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John Deere Goes Woke with Impractical Electric Farm Equip
Dr. Rich Swier ^ | April 28, 2022 | Dr. Rich Swier

Posted on 07/28/2022 8:16:41 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

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To: zeugma; mikelets456

Personal use for work around one house is at least an order of magnitude lesser in terms of energy expenditure compared to a gigantic agricultural operation that runs multiple hours at a time on a consistent basis.

This is also notwithstanding the fact that the electric batteries in your tools will eventually lose their ability to hold a charge after several years or so due to the uncaring callousness of physics and chemical reactions (and that’s in ideal storage conditions).


81 posted on 07/28/2022 11:29:34 AM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007 (There is nothing new under the sun.)
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To: Ultra Sonic 007

Can you even imagine the cost of replacing these agricultural batteries OMG!! These people are INSANE!!


82 posted on 07/28/2022 11:32:07 AM PDT by Trump Girl Kit Cat (Yosemite Sam raising hell)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Look for the cost of your box of cornflakes to triple in the next 24 months.

I won't care, breakfast cereals are and have been on my do not eat list for decades. I prefer bacon and eggs for breakfast.

83 posted on 07/28/2022 11:57:46 AM PDT by rllngrk33 (It seems the soap box and ballot box have failed, it might be time for the bullet box.)
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To: Dust in the Wind

No it is NOT a fashion industry. It IS an ongoing science project.


That is what we would like to think but look more closely at the evidence.

By the way SCIENCE is a fashion industry too. just look at covid and global warming and MORE>


84 posted on 07/28/2022 12:01:55 PM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: FreshPrince

Agreed. This is bunk. John Deere is a smart company. They may have some electric machines coming, but not like the writer insinuates.

It is true that John Deere, Caterpillar and even the auto makers are moving toward subscription based options and also no dealer inventory. If you want to buy a tractor then you need to order a tractor. They can rent you one in the mean time.


85 posted on 07/28/2022 12:14:31 PM PDT by cornfedcowboy ( )
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To: PeterPrinciple
There would never have been as many bodies to feed on this planet as there currently are if it were not an ongoing science project. Think about that. We are far beyond hunter/gatherer or even subsistence farming. Now there are those whom would reset the goals of the project for what ever intent at the expense of billions of bodies. Evil eating souls. May they soon starve!
86 posted on 07/28/2022 12:14:55 PM PDT by Dust in the Wind (Drill, Drill, Drill then refine it.)
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To: sima_yi

Battery powered chainsaws are great for personal yard use.


87 posted on 07/28/2022 12:15:58 PM PDT by cornfedcowboy ( )
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To: Chickensoup

This is an electric drive train, not an electric combine. Essentially it is a hybrid.
Very similar to a train(the choo choo type). They use diesel to generate electricity and use that energy to drive the machine.


88 posted on 07/28/2022 12:21:33 PM PDT by cornfedcowboy ( )
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To: The Great RJ

One misleading article and fifty Freepers go berserk. We live in such a reactionary world now. I myself am not immune either.
Just to clarify, John Deere is not going to have combines and tractors that run on batteries like Teslas. Instead, they are developing electric drive trains to be integrated with their equipment. This very well could be a great idea and well accepted by farmers. Possible the tranny’s become easier to work on and have way more torque.


89 posted on 07/28/2022 12:33:14 PM PDT by cornfedcowboy ( )
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To: cornfedcowboy

Similar to the original concept of Tesla semis. Gas/diesel turbine over electric. I thought that was a good configuration.


90 posted on 07/28/2022 12:42:00 PM PDT by Dust in the Wind (Drill, Drill, Drill then refine it.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

These Commies are going to manage us into a Holodomor if we let them.


91 posted on 07/28/2022 12:52:22 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: absalom01
Simple. Pre-position big diesel generators out in the middle of nowhere, and have fuel trucks deliver as needed.

Got any estimate on the cost of doing that and how much it would add to food prices?

92 posted on 07/28/2022 1:16:01 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Contempt for pre-born human life breeds contempt for post-born human life.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I just found this 6-minute video on how batteries - especially car batteries - are recycled. I assuming this also applies to the batteries for electric cars. The images in it are overwhelming...

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+are+batteries+recycled&docid=607993698227000519&mid=4749940A51E4E73280334749940A51E4E7328033&view=detail&FORM=VIRE


93 posted on 07/28/2022 1:40:21 PM PDT by Deaf and Discerning
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Well, just spitballing here, you can get a used X9 series harvester for about a million bucks, but that’s the diesel version. So, let’s say the battery powered one is twice that.

So, assuming the battery version can run for 8 hours (optimistic), you’ve got 3x$2MM = $6MM increase in cost for the harvester.

The cost of the generator would depend heavily on the output required, but let’s say 24KVA would do the trick, so say 30K with a trailer. Add another 5K for a tank and that’s under 50K all in.

The diesel service would be the same as the current fuel bill, so let’s net that out of the equation. Looks like the biggest cost would be the backup harvesters, since there are no replacable “swap out” battery packs.

So in round numbers, it would be a +/- $6.5 to $7MM operating cost increase every couple of years per farmer. The suits at Deere probably figure the increased sales would be great, but in reality, it would put all of their customers out of business pretty quick, so maybe I should sell all of my Deere stock, now that I think of it.

The REAL benefit of all of this can be seen in Sri Lanka, where they banned nitrogen fertilizer, resulting in widespread crop failures. This strategy puts pressure on the opposite side of the agricultural equation. Banning fertilizer depresses yields, and this initiative from Deere would effectively prevent whatever crops are grown from being harvested. Sort of like nuking everything from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure.

Claus Schwab would be proud of himself.


94 posted on 07/28/2022 1:45:44 PM PDT by absalom01 (You should do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, and you should never wish to do less.)
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To: absalom01
So in round numbers, it would be a +/- $6.5 to $7MM operating cost increase every couple of years per farmer.

Such a small price to pay for multinational corporate virtue-signaling. </sarcasm>

95 posted on 07/28/2022 3:31:28 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Contempt for pre-born human life breeds contempt for post-born human life.)
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To: carriage_hill; mikelets456

Love my Bosch battery powered drill/impact. Small, light, powerful...

But the battery powered garden tools for the ladies in my life kinda suck compared to the 2-cycle tools. And not sure I’d want an electric chain saw... one with the necessary torque might not have the give normally provided by combustion.


96 posted on 07/28/2022 6:15:58 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: NorthMountain
Batteries just can't keep up. Trying to do real farming with them is beyond insane.

My point exactly.

97 posted on 07/30/2022 3:07:48 PM PDT by sima_yi ( Reporting live from the far North)
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