In the News

[rogruth]

You’re making it out to be more difficult than it is. Soon charges will be everywhere. You can’t but a gas station everywhere

Don’t know What the average charge time is but I imagine it takes a lot longer to charge a car then to pump gas. Can’t wait to see how impatient people become while waiting in line for a charge

You think they will have charge line rage?
IMO a faster way to charge will need to be found.
The electric vehicle seems to be fine for people that drive to work and can charge while at work.

[robert.]

The thing is. You can charge while you grocery shop or get books from the library. Maybe even while waiting in the dentist office. You can place a charging station anywhere. You cant place a gas pump anywhere.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

You can place a charging station anywhere. You cant place a gas pump anywhere.

A very good observation. Charge rates are considerably improved. Ranges are increasing with increasing better battery technology.

Funny all the naysayers on EV - reminds one of when automobiles were threatening to replace horse powered transportation and every excuse against the use of gas powered vehicles was trotted out,

Batty powered tools are apparently making considerable inroads as well - was told yesterday that the pro tree trimmers are rapidly switching over to battery chainsaws. I personally find that hard to accept knowing what power it takes to cut black locust, but I was assured that the local companies up in PA were going all battery not only for having good enough power, but for safety reasons.

[HONDO74]

Funny all the naysayers on EV - reminds one of when automobiles were threatening to replace horse powered transportation and every excuse against the use of gas powered vehicles was trotted out,

You were around when that took place.

How about a battery powered chain saw
6 in. 60-Volt MAX Cordless Brushless FLEXVOLT Chainsaw with 16 in. Chainsaw Bar and 16 in. Chainsaw Chain (56 Link)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-16-i ... 63328-_-N&

[gregj410]

Batty powered tools are apparently making considerable inroads as well

I see more battery powered tools on the job sites than ever. The newer lithium ion batteries seem to go for days on a single charge. One still can’t help wonder where all the dead batteries will go when they’ve reached the end of their life. It reminds me of the plastic verses paper debacle. We were going to kill all the trees if we didn’t switch to plastic. Now the plastics killing off aquatic life and some places I see now are going back to paper. Maybe once they find a Tesla battery in the belly of a deceased whale will we go back to fossil fuels.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Funny all the naysayers on EV - reminds one of when automobiles were threatening to replace horse powered transportation and every excuse against the use of gas powered vehicles was trotted out,

You were around when that took place.

Pandimensional..........and also not relevant. Folks made up all sorts of nonsense to obstruct and deny the future then just as they do today.

How about a battery powered chain saw
6 in. 60-Volt MAX Cordless Brushless FLEXVOLT Chainsaw with 16 in. Chainsaw Bar and 16 in. Chainsaw Chain (56 Link)
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-16-i ... 63328-_-N&

Stihl makes some as well. I'd be interested in one if they were significantly lighter

[Rufus T. Firefly]

...... where all the dead batteries will go when they’ve reached the end of their life.

They get collected and recycled to make new ones - lithium is a valuable resource. Right inside the door at HD is a collection bin for them.

[gregj410]

...... where all the dead batteries will go when they’ve reached the end of their life.

They get collected and recycled to make new ones - lithium is a valuable resource. Right inside the door at HD is a collection bin for them.

Well there all also recycling bins at every corner yet a high percentage of people can’t manage to get their plastic bottles in there. I have my doubts.....man will chose convenience over anything else in life....time will tell.

[robert.]

You can place a charging station anywhere. You cant place a gas pump anywhere.

A very good observation. Charge rates are considerably improved. Ranges are increasing with increasing better battery technology.

Funny all the naysayers on EV - reminds one of when automobiles were threatening to replace horse powered transportation and every excuse against the use of gas powered vehicles was trotted out,

Batty powered tools are apparently making considerable inroads as well - was told yesterday that the pro tree trimmers are rapidly switching over to battery chainsaws. I personally find that hard to accept knowing what power it takes to cut black locust, but I was assured that the local companies up in PA were going all battery not only for having good enough power, but for safety reasons.

If you watch tree guys working in a bucket truck. You will see the don't have a gas powered saw. I tried to ask one guy if it was electric or hydraulic ? Nobody answered me. I later talked to a smaller local guy. He told me. " His crews will be switching to electric with in a year or two." His reason was based on gas tax and corrosive fuel. He can no longer buy non ethanol fuel and store on his property. For years he could buy 300 gallons and store it. He could buy it without road tax added. Now he can't and the town outlawed his gas storage.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

His reason was based on gas tax and corrosive fuel.

Reason I was given was flat out safety. Go climb a tree, get up 60-80 feet and now start a gas chainsaw......battery powered one is on/off with a pull of the trigger.

[robert.]

Nobody here climbs anymore. All of them have bucket trucks and cranes. Except one guy. He will climbs and he is partially retired. Comes over and yaps for two hours and cuts for half an hour.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Nobody here climbs anymore. All of them have bucket trucks and cranes. Except one guy. He will climbs and he is partially retired. Comes over and yaps for two hours and cuts for half an hour.

They do both here; all depends on access & clearance space around houses and available room in the yard to drop parts of trees. Even with buckets you still have to climb some to secure parts being cut off to control dropping and lifting to open space. It's not like when I'm up in the woods and I can drop a tree wherever I feel like it. All I care about is I can get it on the ground and that I can get the tractor in to drag and load.

[robert.]

Remember the days when they would tie off to 2 other trees and swing limbs over a house and onto the ground? No more around here. They will drive a scissors lift in go as high as they can and cut. Go a little higher and cut some more. No body does pruning. It’s all removal now. They hang a guy from the crane. He’ll tie up a large section of tree . Cut it off and ride it down with the crane.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Well, that's all at the intersection of Bucks and Insurance companies. Different here - pruning and more pruning before wholesale take down.

Last time I had a crew here it was all pruning. Next time, maybe take down a good sized red oak. Enough firewood there for 2 years!

[NJPiney]

I ran a tree service for a while after working for several others. Buckets will never totally replace climbing. There will always be trees in backyards and other areas that are inaccessible to bucket trucks or cranes. I do know of tree services that do not have climbers. They simply pass up the jobs that require them and they go to a company with climbers. But the need does, and will, exist for climbers until perhaps we have robots to do that job.

As far as the saws, electric models are gaining favor, in SOME applications but still do not compete favorably with gas in most, at this time. The most common issue is power, especially in the case of the larger saws used on the ground. They are starting to see more use in above-ground jobs as the newer ones are becoming lighter, more powerful and have longer battery life times. I keep one in the rear cab compartment of my truck at my current job because it can handle the occasional small job that pops up and doesn't stink up the truck with gas fumes. It is a DeWalt and impresses me with its capabilities but still doesn't hold a candle to my Stihl 201 T or old 020 for anything other than light use. But time and technology does march on and I'm sure 20 years from now will be different from today.