Years..years ago Wheel Horse offer electric garden tractor,it was heavy costly and short life span..hope tomorrows electric tractor works better when temp well below 32F.
If I remember right, Wheel Horse bought the GE Electrac line when GE bailed out.
My dad had Wheel Horse tractors. I grew up using 5, 8, and 12 HP gear garden tractors to clear the driveway in New England. My dad was in a wheel chair but loved to mow the meadows and enjoy nature. As kids we helped him maintain paths in the woods. When the Electrac came, he jumped on it (so to speak!). About a year after he got the 1st one from GE, there were no more kids at home. The ability to plug in the tractor instead of having to lift a gas can was great. When moving, it was quieter. When he stopped, he could hear the noises of the wild. He got a 2nd Electrac from Wheel Horse that was Wheel Horse red (instead of GE Yellow). All during the late 70's and 80's he used the electric tractor. Here's a shot of him in 1982- compare to the picture of the GE unit. You can see the straps to hold his legs in and the handle that extended the brake.
They guy who fixed up the tractor for my dads use also got polio in the mid 50's. He welded, fixed tractors, and the like. I remember him muscling his way out of the wheel chair and pulling himself under the garden tractors to work on them. Different era.
It's odd that in the 70's GE saw a market for such a device. Imagine how much nicer it would be with todays microprocessor design and better batteries. Deere just came out with an electric Gator, maybee the electric tractor is due for a comeback. IIRC, weight for traction was not an issue due to the batteries :laughing:. We had the snow blower attachment for it and didn't need chains.
Anyway, it's an expensive riding mower with attachments but the electric aspects of it do have a small market if only the business pinheads who make decisions today could see it. Maybee it will get back in vogue 'cause it "green". Now if only it was John Deere green
.
Pete
