Industry officials say the results of a federal study prepared by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the U.S. Dept. of Energy that looked at the effect ethanol blended gasoline as high as E15 and E20 has on small engines is inconclusive at best, leaves many questions unanswered and is primarily an indicator that much more research on higher ethanol blends in small engines is required.

“You can’t begin to approach the complexity of the small engine industry with the scope of this study,” says Kris Kiser, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute vice president of government affairs. “In our opinion, the study downplayed the challenges, and we’re very concerned with how they interpreted the data and wrote it up.”

Shindaiwa has been chosen to showcase its versatile C4 Technology M2510 multi-purpose tool and PowerBroom attachment on the DIY Television Network show, “Cool Tools” hosted by Chris Gundy.

The “Cool Tools” segment features the Shindaiwa M2510 with PowerBroom attachment in a variety of applications highlighting its tremendous time and labor-saving capabilities. The M2510 power head along with eight different attachments provides the equivalent of an entire shed of power tools, using a split boom and positive coupler design for easy attachment. The other attachments are: trimmer, pole pruner, mid-reach pole pruner, lawn edger, articulated hedge trimmer, mid-reach articulated hedge trimmer and cultivator.

While tightly editing a submitted piece for the January-February issue that looks at low-cost marketing strategies, taken from the recently-published “Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Your Business,” the following sentence from co-author MaryEllen Tribby ended up on the cutting room floor:

“Strong customer relationships are built on integrity: Never promise anything you can’t deliver. But when you see an opportunity to over-deliver, do it every time.”

It’s a short couple of sentences but a powerful concept that goes a long way toward creating

According to news reports, a strong early snow season has major supplier Ariens Co. already sold out of snowthrowers, and even though the company is still building them, the ones on the factory floor are all spoken for in their distribution chain. Company officials report that many of its dealers are already sold out of snow removal equipment.

Leaner engine operation…higher operating and component temps…decreased CO emissions…higher idle speeds…increased NOx emissions…erratic operation…complete stalls with E15 and E20 gasoline blends. Look for more details upcoming here on poweretblog and in the Jan/Feb. issue of Power Equipment Trade, but I’ve just gotten my hands on the impressively titled “Effects of Intermediate Ethanol Blends on Legacy Vehicles and Small Non-Road Engines, Report 1,” a study prepared by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the U.S. Dept. of Energy, and want to share some of the results.

First—this is a looooong 136-page report, complete with a serious number of eye-glazing charts and

Dealers, landscapers and others who attended the 2008 GIE+EXPO had the opportunity to brush up on key handheld power equipment topics at the “Handheld Power University” Jointly sponsored by Shindaiwa, Oregon Cutting Systems, and the Equipment and Engine and Training Council (EETC). The Handheld Power University presented easy-to-digest, 15 minute presentations that were applicable to all brands of equipment. Some of the topics covered were “Handheld Product Safety”, and “Saw Chain Anatomy and Basic Maintenance.”

This one hits close to home, folks: Debbie Watson, former Power Equipment Trade advertising sales representative from 1992 until fall 2002, died November 28 at age 45 after a long battle with skin cancer. Beautiful and vivacious, Debbie brightened every life she touched—and was a very successful PET ad-selling machine.

For a while she was the sole ad sales rep for PET, and I spent as much time working closely with her as anyone on the Hatton-Brown Publishers staff. She left Hatton-Brown in 1997 and formed her own company, Kaleidoscope Communications, yet continued to sell PET as an independent rep until fall 2002. (And I know she loved that it took two new PET sales reps to replace her!) We made many long rides to Louisville for what is now GIE+EXPO, and every trip was made shorter and much more interesting and lively in her presence.

While Debbie had a personality that could light up a room when she entered, she was also very artistic with drawing and painting and even sculpture. I remember that getting a wrapped gift from Debbie was like