The future of tractor design

[DavesTractor]

I always enjoy these sort of threads, and it amazes me at the amount of cumulative knowledge of guys/gals on this board.

I would think a plug-in battery powered small tractor would be useful in certain applications. It would appeal to folks with gardens, small organic farms, etc. Would it be worthless in many applications? Yes.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Actually, I had forgotten that I saw a magazine article on Hybrid construction equipment. Not terribly exciting at this juncture. Like taking the energy of a swinging excavator and charging a battery, as in the braking of an electic car.

I have heard stories of energy conservation schemes by utilities and police departments for their fleets that achieve precious little or nothing in energy savings and just fleece the tax payer (once again).

 

[zimbo]

How about this for a nice idea

We New Holland - The world of New Holland

I think were still a way off that kind of efficiency though.

For my purposes I want simplicity, ease of maintenance and the longest lifespan possible, all with the lowest fuel consumption.

 

[Piston]

Here is a pretty sweet start! Not a tractor, but a UTV with electric motors at each wheel. Not bad at 2,900lbs of torque! Puts the Ranger EV to shame. EVDrive electric UTV makes zero-radius turns an awesome reality

 

[Tor Arne]

Husqvarna already have an electric lawn mower on the market. I think this is just the beginning since emission requirements will only become stricter

Best Buy Mowers presents...Husqvarna Rider Battery - Electric Ride-on Lawnmower - YouTube

 

[OrangeGuy]

AGCO through their Fendt tractors have been experimenting with a diesel/electric motor drive system. See Deprecated Browser Error

OrangeGuy

 

[Industrial Toys]

That Electric UTV is one impressive machine. Too bad it has such an Idiotic marketing scheme! Watching that Video made me loose all respect for those guys. Soon using my MULE on public roads with only an SMV sign will become a thing of the past because of such EXTREME stupidity! That would be one **** of a vehiicle to roll with those presumeably heavy batteries.

 

[jel1988]

Maybe tractor design change in a different direction. They might be remotely operated or semi autonomus. Mine equipment is being operated this way now! I know someone who operates 4 scooptrams (underground loader 10yd+) at the same time.

 

[JasG]

Your

Well, the mine haul trucks do that today. There are both mechanical & electromotive variants. What the industry is finding is the electromotive variant has higher total cost of ownership compared to mechanical, so haul truck makers are going back to all mechanical & hydraulic drive. The big reason is contamination - mines are very dusty & dirty. Oil can be changed, motor bearings not so much.

Caterpillar is the biggest player that changed back within the past decade.

Train locomotives are all electromotive - but for other reasons. They not only run in clean environs, but they use the generator as a motor heat sink brake going down mountain slopes. That and infinitely variable torque for acceleration control. That used to be very expensive, but they recently changed over from rectified DC motors to VFD AC motors, and the cost has come down.

I don't see it happening for mobile equipment much for the same reason as mine haul trucks - dirty environments (especially mowing, etc) and high initial cost.

I believe you are incorrect on several areas. 1st Cat is going forward with electric, they never stopped making mechanical, and just started getting into electric within the last 10 years. So to say they changed back, when they never left is just incorrect. Cat didn't even show and electric truck until 2008. Cat has also bought a few train manufacturers and Bucyrus International from what I have read to expand its electric drive operations. They also in 2009 came out with the D7E electric drive dozer. That doesn't sound like a company that is going away from electric drive.

Everything I have read is the AC electric has a lower cost of ownership over mechanical dive. Electric drive can be made with explosion rated motors (don't think they are) which dust can not get into.

Here is a read on electric vs mechanical similar to others I have read. It also brings up Cat and was from last year.
Mining Magazine - Providing power to the people

Here Cat came out with the electric trucks and it was clear you could get both.
Caterpillar Inc. Unveils Mechanical and Electric-Drive Trucks at MINExpo 2008 in Las Vegas, NV | Trailer/Body Builders | Archive content from Trailer Body Builders

This is Cats mining page and they still make both.
https://mining.cat.com/products/surface-mining/mining-trucks

Most of the large shovels and many of the large wheel loaders are electric drive.

http://www.letourneau-inc.com/mining/loaders_dozer_details.php?model=L-1350

Cat is just getting into the electric shovel market.
https://mining.cat.com/cda/alias/products/surface-mining/electric-rope-shovels

So to say electric drive doesn't hold up I don't believe to be correct either. Most of the crushers and other processing equipment is all electric drive.

 

[jaotguy]

we had electric garden tractors back in the 60's ....