Electric

July 15, 2023

I mentioned I had pruned the limbs hanging over our house and on the cars in the driveway last month.  This is an annual event that just keeps me ahead of the side limbs but does little to attack the height of both trees.  The Japanese Maple (Acer japonicum) is defined as “a small deciduous tree growing 16 to 32 feet (5 to 10 m).  Ours is getting close and since it is over the roof, I do not want it to fall in the wind.  The Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) has also survived the winds but is getting near its maximum height (16 to 26 ft or 5 to 8 m) at around 25 feet.  What I really need is a chainsaw to trim the tops and let them start over.  I have never liked the mess and bother of owning a chainsaw, especially when I have so few trees to take care of.  I have been seeing quite a few ads for electric power tools on TV and began to wonder if that might not be an easier and more ecological way to get the work done.  Luckily the two-day online sale included electric power tools.

When I went online, I found a power tool is a tool activated by an additional power source other than the manual labor used with hand tools.  The most common types of power tools use electric motors, but internal combustion engines and compressed air are also common.  Power tools are used in industry, construction, the garden, and around the home and are classified as stationary or portable.  Portable power tools are hand-held and have the advantage of mobility while stationary power tools have the advantage in speed and precision.  Early in the Industrial revolution factories had rows of power tools driven by belts from overhead shafts that first used a water wheel and later a steam engine.  The electric motor was introduced in the 1880’s and made the stationary and portable tools of today possible.  In 2022, the global market for power tools was estimated to be US$32.2 billion and is expected to grow to US$42.7 billion by 2030.

I was excited when Melissa told me we had received a delivery of a large package this morning.  I brought the large box inside and was pleased to feel the light weight.  I opened the box to find a slightly smaller box with writing identifying the contents as the dual electric weed eater and leaf blower.  I own two electric leaf blowers already, but they are corded and cumbersome.  I own three gas powered weed eaters but again I was trying to reduce my carbon impact.  Both tools needed to be assembled but that was an easy task.  I popped the battery into both the electric tools to make sure they worked.  Zena and Loki were afraid of the package when I brought it in, and even more so when I tested the tools indoors.  I was ready to tackle the yard and started weed eating along the maple bed.  I was 10 minutes into the job when the motor started to cut out and die.  I took the battery inside and plugged it into the charger.  It did not surprise me that there was not a full charge by the time it got to me from the factory.  I mowed the lawn to kill time until the battery had a full charge.  Hopefully it will last longer this time.

Thoughts:  I became accustomed to using a chainsaw when I worked at the camp.  The wooded areas and shade trees on the grounds were in constant need.  I did have the advantage of a full time caretaker who kept the saw in repair and sharpened the chains.  They even showed me how it was done so I was confident with the chains, but engines have never been my forte.  Electric power tools tend to be easier to maintain and have lower costs than combustion tools.  The big expense comes when you need to replace the batteries.  While I may be trying to reduce my personal carbon footprint, the US has the highest per capita carbon footprint in the world.  Transportation and household energy use make up the largest component of an individual’s carbon footprint with approximately 40 percent of total emissions in the first decade of the 21st century.  Electric power tools may be a small step, but it is a step (and an attitude).  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.