New festool kapex

[Greg M]

Those new Hydrogen Fuel Battery Cells powering that awesome looking 14" blade with the folding wings. WOW!  [drooling]

Festool certainly knows how to create a stir! [tongue]

Pre-ordering today! [big grin]

[popcorn] [popcorn] [popcorn]

Frank

On a serious note I wish the fuel cell would finally come to market.  I wonder what's standing in the way?

The Hindenburg perhaps?? [scared]

Frank

P.S. [member=1619]SRSemenza[/member]  Probably due to move this thread to Friendly Chat....whaddya think?

Personally, I think it's business that has blocked it.  Too much money to be lost.  There are many known instances where some big company has bought up businesses or patents to prevent a product from coming to market that would hurt their revenue.

I know how this might sound.  I'm not a conspiracy type of person but these kinds of things make perfect sense.  Just like I seriously doubt we'll ever see a cure for cancer, not because it can't be found, but because there is no incentive for researchers to find the cure or for the drug companies to bring that cure to market.  Cancer treatment is a huge business and being able to cure cancer would devastate that business.

Same with fuel cells.  I've read some of the articles that have explained what they could be used for.  Do you think that the electric, oil and coal companies want the fuel cell to come to market?  A product that would allow people to be able to disconnect from the grid?

There was a person in Italy (I believe it was there) that came up with a new engine that works on air pressure a few years ago.  His car could go from NY to LA on just a few gallons of diesel used to run an air compressor.  A big motor company paid him very well for his patents and now this new engine will never come to market.

 

[Cheese]

Personally, I think it's business that has blocked it.  Too much money to be lost.  There are many known instances where some big company has bought up businesses or patents to prevent a product from coming to market that would hurt their revenue.

I know how this might sound.  I'm not a conspiracy type of person but these kinds of things make perfect sense.  Just like I seriously doubt we'll ever see a cure for cancer, not because it can't be found, but because there is no incentive for researchers to find the cure or for the drug companies to bring that cure to market.  Cancer treatment is a huge business and being able to cure cancer would devastate that business.

Same with fuel cells.  I've read some of the articles that have explained what they could be used for.  Do you think that the electric, oil and coal companies want the fuel cell to come to market?  A product that would allow people to be able to disconnect from the grid?

I worked on the design of cell separators using a PTFE membrane for fuel cells over 15 years ago. Then I retired & then I lost interest in the technology because it just wasn't going anywhere.
It's always been about the price of hydrogen vs gasoline. That's one of the reasons that Ballard Power sold its automotive fuel cell assets to Daimler & Ford. Even Plug Power dismissed the automotive market and concentrates now on forklifts and emergency power generation.
Here's a recent article that may be of interest.

http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/20/toyota-hydrogen-fuel-will-costly/

 

[Greg M]

Personally, I think it's business that has blocked it.  Too much money to be lost.  There are many known instances where some big company has bought up businesses or patents to prevent a product from coming to market that would hurt their revenue.

I know how this might sound.  I'm not a conspiracy type of person but these kinds of things make perfect sense.  Just like I seriously doubt we'll ever see a cure for cancer, not because it can't be found, but because there is no incentive for researchers to find the cure or for the drug companies to bring that cure to market.  Cancer treatment is a huge business and being able to cure cancer would devastate that business.

Same with fuel cells.  I've read some of the articles that have explained what they could be used for.  Do you think that the electric, oil and coal companies want the fuel cell to come to market?  A product that would allow people to be able to disconnect from the grid?

I worked on the design of cell separators using a PTFE membrane for fuel cells over 15 years ago. Then I retired & then I lost interest in the technology because it just wasn't going anywhere.
It's always been about the price of hydrogen vs gasoline. That's one of the reasons that Ballard Power sold its automotive fuel cell assets to Daimler & Ford. Even Plug Power dismissed the automotive market and concentrates now on forklifts and emergency power generation.
Here's a recent article that may be of interest.

http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/20/toyota-hydrogen-fuel-will-costly/

Thanks for the link.  Still wish that compressed air engine would have been produced but better electric cars are welcome.  We have a Prius and if you change your driving habits you can squeeze 50 mpg out of it.

 

[SittingElf]

Pffft!... You're not a REAL man until you drive a big honking SUV that only gets 11 mpg dragging a trailer full of Green Goodness! [big grin]

That would be my Nissan Armada and what I got on the last trip from Florida up here to Georgia with half of my workshop loaded in the trailer!  Thank the gods gas is only $2.24/gallon at the moment! [eek]

I need a small around-town car...and soon, before gas goes back to the 3's and 4's.

Cheers,

Frank

 

[andvari]

I hear Festool is going to use the fuel cell to power the lasers for the Kapex II. No blade necessary.

Just think how convenient THAT would be! No more worry about aligning the lasers to the blade, and complete elimination of tearout.

 

[Greg M]

Pffft!... You're not a REAL man until you drive a big honking SUV that only gets 11 mpg dragging a trailer full of Green Goodness! [big grin]

That would be my Nissan Armada and what I got on the last trip from Florida up here to Georgia with half of my workshop loaded in the trailer!  Thank the gods gas is only $2.24/gallon at the moment! [eek]

I need a small around-town car...and soon, before gas goes back to the 3's and 4's.

Cheers,

Frank

Been there, done that, but now I'd rather save the cash.  For work I do drive the high top, long wheel base version of the Sprinter loaded down and still get about 20 mpg.

 

[fp1337]

"With Harbor Freight tools you always know you get the BEST quality!!!" (From the saw video)

Sure.... That's why people go to HF!

Seriously, I like HF just because it's cheap and crappy. I picked up a rotary tool the other days for $10..... Same crap as the Dremel brand. Both are made in China to questionable standards. But who cares. I paid $10 for mine and it already paid for itself in the couple of times I picked it up.

 

[rljatl]

Now you can get a full size Chevy Tahoe hybrid that gets 30 MPG on the highway.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

All 3 of my trucks have big blocks, price of gas is really no concern. 

 

[Wuffles]

We have a Prius and if you change your driving habits you can squeeze 50 mpg out of it.

Seriously? Is that all?

I had a Golf GTi (diesel) in 2006 that could manage that. I thought the Prius was supposedly better than that.

 

[peter halle]

Boy, talk about an epic off-topic trajectory.  I'll take the suggestions made here and move this to the friendly chat area.

Peter

 

[Greg M]

We have a Prius and if you change your driving habits you can squeeze 50 mpg out of it.

Seriously? Is that all?

I had a Golf GTi (diesel) in 2006 that could manage that. I thought the Prius was supposedly better than that.

The Prius can do that around town IF driven correctly.  The Golf was Hwy mileage, correct?

 

[Wuffles]

We have a Prius and if you change your driving habits you can squeeze 50 mpg out of it.

Seriously? Is that all?

I had a Golf GTi (diesel) in 2006 that could manage that. I thought the Prius was supposedly better than that.

The Prius can do that around town IF driven correctly.  The Golf was Hwy mileage, correct?

Nope, spirited commute through the countryside. I guess it's different over the pond. We've been striving for greater mpg for a very long time. I was expecting a Prius to be in the realms of 80+mpg (I didn't know what to expect btw, jjust assumed)? There are many cars that aren't even hybrids giving figures over 60mpg now in Europe, probably not so popular over there. See below.

All 3 of my trucks have big blocks, price of gas is really no concern. 

 

[Kevin McConville]

Greg's 50 mpg (US) is 60 mpg (imp.) to you Wuffles

 

[peter halle]

My Kapex gets 0 miles per gallon.  A doing something wrong?

Seriously, if you want to discuss vehicles and mileage please start another conversation in the appropriate area.

Peter

 

[Kevin McConville]

Sorry Peter - I guess I misunderstood the intent of you moving the post to the General Friendly Chat area.

 

[Wuffles]

Greg's 50 mpg (US) is 60 mpg (imp.) to you Wuffles

Aha. Makes a lot more sense. Just some general friendly chat, nothing to panic about.