What about electric mowers and outboards?

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hill - would you care to tell us about your outboard and how you power it? Thanks!

hill said:
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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.
 
hill said:
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;

.

2,200hp sounds like it would rip apart most boats! Who said electric had to be slow?
 
I have built a 24V battery for my 15 year old mower. I bought 12 laptop batteries from eBay. It took me a while to try to pair the 96 cells, and still didn't get it quite right, after mowing the whole yard the cells are at around 3.6V and two cells are usually 20mV lower than the other 4.

I am still very happy with the results. It is only about a third of the weight of the two 26Ah lead acid batteries . The cells were supposed to be 2600mAh. I tested them at around 1850mAh. So the whole pack should be around 30mAh.

Pictures :
Gs5Jv7p.jpg


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New rider mower. Think I'm gonna get one.

https://www.ryobitools.com/electric-riding-mower/?utm_source=Ryobi&utm_campaign=a9845cfdb1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_03a9d65f40-a9845cfdb1-291323853
 
DNAinaGoodWay said:
New rider mower. Think I'm gonna get one.

https://www.ryobitools.com/electric-riding-mower/?utm_source=Ryobi&utm_campaign=a9845cfdb1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_03a9d65f40-a9845cfdb1-291323853

That is a very cool mower, but I did not see the price... I take it its like my Dad always said, "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." I'm glad I don't need anything that big and that my little corded GreenWorks mower covers my needs in Indy just fine.

But while reading this old thread I checked out the AMG Electric boat that hill mentioned years ago. I was thinking there is no way an electric boat would ever be viable -- as unlike a car, a boat never coasts with the water as a constant drag. So while that baby may may have over 2000 hp, it also weighs about 5000 lbs. and the devil is in the details "The boat has two chargers providing a total charging rate of 44 kW, taking about seven hours for a full charge....This means that the batteries can only provide full power for about ten minutes." Now it might be a great 10 minutes, but even at half speed this baby won't get you very far on the water and if you think being stranded on the street is bad, try the middle of a lake.

Still a fun thought
 
jpadc said:
DNAinaGoodWay said:
New rider mower. Think I'm gonna get one.

https://www.ryobitools.com/electric-riding-mower/?utm_source=Ryobi&utm_campaign=a9845cfdb1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_03a9d65f40-a9845cfdb1-291323853

That is a very cool mower, but I did not see the price... I take it its like my Dad always said, "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." I'm glad I don't need anything that big and that my little corded GreenWorks mower covers my needs in Indy just fine.

MSRP $2,499
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-RM480e-38-in-Battery-Electric-Riding-Lawn-Mower-RY48110/300246266

I'll wait until it goes on sale, should be able to get one for $2k. I have a little over an acre to mow, so it should work. All my other equipment is li-ion, except the snowblower, that'll probably be my last gas thing.
 
Just picked up one of these at Home Depot

https://egopowerplus.com/products/21-inch-self-propelled-lawn-mower?utm_source=BVSpotlights&utm_medium=organic

21" self propelled 56V 7.5 amp hour mower.
I can't attest to it's durability yet but I am impressed with the power run time of this mower. Did 1/4 acre heavy grass no problem.
It's quiet, light and cuts as well or better than my previous 6.5 horse gas mower.
 
I'd be interested to hear how it works for you. I just mowed last night for the first time of the season. Nothing like trying to remember the best path so that the cord doesn't get tangled in the fruit trees or swing set. My mower has been good to me, but perhaps it is time to upgrade.
 
I use the following:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-80-Volt-Max-Brushless-Lithium-Ion-Li-ion-21-in-Deck-Width-Cordless-Electric-Push-Lawn-Mower/999929526
I've had it about a year so far, I have to swap batteries 3x to do the front yard, and we have 1/2 acre for the full plot, so it's roughly a 1/4 acre mow for those 3 batteries. It comes with 2 batteries, so it means taking a 5 minute break the first time, and then a 10 minute break the second swap. The batteries charge to full about 15 minutes slower than they deplete for me.
 
DNAinaGoodWay said:
jpadc said:
DNAinaGoodWay said:
New rider mower. Think I'm gonna get one.

https://www.ryobitools.com/electric-riding-mower/?utm_source=Ryobi&utm_campaign=a9845cfdb1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_03a9d65f40-a9845cfdb1-291323853

That is a very cool mower, but I did not see the price... I take it its like my Dad always said, "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." I'm glad I don't need anything that big and that my little corded GreenWorks mower covers my needs in Indy just fine.

MSRP $2,499
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-RM480e-38-in-Battery-Electric-Riding-Lawn-Mower-RY48110/300246266

I'll wait until it goes on sale, should be able to get one for $2k. I have a little over an acre to mow, so it should work. All my other equipment is li-ion, except the snowblower, that'll probably be my last gas thing.
If I hadn't purchased a new John Deere 42" ICE riding mower a couple years ago, I'd have seriously looked at that Ryobi. 38" would have probably worked, it was the size of my first rear engine rider many years ago. I've seen this Ryobi at the HD and it looks quite nice, $700 more than my JD and like you'd I'd have probably waited until it got to the magical $2k.
Do you know the specs on the Li battery, Voltage, Ah? I looked but couldn't find it listed in your link.
 
You would need a different onboard (?) charger, or different programming at least, for lithium cells. SLA cells are a terrible idea for something like a riding mower. They wouldn't last very long under most conditions.
 
Durandal said:
I use the following:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-80-Volt-Max-Brushless-Lithium-Ion-Li-ion-21-in-Deck-Width-Cordless-Electric-Push-Lawn-Mower/999929526
I've had it about a year so far, I have to swap batteries 3x to do the front yard, and we have 1/2 acre for the full plot, so it's roughly a 1/4 acre mow for those 3 batteries. It comes with 2 batteries, so it means taking a 5 minute break the first time, and then a 10 minute break the second swap. The batteries charge to full about 15 minutes slower than they deplete for me.

Wow, that sounds like more of a hassle than dealing with a cord (honestly, it's not that bad!). I have 1/3 of an acre lot so I'd need maybe 4 charges to get through it? Is this an older mower or is that what one should expect from a battery mower?
 
GetOffYourGas said:
Durandal said:
I use the following:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-80-Volt-Max-Brushless-Lithium-Ion-Li-ion-21-in-Deck-Width-Cordless-Electric-Push-Lawn-Mower/999929526
I've had it about a year so far, I have to swap batteries 3x to do the front yard, and we have 1/2 acre for the full plot, so it's roughly a 1/4 acre mow for those 3 batteries. It comes with 2 batteries, so it means taking a 5 minute break the first time, and then a 10 minute break the second swap. The batteries charge to full about 15 minutes slower than they deplete for me.

Wow, that sounds like more of a hassle than dealing with a cord (honestly, it's not that bad!). I have 1/3 of an acre lot so I'd need maybe 4 charges to get through it? Is this an older mower or is that what one should expect from a battery mower?


The Kobalt is only rated at 2.0 amp hours. The newer EGO is rated at 7.5 amp hours. So almost 4 times the capacity. I did 1/2 Acre with the EGO no problems YMMV. There will be capacity loss over time but the EGO would easily do a third acre.
 
Ah is only part of the equation. The Kobalt is also a higher voltage than most, at 80V. The EGOs seem to be at 56V. There's also the question of efficiency.

But I'm glad to hear you have had good results with the EGO mower. The question is, do I bite now or wait another year or two (and deal with the cord in the meantime). It won't be too long though. My son is almost old enough to help mow. When he is, I don't want him fussing with a cord.
 
There are 5ah and 7.5ah versions of the Ego, with the 5ah being at the same price point.
Kobalt is 80v *2ah = 160Wh/battery * 2 batteries = 320Wh
Ego is 56v * 5ah = 280Wh/battery * 1 battery = 280Wh
Ego is 56v * 7.5ah = 420Wh/battery * 1 battery = 420Wh

You'll get more mow time out of one battery with the Ego for sure. You'll get more mow time total with the 7.5ah Ego. I don't mind the breaks, myself, it reminds me to take a break and not get heat stroke. It does slow down the process as a whole, however.

If you mow regularly, I think the Ego is likely the better choice. I went with the Kobalt as the higher voltage allows it to power through tougher parts, and I tend to be neglectful of my yard. I've noticed that 2 batteries can do my front yard when I actually stay on top of it regularly, but I try not to mow more than 5x a year! :lol: Also the Kobalt has a low hassle 5 year warranty vs the Ego 3 year warranty, since Kobalt is Lowe's brand.
 
Interesting stuff.

FYI, the older Black & Decker CM1836 that I own has three 12v SLA in series (I charge them individually) at 9ah each or 324Wh, it weighs a LOT more than similar li-Ion versions.

Black & Decker just released the CM2060 which uses a 2.5ah @ 60v or 150Wh, it does have two "slots" for two batteries, so essentially you have 300Wh on board. I believe it only uses one battery at a time, not sure why they would do that, weird. Also it says you can charge the 2.5ah 60v battery in a standard 20v li charger, I am not sure how that works, but I am curious.
 
Thanks for the extra info.

Wow, you mow 5x/year? If I did that, the grass would be waist deep! I tried to go two weeks last spring without mowing, and it was so think that the AC-DC rectifier blew on my mower. Thankfully it was a $6 part on digikey...

Sounds like the EGO is a good fit for me. I still hesitate at the $550 price tag. I think I paid under $150 for my corded mower. Not that it isn't worth it, but the cheapskate in me says to wait for the price to come down just a little more.
 
A German company called Torqeedo is using the high-voltage packs from BMW to power its Deep Blue line of electric propulsion systems for boats.

http://www.autoblog.com/2017/07/05/torqeedo-electric-boats-powered-by-bmw-i3-batteries/

It sounds like Torqeedo is now buying their batteries from BMW, at least for the high-power inboard versions. I wonder if they will start using the cells for the outboards as well. Their replacement batteries are very pricey, at over $1,000/kWh. If they could bring that down a bit, I would love to have a spare battery to extend my range a little bit!
 
Some follow up on the EGO Mower after a full season. Not perfect but still I am happy with it. Cut is very good but not excellent. It will do 1/2 acre dry, not too long and you keep up with it. 1/4 acre heavier, a little wet maybe you skipped mow . 1/8 acre, wet, heavy, leafy or somewhere in between. The blade motor is two speed it automatically adjust between the two speeds depending on the load. The high speed is what drains the battery faster. Ideally it would have twice the battery and run on high speed all the time for a better cut. I do 90% mulching, I only use the bagger on occasion when i want the front yard pristine. Charges in 25- 30 minutes so I get a needed break sometimes. I also have the chain saw which works good. (keep the blade sharp) I wouldn't fell a mighty oak but for around the yard debris, small trees and limbs it works great. Also use the string trimmer which works well. love the quietness of all three! Also the mower has led lights so if it was oppressively hot I would wait till dusk or early night to cut. No noise to disturb the neighbors! I have the plastic 21" model. They also have a 20" steel decked brushless model which may be more efficient and durable.
 
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