Baymule
Herd Master
Wyandottes are scruffy looking as youngsters. I bought chicks one time and was thinking I got stuck with mixed breed who knows what. LOL It's no wonder they are hard to tell gender until they get older.
Bruce's Journal
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Bruce
Herd Master
Assuming they weren't sexed as all pullets, sounds like you did well!
My SLW and GLW filled in, no longer behind the other 4. Their colored lines are getting wider. I don't know when they moult into their laced feathers.
Senile_Texas_Aggie
Herd Master
Mr. @Bruce, sir!
I saw the YouTube video below and immediately thought of you. I have considered getting an all electric car or a hybrid car, but several things have held me back:
+ I hate to spend the money. Since I am retired and don't have a big nest egg, I have to be careful with what I buy. But owning my F350 diesel is not cheap. For example, I just had to replace my 2 front tires after only 15,000 miles - $372. And my wife hates the truck -- at least to drive, because it is so large. So buying a hybrid or an all-electric car may pay for itself in only a few years.
+ The impracticality of driving an all-electric vehicle on long trips. The round-trip distance to visit family in northeast Texas is around 360 miles, plus whatever driving we do there when visiting. An all-electric car would need to be recharged prior to getting. As far as I know, there are no recharging stations in northeast Texas. I know it is a chicken-and-egg problem which will solved eventually, but for now an all-electric car is impractical for us.
+ I figured (mistakenly it turns out) that if I drove an all-electric car that I would not be helping the environment, as all I was doing was moving the pollution / carbon emission from the vehicle to the electric power station (assuming the power station ran on fossil fuels).
The last assumption proved to be wrong, at least according to the YouTube video below:
Back to my dilemma, though: has your experience with hybrid vehicles been good? (I assume it has or you would not have bought several.) How about your all-electric Nissan? What is the longest trip have you taken in it?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Senile Texas Aggie
I saw the YouTube video below and immediately thought of you. I have considered getting an all electric car or a hybrid car, but several things have held me back:
+ I hate to spend the money. Since I am retired and don't have a big nest egg, I have to be careful with what I buy. But owning my F350 diesel is not cheap. For example, I just had to replace my 2 front tires after only 15,000 miles - $372. And my wife hates the truck -- at least to drive, because it is so large. So buying a hybrid or an all-electric car may pay for itself in only a few years.
+ The impracticality of driving an all-electric vehicle on long trips. The round-trip distance to visit family in northeast Texas is around 360 miles, plus whatever driving we do there when visiting. An all-electric car would need to be recharged prior to getting. As far as I know, there are no recharging stations in northeast Texas. I know it is a chicken-and-egg problem which will solved eventually, but for now an all-electric car is impractical for us.
+ I figured (mistakenly it turns out) that if I drove an all-electric car that I would not be helping the environment, as all I was doing was moving the pollution / carbon emission from the vehicle to the electric power station (assuming the power station ran on fossil fuels).
The last assumption proved to be wrong, at least according to the YouTube video below:
Back to my dilemma, though: has your experience with hybrid vehicles been good? (I assume it has or you would not have bought several.) How about your all-electric Nissan? What is the longest trip have you taken in it?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Senile Texas Aggie
- Thread starter
- #3,604
Bruce
Herd Master
DW drives the Leaf to work 5 days a week, 70 miles round trip. No problems in the year we have had it. We got the one with the bigger battery, something like 215 miles range per EPA. It is higher in the summer, noticeably lower in the winter. We've not attempted to take it on longer trips hoping to find charging stations on the way. They do exist but not between here and Maine via the most direct northern, back roads route for example.
NEVER had even one problem with the Priuses (Prii, whatever) that you wouldn't have with a normal ICE car like tires, brake pads and bearings. DW has nearly 250K on her 2006, averaged 45 MPG in the winter, 50+ in the summer.
I wouldn't have replaced my 2004 in 2012 if it hadn't been hit and totalled. I had several full tanks in the summertime at 60 MPG, lots of 40-50 MPH roads for those tanks.
I wouldn't have replaced the 2009 in 2019 if it hadn't been hit and totalled.
I have 21K on the 2018 Prime, average is a whopping 140 MPG. It would be much higher if I didn't have trips to New Brunswick/PEI, and the twice yearly 425 mile round trips to the optometrist in Mass. Even pure gas (ie no initial 6.6 kWh precharge) I got close to 80 MPG between the rest area on I 91 in NH and home, mostly 50 MPH roads with slow downs and stops in small towns. In the summer I can get close to 40 miles on electric on non Interstate roads, about 20 MPG in the winter. Of course winter here isn't winter where you are
The only thing I don't like about the Prime is it is fairly low, lower than the 2 previous generations. DW, with her RA, has a harder time getting into it and wouldn't have wanted one for herself. The Leaf is higher.
Look into what incentives there may be in your state if any. There are many companies making plug in hybrids, here is a table of those and pure EVs.
Tax credit table
The Prime, with Toyota rebates, cost little more than a Camry hybrid and after the tax credit, cost less. There is a problem with the tax credit which the govt needs to fix if they want more people to move into vehicles that use less gas/diesel. The credit has to be used in the year you buy the vehicle. If it is eligible for a $2,500 credit and you don't have that high a tax burden that year, you lose the difference. If they made it like solar/wind credits you could claim credit in future years until you meet the max for that vehicle.
Baymule
Herd Master
Our daughter is on her second Chevrolet Volt. When they lived here, she worked in Tyler, 50 mile round trip daily. She spent $20-$40 a month on gas. Now her husband drives the Volt, she hauls kids in a mini van.
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Bruce
Herd Master
Depending on his commute, he may not buy gas but every few months
Unfortunately Chevy stopped making the Volt in 2019. Don't know why. They must have sold plenty of them since the tax credit for Chevy EVs no longer exists. It disappears when a company sells a certain number of plugins/EVs. Thus we didn't even look at the Bolt when we bought the Leaf, that lack of tax credit made it $7,500 more expensive. And we didn't look at the Teslas for the same reason (that and with a credit even the Model 3 would still be WAY more expensive). Of course if we hadn't sold the other house we wouldn't have gotten much of that $7,500. And if we hadn't sold the house, we wouldn't have been able to buy an EV so the credit wouldn't matter anyway
Unfortunately Chevy stopped making the Volt in 2019. Don't know why. They must have sold plenty of them since the tax credit for Chevy EVs no longer exists. It disappears when a company sells a certain number of plugins/EVs. Thus we didn't even look at the Bolt when we bought the Leaf, that lack of tax credit made it $7,500 more expensive. And we didn't look at the Teslas for the same reason (that and with a credit even the Model 3 would still be WAY more expensive). Of course if we hadn't sold the other house we wouldn't have gotten much of that $7,500. And if we hadn't sold the house, we wouldn't have been able to buy an EV so the credit wouldn't matter anyway
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@Senile_Texas_Aggie why did you have to replace the tires on the truck at only 15,000 miles.... okay, I get that they were worn or something... but that is not acceptable... there must be something out of alignment... we regularly get over 50,000 mile out of a set of tires on any of the 4wd trucks and they are all F-250's and 350's... and we work our trucks with the trailers and hauling and everything. Most will go 60-80,000. Yes we run our tires down too... because at over $200 a tire for the heavier 6 and 8 plys we run for the weight we haul....but you definitely have something going on that is not right.
Honestly, I would think that you could easily get by with an F-250 for 99% of the jobs you do, and get a car to boot.... and I would not go new, I would find a good used one if possible. You don't do the heavy farming that we do... you don't use and abuse a vehicle like we do.
We had to take the one truck in to get the alignment done as it was "eating tires" and it cost like $150-250 for the truck alignment... has to be done at certain places that are able to handle the 4xd and linger wheel base.... but it dot it straightened out. Maybe something you need to have them look at.
Sorry @Bruce ... wasn't trying to hijack the thread. Interesting about the hybrid vehicles....I am not against them... but I don't want the transfer of one type of emission to get transferred as STA said... and the unavailability of a charging station.... I think they are a good idea IF there is not just a trade off of the emission stuff... and there is a way to justify the increased cost of the vehicle... the rebates are great... but that is like someone paying you to drive their car or use their product... and is it a fair deal? Obviously for you it has worked out... and for many it probably does... and I am concerned about all the waste after things like the solar panels get worn out... just like the windmill rotor blades and such....
I was just thinking today I was going to ask how your pond has done this year. Since you finished that big project, your thread has been pretty quiet....
How has the snaking out of the trees been going with your winch set up?
Honestly, I would think that you could easily get by with an F-250 for 99% of the jobs you do, and get a car to boot.... and I would not go new, I would find a good used one if possible. You don't do the heavy farming that we do... you don't use and abuse a vehicle like we do.
We had to take the one truck in to get the alignment done as it was "eating tires" and it cost like $150-250 for the truck alignment... has to be done at certain places that are able to handle the 4xd and linger wheel base.... but it dot it straightened out. Maybe something you need to have them look at.
Sorry @Bruce ... wasn't trying to hijack the thread. Interesting about the hybrid vehicles....I am not against them... but I don't want the transfer of one type of emission to get transferred as STA said... and the unavailability of a charging station.... I think they are a good idea IF there is not just a trade off of the emission stuff... and there is a way to justify the increased cost of the vehicle... the rebates are great... but that is like someone paying you to drive their car or use their product... and is it a fair deal? Obviously for you it has worked out... and for many it probably does... and I am concerned about all the waste after things like the solar panels get worn out... just like the windmill rotor blades and such....
I was just thinking today I was going to ask how your pond has done this year. Since you finished that big project, your thread has been pretty quiet....
How has the snaking out of the trees been going with your winch set up?
Senile_Texas_Aggie
Herd Master
Miss @farmerjan,
Thank you for your comments. I have a couple of more questions for you, but rather than clutter up Mr. @Bruce's journal, I will take them to my journal.
Mr. @Bruce,
Thank you for your response. It sounds like owning a hybrid or EV is quite economical once the initial purchase price is overcome, and it sounds like some of them are as cheap as gasoline powered cars.
But I like the questions Miss @farmerjan asked you about your pond and your winch. Inquiring minds want to know!
Senile Texas Aggie
Thank you for your comments. I have a couple of more questions for you, but rather than clutter up Mr. @Bruce's journal, I will take them to my journal.
Mr. @Bruce,
Thank you for your response. It sounds like owning a hybrid or EV is quite economical once the initial purchase price is overcome, and it sounds like some of them are as cheap as gasoline powered cars.
But I like the questions Miss @farmerjan asked you about your pond and your winch. Inquiring minds want to know!
Senile Texas Aggie
- Thread starter
- #3,609
Bruce
Herd Master
A full hybrid (ie, not plug in) uses only gas, the battery is mainly charged by regenerative braking. Having the battery and electric motor allows a smaller more fuel efficient gas engine. Barring coal probably, electricity generated in a big pollution controlled plant produces less pollution that most individual gas or diesel vehicles. And let us not forget all the pollution generated when drilling for oil, moving the oil, processing it into fuel, moving it again to regional stations and trucking it to the gas stations. Somehow those "costs" are never talked about. Electricity, once produced, moves pollution free. I think we all agree there is no free lunch
The pond is holding firm, we've managed to get enough rain for it to not go dry, at least not yet. I'd say it is about half full. The alpacas go wading in it sometimes. Plenty of frogs and tiny fish. I assume there are larger fish since the tiny ones don't just fall out of the sky.
Haven't used the winch since the first time, other tasks get in the way. For instance, Al dropped off 3 cords of wood a week ago. I've got one run put in the porch and 1 1/3 in racks. But it keeps raining enough that I don't want to move any onto the porch (room for another cord) while it is wet. And by the time it dries out it is too hot to do anything! Supposed to have more reasonable temps starting Saturday so even if it rains overnight Friday as Mr NOAA expects, I can move some Sat afternoon. Hopefully I can get back out to the woods when it cools down. Nee to cut wood this fall for winter 2022-2023.
I mowed the fields yesterday and today. Takes over an hour per acre with all the rocks and trees I have to go around.
The pond is holding firm, we've managed to get enough rain for it to not go dry, at least not yet. I'd say it is about half full. The alpacas go wading in it sometimes. Plenty of frogs and tiny fish. I assume there are larger fish since the tiny ones don't just fall out of the sky.
Haven't used the winch since the first time, other tasks get in the way. For instance, Al dropped off 3 cords of wood a week ago. I've got one run put in the porch and 1 1/3 in racks. But it keeps raining enough that I don't want to move any onto the porch (room for another cord) while it is wet. And by the time it dries out it is too hot to do anything! Supposed to have more reasonable temps starting Saturday so even if it rains overnight Friday as Mr NOAA expects, I can move some Sat afternoon. Hopefully I can get back out to the woods when it cools down. Nee to cut wood this fall for winter 2022-2023.
I mowed the fields yesterday and today. Takes over an hour per acre with all the rocks and trees I have to go around.
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- #3,610
Bruce
Herd Master
Good video STA. They ALMOST used DW's Leaf (same color), we have the 66 kWh battery for more range. Still far more environmentally friendly than any gas car given we generate more kWhs per year than we use so while we may not be using OUR clean electrons to power the car, someone is using them probably during peak times.
And while it is small per car therefore not included in the video, how many thousands (tens? hundreds) of gallons of motor oil are replaced in ICE vehicles annually.
I notice from his map that in no state is a pure ICE car the better choice, even in dirty coal WV.
The paper today said our electric company is getting 2 electric trucks next year. A bucket truck and a stake body truck. The former has a range of 130 miles, the latter 200 miles.
A note regarding having a single vehicle and it being an EV. That can work if you rarely take daily trips beyond the range of the vehicle. In that case you can rent an ICE vehicle for the rare vacations or whatever. If, on the other hand, you often go long distances, a hybrid or plug in hybrid is a better bet. When it comes time to replace a vehicle do some research. When I got my 2004 Prius it was only 1 of 2 hybrid options, the other being the Honda Civic (which has an inferior hybrid system
). Now there are many, many hybrid and plug in hybrid models from many manufacturers. The number of EV models is still relatively small but growing pretty quickly.And ANOTHER note
I'm getting a 2 in receiver hitch for the Leaf, it can tow 1,500 pounds. I will be able to use it to pick up things like fencing at TSC, renting their trailer.
