electric tractor

[bookwormom]

someone posted in another thread that he bought an electric tractor. Now if I could remember where it was. the post had nothing to do with tractors. anyway, that is news to me, did you know there was such a thing? what do you all think of it? I am wondering if you charge up the battery with solar cells, but then, what do I know about stuff like that. Must cost an arm and a leg.

[Drawbar]

I don't think it would be a very practical use of technology if the question you are asking is related to the kind of machines like electric cars with batteries and all. Tractors don't require high horsepower engines, heck a 400 hp tractor is a huge tractor which is in contrast to a pickup that approaches 350 hp. A Tractor requires torque, and torque requires amperage, and amperage burns up batteries in no time.

Technically though, the biggest tractors in the world are electric tractors. They use diesel engines to power generators that send electricity to motors that turn each planetary drive on each tractor wheel. You will find this on the biggest mining equipment, earth moving equipment and agricultural tractors. Hell locomotives have used this technology since the 1920's when they converted from steam to diesel.

This picture is of a mining truck that uses the diesel engine-generator-electric motor combination, something they have had since RG LeTourneau build them in the 1930's.

http://mine-engineer.com/mining/minproc/LOADTRK.jpg

[bookwormom]

I have seen things like that, my brother in law repaired those things, on strip mines in Eastern Ky, but that is not what I had in mind, obviously. However, I went searching and found the post, by Lobster pond, and I hope he posts something about his elec. tractor right here on this board.

[flatwater]

Bookwormmom In regards to electric tractors , Never send a boy to do a mans job as the old adage goes.
Flatwater

[bookwormom]

I get your point Flatwater, I am just thinking in the direction of when i might be glad to get a boys job done, if something could have batteries recharged by solar, thereby running on sun and not making much noise. I mean, my folks have an electric log splitter and an electric lawnmower, why not an electric tractor? I have to admit I know very little (nothing to be exact) when it comes to electricity, just do not have a mind for it. But you guys do...

[flatwater]

They could have electric tractors but the size to weight ratio would be way to prohibitive to do a boys job let alone a mans job but who knows in the last days techknowlodgy is supposed to quadruple. Just our luck , they finaly invent a small electric tractor that has hi. torque and the next day comes the rapture. :o :o :o.
Flatwater

[hardrock]

Hey bookwormom.

I think that would be LobsterPond's post on MadTripper's "Wheel Horse" thread.
IIRC he has an Elec-Trac.
I have one also. They were made way back in the early to mid 70's by General Electric. I believe Wheel Horse and AGCO offered the same tractor under their own name.
36V like a golf cart. Built-in charger/timer.
Plug it and forget it.
I think solar chargers have been used by some, already.

TONS of useful 36V attachments. One corded powerhead fed from the tractor had several attachments.
Drill, hedge clippers, chainsaw, toaster.....(no, not a toaster! ;D)
Front, mid and rear mowers, blades, tillers, snowblowers, etc.
Front end loaders, forklifts, (front and rear.) trencher...
Back in '73 the basic tractor was around $4,000.00 before attachments, so not many were sold outside the upper crust neighborhoods.
That was alot of bread for a lawnmower back in the 70's! ;)
I bought mine from a guy that serviced laundry equipment with it. (Had the forklift attachment)
He used it to service washers/driers inside the laundromats
without gassing the whole place up.

I will say this.....they are tough!
PLENTY of TORQUE waaaay down low.
I can chain mine down and go about 1/3 pedal in the low side (3-speed gearbox).............
it leaves piles of black rubber on concrete, and the tires aren't moving much faster than the sweep second hand on my watch!!

Google Elec-Trac. There's a little info and a collectors site.

edit: Oops! mybad! Elec-trak
who spells tractor with a "k" anyways?

http://www.elec-trak.org/

If gas climbs any higher, the ole' Cub Cadet is going back in the shed and I'm pluggin the E-T in!!

[hardrock]

Just to clarify......these are garden tractors, not farm tractors.
However, I can testify from personal experence that an Elec-Trac E-20 (20hp equivlent) WILL pull an old JD 494A 4 row planter AND plant about 2 acres of sweetcorn on a full charge!! :o :o

[crafty2002]

I have used all kinds of electric equipment in the construction field. Man lifts that when situated right could set 1,200 lb pipes etc.
Just please make sure they are plugged in before you go home if you don't want to drag a drop cord around the next day. :-[
Used golf carts at the GoodYear plant that would get up on two whells trying to make a turn to fast if they had a full charge and they always limped back to the chargeing port at the end of the day no matter how hard we pushed them.
I have a picture a guy took of me driving an engineers cart one Sunday coming back from the break room on the other end of the plant. 17 men hanging on it. ;D I danged near turned it over that day.