Battery Power for Lawn equipment -- is it time?

I forgot to add that I also have the corded Oregon CS1500. Works great for my needs. However, if I was on a heavily wooded lot, or owned land in the woods, I would most certainly go with a hefty gas powered model, as you did.

Anyway, my point is that electric chainsaws work perfectly fine for the average homeowner.

 

The heavy is in relation to the battery pack it comes with it. Most battery operated chainsaws I checked use 40-80v single pack. And total weight with battery is less than equivalent power gas engine models with fuel. But, yeah, if they can make powerful enough battery chainsaw as today's 80cc and above gas engine model chainsaw, they may have to have more than a single pack of battery, that would make it heavy. Or, maybe they can make it with external battery pack with a cord, like other battery powered yard equipment.

 

Agreed. Of course, I suspect most average homeowner probably can do without any chainsaw. If you have no three to cut... or only small shrubs, a hand saw will serve fine.

 

Battery power supplies do exist. With a larger property, I'd look into getting one that would fit into an old backpack, and making a 3 foot extension cord. Doesn't help the power issue, as corded outdoor tools are limited by the 15a 120V outlet.

 

A 12 gauge extension cord can handle a 20 amp draw. Why in the world contractors don't put more of these bad boys in is a mystery.



That will give you an extra 20% 25% greater power capability
.

 

The answer is cost, 20 amp requires a larger wire gauge which will result in a little extra cost - but well worth it in a garage.

In most cases a 15 amp circuit breaker and a 20 amp circuit breaker cost close to the same amount and so in most cases would the associated outlets

 

Is the outlet pictured in post #925 upside down? Just curious.

 

Welp, now you've stirred it up ....

"nema 5" upside down - Google Search

Often, if you look at the factory printing on the receptacle, you'll find it oriented as if the picture above is right-side-up. But everybody's pretty much used to seeing them the other way.

 

I'm like a bad rash:

Charger plug doesn’t fit under outdoor weatherproof cover | PriusChat

 

I'm not an electrician, and I don't play one on TV, but most (probably NO) 12AWG extension cords are rated for 20 ampres.

Blame lawyers, because the copper doesn't really care about people's 'feels.'
The actual, real-world, lawyer-free ampacity for 12AWG wire is MORE than 25 ampres, but it's probably illegal to point that out in print without a paragraph of "you're gonna DIE HORRIBLY, SCREAMING IN AGONY" disclaimers.

A 10-gauge wire is 26% larger than a 12-gauge wire in cross-sectional area according to the googles, and the resistance delta is something like 0.6 ohms in the first thousand feet. (solid, room temp, and DC for the budding EEs - and yes.....60 Hertz is close enough to DC)
SO...
Most of the additional costs for that fancy schmancy NEMA-5 stuff isn't for the copper.
You know....the part that actually conducts the electricity!
To be fair - the sheathing is pretty important too, which is where the additional money is probably spent, along with 8 figures of liability insurance

If you need a 120v 20-ampre motor for a piece of lawn equipment then you might want to consider an ICE alternative.
-just sayin

 

Strictly speaking, it's not the copper that has an ampacity, but the wire: the copper, the insulation around it (which has a certain temperature rating and a certain ability to conduct away heat), used in a particular setting (surrounding temperature and ability of surroundings to carry heat away). That's why ampacities given in the NEC are different for wires with different insulation types, and different for run in free air vs. in conduit with other wires, and so on. (If you have an old house with knob-and-tube wiring, blowing insulation into the walls is a no-no, because those wires were rated for free air.)

Observing the wire ampacity will make sure the wires don't get too hot for their own insulation—assuming the cord is used in the right conditions (not still coiled up, not running under carpet, etc.).

A separate issue is how much lower the voltage will be at the far end of the cord. That also needs attention, and that depends on the amps, the gauge, and also the length, so a gauge that's adequate for so many amps in a ten-foot cord will be too skinny in a fifty-foot cord.

Extension Cord Size Chart - Understanding Wire Gauge and Amps - PTR

 

That's why I don't play an electrician on TV.
The point about the wire/cable/cord is an excellent one.

The NEC is rather like State Troopers - even down to the revenue generation.

HOWEVER (comma!!!)
Since I'm older than 2020, I understand what happens to the interstate system when state troopers stay locked in their barracks.

 

i've finally worn mrs b down to the point where she calls contractors rather than asking me

 

You answered your own question. You (theoretically) paid for quality.

A rake that doesn't break, leave splinters or chemicals in your skin, and actually de-thatches the grass without overly fouling or clogging itself, has good strength and balance, doesn't hurt too bad after you accidentally step on the business end of it... there are many ways to rate quality in rakes, but like all tools the good stuff tends to be worth it.

 

I also use a corded dethatcher and it works well (as does my corded garden tiller). I also have a core aerator (a rollerator for about $300) which gives me quite a workout. It weighs about 50 lbs. and it takes me a few days to aerate my 6000 sq ft lawn. I do get positive comments on my lawn each spring.

JeffD