What About An Electric Power Trac?????

[BobRip]

Just a suggestion, could you put a really quiet muffler on a 180, and maybe sound proof the engine compartment, etc. I know it would make the machine less powerful, but it will still have better performance than an electric machine.

I have seen some very quiet small engines. Forklift that run on propane are very quiet. I don't know how they do this, so it may not be feasible in a PT.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Just a suggestion, could you put a really quiet muffler on a 180?

I'll put it on my "To do as soon as I finish other things on my list" list.

 

[MuncyBob]

I guess I'm lucky that my horsewoman/wife doesn't mind the PT in the barn. It's a major time & back saver!!!Of course, I have to be sure it's not leaking anything or I'm sure it would be a different matter!The horses aren't bothered much by it...even the high strung Arabian doesn't get too nervous after she's been around it a bit.

 

[MossRoad]

We've got a few electric fork lifts at work. They are not that much quieter than the propane powered combustion engine forklifts that we also have. Something to think about...

The little PTs run a hydraulic pump for the drive wheels and another pump for the lift and turning rams. That pump has to turn at 3600rpm to provide maximum pressure to the hydraulics. ON an electric powered PT, would you need one electric motor for the lift/turning curcuit and a seperate electric motor for the drive pump? I think I just answered my own question, as I think the newer PT400s have the pump shafts in series, so only one motor would be needed. However, it would have to be big enough and powerfull enough to turn that hydraulic fluid. How big of an electric motor would you need to replace a 18HP gas engine?

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

We've got a few electric fork lifts at work. They are not that much quieter than the propane powered combustion engine forklifts that we also have. Something to think about...

The little PTs run a hydraulic pump for the drive wheels and another pump for the lift and turning rams. That pump has to turn at 3600rpm to provide maximum pressure to the hydraulics. ON an electric powered PT, would you need one electric motor for the lift/turning curcuit and a seperate electric motor for the drive pump? I think I just answered my own question, as I think the newer PT400s have the pump shafts in series, so only one motor would be needed. However, it would have to be big enough and powerfull enough to turn that hydraulic fluid. How big of an electric motor would you need to replace a 18HP gas engine?

I have an old single-pump PT, but assume the power requirements are similar. I don't plan to mow with it. The motor I am going to mount is rated at 15 hp peak, and 8 hp continuous. I plan to run it at 48 volts, which should give me about the right RPM.

This project, and the electric boat projects ahead of it got a bit of a setback on Sunday when some lovely children started our 2240 John Deere and ran it through the workshop. Steel doors at both ends destroyed, miscellaneous tools crunched, etc. (Gauges broken off the torch kit but no oxygen or acetylene released.) Extent of damage still unknown, but enough to require a lot of work before fun projects are back on line.

 

[MossRoad]

Yikes! I hate to ask if they were friends, family or trespassers. Hope you get things squared away soon.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Yikes! I hate to ask if they were friends, family or trespassers. Hope you get things squared away soon.

Trespassers, identity unknown. They ran when I drove up earlier. I looked around and assumed they wouldn't come back. Wrong!
What I doubt they know is that the tractor, carrying a 12 x 15 foot corrugated steel door missed a man inside the building by about 2 feet. I am sure they didn't know he was inside when they got it going and jumped off. They may have seen him run to turn it off when it fetched up against the far end doors and sat with the rear wheels spinning on the concrete floor.

 

[MossRoad]

Wow! Glad no one was hurt and hope you catch 'em.

 

[ptx]

I AM INTERESTED. KEEP ME IN THE LOOP.

PTX

 

[MossRoad]

Wow, 10 years since your last post! Welcome back.

 

[ptx]

THANKS. I HAVE CHECKED IN EVRY ONCE IN A WHILE, JUST NEVER POSTED.
OUR PT180 ROBIN IS FITFUL AGAIN. LOVE THE TRACTOR, HATE THE ROBIN ENGINE.

THAT IS WHAT MOTIVATED ME TO CONSIDER AN ELECTRIC DRIVE. I HAVE AN ELECTRIC CAR, ELECTRIC CHAINSAW, ELECTRIC ROTO TILLER. THE TRACTOR IS NEXT.

PTX

 

[MossRoad]

Well, its gonna be a while on this thread. You responded to a 9 year old thread by a poster who hasn't been around for about 3 years. Maybe someone else will chime in, but its been a dormant topic for quite a while. Sounds like you have confidence in electric.

 

[aczlan]

If you are doing this, I would use 4 electric motors on the wheels (or possibly one at each end and a "normal" axle), one motor for the hydraulic pump and install an electric motor on the implement for things powered by the hydraulic PTO.
Hydraulics are only 80% efficient, why take a 20% loss in performance in something you will run a lot pulling a lot of power (ie: wheel drive motors and implement motors).
I might add another motor to run the PTO pump for things that are more limited in runtime (ie: a posthole digger).

Aaron Z

 

[ptx]

ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR A PROBLEMATIC ROBIN 18 HP EH65?

THE ENGINE IS ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD NOW AND WE HAVE WORKED IT HARD.

I JUST CHECKED THE COMPRESSION , 130 ON THE LEFT SIDE 140 ON THE RIGHT. THE ENGINE STARTS IDLES NICE,
BUT NO POWER. REPLACED THE PLUGS, NEW AIR FILTER NEW FUEL FILTER.
WE ONLY USE ALCOHOL FREE GAS AND RUN THE FUEL THRU A RACON FILTER WHEN FILLING.

PTX

 

[MossRoad]

Someone just swapped in a predator engine from harbor freight on a PT422, I think.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's a link to that discussion....
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/354336-harbor-freight-into-pt422.html

 

[SPYDERLK]

It may work but why bother!! Great philosophy fourteen. How inspiring.

Fourteen is right. - Ridiculous at this point of technology for a general use working vehicle platform. Niche use in a barn is fine because not much work is done. By contrast to just rolling around, use under the constant loading inherent in general tasks of notable duration done outside will be unsupportable without a very expensive lithium battery.

 

[JD-Beach]

Interesting discussion about electric Power Trac a few years back.

 

[MossRoad]

Yep. Lots of good discussion from lots of members that I miss talking to. Hope they are all doing well. :thumbsup:

 

[BobRip]

The energy density in batteries is about 4% of that in gasoline, and I think that is optimistic. As such when you build an electric vehicle you have to minimize the energy use in every component. Power Tracs do not presently do this by any stretch of the imagination.