What's bugging you? (2024 edition)

[NeedMoreFans]

I probably posted this last June, but it hasn't changed, hence it's bugging me.  I'm a bus commuter.  Wednesday is Juneteenth Day, which is now a federal and City of Madison holiday, but it is not a state holiday.  Since it's a city holiday, the bus system is running a holiday schedule, which results in much less service.  The two bus routes I can take to work will not take me to campus; I will have to stop and change buses, and buses don't run as frequently.

I don't understand why they are reducing service on a holiday where a vast majority of people still go to work.  Perhaps it's because they don't want to pay holiday pay for the drivers, or more positively, perhaps they want their employees to celebrate and reflect on the holiday.  I know it's only one day and I'll survive, but it will cause far greater issues for some people than it will for me. 

[LouisEly]

Debate electric vehicles, but two things that should be required to be electric are lawnmowers and leaf blowers.

[LouisEly]

"Fireworks" that are basically just air bombs with no visual effects.  What's the point? Just to p*** people off?  99.999% of people hate them.

[pitchleague]

13 hours ago, LouisEly said:

"Fireworks" that are basically just air bombs with no visual effects.  What's the point? Just to p*** people off?  99.999% of people hate them.

To allow us to reminisce about "the bombs bursting in air"????  Just a guess.

[homer]

15 hours ago, LouisEly said:

"Fireworks" that are basically just air bombs with no visual effects.  What's the point? Just to p*** people off?  99.999% of people hate them.

Also, 99% of them are made in China. USA! USA!

Joking aside, I don't have any issues with civic fireworks displays. It's the dudes setting them off all summer from their driveways that tick me off. Your loud fire boom doesn't make you any manlier, dude.

[hawing]

On 7/4/2024 at 10:25 PM, LouisEly said:

"Fireworks" that are basically just air bombs with no visual effects.  What's the point? Just to p*** people off?  99.999% of people hate them.

We call those duds, and we hate them. 

[CheezWizHed]

On 6/25/2024 at 6:37 PM, LouisEly said:

Debate electric vehicles, but two things that should be required to be electric are lawnmowers and leaf blowers.

As a new employee at Toro, I support this message! 😉

[CheezWizHed]

On 7/4/2024 at 10:25 PM, LouisEly said:

"Fireworks" that are basically just air bombs with no visual effects.  What's the point? Just to p*** people off?  99.999% of people hate them.

If they are combined with other visual fireworks at the grand finale, it adds a bit to building the moment, but  even then, I can pass on them.

As a single firework, I hate them.  You see it go up and anticipate something beautiful, but then it just startles you with the noise.  

As I've gotten older, if you could make a noiseless firework, I'd be all for that and cut down the noise pollution.  Fireworks are 3000 years old... you'd think they could make noiseless varieties by now. 😉

[LouisEly]

2 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

As I've gotten older, if you could make a noiseless firework, I'd be all for that and cut down the noise pollution.  Fireworks are 3000 years old... you'd think they could make noiseless varieties by now. 

Already have a (partial) solution to that - drone shows.  A number of big cities worldwide have adopted them.  Denver replaced their annual July 3rd fireworks show with a drone show.  It's only a matter of time before all big cities adopt a drone show for noise, injury liability, and fire hazard reasons.

I assume you are referring to consumer fireworks mostly, though.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

4 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

As a new employee at Toro, I support this message! 😉

I'll buy electric when the batteries are a lifetime warranty.

[LouisEly]

33 minutes ago, BrewersSuperCollector said:

I'll buy electric when the batteries are a lifetime warranty.

Because gas and oil don't cost anything over the lifetime of a gas mower...

[BrewersSuperCollector]

54 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

Because gas and oil don't cost anything over the lifetime of a gas mower...

Really, not much at all for a .39 acre yard. Maybe 4 gallons of fuel, and a splash of oil. The same quart of oil lasts like 10 years. No need to change the oil anymore (just add when needed). Had my Toro mower for 19 years... and hopefully longer. 

 

The Black and Decker battery hedge trimmer is a must. The battery keeps from cutting a cord.

[Samurai Bucky]

2 hours ago, BrewersSuperCollector said:

Really, not much at all for a .39 acre yard. Maybe 4 gallons of fuel, and a splash of oil. The same quart of oil lasts like 10 years. No need to change the oil anymore (just add when needed). Had my Toro mower for 19 years... and hopefully longer. 

 

The Black and Decker battery hedge trimmer is a must. The battery keeps from cutting a cord.

Maybe I can trade in my Black and Decker corded hedge trimmer.  It did take one extension cord to its grave years ago.   Sigh...

[CheezWizHed]

19 hours ago, LouisEly said:

Already have a (partial) solution to that - drone shows.  A number of big cities worldwide have adopted them.  Denver replaced their annual July 3rd fireworks show with a drone show.  It's only a matter of time before all big cities adopt a drone show for noise, injury liability, and fire hazard reasons.

I assume you are referring to consumer fireworks mostly, though.

Could be both... I don't consider a drone show the same as a firework show.  

[nate82]

3 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

Could be both... I don't consider a drone show the same as a firework show.  

Shoot fireworks at the drones?

[NeedMoreFans]

2 hours ago, nate82 said:

Shoot fireworks at the drones?

Or from the drones. 

[nate82]

10 minutes ago, NeedMoreFans said:

Or from the drones. 

[Fear The Chorizo]

On 7/8/2024 at 6:49 PM, LouisEly said:

Because gas and oil don't cost anything over the lifetime of a gas mower...

define lifetime of a gas mower....if people actually change the oil annually, most mower small engines will be still running just fine long after the rest of the mower falls apart.  Batteries in lawn mowers have an average lifespan of 3-4 years and depending on the size of a yard they wind up requiring multiple charge cycles to get fully clipped.  

Although, retrofitting all those Cybertrucks with a set of mower blades does sound like a pretty solid idea for those large/expansive grassy lots (and some hay/wheat fields)...

I will say that the noise reduction from having a 100% EV fleet of yard equipment would be a welcome change and make the world a better place.

[CheezWizHed]

On 7/10/2024 at 12:35 PM, Fear The Chorizo said:

I will say that the noise reduction from having a 100% EV fleet of yard equipment would be a welcome change and make the world a better place.

When I started at Toro, I did wonder how effective it would be to manage a golf course with electric mowers, but then I went out to Mission Hills in Palm Springs.  The maintenance crew gets mowing at 5AM on courses lined with houses.  We had several electric mowers (60"+ mowers) that were running with 1/4 of the noise of that one guy with a gas trimmer. 

And then it made sense. 

We also make a lot of equipment for indoor construction, where you can't use gas or diesel engines for the fumes. 

[LouisEly]

On 7/10/2024 at 12:35 PM, Fear The Chorizo said:

depending on the size of a yard they wind up requiring multiple charge cycles to get fully clipped. 

Buy a second battery.

In exchange for the noise reduction, you might be able to talk your next-door neighbor into buying the second battery for you.

[CheezWizHed]

Battery technology is improving also.  I bought an electric trimmer years ago that would only do 10-15 min trimming (not enough). Just got a new one last year that does 30-40 min of trimming (just right). 

Newer mowers are being scoped by time of mowing so you can get the right size.  Toro has a zero-turn that will do 3-4 hours of mowing.  The one I posted a picture of will do around 8 hours (i.e. a full day's work). 

[nate82]

But if we get rid of gas mowers how will I know when Dad is angry in the morning and I should be up and not sleeping?

[homer]

I can't imagine going back to a gas mower. The smell alone is enough to dissuade me.

[nate82]

Watched MLB network today and they need to stop with this dumb saying of aircraft carriers. 

[BrewerFan]

On 7/12/2024 at 7:10 AM, CheezWizHed said:

Battery technology is improving also.  I bought an electric trimmer years ago that would only do 10-15 min trimming (not enough). Just got a new one last year that does 30-40 min of trimming (just right). 

Newer mowers are being scoped by time of mowing so you can get the right size.  Toro has a zero-turn that will do 3-4 hours of mowing.  The one I posted a picture of will do around 8 hours (i.e. a full day's work). 

I just bought a Dewalt 60V 20" Chainsaw and...man those things are nice. I was expecting to have a little trouble with some of the bigger stuff. Had a Black Walnut fall(it's back near a river)...and I was able to cut it up into 6-foot sections mostly on one battery. And it seems like it's roughly equal to the Stihl I had that had 55CCs. I was just trying it out, but...it's definitely part of my set now. 

 

My Lawnmower and the trimmer I've got are still running well, so probably be a while before I think about switching it up there...though I was kinda curious why the John Deere that I bought was selling for about half of what it was when I bought it...~10 years ago. I'm guessing the electric have pushed the gas down. I only mow for 2 hours at a time anyway, so 3-4 hours would be plenty.