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California’s Bold Move: Say Goodbye to Gas Lawn Mowers in 2024

Discussion in 'Too Hot for Swamp Gas' started by studegator, Jan 10, 2024.

  1. vaxcardinal

    vaxcardinal GC Hall of Fame

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    I gave my son my Honda gas mower (it was only 2 years old) and got an Ego mower. The Honda mower cuts a little better than the Ego but overall I like the Ego better.
     
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  2. vaxcardinal

    vaxcardinal GC Hall of Fame

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    flame thrower would be better
     
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  3. vaxcardinal

    vaxcardinal GC Hall of Fame

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    I have an Ego mower, trimmer, and blower so dont have an issues with running out of power.
     
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  4. WC53

    WC53 GC Hall of Fame

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    Can we just eliminate the old dudes with leaf blowers at 7am because there is one leaf on the drive :)
     
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  5. tampagtr

    tampagtr VIP Member

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    Three things. EGO has been great to work with. I had a problem (don't recall particulars). Emailed - they responded, scheduled a call, had me go though some troubleshooting on phone and send pics, then said they were satisfied and proceeded to ship me a new mower. Very easy experience.

    Second, at least then, they had a hilarious intercept when you call with a double entendre about "power" for your "tool". Cracked me up.

    Third, the battery over the years has degraded (as batteries do) such that I cannot do the whole yard on one charge. But that bug has become a feature because I tend to never want to stop once started, which I really should in summer heat at my age. It forces me to take a break, drink something, do some other yard stuff, then come back after it charges (about 30-40 mins)
     
  6. tampagtr

    tampagtr VIP Member

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    It's karma to make fun of old dudes - you may find yourself being what you mocked.

    Tell my daughter all the time that there is a karmic connection between how much she laughs at something about me as being old and the likelihood she will repeat some form of it
     
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  7. vaxcardinal

    vaxcardinal GC Hall of Fame

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    I heard that. My mower has 2 batteries so if they ever died before finishing my lawn I would just pop in a battery from my blower/trimmer to finish off. Once of my chargers died (1 month after the warranty expired). Fortunately have never had any other issues.
     
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  8. danmanne65

    danmanne65 GC Hall of Fame

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    I am in the same boat with my vehicle. I have a 20 year old pickup that I maintain well. I want to go for an electric car but I can’t justify it till my truck dies. Unfortunately it may last longer than me.
     
  9. sierragator

    sierragator GC Hall of Fame

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    Switched to an electric mower and electric weed whacker several years ago. I don't miss the gas mower at all (plus the can of gas, changing the oil etc etc).
     
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  10. exiledgator

    exiledgator Gruntled

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    I shovel coal all over my driveway then light it on fire.
     
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  11. WC53

    WC53 GC Hall of Fame

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    As a proud social security recipient,
    It is the OCD ones that give us a bad name! Mother nature always wins.
    My FIL (93) can’t handle it if a leaf or caterpillar lands on his drive ;).
     
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  12. Tjgators

    Tjgators Premium Member

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    How about junk mail and plastic bags at grocery stores?
     
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  13. exiledgator

    exiledgator Gruntled

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    No plastic bags in Maine, and paper bags cost you $0.05/ea.

    We do still get junk mail though
     
  14. ncargat1

    ncargat1 VIP Member

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    So, when these mental midgets leave their mowers in their metal garages outside, and the battery goes into thermal runaway and burns down the garage and starts a huge state wide fire - can they sue the state of California for forcing them to do it?
     
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  15. WarDamnGator

    WarDamnGator GC Hall of Fame

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    The DeWalt garden tools, including their mower, works off the same batteries used for their drills and saws ... never heard of them being a fire hazard, have you? I bet more fires have been started by keeping gas cans in garages ...
     
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  16. studegator

    studegator GC Legend

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    Electric powered blowers make a lot of sense for home owner use, not so much for a business where one might be using it most of the day.
    I have an EGO blower and the battery life sucks. Won’t buy another one. A battery powered chain saw would be nice for light trimming and I may buy one at some point, but I can’t seeing it replacing my gas powered stihl saw as I have cut down and up many a tree.
     
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  17. Gatorrick22

    Gatorrick22 GC Hall of Fame

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    Only dictators "push people" like this... Having said that, I'd like to see more people embrace the electric mowers more... but not as a dictate.
     
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  18. rivergator

    rivergator Too Hot Mod Moderator VIP Member

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    1. It was approved by the state legislature. Democracy not dictatorship
    2. States and feds have been setting clean air and water standards for years.
     
  19. RealGatorFan

    RealGatorFan Premium Member

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    Seriously? I've owned one of the best battery-powered mowers and they suck. Sure if you have a 25 sqft yard, they were fine, but try mowing 5 acres with one. I triple dog dare you. You do it once and I bet you'd park it by the curb when you are done. All my other yard tools I have battery-powered versions. I use my gas-powered tools most often because of the sheer power and they run until I run out of gas. Battery-powered are ok, if I have $3,000 worth of charged batteries for them (seriously, I do have $3,000 in batteries). The issue is you forget to plug them in and I've ruined weekends because I had to wait all day for charging. And yes, I do because of 7 acres of land. I went through 19 battery packs mowing the lawn once while the zero turn was in the shop.

    Which brings me to a bigger question for Californians - I know they have tiny yards, you could fit an entire California subdivision inside of my yard, but does this apply to zero turns? I ask because for kicks a year ago I actually did spec out a batter-powered zero turn. Put it this way, I can either buy one or buy a pre-owned 2020 Mercedes Benz E Class...https://www.carvana.com/vehicle/2939126. Yep, $32K to start for a zero turn. For one that packs as many features as my $13k Kubota, I'd be set back for nearly $50k.
     
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  20. cron78

    cron78 GC Hall of Fame

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    I’m planning to buy the first battery powered generator available. The huge battery needed to run it likely won’t result in the early death of more than five or six little kids in heavy metal mines in the subcontinent. I won’t be able to fix the electric motor like I can a magneto ignition small gas engine, but I do badly want to do my part to reduce climate change.