I really admire Mike's efforts. I kind feel like he really got dumped on overly hard. Nervous critters or those feeing threatened can lash out pretty visciously.. I figure we are critters like the rest, and not exceptions to the rule.
As someone who was associated with the federal govt bureaucracy for most of my adult life, I think that if it is exempt now it will be grandfathered in under most any set of circumstances. Remember what the US Constitution says about Ex Post Facto lawmakingAarticle 1 Section 8 as I recall ( (right up ther with Bills of attainders (whatever the hell THAT is))!!!??
Besides, the under 19 Kw, stationary, class of engines is, I'm sure, a very, very, small subset of CI powerplants in service. The under 19 Kw non-road mobile stuff is huge by comparison... How many small Kubota tractors do you know of?? A bunch eh? Statistically, we are a SMALL blip. Even rampant bureaucracies have only so much interest in trivial pursuits!
That's my opinion for what it is worth. Wyou know what they say about opinions... they are like a$$holes, everybody has one and they ALL stink!!
As for me, my EB300D Kubota is at the freight terminal for pickup this evening. The 160 amp alternator and charge controller are ready and I have a welded up bed frame ready on shock mounts ready for final drilling and erecting the major sub assemblies. I still have to turn up a big pulley to mount on the units flywheel for the Poly V belt. I got some 6 inch diameter 6061 Aluminum that I can spin off a bunch of swarf to make a nice flat pulley. Unit even has a little control panel that has Start/Stop, glowplug, and vernier throttle built in. If it works for me pretty good, I have 3 or 4 neighbors (off the grid like myself) itching to have one for themselves. I might have a pretty busy Spring up here on Finley Hill!! If not it will make a helluva water pump or log splitter.
Cheers, have a good week folks!
Mike