn tractor. As far as I can see, there is still only one consumer-level choice, the Cub Cadet RZT S Zero (http://cubcadetrztszero.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). Looking online, I can't find any real reviews or experiences anyone has had with it, and its kind of expensive to just take a flyer on.
I've used a GE electric tractor years ago, but that's already been mentioned. If you want one 'now' you'll either have to settle for what's on the market or convert your own. Sorry...that's where 'we' are...

http://modernelectrictractors.com/
http://www.homepower.com/articles/vehicles/project-profiles/diy-electric-tractor
http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/electric-garden-tractor.aspx
http://farmhack.org/tools/electric-tractor-conversion
http://www.ddmotorsystems.com/ElectricLawnmowers.php
http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Global_Village_Construction_Set
 
Well, there's this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0073ZOE98/ref=asc_df_B0073ZOE983590228?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1148-59-20&linkCode=df0&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B0073ZOE98" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And this: http://www.meangreenproducts.com/greenmowchine.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
^^^ Nice! (48V Mean Green Mowchines)

I may recommend this site to my landscapers. Then, just as long as they keep whatever mower, blower or mulcher they get away from one Leaf in particular, everything will be just fine. :) I'd hate to see a battle of the electrics for territorial dominance break out!
 
NeilBlanchard said:
I have all electric yard machines - corded, that is. Earthwise 20" mowers are great - they have ball bearing wheels which alone makes them much better than most mowers. I have a electric weed wacker and an electric chainsaw and pole saw. I have a Snow Joe snow blower that did yeoman's work this winter. I have Toro leaf vacuum / blowers, and a chipper that takes up to ~2" branches.

All of them use a tiny fraction of the energy as their gasoline powered counterparts. They each use no more than 10-15¢ per HOUR of heavy duty use. No oil changes, and no maintenance, other than sharpening in some cases.

If you don't mind, what model of chipper do you have? Seems hard to find an electric one that has sufficient capability. Is it 120V or 240V?
 
LeftieBiker said:
The outboard I have is a Minn Kota Classic 28, with 28lbs thrust. If that isn't big enough, get two. ;-)

No offense, but you have a trolling motor, not an outboard. Minn Kota makes some excellent trolling motors (I have a similar one with about 30lbs of thrust). They make some nominal "outboards": http://www.minnkotamotors.com/Trolling-Motors/Electric-Outboard/E-Drive/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. However, the E-Drive is more expensive and less powerful than the Torqeedo Travel series, which, IMHO, is a true electric outboard.
 
Our boat (see avatar) is electric. All 300 or so on our lake are electric.

oh . . . . . and yea . . . there ARE a few EV outboards too;

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Nubo said:
NeilBlanchard said:
I have all electric yard machines - corded, that is. Earthwise 20" mowers are great - they have ball bearing wheels which alone makes them much better than most mowers. I have a electric weed wacker and an electric chainsaw and pole saw. I have a Snow Joe snow blower that did yeoman's work this winter. I have Toro leaf vacuum / blowers, and a chipper that takes up to ~2" branches.

All of them use a tiny fraction of the energy as their gasoline powered counterparts. They each use no more than 10-15¢ per HOUR of heavy duty use. No oil changes, and no maintenance, other than sharpening in some cases.

If you don't mind, what model of chipper do you have? Seems hard to find an electric one that has sufficient capability. Is it 120V or 240V?

I wish it was 240v - it is a Patriot: http://www.patriot-products-inc.com/P/30/WoodChipperLeafShredder15hpElectric

I see now that they make a 240V "international" model - oh, it is 50Hz - darn it: http://www.patriot-products-inc.com/P/31/WoodChipperLeafShredder15hpElectricInternational

I bought a second blade and keeping them sharp is important. I have used this machine a lot, and it is quite useful. Having said that, you have to feed it with care - when it slows the RPM's, you have to back off the feed rate, and let it spin up again. I need to get a 20A outlet - I have been running all my lawn machines on a 10A GFI outlet, and very rarely have tripped the breaker.
 
When I was a kid we had a 240vac 20" push mower. My father worked for the power company and we got it to test out, I don't remember the brand. I mowed with it a lot and it always had plenty of power. If I recall it was on a 15 amps at 240 volts breaker, probably really pulled 12 amps at 240. We now have a B&D corded MM875 a 19" with a 12amp motor and a B&D CM1836 a 18" battery mower. They cut about the same but neither has the power of that old 240v mower.

I wish they had a hybrid one that could use the line power most of the time but when you get in to tall grass have the battery help as well, basically doubling the power output. Or just give me a nice 240vac mower. The line loss is SO much less and obviously you can pull more power as well.

I wonder how bad it would be to run a European 50hz corded mower on 240vac 60hz :)
 
LeftieBiker said:
I was joking, although I don't actually see the how a trolling motor isn't an "outboard." That term refers to placement, not output.

True enough. I just end up fighting thist battle all the time: People look at my $2k Torqeedo and roll their eyes. They tell me that I'm a fool for paying that much. That you can get a Minn Kota "outboard" for $250. What they fail to see is that the Torqeedo is nothing like a typical trolling motor. It is actually comparable to the $1,600 Mercury 4.0 gas outboard I used to have in terms of performance. The difference is that fuel is much cheaper and maintenance is practically zero. Reliability has been far better as well.

So while what you said is true, in my experience that is the marine equivalent of calling electric cars "glorified golf carts". We all know that our Leafs are fully capable cars, but many people still hold that misconception.
 
GetOffYourGas said:
LeftieBiker said:
The outboard I have is a Minn Kota Classic 28, with 28lbs thrust. If that isn't big enough, get two. ;-)

No offense, but you have a trolling motor, not an outboard. Minn Kota makes some excellent trolling motors (I have a similar one with about 30lbs of thrust). They make some nominal "outboards": http://www.minnkotamotors.com/Trolling-Motors/Electric-Outboard/E-Drive/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. However, the E-Drive is more expensive and less powerful than the Torqeedo Travel series, which, IMHO, is a true electric outboard.
None taken. but if you want more power - you gotta go inboard . . . . . how does 2,200hp sound ...
;)

mercedes-amg-cigarette-racing-team-38-foot-electric-go-fast-boat-14.jpg


http://www.gizmag.com/mercedes-amg-cigarette-racing-fastest-electric-boat/26301/pictures#5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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