Hybrid Electric Yanmar 2000

[SteveM]

I have never seen something so foolish in my life. an electric tractor. Electric cars are designed for short, urban trips where power hookups are plentiful. Tractors are designed to run for hours and hours in the middle of nowhere with lots of power and little repair. This thing is brilliant. Plow a couple rows, take the next 4 hours off. Plow a few more rows, back to the barn....sounds like a project the US government would commission. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Ozarker]

I suppose that would depend on how one uses a tractor. I think an electric tractor would be just about perfect for many who aren't farming. I spend a couple of hours plowing snow or grading my drive and I'm finished. I spend three hours cutting grass and I'm finished. An electric would probably be good for that type of use. And if it were recharged with a solar panel or wind turbine it would be a truly green machine.

But my thoughts are more toward electric attachments. That would be great for a tractor without a live PTO. The mower wouldn't slow down or stop while I turned or changed directions and it wouldn't push me when I pushed in the clutch and tried to stop.

Or....an electric mowing deck would allow me to attach a front deck on my little Yanmar.

Or...how about a boom mower like the road crews use for mowing along the country roads? Easy to design for CUT's if the motor for the deck is electric and there are electric servos to operate the boom.

I think there are many applications for homeowner use. And if they ever get all the kinks out of fuel cells there will be applications for AG use as well.

 

[Tom_Veatch]

Perhaps it's one of these (Quoted from here near the bottom of the page under the heading "Electric Tractors")

Begin Quote:

MendoMotive's sister company Electrac has already converted several 20 hp tractors that are as powerful as their original diesel incarnations. We are currently seeking capital to build a prototype cordless lawn and garden tractor that will cut both pollution and the grass.
The solar age is here, but it is individual action that will lead to a reduction in the use of non-renewable polluting energy resources. Now is the time for action.

End Quote

The page has a spot for photographs, but the photos did not download. Under the blank photo location, it prices the tractors at 10K. Also note the page is copyright 1999-2000 by Homestead Enterprises and states that the article partially quoted above first appeared in _Solar Today_, Jan/Feb 1996 issue.

 

[Ozarker]

I think you're right Tom. The picture shows up on the SolarCharging page of that site and look like the one shown in the first post.


http://www.renewables.com/SolarCharging.htm

 

[callais]

Here is a url for someone who custom builds electric tractors, or at least used to.
custom built tractor

 

[normde2001]

Yep, that would be the one; however, I can't imagine someone buying one of those without getting instructions on charging.

 

[Ozarker]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Yep, that would be the one; however, I can't imagine someone buying one of those without getting instructions on charging. )</font>

I thought the same thing. Maybe they inherited it.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have never seen something so foolish in my life. an electric tractor. )</font>

I tend to agree with you.

Knowing what our battery technology is like ( fuel cells would be a different story )... and knowing about electronics.. and motor/ hp draw.. etc.. the idea of running the drivetrain of a tractor.. and then running a pto off that.. you are picking up all the mechanical losses. for saw.. a mechanical mower.

It would be better to have an electric mower on back.. perhaps with its own bank of batteries.. however.. while it would deffinately hav ethe torque to cut heavy material.. I think cutting duration under load will be frustrating.. unless you have a big elexctric cord ran over to your house while mowing.. or a steam engine turning a genny.. or even a small gas engine turning an alternator.. etc.. ( hybred setup ).

Soundguy

 

[cfoxmd]

I can't imagine solar recharging for anything that uses any amount of power. I guess you could spend 30K on the solar cells and do it, but now you have 40k for a 3k diesel tractor. Talk about a waste of resources. Batteries eventually die so even the running costs may not be lower.

Ever wonder why solar isn't used much? Its the equivalent of $100-$200 per barrel oil. Guess what, coal, natural gas, nuclear, and even wind are cheaper. Until we get much better solar cells, and better battery technology, solar is a waste of time for anything that uses serious power or is not near a plug.

 

[KubotaBling]

They have electric fork trucks and electric gators at work they work like a dream.. now replacing my 20hp diesel or my 90hp diesel in my tractor or car with electric.. um no i'd have to make a cd of turbo whistling or diesel knock just to enjoy mowing my yard or riding round town /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif