Just realized that switching to all-electric machines for 'green' points might not be worth it yet

I mean, a lot of shops are pushing to replace hydraulic units with electric ones to cut emissions, but idk, maybe it's just me but the upfront cost is huge and our grid can't always handle the load. We tried one and it tripped breakers during peak hours, causing more downtime. In my view, keeping older machines well-maintained and tuning them for efficiency does more good right now without breaking the bank.

3 comments

3 Comments

cameron_rivera1mo ago

My friend Jake runs a small shop in Toledo. He bought an electric press last year to go green and save on energy bills. Honestly, the thing cost him almost double what his old hydraulic one did. During summer afternoons, when everyone's AC is on, it would constantly trip the shop's breaker. He said the downtime for fixes ended up costing more than any savings, so he switched back.

lucasg421mo ago

That's rough, sounds like his shop just couldn't handle the extra load all at once. We had a similar scare with a new oven at my place. Ended up getting a separate circuit run just for that one machine, and it stopped the tripping for good. It was an extra cost upfront but cheaper than losing business. Did he ever look into something like that before giving up on it?

the_cameron1mo ago

But did your friend have an electrician check the wiring? A lot of those issues come from not upgrading the old electrical setup first.