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Students’ Leaf Blower Suppressor To Hit Retail (hackaday.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 36 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

MAKE GAS LANDSCAPING TOOLS ILLEGAL

Give away free electric tools if they trade in their gas ones. It's so bad for health to be huffing 2 stroke fumes all day every day.

Edit, I realize that this is meant for a electric leaf blower since it would do fuck all for a gas one. Doesn't change my opinion about landscaping tools tho

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  • [–] 25 points 2 years ago

    "Electric leaf blowers are already far quieter than their gas-powered peers, but they still aren’t the kind of thing you’d like to hear first-thing on a Saturday morning. Looking to improve on the situation, a group of students from Johns Hopkins University have successfully designed a 3D printed add-on that manages to significantly reduce the noise generated by a modern electric leaf blower without compromising the amount of air it’s able to move."

    First two sentences of the article.

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  • [–] 17 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I don't know mate, I wouldn't replace my electric tools–drills, grinders, saw... with gas ones. But these outdoors tools are a different kind of beast. I've only used an electric chainsaw and it was an absolute crap, maybe there are better ones but it was crappier than the smallest and shittiest gas chainsaws I've used, and a cord around you in that setting isn't great either.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago* (4 children)

    The problem with electric gardening tools is they aren't that feasible for contractors.

    Batteries don't last long and take a long time to charge, so it's just not an option when you're working all day. Corded means at every location, you have to figure out outlets, extension cords, fuss with tangles and obstructions, etc.

    If you're doing your own lawns, yeah, you can probably get into a workflow that works for you. But a lot of people hire out for landscaping.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Swappable batteries resolve this issue pretty well. The energy density is far from comparable, but if you're already hauling a van or trailer to the job site, then a dozen spare batteries isn't an issue.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Except being very expensive, wear out after a few years (at best), and being sensitive to being in the hot sun all day every day. All in a profession mostly worked by under privileged people where frugality is a necessity of life.

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  • [–] 0 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Most batteries have 5 year warranties.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago*

    I can run a decent small engine for a decade and when it finally breaks I can rebuild it for $50 and get another decade out of it.

    I have battery powered stuff for my home but for commercial use, literally thousands of work-hours, the battery tech isn't there yet.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago

    Gas being a better energy source than batteries in every way except for the health and environmental issues is a real bitch and why this is such a problem. Cords are a hassle and you will need a lot recharging batteries all the time, so you notice the downsides immediately and acutely. These are solvable problems though. Even running an efficient gas generator would be better for the health of landscaping contractors than being around 2 strokes all day.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago

    Look again! I have a dewalt chainsaw, and I love it. I burn about 13 cords of wood each winter as it is our primary heating source. It runs and runs and runs.

    I think the key is to keep the chain sharp. I use the timberline sharpener, and it gets the chain razor sharp, which means less stress on the motor and longer battery life.

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