If an average backhoe is 100 hp and it takes 40 amps on 240 power overnight to charge, I think that was the figure given out before, just to charge SOME of my machines, by no means all, but some would require 800 amps of 240 power overnight to charge, if just those machines were on one jobsite sitting, first off in order to get them near the main service entrance pole in a rural yard would take pickup loads of power cords to reach them all, second, nobody's yard could possible fit them all in, third, the average service entrance size in my area is 200 amps, some of the larger farmers have up to 1000 amps of service, some at 1200 amps or more, but they need that for themselves, that's the reason why they have it that large now, there is nothing left over for me to use. Toss in many have three phase power, which in turn would need to be converted back to single phase to charge machines, then toss on 220, 230, 240 power depending on where your at and what's popular, some have 440 power and a few are now at 880 power all who would need to have converters or I'd have to have converters to do the changeover to charge my stuff.
The alternative is to provide my own power, with a self contained power unit, now if I split up the machine on multiple jobsites, that means I'll need several generators, of multiple sizes to get the job done, I think if I figured correctly it would take 12 generators of varying sizes for me alone to charge my machines, all would have to towable behind a pickup, the larger ones would be semi pulled and then on top of that I'd need backup units in case [or when] they were in need of repair. On top of this I'd have hire a dedicated electrician to keep them going and operating, especially with the newer electronics on them and with built in shut downs for everything, someone would have to monitor them all night long via internet, except for about half the sites and places I work, that don't get a signal, those sites someone would have to drive to several times per night to check to make sure the generators were working properly. Couple this to the fact I do work in about a 100 mile radius of my shop, so the person doing the checking could possibly travel 4-500 miles per night easily checking on the charging setups so we could run and operate the next morning. All this to save what exactly?? time, fuel, cheaper to operate, be more efficient, labor savings, better for the environment?? what?? Now just like electric cars, I would then be more green, so instead of burning gas or diesel which is bad [fossil fuels] I'd be using diesel generators instead?, or if I could plug them into the grid somewhere, which right now is highly unlikely, I'd be using electricity generated off the grid, which is coal fired, also fossil fuel. Someone explain to me exactly who thinks this makes any sense??
I know the discussion is about a backhoe, but one piece leads to the next and so on and so fourth, but the problem is still the same, with one piece, ten or 50, the only thing different is the size of the problems involved.