I have had my 3Kw Honda generator for a very long time, it kept my business running during the miners strikes and during the great storm of 1987 it ran for weeks, we were the only house in the area with power so we were heating food for babies and some elderly neighbours.

Good on you. ;)
I wonder about running it on bio-ethanol

It will run, but will the corrosion issues listed earlier. :eek:
 
I wonder where all the power is going to come from to charge all the BEV's and drive all the heat pumps that are being promoted?

Heat pumps concern me. When the air isn't warm enough they preheat the air with an electric element. When? When it is cokd and dark in the winter, just when you need it most. If you have am old draughty house like mine it'll never heat it as the heat difference is too marginal. On the upside winters are so warm now I may not need that much heating.
 
the sensors use a small amount of power, there is normally a flashing LED, I had a problem with my van running the battery down over night, so was watching it, the batteries voltage changed very little with the battery disconnected but 0.2 to 0.3 V if left connected over night, I put it down to the alarm, but may be wrong I remember connecting a amp meter and if the van was locked it was drawing more current than unlocked, you where only taking about a small amount but over some months could be a problem
The sensors are only active if the car is super locked, the flashing LED current draw is negligible
 
Heat pumps concern me. When the air isn't warm enough they preheat the air with an electric element. When? When it is cokd and dark in the winter, just when you need it most. If you have am old draughty house like mine it'll never heat it as the heat difference is too marginal. On the upside winters are so warm now I may not need that much heating.
The winters sure ain't warm here, back in negative territory today. I'll stick with wood for heating and cooking in winter:)
 
I was being a bit sarcastic as using car to run house then how do you use car after draining . If no power to house no transport:D We're back to relying on petrol/diesel once again:D
Yes my friend, the idea of running the car off the house is good advertising, but except for very short periods, impractical.
BEV's IMO are another development dead end. I'll believe in battery power when they can produce a ride on mower that will cut all my 2 acres of grass on a single charge that cost the same as the petrol version.
 
Yes my friend, the idea of running the car off the house is good advertising, but except for very short periods, impractical.
BEV's IMO are another development dead end. I'll believe in battery power when they can produce a ride on mower that will cut all my 2 acres of grass on a single charge that cost the same as the petrol version.
My son has been looking at one of these
 
My son has been looking at one of these

My son has been looking at one of these

Weighs 800lbs and costs €6000. If the batteries last as long as those that came with my Ryobi drill, they will fail just after the warranty ends which it says is just one year:rolleyes: The grass it was cutting was bone dry and dead so very light weight, charge down to 30%,(40% after recovery time) on 3/4 of an acre, it would have no hope cutting my 2 acres with the slope
I can buy a 54" petrol ride on for €1500 and a diesel one for about €3500 that will last 20 years or more.
 
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Yes I thought that (dry grass) would not like to try on French grass in April or May,

It doesn't handle the field grass around here either, of the Stihl electric one didn't. Had to do multiple passes taking a few mm off at a time and it only did half the area it said it would (it is on a hill) so it has to be recharged for 4 to 8 hours at the halfway point. Even my eco-mad neighbour went back to her old petrol mower. The petrol equivalent was 1/3 of the price too. Work that out!
 
It doesn't handle the field grass around here either, of the Stihl electric one didn't. Had to do multiple passes taking a few mm off at a time and it only did half the area it said it would (it is on a hill) so it has to be recharged for 4 to 8 hours at the halfway point. Even my eco-mad neighbour went back to her old petrol mower. The petrol equivalent was 1/3 of the price too. Work that out!
We bought an electric (cable) hedge trimmer for the wife to use. Because a petrol one would be too heavy. but it is still too heavy.:rolleyes:
Also, we bought it in France. Bits of the land we can get to with a extension, but the far end of the land is so far away I have to put our genny on a wheelbarrow and use that.
Mad.:(:(:(
RYOBI!
don't swear!:mad:
 
We bought an electric (cable) hedge trimmer for the wife to use. Because a petrol one would be too heavy. but it is still too heavy.:rolleyes:
Also, we bought it in France. Bits of the land we can get to with a extension, but the far end of the land is so far away I have to put our genny on a wheelbarrow and use that.
Mad.:(:(:(
RYOBI!
don't swear!:mad:
I actually pay a small sum for a local to trim the hedge along the road these days as my ancient body suffered too much for me to continue doing it.
I have used the generator to power an electric strimmer but it's too big for the wheelbarrow.
My wife bought me a new Ryobi petrol strimmer, that's crap as well, it will not restart when hot. Apart from the colour of the plastic, it's identical to an unbranded Chinese one that was 30% cheaper but my wife is a slave to brand names.:rolleyes:
 
I actually pay a small sum for a local to trim the hedge along the road these days as my ancient body suffered too much for me to continue doing it.
I have used the generator to power an electric strimmer but it's too big for the wheelbarrow.
My wife bought me a new Ryobi petrol strimmer, that's crap as well, it will not restart when hot. Apart from the colour of the plastic, it's identical to an unbranded Chinese one that was 30% cheaper but my wife is a slave to brand names.:rolleyes:
We have two petrol Ryobi strimmers, the first one we got was 4 stroke, it worked well until it overheated a bit as I followed the instructions re amount of oil to put in. The timing belt stretched and kept jumping. I told em and they did send me a new one free of charge. At the mo it isn't running properly fuelling problem I cannot get to the bottom of, despite rebuilding the carb.
We also bought a two stroke, partly to use when the 4 stroke isn't working partly cos it can work at a different angle and drive a long extension chainsaw to prune our Leylandii hedge. It works fine but the vibrations are far worse and it doesn't have the handlebar mounted handles and controls so you have to hold the central shaft with one hand which makes it worse.
We have fenced off a large part of our land, donkeys etc, long story, but I couldn't be assed to get in there to get rid of the undergrowth that the donkey owner was supposed to cut every year. So this year we employed a guy to do it. He was going to charge us €1000, which seems a lot but there was a huge amount to do. We knew he was going to do it while we were away. Well he did it a few weeks before we arrived and he has done a superb job, and he also went along the fence along the road, both sides and trimmed away, rubbish, brambles etc and he took all the stuff away. Just hope he ain't gonna charge us extra!
Anyway. now he's done it I'll be able to stay on top of it with my three wheeled weedwhacker/mulcher. And hopefully the trimmer.
And yes, my genny only just fits in the barrer, and it is feckin heavy!!
How much land you got? We got 6000 sq mtrs.
 
We have two petrol Ryobi strimmers, the first one we got was 4 stroke, it worked well until it overheated a bit as I followed the instructions re amount of oil to put in. The timing belt stretched and kept jumping. I told em and they did send me a new one free of charge. At the mo it isn't running properly fuelling problem I cannot get to the bottom of, despite rebuilding the carb.
We also bought a two stroke, partly to use when the 4 stroke isn't working partly cos it can work at a different angle and drive a long extension chainsaw to prune our Leylandii hedge. It works fine but the vibrations are far worse and it doesn't have the handlebar mounted handles and controls so you have to hold the central shaft with one hand which makes it worse.
We have fenced off a large part of our land, donkeys etc, long story, but I couldn't be assed to get in there to get rid of the undergrowth that the donkey owner was supposed to cut every year. So this year we employed a guy to do it. He was going to charge us €1000, which seems a lot but there was a huge amount to do. We knew he was going to do it while we were away. Well he did it a few weeks before we arrived and he has done a superb job, and he also went along the fence along the road, both sides and trimmed away, rubbish, brambles etc and he took all the stuff away. Just hope he ain't gonna charge us extra!
Anyway. now he's done it I'll be able to stay on top of it with my three wheeled weedwhacker/mulcher. And hopefully the trimmer.
And yes, my genny only just fits in the barrer, and it is feckin heavy!!
How much land you got? We got 6000 sq mtrs.
Almost a hectare:eek: Mostly enclosed by the river, mill stream and trees. Ah the vibrations, I have had to fit lead weights to the handlebars on the Ryobi strimmer to damp the vibrations a bit or I end up with vibration white finger. I will never buy another Ryobi product.:mad:
The generator is a 3Kw electric start Honda unit on wheels, I can't lift it.
 
We have two petrol Ryobi strimmers, the first one we got was 4 stroke, it worked well until it overheated a bit as I followed the instructions re amount of oil to put in. The timing belt stretched and kept jumping. I told em and they did send me a new one free of charge. At the mo it isn't running properly fuelling problem I cannot get to the bottom of, despite rebuilding the carb.
We also bought a two stroke, partly to use when the 4 stroke isn't working partly cos it can work at a different angle and drive a long extension chainsaw to prune our Leylandii hedge. It works fine but the vibrations are far worse and it doesn't have the handlebar mounted handles and controls so you have to hold the central shaft with one hand which makes it worse.
We have fenced off a large part of our land, donkeys etc, long story, but I couldn't be assed to get in there to get rid of the undergrowth that the donkey owner was supposed to cut every year. So this year we employed a guy to do it. He was going to charge us €1000, which seems a lot but there was a huge amount to do. We knew he was going to do it while we were away. Well he did it a few weeks before we arrived and he has done a superb job, and he also went along the fence along the road, both sides and trimmed away, rubbish, brambles etc and he took all the stuff away. Just hope he ain't gonna charge us extra!
Anyway. now he's done it I'll be able to stay on top of it with my three wheeled weedwhacker/mulcher. And hopefully the trimmer.
And yes, my genny only just fits in the barrer, and it is feckin heavy!!
How much land you got? We got 6000 sq mtrs.
I bought a strimmer/ hedge trimmer off the Bay, it would start but not restart I thought it was a fuel problem but after stripping the exhaust and cleaning the mesh spark arrestor I never had any more problems with it.I gave the seller good feedback which must have supprised him as I think he thought he was offloading a lemon.;):D
 
I bought a strimmer/ hedge trimmer off the Bay, it would start but not restart I thought it was a fuel problem but after stripping the exhaust and cleaning the mesh spark arrestor I never had any more problems with it.I gave the seller good feedback which must have supprised him as I think he thought he was offloading a lemon.;):D

Do Hasquevarna do strimmers and such? Thought they'd be a better bet in Spain.

I tend to use Stihl. Lasts for years with no issues. Honda had decent mowers before they changed the gearboxes to plastic. Engines are still excellent, just a pity about the gearboxes.
 

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