AB-1346 - Gas-Powered Small Engine Ban

[BmillsSkier]

Do they make electric axe grinders?

Holding out for the Harbor Freight electric chop saw.

[skaredshtles]

I’m not in CA so get to watch this from afar, but IMO this is a good thing over time. Accelerates electric adoption and innovation.

This is my take - the VAST majority of homeowners around these parts have tiny lawns which would easily be serviceable by electric lawn implements. But, anecdotally, most of the crap being used is gas-powered stuff.

[bodywhomper]

For the handheld power tools, like chainsaws, I hope that the battery tech is quickly improving. Personally, I’d love a more powerful saw that magically weighs less than what I have with very long battery life and durable batteries and doesn’t break my bank acct.

There’s already evidence of VW-type scandal in the current gas tech. My understanding is that the auto adjusting carbed husky saws are sold with the carbs tuned to meet CARB emission standards with the manual describing how to run the saw for the carb to auto tune itself for better and more optimal power performance.

[oldnew_guy]

Most people just need a push reel mowers.

Energy grid problem solved.

[Dantheman]

Most people just need a push reel mowers.

I own one and love it.

[skaredshtles]

Most people just need a push reel mowers.

Not a great solution for lazy mf'ers like myself. And yes, this is experience talking.

[BCMtnHound]

I loved my reel mower for our small lawn - 10yrs at a total cost of about $150CND before the plastic gears died- but it wasn’t as loved by my wife during my infrequent absences. So we’ve invested in the EGO platform (mower, small snowblower, and leaf blower thrown in). Happy so far after 2 full seasons of use. Rotate three 5A batteries and have yet to run out of juice except for deep/heavy snow with the small single stage snowblower.

My only beef with all battery platforms (vehicles, shop tools and yard works) is that everyone has their own proprietary system. The nice part of combustible fuels is that they work across platform (sans additives like 2-stole mix, and the like). If there is one aspect I wish govt would demand of the manufacturers is a standardization of battery so that they work across several platforms. Sort of like the EU settling the USB cable issues. I know, US exceptionalism and proprietary capitalism makes that a long-shot here, but that is my ask.

[teledad]

I’ve had an electric lawn mower for 20 yrs. But I live in a mountain town and big ass storms where I really use the hell out of my Honda blower cause power outages.

That’s all right, just charge off the generator… Oh, wait, those are banned too.

I’ll happily dump the 2-stroke chainsaw and string trimmer for decent battery versions but it’s going to take a lot to convince me that a battery powered snow blower is going to move 3 feet of Sierra cement. And at elevations where rooftop solar isn’t viable, gas or propane is the only backup power. (I think my neighbors would object to a wind turbine in my yard.)

[Mustonen]

They make an electric car that can drive for 300 miles and go from 0-60 in two seconds. They’ll probably sort your edge case.

Also, do you actually rely on a walk behind snowblower for frequent 3 foot storms? I’m at the edge of a walk behind making any sense, and my driveway is maybe 200 feet with an additional 50x50 parking pad, and we get a couple hundred inches/year.

[El Chupacabra]

They make an electric car that can drive for 300 miles and go from 0-60 in two seconds. They’ll probably sort your edge case.

Also, do you actually rely on a walk behind snowblower for frequent 3 foot storms? I’m at the edge of a walk behind making any sense, and my driveway is maybe 200 feet with an additional 50x50 parking pad, and we get a couple hundred inches/year.

If that $90K electric car is relevant to snowblowers, that means a $5K blower.

I have a regrettably huge driveway, north facing. In big storms, I've run out a complete tank of gas on the Ariens blower, and had to refill to finish - 2.5-3 hours of clearing is not unusual for a big storm.

I'm skeptical of any current electric blower being useful for clearing my driveway. I agree that the tech exists to do it, but it's going to cost a lot more than a gas two stage blower.

[Mustonen]

If that $90K electric car is relevant to snowblowers, that means a $5K blower.

I have a regrettably huge driveway, north facing. In big storms, I've run out a complete tank of gas on the Ariens blower, and had to refill to finish - 2.5-3 hours of clearing is not unusual for a big storm.

I'm skeptical of any current electric blower being useful for clearing my driveway. I agree that the tech exists to do it, but it's going to cost a lot more than a gas two stage blower.

We don’t all get to live in utopia. In fact most of us don’t, and battery power is now more than adequate for snow removal. Time to double down IMO, at least if we ever want costs to normalize, and maybe things like completely clearing a large driveway where you live should be a bit more expensive.

The cost for a small engine snowblower is a lot more than what it costs at Home Depot. But we don’t have to pay that right now so we act like it isn’t a thing.

[teledad]

Also, do you actually rely on a walk behind snowblower for frequent 3 foot storms?

I have a plow service for the driveway, but they can’t drive onto the deck. Plus there’s the 3-4 foot berm from the county plowing the street hours after the driveway was plowed. (Yeah, I could man up and shovel. But I do plenty of that anyway.)

[dunfree]

If that $90K electric car is relevant to snowblowers, that means a $5K blower.

I have a regrettably huge driveway, north facing. In big storms, I've run out a complete tank of gas on the Ariens blower, and had to refill to finish - 2.5-3 hours of clearing is not unusual for a big storm.

I'm skeptical of any current electric blower being useful for clearing my driveway. I agree that the tech exists to do it, but it's going to cost a lot more than a gas two stage blower.

Nevada resident bitching about what doesn’t concern him

[Mustonen]

I have a plow service for the driveway, but they can’t drive onto the deck. Plus there’s the 3-4 foot berm from the county plowing the street hours after the driveway was plowed. (Yeah, I could man up and shovel. But I do plenty of that anyway.)

Gotcha. And yeah, that’s where I am. I stubbornly clear my own drive that isn’t big enough to buy a tractor for. Hiring a plow would make a lot more sense and probably be more cost effective. My two stage will clear your berm and your deck no problem, though. Like I said above, power is not the issue. Thing has more power than most (all?) gas two stage blowers I’ve owned. I just wish it was bigger than 24” wide and the battery didn’t get eaten by big heavy storms.

[detrusor]

I get a ton of snow at my place…use the huge bonds you see at ski resorts plus an f250 with a hydraulic blade. I think I’d be down for the ego with 6 batteries….how far/high does it throw?


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[ötzi]

There's a landscaper who cuts a lot of lawns around here and all his grass-cutting equipment is electric, ride-on mowers, blowers, etc. His trucks say "solar powered equipment", maybe he has a big panel setup to charge it all, I dunno. But they run those mowers pretty much all day long in the summer.

[joeshek]

I loved my reel mower for our small lawn - 10yrs at a total cost of about $150CND before the plastic gears died- but it wasn’t as loved by my wife during my infrequent absences. So we’ve invested in the EGO platform (mower, small snowblower, and leaf blower thrown in). Happy so far after 2 full seasons of use. Rotate three 5A batteries and have yet to run out of juice except for deep/heavy snow with the small single stage snowblower.

My only beef with all battery platforms (vehicles, shop tools and yard works) is that everyone has their own proprietary system. The nice part of combustible fuels is that they work across platform (sans additives like 2-stole mix, and the like). If there is one aspect I wish govt would demand of the manufacturers is a standardization of battery so that they work across several platforms. Sort of like the EU settling the USB cable issues. I know, US exceptionalism and proprietary capitalism makes that a long-shot here, but that is my ask.

+1

At least standardize on voltage. there are enough cheap adapters on the market, that you'll be able to get generic batteries moving forward, but the state of the market is a mess.

It's going to suck for a few years, but a ban like this is likely the only way to make the OEMs get their shit together.

[half-fast]

Ego 56volt 2 stage snowblower is $1600 at lowes

[joeshek]

Ego 56volt 2 stage snowblower is $1600 at lowes

Need a nudge to get people moving.


https://www.google.com/search?q=econ...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[old goat]

I don't know why your all worrying about snowblowers. There's not going to be snow going forward. (But in the meantime some of us will be able to drive down to Reno to pick up a gas snowblower (and a generator while we're at it.)

[J. Barron DeJong]

I don't know why your all worrying about snowblowers. There's not going to be snow going forward. (But in the meantime some of us will be able to drive down to Reno to pick up a gas snowblower (and a generator while we're at it.)

It’s one of those damned if you do, damned if you don’t situations. A useless gas blower because there’s no snow, or snow that can’t be moved with a useless electric blower?

(I actually have no idea how good or bad electric is or will be.)

[ötzi]

Seems like there should be an exemption for generators.

[old goat]

Seems like there should be an exemption for generators.

You just need to get a battery powered generator. (And it's just the portable ones being banned btw.)

Meanwhile, regarding the EPA's proposed new soot standard the way the TV news headline had it was that "the EPA will require states to reduce soot emissions from tailpipes, smokestacks, and wildfires". So I guess that means that we won't be allowed to set wildfires any more. Communism.

[ikonfreewasatch]

poetry bud
are you having a bad friday?

i think that miserable shitstain is having a bad life. All his posts are the same.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I don't understand the question. Fire cares who owns the land?

You were blaming the smoke you experience on CA. The majority of really large smoke producing fires are on federal land not managed by CA.


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