EV-lutioin
Active Member
Do you know if the Greenworks/Kobalt/Ryobi/B+D cordless tools just rebranding of the same equipment or are they significantly different?
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Lawn mowers and gardening equipment pollution: Why are ICE engines still legal in California?
- Thread starter Ulmo
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- Energy Environment Policy
Do you know if the Greenworks/Kobalt/Ryobi/B+D cordless tools just rebranding of the same equipment or are they significantly different?
In battery mowers, Consumer Reports rates EGO as the best. It's the only brand rated "very good". EGO is also the top rated battery snow blower by a large margin.
The trick with EGO, and perhaps other brands, is to buy a large battery(s) bundled with the tool. Two of Ego's largest batteries cost $800 total (7.5ah). The most expensive Ego snow blower bundle includes the snow blower, charger, and two 7.5ah batteries for $800.
I bought the snow blower bundle and then the Ego mower without battery.
For the hand tools I bought a bundle with a lighter 2.5ah battery. The rest of the tools were purchased "bare". I love having a chainsaw again for occasional use. I gave up on trying to keep tiny gas engines working. Modern gas with ethanol really sucks for tiny carburetors.
The trick with EGO, and perhaps other brands, is to buy a large battery(s) bundled with the tool. Two of Ego's largest batteries cost $800 total (7.5ah). The most expensive Ego snow blower bundle includes the snow blower, charger, and two 7.5ah batteries for $800.
I bought the snow blower bundle and then the Ego mower without battery.
For the hand tools I bought a bundle with a lighter 2.5ah battery. The rest of the tools were purchased "bare". I love having a chainsaw again for occasional use. I gave up on trying to keep tiny gas engines working. Modern gas with ethanol really sucks for tiny carburetors.
I don't know for certain. Upthread it was mentioned that Greenworks is rebranded Kobalt. I can't say, though.
NikeWings
Active Member
I have a Very Orange 25 year old Black & Decker electric mower. Probably a poc compared to what's available now, but I can't part with dragging the 100' power chord behind me. 
Xenoilphobe
Well-Known Member
I have both Greenworks and Kobalt 80 volt blowers, edge trimmers etc. All of them are awesome!!! Unfortunately Cobalt and Greenworks batteries are not interchangeable. They offset the retention slide on the battery by a 1/2 inch so you have to use either the Cobalt or Greenworks branded battery with the equal product. (freaking BS - kinda like having no charging standard for Cars)...
I want the Meangreen - Nemesis NXR-48/52 which will be about $9K before rebates and should be out this fall... may sneak one in the tool collection - unfortunately the wife will notice going from bright yellow (Hustler Raptor SD) to Green Hornet Green (MeanGreen).... might have to spray paint it so she doesn't notice....
I want the Meangreen - Nemesis NXR-48/52 which will be about $9K before rebates and should be out this fall... may sneak one in the tool collection - unfortunately the wife will notice going from bright yellow (Hustler Raptor SD) to Green Hornet Green (MeanGreen).... might have to spray paint it so she doesn't notice....
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roblab
Active Member
While out doing errands today, I noticed something. Every winery along the highway for miles had several people out mowing the ditch and area up to the vineyards. The grass was a couple feet tall or more in places. I would have thought a quick pass with a brush hog would have done the trick, as some of these frontages are a half mile long, but no. The many workers were all using the tiny engines of string trimmers to wave back and forth through the grass for hours.
To my teeny mind, this seems like it would make far more pollution, take more time, gas, equipment, manpower, etc., etc. Why is every winery thinking that tiny string trimmers are supposed to do miles of heavy grass cutting? I don't know. I do know there are several commercial large grass cutters (heavy duty mowers) that would do the job quicker and still be able to do the driveway borders, etc. And maybe one string trimmer would be useful at times.
But who thinks of these things? Probably not Napa Valley winery owners.
To my teeny mind, this seems like it would make far more pollution, take more time, gas, equipment, manpower, etc., etc. Why is every winery thinking that tiny string trimmers are supposed to do miles of heavy grass cutting? I don't know. I do know there are several commercial large grass cutters (heavy duty mowers) that would do the job quicker and still be able to do the driveway borders, etc. And maybe one string trimmer would be useful at times.
But who thinks of these things? Probably not Napa Valley winery owners.
Skotty
2014 S P85 | 2023 F-150L
Ding ding ding! Therein lies the problem.
In my humble opinion, they don't exist. I keep asking for a Tesla mower, but it's not in the plans yet. Mean Green Machines claims to be the Tesla of mowers, but I think they think too highly of themselves. They are ok I suppose if you have a lot of money to throw at the problem.
That's pretty much it. The rest of the battery powered mower market is stuck in traditional golf cart land, unable to comprehend how crappy the products they create are. Most of them have less than 50% of the energy actually required. That's tolerable on a weed eater with swappable batteries, but not on a push or riding mower. I have a Black and Decker battery weed eater that's ok. I usually use up 2 full batteries for a day of weed eating around my house, so I have to keep multiple batteries in a charge circulation.
EDIT: Mean Green Mowers website still sucks. Prices still too high. Not impressed. That said, I'm still considering one as my hatred for gas mowers grows greater every year.
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cpa
Active Member
I do not know either. But I can hazard a guess. The wineries already have a bunch of string trimmers that are used for weeding in the rows and under the vines. They also have a work crew available every day of the week at whatever the going rate is for ag labor in the Napa Valley. So, maybe it is less expensive. Or, using a brush hog might damage the vines or the trunks, especially in the hands of an inexperienced person. The vineyards around here do not use brush hogs either that I have seen. They do have a "French plow" that has been used by raisin growers for zillions of years, though.
Thanks for that post. The last pricing I saw for a meangreen rider was $16k. Didnt know they introduced a cheaper one. I am a landscaper and will go electric one day. New business and equipment ubder 2 years old.
SpiceWare
Member
Don't know about Ryobi or B+D, but for 80 volt Greenworks and Kobalt it's obvious just by looking at them - the items are the same with just different colored accents.
blower:
chainsaw:
While the batteries look the same:
The batteries are molded slightly differently though, so you can't mix & match which is a shame because the prices are lower for Kobalt while Greenworks has additional items available: backpack blower, self propelled mower, polesaw, snow shovel, as well as larger batteries that could be useful for lawncare services (4Ah and 5Ah, Kobalt's is only 2Ah). Maybe @Xenoilphobe could post photos showing the difference since he has both.
The Kobalt chainsaw and hedge trimmer I recently picked up used to only be available as Greenworks, so I suspect those items will be available as Kobalt in another year or two.
disney's autopia ride is basically a car with a lawnmower engine - the gas smell is too much and esp for the little kids and employees - how come tesla doesn't take over?!
Xenoilphobe
Well-Known Member
Here is the comparison note the offset retaining track.
Xenoilphobe
Well-Known Member
Bottom line - bastards... this was intentionally done. All the equipment is exactly the same - with different color schemas.
omgwtfbyobbq
Active Member
We can, but I believe CARB is mandated to pursue actions that will reduce criteria pollutants to the point where some or all of the SQAMD is no longer a non-attainment/maintenance area.
Green Book | US EPA
Clean Air Act (CAA) and Federal Facilities | US EPA
In that context, even though small engines pollute far more than cars, CARB may not focus on them because they're already complying with the criteria pollutants they emit (mostly HC and CO). On the flip side, the SQAMD is a non-attainment area for Ozone, and a maintenance area for NOx, so they may be legally required to focus on those pollutants.
I'd be SOOOO tempted to try regrooving something if I were in that boat. There might turn out to be an electronic version check, too, which would be more expensive to hack than getting another battery. Very annoying that companies do this, though!!!
Xenoilphobe
Well-Known Member
I plan to take a dremel to this so it fits in either system. I hope these guys rot in hell for doing this...
Photo from 1996.
Here's how I did it for about 20 years.
Cordless!
Can't remember sharpening those blades.
Now I live where there's no lawn.
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Fantastic essay on work. I wish everyone was like you.In our neighborhood and surrounding area, most homeowners employ gardeners. We do not. They all use ICE lawn mowers and leaf blowers. (The phrase mow, blow and go comes to mind.) They use very few hand tools.
Besides the pollution from the exhaust, those leaf blowers kick up a lot of dust and dirt.
The gardeners are independent contractors, so the faster they complete a yard, the more yards they can complete in any given day.
Before we yanked out our sorry excuse for a lawn, I used a hand reel mower. We replaced the lawn with stamped concrete that was surrounded by almond bark covering the bare dirt where we have shrubs and a couple of fruit trees. Drip irrigation to water the plants. My wife purchased two(!) electric leaf blowers--one with a rechargeable battery, and one that plugs into a 110. They both work quite well.
Personally I prefer hand tools for most yard work. I still use a broom, rake and dustpan to pick up the bazillion leaves every November from a 50-foot gingko and three 50-foot pin oak trees.
When I am done, I feel like I earned that cold one that I pop open.
"Mow, blow, and go!" Adroit and true.
sounds like my neighbors, with the contractors they hire.
Your avatar, very cool. Zzyzx. It played a role in one of Michael Connelly's mysteries.
Why do they always start so early in the morning then quit by mid-morning? Is it possible to find workers who will start after we are awake? And what do they do after they leave our neighborhood? I've never lived anywhere that they don't start way early then quit in an hour.
Replace all lawns with concrete, or succulents, or plain dirt. Now, that would be a good California law!
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