Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Interested to see how well this will work. I wonder what battery replacement costs will be?

http://www.wisesales.com/ariens_916003.html

Product Name AMP 24 Stage Type Two Stage Powered By 48V Brushless DC Motor Starting System Key On, PTO On Clearing Width 24" (61 cm) Housing Height 20" (50.8 cm) Throwing Distance 3' - 40' Chute Turning Radius 205º Chute Rotation 2.5x Ice Drill Chute Construction Steel Deflector Control Remote Tire Size 13" x 4" (33 x 10.2 cm) Axle System Pin Lock Batteries 48V / 30A-Hr Drive Type Disc-o-matic Speeds 6 FWD, 2 REV Gear Case Aluminum Impeller Profile Steel 3-Blade Impeller Diameter 12" (30.5 cm) Auger Diameter 11" (27.9 cm) Auger Type Steel Serrated Skid Shoes Reversible Energized by two 48-Volt AGM Valve Regulated battery packs that last up to 200 charges. Unplug charger, turn key and you are ready to start throwing snow. Specially designed steel chute discharges snow accurately up to 40 feet. User-friendly controls for simple and convenient maneuverability. Largest in-class freeze-resistant 12-inch 3-blade high speed impeller ensures superior performance. Features a battery level indicator that gives the operator an early warning by flashing approximately 10 minutes before battery is discharged.

Quick charge kit is $419 dollars

48 volts X 24 amps = 1152 watts     

1 horsepower = 746 watts

1152 watts / 746 watts = about 1 1/2 hp....

I don't think I want one...

Friiy

friiy wrote:

Where did you get 24 amps from? The "24" in the product name indicates the housing width.

It can pull more amperage than 24A. The motor is 4hp.

Batteries are $149.95 each list price (2 per machine). The unit must be plugged in (trickle charged) when the unit is not in use.

PK

Your right, the name is misleading in the ad.. It being sold as 4 hp..... The motor cost $519, a quick charge kit is $419 ( so you don't have to charge it overnight), The drive controller for the motor is $437 dollars...and the price is about $200 for batteries I hope anyone that buys one of these units doesn't think it's repair free, any one of these parts is the cost of a good gas engine (more than 4 hp). I suspect that the batteries will only last 2 years with all the storage time on them.. Well as always, good luck to all that buy one. Friiy

I wonder what application that unit has?

O

$1500 dollars for a 24" wide snowblower?

Going green or going for your green?

Behind evey wall outlet is a power plant  somewhere... Coal, nuke, hyro-dam or whatever..

-Friiy

No fuel to stabilize,no winterizing,no need to understand anything about chokes,governors,carburetor floats,no oil changes, no hot mufflers to concern yourself with when young kids are around and no noise. If I was a young married living in a town house with a young family and wasn't emotionally involved with snow machines I would at least be curious. Not to mention the growing # of seniors who are  snow blower enthusiasts but are  no longer able to maintain their own machines. 

I wonder if the electrics take advantage of a drive system like that in a hydrostatic trans or are they the traditional disk drive?

For an urban dweller this might just be the ticket!!  

I'm not buying one but it's not aimed at me!!!

The market will decide.

Marc

PS-I prefer 24" machines  because they will fit between two cars in the usual suburban garage. I can also get a ratio of 4hp. per foot of bucket width which is more or less considered ideal without having to go to a "big block" engine. My objection to the larger displacement units is that they can be a bear to pull start for those of limited strength ( read that as the wife!).

Marc 

New video of unit by Snowblowersdirect:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOa5dHfFXbA

In use video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foc7nblz4_o

Battery powered devices carry their own brand of environmental impact and in my view are disappointingly wasteful. 

Right now, I have a box in my basement with four perfectly working cordless drills that are virtually useless because the eight batteries that came with them cannot take a charge.   Replacement batteries cost as much or more than a new drill, batteries and charger.   Each drill came with two NiCad batteries which would last maybe two years if I was lucky.    

This method of manufacturing a product that requires batteries that are prohibitively expensive really rubs me the wrong way.   I don't see anything green about a product that is rendered useless because the power source that drives them costs nearly as much as a complete new item.   It irks me to no end to discard perfectly working devices. 

Almost every gasoline/diesel powered device I own or have owned is still working after decades of use.   But there, in the basement is a box full of battery powered devices, each only a couple years old and capable of years more service that will end up being recycled or trashed because batteries are either no longer available or too expensive.  

There's NO WAY I'll be buying any large battery powered OPE or anything else battery powered for that matter, until manufacturers produce a battery that will work for ten years and be reasonably priced when needed to be be replaced.