Follow-up on Tools

In Tools and the comments thereto, I wrote about having purchased a cordless leaf blower, and that the first use produced an over-heat condition in its 2 Amp-hour battery. Bogie suggested returning the blower to the store to have them check it out. There were three store employees eager to tackle the issue when I did so last week.

After running the blower (on "high speed") within the store for several minutes (gathering up dead bugs and tracked in dirt), one of the employees observed that the battery was, indeed, heating up - although he didn't run it long enough to get the full effect. Another of the young men went back to where they kept their own tools to fetch a 2 Ah battery that he knew to be in good shape and charged. The same heating happened with it. Their observation was that I had put a light-duty battery to a task up to which it was no match. Since the blower is the mid-duty of the three offered in that brand, this puzzles me. Why would the company do that - sell an appliance with a poorly-matched battery? The employees told me that the 2 Ah battery was usually used with hand drills, etc.

I am now using the blower with a 4 Ah battery, for which they charged me a reduced price, with quite satisfactory results. You can bet that after I've used the blower with the heavier-duty battery for a while, I shall follow up on the whole thing with the maker; but, I wish to have more data, first.

The old, corded electric leaf blower was placed out at the street end of our driveway, along with assorted other goodies (Benz-O-Matic kit, partial sheets of light-weight plywood and fiberboard, metal legs from the workbench that I had torn down when it failed to be picked up several weeks ago, old manual sprinklers, buckets) and the 100-foot extension cord, wound on the device by which I had hung it on the pegboard. By the time Hunky Husband retrieved the mail that afternoon, everything had disappeared except the workbench legs and plywood. Three minutes later, trying to decide whether it was time to bring the items inside for the night, I noted that everything had disappeared except for one of the "FREE" signs that I had posted. We are never attentive enough to see anyone in the act of retrieving our "treasures" - mostly, because we have no interest in knowing where they go. (We are just happy that they do go!)

Comments

[bogie]

I too am puzzled as to why the leaf blower would come with a battery that is not up to the task (or safe, in my mind). However, glad the store was willing to work with you to figure out the issue and give you a discount on the heavier duty battery.

I love that most things disappear from the side of the road when I put things out.

[Peter Tibbles]

I’ve had the same thing happen when I’ve left major stuff out to be collected. I know not to ring the council on the first day as it’s often not necessary.
I once left a fridge (40 years old and still working) and it was gone by lunch time. They’d have had to make a special journey in a truck for that. I discovered when I was restocking the new fridge that I’d left the butter in the old one. A surprise for the folks who picked it up.

[Cop Car]

Bogie & Peter--It's a universal. There are always folks who are willing to go to the effort of hauling stuff off for those of us who want to rid ourselves of it.

Peter--Thanks for the laugh at the butter. Cute! I can't put major appliances out because I'm not big/strong enough to do so. When the new appliance comes in, the delivery person gets to haul out the old one. On one such occasion, about 25 years ago, I also got rid of a couch that was in good shape but no longer needed. One of the appliance delivery guys wanted it.

[greggBC]

Toro is part of MTD. MTD has ruined every brand that they have taken control of. They have cheapened and use chinessium when they can. Troy Bilt is another brand
they have destroyed the reputation of.

[Cop Car]

Welcome, GreggBC. Although I've seen your comments at a few blogs that are heavy on automotives and tools, I'm scratching my head over how you ended up at my little blog; but, I guess we oldsters have to stick together, eh? Yes, MTD is gobbling up the tools market, unfortunately. As with many of the holding companies, my opinion is that they are so get-money-now focused that quality suffers.