New Tractor Company as if we didn't have enough

[4570Man]

In a decade compact diesel tractors will likely no longer be made. Electrics will take over the under 70 HP market. Not as sure with the really big ag tractors but people not too far in the future will laugh at us with our five gallon can hoisting and much of the other things we do all the time to keep these machines running. You all can laugh now, and it's likely that some of the diesels will be around 50 or more years from now, mainly because of the plenitude of parts from junked tractors.
EVs are the future of the American highway, and ETs are the future of compact tractors, and not distant future, either. No clutches, no real transmissions - yeah, people will be nostalgic for all that stuff that makes noise, and breaks..

My opinion is that eventually we’ll realize what a joke all this “clean” energy is and either go a different direction entirely or back to combustion.

 

[Fixastuff]

My opinion is that eventually we’ll realize what a joke all this “clean” energy is and either go a different direction entirely or back to combustion.

I don't think people will be switching because its clean, but because they are better. An electric vehicle holds the Pikes Peak hill climb record by almost 2mins. That is a huge gap in a 10min race!

 

[PuffyC]

My opinion is that eventually we’ll realize what a joke all this “clean” energy is and either go a different direction entirely or back to combustion.

We may go in a different direction but we’re never going back. What would seal that deal is if people had to pay the true, unsubsidized cost of using petroleum based products. You throw in the costs of war, the trade deficit, cleaning up the pollution, etc and it might cost you a $20 bill just to run your tractor for an hour.

 

[Username Taken]

It's a lot easier to reduce emissions of a small number of large power plants than to do it on a large number of individual vehicles. While that does not help CO2 (until plants start doing carbon capture) it does reduce the other emissions.

We're also getting a lot of solar power now. Solar plants are cheaper per KW than coal or gas even discounting the subsides. Solar panels are still getting cheaper to make each year and will be for quite a while. The last couple years there's been more KW of solar installed than gas or coal plants come on line.

Sure making solar panels is not emissions-free, but neither is extracting gas, oil or coal. And the emissions from making the panels is tiny compared to the power they make over their lifetime.

I do wish the tractor company was making just a good competitive electric tractor without the self-driving stuff. The market for electrics is wide open and it's a lot easier to develop a human driven tractor than to make self driving work.

Our power plant down here uses huge turbines, look like Jet Engines, to generate power. They use the kinetic energy from the turbine to turn generators and also use the heat energy generated by the exhaust to power steam generators.

Solar is a fool's errand. Good for -- I was gonna say 'back-up' but it's basically useless except in the deserts of the Southwest. We're building an entire community based on Solar Power down here now (Babcock Ranch). We'll see how it works out but, keep in mind...... It's a tiny, tiny, tiny percentage of people. Let's see how it holds up to a direct hit by a Cat 5 Hurricane. I don't want to be here when it hits. Irma was bad enough and it was 'only' a Cat 3 when it came ashore. Hit us dead center. The eye went directly over where we trying to hide from it. Long story.

Anyway, I'm quite sure they're getting big-time subsidies from -- Whoever. But when the Germans can't make it work (they walked away from Solar years ago), it's time to stop and regroup. I mean, they almost made communism work. An impossible feat

If we want to get away from Oil based energy, the only answer is nuclear. It's not just the only answer, it's the ONLY answer. Problem is, the same numbskulls that are trying to kill the oil indeustry (oh yes, they are) hate nuclear energy.

Technology always moves faster than the knuckleheads in charge can keep up. Maybe we should call up the former head of Solyndra?? Too late, we got one sitting as Chief of Staff for Sundown Joe right now.

Yeah, they're gonna use brilliant judgement. Check out his wife. Or stay totally uninformed. Much easier that way.

Nukes. It's gotta be nukes.

 

[davidjmcclelland]

We are so emo about our tractors and greasy stinkin' diesel LOL. Electric will kick butt in a few years. We are not the center of gravity the new tractor business spins around either. The environment is not a joke it is what provides many on this forum with a livelihood or at least some joy in their lives.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I hear of Municipalities buying all kinds of overpriced and poorly thought out Electric (GREEN) Equipment. Why not? It's not their money.

 

[Username Taken]

We are so emo about our tractors and greasy stinkin' diesel LOL. Electric will kick butt in a few years. We are not the center of gravity the new tractor business spins around either. The environment is not a joke it is what provides many on this forum with a livelihood or at least some joy in their lives.

The environment is not a joke. EnvironMENTALists are.

This is such a complicated subject it's difficult for most to keep up.

City Smog is hardly new. London has suffered from deadly smog for hundreds of years. It was mostly caused by the type of coal Londoners would use. Some of it was Sea Coal and Marsh Coal. And it goes back to Medieval times. It's not new at all. And it's not caused by Diesels or cars. How could it have been in the 16th Century? Or even in the 1800's? It couldn't.

It's caused by overcrowding and burning cheap coal in Industry and in Power Plants. In the case of Medieval London, it was caused by personal coal stoves using horrible, but easily harvested, swamp coal. Today, they could at least learn how to use Super-Heated Coal. But nope, can't do that. They want to tear everthing down and start over. With them controlling it, of course.

Funny how that works every time certain elements in our society take over, huh?

You wanna stop pollution? Ban big cities. Or at the very least, keep the residents from openeing their windows. Especially in the Summer.

Farmer John and Hobbyist Jim aren't polluting snot. It's the Big Cities.

Of course, environMENTALists don't want to tackle the real polluters like the big Container Ships that use diesel fuel by the TON not by the GALLON. And we're talking tens of thousands of TONS of fuel per trip.

And you know what kind of exhaust cleaners catalysts they have on them? None. And they often use the most poluting fuel you can imagine.

How about Jet airplanes? How about when ManBearPig uses a Private Jet to transport himself and a couple females to a 'Climate Summit' on a Tropical Paradise Island in the South Pacific or a glitterati Ski Resort in the Swiss Alps? Know what kind of Filters and catalysts a Gulfstream uses? None. And Jet fuel is just refined diesel fuel. Go to an airport once in a while.

So it's not that we don't take the environment seriously. We just don't environMENTALists seriously.

Also, environMENTALists can cchirp and sing about their preferences but as soon as I tell them that they're full of it, it becomes political and therefore, not allowed. But them? Oh yeah. They can sing the praises of their lunacy all day.

Betcha a beer

 

[5030]

You wanna stop pollution? Ban big cities.

Lets not go there. I don't need them moving to the country and screweing up stuff out here...

 

[Steppenwolfe]

My opinion is that eventually we’ll realize what a joke all this “clean” energy is and either go a different direction entirely or back to combustion.

Nope... clean is here and better; those not moving forward with it will be left behind.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

The environment is not a joke. EnvironMENTALists are.

This is such a complicated subject it's difficult for most to keep up.

City Smog is hardly new. London has suffered from deadly smog for hundreds of years. It was mostly caused by the type of coal Londoners would use. Some of it was Sea Coal and Marsh Coal. And it goes back to Medieval times. It's not new at all. And it's not caused by Diesels or cars. How could it have been in the 16th Century? Or even in the 1800's? It couldn't.

It's caused by overcrowding and burning cheap coal in Industry and in Power Plants. In the case of Medieval London, it was caused by personal coal stoves using horrible, but easily harvested, swamp coal. Today, they could at least learn how to use Super-Heated Coal. But nope, can't do that. They want to tear everthing down and start over. With them controlling it, of course.

Funny how that works every time certain elements in our society take over, huh?

You wanna stop pollution? Ban big cities. Or at the very least, keep the residents from openeing their windows. Especially in the Summer.

Farmer John and Hobbyist Jim aren't polluting snot. It's the Big Cities.

Of course, environMENTALists don't want to tackle the real polluters like the big Container Ships that use diesel fuel by the TON not by the GALLON. And we're talking tens of thousands of TONS of fuel per trip.

And you know what kind of exhaust cleaners catalysts they have on them? None. And they often use the most poluting fuel you can imagine.

How about Jet airplanes? How about when ManBearPig uses a Private Jet to transport himself and a couple females to a 'Climate Summit' on a Tropical Paradise Island in the South Pacific or a glitterati Ski Resort in the Swiss Alps? Know what kind of Filters and catalysts a Gulfstream uses? None. And Jet fuel is just refined diesel fuel. Go to an airport once in a while.

So it's not that we don't take the environment seriously. We just don't environMENTALists seriously.

Also, environMENTALists can cchirp and sing about their preferences but as soon as I tell them that they're full of it, it becomes political and therefore, not allowed. But them? Oh yeah. They can sing the praises of their lunacy all day.

Betcha a beer

blah...blah...blah...

 

[5030]

Nope... clean is here and better; those not moving forward with it will be left behind.

Hey Steppie....

Ya think, I don't but then you are entitled to your opinion.

Having said that, why don't you buy me one and I'll use it. I hear the JD edition is 60grand plus.

Probably chump change for you.

I'll need a spare battery pack too. 6 hours don't cut it for me.

 

[Username Taken]

blah...blah...blah...

That is a very enlightening and intelligent post.
For you

 

[SgtSluggo]

I am just going to say that a 30-50hp electric tractor sounds amazing for me. I assume it will be much quieter than my tractor and my ears aren't getting any better. I would love to be able to have a conversation without turning the tractor off. Charge time and run time sounds great, but I have a hard time getting more than 4-5 hours of work in at a time anyway. Nearly 100% of our local energy is hydro, so its pretty clean.

As far as the future goes, I think that eventually there will be non-diesel tractors that are better than our current ones (all of them). I just don't think we are there quite yet. However, having options isn't a bad thing.

For emissions then I have know that this particular replacement might not turn the tide of greenhouse gas emissions, but every little bit helps. I would imagine that for maybe everyone but someone on 100% coal, the energy used to produce the charge is probably a little cleaner overall than burning the diesel fuel.

For the big picture, something like 54% of greenhouses gasses come from transportation and electricity generation, so those should be our targets first. Personally I think that modern nuclear could be a big help, but I also know that every wind and solar plant gets us closer. Electric cars and trucks can help, as can requiring those generators who can't change (air and sea travel) to contribute to reducing emissions in other sectors. I would love for my kids to be able to enjoy the environment as much as I have. We shouldn't let perfect be the enemy of good.

 

[Username Taken]

Hey Steppie....

Ya think, I don't but then you are entitled to your opinion.

Having said that, why don't you buy me one and I'll use it. I hear the JD edition is 60grand plus.

Probably chump change for you.

I'll need a spare battery pack too. 6 hours don't cut it for me.

Well, yeah technology is gonna move forward no matter what. If not here (probabaly not) then we'll copy or import it from other Countries.

I like clean. I LOVE clean. Clean house, clean yard, clean water, clean air, clean neighborhood, clean women. I just don't like the College Sophomore mentality that is taking over the movement.

Aren't these the same geniuses that said we were all gonna freeze to death back in the 70's? Sho 'nuff is. But they'll claim they didn't have the 'science' back then that we have today (they do). They give 'science' a bad name. And I didn't even bring up the Hadley Emails. They circled the wagons on that one, too. Kinda like when they 'fact-checked' the Babylon Bee. Numerous times. bunches

Now the most rogue organization on the Planet is claiming that freezetone is causing globull warming by contributing to 'greenhouse' gases. What about the 'nuclear winter' that was supposed to be caused by them??? Wasn't it just a few years ago that 'scientists' were claiming that freon was causig a hole in the atmosphere in Antarctica that allowed our protective atmospheric shield to leak out and expose us to gamma rays and solar flares and martians and Loki and all kinds of deadly and dangerous stuff?

On a related note..... I LOVE technology. We need more of it. If that means giving up our diesel tractors for battery-powered, I'm all for it. My ears will be grateful.

But like I always say when people bring up hypotheticals --

 

[Username Taken]

For the big picture, something like 54% of greenhouses gasses come from transportation and electricity generation,

96% (at least, almost certainly more) of the CO2 in the atmosphere is created naturally. Billions of tons of it come from the oceans, decomposition, etc.

Some estimate humanity creates only .0016 of CO2 to the atmosphere. I don't know. I'm not a 'scientist' but I do know when someone is peeing down my neck and tells me it's just raining

 

[Steppenwolfe]

That is a very enlightening and intelligent post.
For you

Thanks, I believe it did cover all of your points...

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Hey Steppie....

Ya think, I don't but then you are entitled to your opinion.

Having said that, why don't you buy me one and I'll use it. I hear the JD edition is 60grand plus.

Probably chump change for you.

I'll need a spare battery pack too. 6 hours don't cut it for me.

I wasn't belittling you, clean and green is here buddy. All electric and AI is taking over, watch and see.... We can embrace it, or move deeper into our caves. Besides... If I had your money, I would burn mine...

 

[Username Taken]

Thanks, I believe it did cover all of your points...

You gave it your best

 

[Steppenwolfe]

You gave it your best

Well, one is only as good as one's opponent. Why use so many unnecessary words when only three were needed?

 

[SgtSluggo]

96% (at least, almost certainly more) of the CO2 in the atmosphere is created naturally. Billions of tons of it come from the oceans, decomposition, etc.

Some estimate humanity creates only .0016 of CO2 to the atmosphere. I don't know. I'm not a 'scientist' but I do know when someone is peeing down my neck and tells me it's just raining

Some?
Who is some?
My numbers came from the EPA Overview of Greenhouse Gases | US EPA

Greenhouse gases include more than CO2 (though we are primarily talking about CO2).
Estimates for preindustrial CO2 range for 250-300 ppm. In 2019 measured CO2 was 409 ppm. Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide | NOAA Climate.gov.