TylerDurden
100 GW
I use about double that in SLA, to cut .25acre... so in LiFe, 240Wh sounds about right. (DoD not withstanding.)swbluto said:
found this: http://markselectricmower.blogspot.com/2009/08/circuit-details.html
Lawnmowing: manual and electric powered
- Thread starter veloman
- Start date
found this: http://markselectricmower.blogspot.com/2009/08/circuit-details.html
auraslip
10 MW
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I just did a whole lawn with 6 inches of string because I was too lazy to change it out. I went really slow and even edged and I made that string last. Usually I blow string like crazy....I'm definitely going to go slow with the throttle from now on.
Interesting.
And it sounds like a really good idea, too. 
Or at least, some form of plug braking like that would be good, if you don't have a mechanical brake (which is what the lever/handle on gas mowers connects to).
"Dead man switch" in the case of a powerful (or open-blade) lawnmower is more of a "keep man alive switch". :lol:
FWIW, the last reel of string that I bought was about 12-13 years ago, maybe more, and it's actually outlasted two or three string trimmers, due to I guess careful use of the trigger, despite losing a lot around the chainlink fences and sidewalk edges. (and all the metal junk in my yard I save to make things from). I don't remember how big the reel was to start with, but I think I have about a quarter of it left. It's that green stuff with a sharp-cornered 4-leaf clover cross-section, and it cuts way better than regular round-section string (but breaks easier on some things).
I most recently (week or two ago?) mowed the entire front lawn with a little B&D trimmer that runs off the wall cord, sitting in the wheelchair, moving from spot to spot. By the time I was half-done I was thinking of taking all the ebike packs, NiMH and Vpower, putting them in series, and running it off that instead of AC, cuz I was really friggin' tired of catching the cord on some part of the chair. Took me probably a couple of hours or so, and the only thing that stopped me from changing to batteries was that it was gonna get dark before I could finish if I did. As it was I didn't get to the backyard.
I'm still considering it for when I do the backyard (probably tomorrow). The hard part is making a shelf for the bottom of the wheelchair to hold the batteries. If the powerchair weren't so big and difficult to steer around things, I'd probably just use it and set the batteries on the footplate/deck.
I also considered rigging up a platform in front of the powerchair fixed to it with a mower blade and motor on it, for a "riding mower", but I just can't think of a safe way of doing it easily, with stuff I already have.
Or at least, some form of plug braking like that would be good, if you don't have a mechanical brake (which is what the lever/handle on gas mowers connects to). "Dead man switch" in the case of a powerful (or open-blade) lawnmower is more of a "keep man alive switch". :lol:
FWIW, the last reel of string that I bought was about 12-13 years ago, maybe more, and it's actually outlasted two or three string trimmers, due to I guess careful use of the trigger, despite losing a lot around the chainlink fences and sidewalk edges. (and all the metal junk in my yard I save to make things from). I don't remember how big the reel was to start with, but I think I have about a quarter of it left. It's that green stuff with a sharp-cornered 4-leaf clover cross-section, and it cuts way better than regular round-section string (but breaks easier on some things).
I most recently (week or two ago?) mowed the entire front lawn with a little B&D trimmer that runs off the wall cord, sitting in the wheelchair, moving from spot to spot. By the time I was half-done I was thinking of taking all the ebike packs, NiMH and Vpower, putting them in series, and running it off that instead of AC, cuz I was really friggin' tired of catching the cord on some part of the chair. Took me probably a couple of hours or so, and the only thing that stopped me from changing to batteries was that it was gonna get dark before I could finish if I did. As it was I didn't get to the backyard.
I'm still considering it for when I do the backyard (probably tomorrow). The hard part is making a shelf for the bottom of the wheelchair to hold the batteries. If the powerchair weren't so big and difficult to steer around things, I'd probably just use it and set the batteries on the footplate/deck.
I also considered rigging up a platform in front of the powerchair fixed to it with a mower blade and motor on it, for a "riding mower", but I just can't think of a safe way of doing it easily, with stuff I already have.
dogman dan
1 PW
I was using a 24v B&D string trimmer at work today. Normaly we just use the nicads that came with the trimmer. Today I was doing extra work with it so I took my 6s 15 ah pack and ran the trimmer on it.
Using about 9 ah of 6s battery, I worked for about three hours. Perhaps about 2 hrs of run time. I was doing a lot of hard cutting, and ran through lots of string. Reloaded the spool 6 times. I was establishing new, larger diameter boundaries around trees, and defining edges around sidwalks and curbs. So much harder cutting than the normal trim this weeks growth type work. In a way, cutting dirt more than just trimming back grass.
The thing ran nice and fast the whole time, and that was part of the problem. It seemed to be constantly advancing string too soon, due to the high speed. By the end of the morning, I had the thing nice and hot, and it kept tripping the overheat, or over amp, whatever it is in there that cuts it off. But it passed the dogman torture test. I really was trying to smoke the dang thing.
Instead of melting, it just kept tripping the cutoff inside the motor. Most of the morning it was doing it like normal, usually when the automatic string feeder fed out a lot of string. Not too hard to live with except I was feeding string faster than usual. But by the last half hour it was only running about 30 seconds and then tripping. It resets pretty fast, and then another 30 seconds of run time. Better that than a meltdown.
So for this particular tool, 5s might be a lot better than 6s, and for sure using it for less time continuously. I was trimming a lawn more than an acre, with about 50 trees and shrubs to cut around. So today rated right up there with trimming at least 3-4 normal houses.
Using about 9 ah of 6s battery, I worked for about three hours. Perhaps about 2 hrs of run time. I was doing a lot of hard cutting, and ran through lots of string. Reloaded the spool 6 times. I was establishing new, larger diameter boundaries around trees, and defining edges around sidwalks and curbs. So much harder cutting than the normal trim this weeks growth type work. In a way, cutting dirt more than just trimming back grass.
The thing ran nice and fast the whole time, and that was part of the problem. It seemed to be constantly advancing string too soon, due to the high speed. By the end of the morning, I had the thing nice and hot, and it kept tripping the overheat, or over amp, whatever it is in there that cuts it off. But it passed the dogman torture test. I really was trying to smoke the dang thing.
Instead of melting, it just kept tripping the cutoff inside the motor. Most of the morning it was doing it like normal, usually when the automatic string feeder fed out a lot of string. Not too hard to live with except I was feeding string faster than usual. But by the last half hour it was only running about 30 seconds and then tripping. It resets pretty fast, and then another 30 seconds of run time. Better that than a meltdown.
So for this particular tool, 5s might be a lot better than 6s, and for sure using it for less time continuously. I was trimming a lawn more than an acre, with about 50 trees and shrubs to cut around. So today rated right up there with trimming at least 3-4 normal houses.
auraslip
10 MW
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That is actually a really good sign! 9ah in three hours? And two strokes are dirty and a pain to mix the oil with.
Perhaps with a big ass fan blowing on the motor or some sort of speed limiter you could get away with a stock electric trimmer?
This is still my favorite electric lawn tool conversion I've seen, but it requires a fair bit of machine work which I can't do.
Still no place to put the batteries. Where did you put your batteries? Maybe a camelbak filled with ice cubes would be good. I can't imagine doing yardwork with a backpack. too sweaty!
Perhaps with a big ass fan blowing on the motor or some sort of speed limiter you could get away with a stock electric trimmer?
This is still my favorite electric lawn tool conversion I've seen, but it requires a fair bit of machine work which I can't do.
Still no place to put the batteries. Where did you put your batteries? Maybe a camelbak filled with ice cubes would be good. I can't imagine doing yardwork with a backpack. too sweaty!
dogman dan
1 PW
I carried the 15 ah battery in a bike messenger bag, but any purse or fanny pack would work. No particular reason to use more than a 5 ah pack for most yards, I just have my 6s stuff taped together to make it easy to pop in and out of the mower. You could tape a 5 ah pack to the tool easy enough, or make a box from coroplast to snugly carry a single pack.
auraslip
10 MW
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I'm thinking of getting this 18v nicd powered leaf blower for $40.
Do you think it'll last running it at 6s lipo? I hope so because my leaf blower died and I need a replacement stat....
Do you think it'll last running it at 6s lipo? I hope so because my leaf blower died and I need a replacement stat....
auraslip said:
It probably would, but just a fair warning, battery powered blowers are going to be WEAK compared to competitors. I was looking at home depot, and the electric models that started to rival the lower-end gas models in blowing power were around 7 amps of 110 volts AC -- That's something like 500-700 watts of power. A 24 wh nicad battery is probably only putting out 50-70 watts at most and the battery powered models didn't even come with a blowing power rating (Is the rating too low?), so these battery powered models are probably going to be pushing one grass-blade at a time. What I was planning on doing is hooking up batteries directly upto the significantly more powerful AC models which should give me lightness, power and portability all in one shot. And, the best part, electrics are cheap compared to comparably powerful gas equipment and they have comparatively little to none maintenance/reliability issues. (And, as you know, reliability is a requisite for business.)
auraslip
10 MW
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it claims a 10-20 minute run time out of a 18v 1.5a battery pack... sooo 6c-5c would be 160-100 watts.... yeah it's a lot less than a gas or plug in electric, but for just cleaning some grass clippings off a suburban driveway... it should be fine..
i hope..
i hope..
MikeFairbanks
100 kW
I have a black and decker electric lawnmower. Growing up, my dad hated gas mowers, because he had an uncle who had severe burns. Gas freaked him out in sloppy applications (can you ever fill a gas lawnmower without spilling? Not me). Plus, he didn't want to have to store gas. Most my neighbors store it in their basement or garage, and most of us use gas furnaces and water heaters. That seems a bit dangerous to me, so I don't store any gas on the property (except for the cars, they are always parked outside).
Anyway, he liked electric mowers and I learned how to use one.
Now that's what I use. Granted, my entire lot is only a tenth of an acre, but that's what I use. And with proper technique, I can mow without having to adjust the cord position often. I have a hundred-foot cord, and it reaches every part of the yard. I haven't run over the cord yet.
My edger and leaf blower are also electric.
If I bust my butt and do a thorough job, it takes about 90 minutes to do the entire front and back yards, and I don't have to change because my clothing reeks of gasoline.
Anyway, he liked electric mowers and I learned how to use one.
Now that's what I use. Granted, my entire lot is only a tenth of an acre, but that's what I use. And with proper technique, I can mow without having to adjust the cord position often. I have a hundred-foot cord, and it reaches every part of the yard. I haven't run over the cord yet.
My edger and leaf blower are also electric.
If I bust my butt and do a thorough job, it takes about 90 minutes to do the entire front and back yards, and I don't have to change because my clothing reeks of gasoline.
auraslip
10 MW
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Thinking more about trimmers since I have the 6s lipo packs now.
I'd really like the high end B&D trimmer. Of course it's 36v nicd.....so it probably wouldn't do so great at 22v or 44v.
It sure looks well made though. And uses the double line system.
Look how tiny the motor is on the 18v B&D unit. And the little plastic gears too! Yikes that looks cheap.
Seems to me the battery is the only thing that's expensive on the unit. Hopefully I can find used ones sans batteries for $20.
I'd really like the high end B&D trimmer. Of course it's 36v nicd.....so it probably wouldn't do so great at 22v or 44v.
It sure looks well made though. And uses the double line system.
Look how tiny the motor is on the 18v B&D unit. And the little plastic gears too! Yikes that looks cheap.
Seems to me the battery is the only thing that's expensive on the unit. Hopefully I can find used ones sans batteries for $20.
TylerDurden
100 GW
Ryobi had a knockoff of the 120V Stihl corded trimmer.
http://www.stihl.com/isapi/default.asp?contenturl=/katalog/produktgruppe/1502/Electric+brushcutters.html
http://www.classicfarmequipment.com/handheld_stihl.htm (bottom)
They take the typical attachments: blower, pole-saw, etc.
Maybe they can be found... I got a couple at BigLots.
http://skagit.craigslist.org/grd/2429776611.html
http://www.stihl.com/isapi/default.asp?contenturl=/katalog/produktgruppe/1502/Electric+brushcutters.html
http://www.classicfarmequipment.com/handheld_stihl.htm (bottom)
They take the typical attachments: blower, pole-saw, etc.
Maybe they can be found... I got a couple at BigLots.
http://skagit.craigslist.org/grd/2429776611.html
http://www.mowermagic.co.uk/acatalog/RYOBI_RLT-1000EX_100watt_.html
I want one of the 1000 watt models (Stihl or Ryobi, doesn't matter), and then I could plug in my 120 volt lipo batteries and whack away. 1.5 horse power = insane trimming power (Better than gas models).
I want one of the 1000 watt models (Stihl or Ryobi, doesn't matter), and then I could plug in my 120 volt lipo batteries and whack away. 1.5 horse power = insane trimming power (Better than gas models).
My Ryobi 12V cordless uses a very similar-sized/type of motor, by Johnson Controls, which will overheat if used longer than the typical 15-20 minutes that the 7Ah SLA battery will run for. I didn't find that out (when running it off external batteries on a cart) until it melted out the plastic ribs inside the housing, that hold it in place, and it began vibrating during use, causing more heat than before, and eventually also softening the motorshaft's connection point to the spool, making the whole thing off-center just a bit, and making it vibrate even worse, and also rub on the plastic housing sometimes, which increased heat yet again by greatly increasing motor loading.auraslip said:
I have been using other corded ones from freecycle since then, so I can't remember now if I ended up burning out the motor or not. I now have another of it's big brother, corded, the Ryobi 150r I think it is, but I have to find a way to get the spool off the old one to put it on the new one and be able to refill it. I just don't have the strength to undo the rusted-on nut, and I'm afraid to cut it off for fear of destroying the spool around it (it's embedded into it).
My original 150r lasted for years of abuse before I finally damaged the motor windings from overheating.
I expect the replacement (which might be newer than the other one; both came from Goodwill, at different times) will last at least as long, probably longer since now I know what not to do to it.
dogman dan
1 PW
I hadn't seen the 36v B&D. Does look like da kine. At most, I use the 24v ones I have for work for about 2 hrs at a time continuous. Other than the string issue, they seem to be working ok, without melting in 90F weather. We'll see this week, when it's closer to 100. No problems all last summer, but then we only had enough battery to run about 30 min at a whack.
BTW, if you did get a 36v trimmer, it would be pretty simple to add a second wire to the packs you have, allowing running and charging as a 5s pack when you wanted a 36v, 10s pack.
You'd have to be carefull, of course, not to hook up to charge as 6s, when you had only run 5 cells down.
BTW, if you did get a 36v trimmer, it would be pretty simple to add a second wire to the packs you have, allowing running and charging as a 5s pack when you wanted a 36v, 10s pack.
You'd have to be carefull, of course, not to hook up to charge as 6s, when you had only run 5 cells down.
MikeFairbanks
100 kW
Plugging in isn't that bad.
I suppose if you had a huge property, sure.
Growing up we had an acre and did all of it electrically.
I suppose if you had a huge property, sure.
Growing up we had an acre and did all of it electrically.
stanz
100 W
auraslip said:
I'm on my second year using the cheap B&D 18V trimmer, not a single problem. I rotate the batteries which now work better than when they were new.
I saw a cordless Ryobi 140r at 35th Ave & Bell at Savers today for only $15. If anyone in the Phoenix area is interested in it, it'll probably still be there a few days at least. (it's out of my price range) It did not have either it's wall-hanger/charger or a battery (7Ah SLA, based on size/shape of the casing and opening, I'd guess, but I didn't open it to check), but it was otherwise in very good condition, and probably works fine.
Also saw a Homelite electric mower exactly like the one I have here that shook itself apart (actually broke the metal motor casing mounts off the casing!), for $55, which is about a third or so of it's new price. It looked nearly unused, but I would never recommend getting it even at $5, as I think they're dangerously crappily made.
Also saw a Homelite electric mower exactly like the one I have here that shook itself apart (actually broke the metal motor casing mounts off the casing!), for $55, which is about a third or so of it's new price. It looked nearly unused, but I would never recommend getting it even at $5, as I think they're dangerously crappily made.
auraslip said:Thinking more about trimmers since I have the 6s lipo packs now.
I'd really like the high end B&D trimmer. Of course it's 36v nicd.....so it probably wouldn't do so great at 22v or 44v.
It sure looks well made though. And uses the double line system.
I have this. I got it used for $20 locally. Yeah, great deal. The ni-cad battery has enough run time to trim a normal size yard, but I feel it is losing capacity. The battery drains itself just sitting there (out of the trimmer), so I have to put it back on the charger the day before I cut. Oh, the trimmer ROCKS, has TONS of power. B&D were not lying when they say it competes with gas trimmers. It has a sick power-band if you really grab the throttle, sounds awesome too. I've used a little Worx-gt trimmer and that is crap in comparison.
This is the trimmer to get if you want electric cordless. The problem is the battery, I feel. I will prob have to try wiring up my 36v 5ah lipo at some point. But I'm not sure how, because there are 4 contact points on the battery, two male and two female tabs. It may not be hard, maybe it's just that way to parallel the cells at the point of contact. Make sure the trimmer line is at full length, otherwise it's drastically less effective (as with any trimmer).
I've decided to go to a CORDED electric rotary mower, like the B&D mm875 or mm575. The 875 has a lot of good reviews and was best rated in it's category. I can get a mower and extension cord for under $100 used. For a battery mower, it will cost me over $500 for enough battery to cut the lawn I do. Tomorrow I'm looking at a MM575 that doesn't run. I'm hoping it's just a fuse, but it's $10, so not much risk either.
Is there any way to swap a brushless beastly motor into one of these corded mowers? It only needs to maintain 15-20amps at 120volts. Anything more than that would require an odd, huge cord.
But even still, I've used a corded B&D small mower, and it cut awesome, and was SUPER light at 40lbs. Ripped right through that foot tall grass. No worries about batteries.
I think most normal residential lawns should be cut on corded electric power. I don't see why you can't use say 150ft of heavy cord (10 or 12g). I mean, the electricity flows through miles of wires before it hits the house. Why is 100 feet the limit? Perhaps you just go easy when you have that much cord and not draw 15amps, lol.
Is there any way to swap a brushless beastly motor into one of these corded mowers? It only needs to maintain 15-20amps at 120volts. Anything more than that would require an odd, huge cord.
But even still, I've used a corded B&D small mower, and it cut awesome, and was SUPER light at 40lbs. Ripped right through that foot tall grass. No worries about batteries.
I think most normal residential lawns should be cut on corded electric power. I don't see why you can't use say 150ft of heavy cord (10 or 12g). I mean, the electricity flows through miles of wires before it hits the house. Why is 100 feet the limit? Perhaps you just go easy when you have that much cord and not draw 15amps, lol.
If it's a PM motor like the old B&D I blew up a few years ago, also check for a rectifier bridge. That could fail, too. Cheap and easy to fix, if it's bad, but they just used spade quick-connectors on it, and it's not in an area sealed against wet, so they can corrode. Reseating them fixed that problem on mine more than once after mowing really wet grass, and/or after hosing the bottom of the mower out because so much grass stuck in there during mulching that it bound up the blade.veloman said:
THat's one thing the corroding connectors can cause, so if it has any in there, unplug and plug all the connectors in it a couple of times, then retest it, before anything else.
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