Thursday, January 31, 2008

Ethanol Mandate: Buy New Outdoor Power Engines

Not only will Corn-A-Hole continue making food more expensive, as most typical foods depend on corn (or ARE corn)--it will endanger your lawnmower, snowblower, leafblower, and small-power generator's engine(s). Not to mention your motorcycle, ATV, or boat-engine.

Trust me, folks, the engine is the REALLY expensive part of those doodads.

The bill will adversely impact Wisconsin engine and outdoor equipment manufacturers. After the bill’s 10% ethanol mandate ratchets up to 15%, 20% and 25% their will be problems with spark ignition engines (many of which are manufactured or assembled here in Wisconsin).

Manufacturers have significant engine wear, performance and carburetion concerns with respect to ethanol blends above 10%, which could result in warranty and product reliability issues. The engines are manufactured and calibrated to combust up to 10% ethanol, but not more than that. The Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) and the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) are opposed to this legislation because of these concerns.

With all due regard for the P&L(s) of Kohler, Briggs, Generac, and Tecumseh, I don't really give a rat's patoot about THEIR problems.

I don't like that stuff about "engine wear, performance, and carburetion concerns" for equipment that I own, especially when it leads to "product reliability issues."

Maybe a little "product reliability" concerns among Senate bozos who approve the mandate would be a good thing. But I'm not thinking of their snowblowers...

HT: Sykes

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