Small gasoline engines are detrimental to our air, water and peace.
One application where they can be replaced with quiet,
reliable, zero-emissions electric drives is in tractors.
Most people are not even aware that electric tractors exist.
This page is intended to provide links to other information on the Internet
related to electric tractors and related equipment.
Electric tractors and even electric lawnmowers are now becoming more commonplace
in American household sheds.
There is a new generation of electric tractors becoming available in recent years,
but many of the electric tractors in operation today are the remnants of a fleet
produced in the 1970's, largely in response to the desire for a
quiet, reliable machine that was not dependent on interruptible
foreign oil.
The fact that many of these machines are still in
operation, and that others are being restored to operation almost
30 years later is a testament to their robustness and reliability.
Contributions are always
welcome. If you have an unwanted
electric tractor, let us know, and we will try to link you up
with someone who would like to relieve you of that burden.
There is an Elec-Trak e-mail discussion list on the Internet.
To subscribe to this list, send an e-mail to
elec-trak-request@cosmos5.phy.tufts.edu
and in the body of the message put "subscribe".
To unsubscribe send to the same address and say "unsubscribe".
This list welcomes contributions about all makes of electric
tractors, not just the Elec-Traks (which appear to be the most
common).
[site has disappeared: http://www.elec-trak.com] The General Electric Elec-Trak Owners Club Website
[site has disappeared: http://www.ge-electrak.com/index.php] GE-Elec-Trak.com Web Forum
Rod Hower's Elec-Trak (and other things) page
[Dead link: http://users.rcn.com/ssawtelle/] Steve's Stuff, including some Elec-Trak information
[Dead link: http://www.ustow.com/Elec-Trak/Tims_E20/] Tim Gulden's E20 page
[Site no longer exists: http://www.geocities.com/electraktractors/] Walt's Elec-Trak Page
Max Hall's
Elec-Trak with snowblower
Honda 2-stage snowblower re-worked to
fit GE E12 (Photo courtesy of Keith Steig)
Motor Curves (courtesy of Mike Wallace)
E20
Drive Motor (also Wheelhorse C-185 & GE I-5)
E15
Drive Motor
Snowthrower Motor
Harry Landis's galvanized mower deck (photos courtesy of Harry Landis)
Top View
Bottom View
Mike Finck's E-20 Restoration Video (less than 2 minutes - .mp4 file)
Wheel Horse Specific
Anthony Bailey's 1975
Wheel Horse C-185 electric tractor
Wheel Horse A60 top view (colour -
140k) (Photo courtesy of Dennis Pestka)
Wheel
Horse A60 left side view (colour - 142k) (Photo courtesy of
Dennis Pestka)
Wheel Horse A60 top view
(colour - 142k) (Photo courtesy of Dennis Pestka)
Wheel
Horse C185 front view (colour - 26k) (Photo courtesy of Dennis
Pestka)
Wheel Horse C185 front/right
view (colour - 25k) (Photo courtesy of Dennis Pestka)
Wheel
Horse C185 right side view (colour - 29k) (Photo courtesy of
Dennis Pestka)
Wheel Horse C185 mower
deck (colour - 66k) (Photo courtesy of Dennis Pestka)
New Idea Specific
EGT150 Wiring Schematic (courtesy L.
Stacey) (4.4 megabyte TIFF file)
EGT150
Wiring Layout (courtesy L. Stacey) (4.2 megabyte TIFF file)
Conversions
Here are some images of Carl Ervin's conversion of a Sears
Craftsman 38-inch lawn tractor to battery electric power.
Originally a 12.5 hp unit, the new drive system is designed around
the Briggs & Stratton ETEK motor, with a 48V battery pack of
110AH SLA batteries. Full safety interlocks were retained.
Estimated run time on a charge is 2 - 3 hours, based on current
experience with the mower. Power Cheq modules were utilized to
keep the battery pack balanced and the smart charger should make
battery maintenance much simpler. Total cost was about $1200. Carl
says he REALLY enjoys mowing the yard much more than before ! !
(don't need earplugs anymore). (Following images courtesy Carl
Ervin.)
Side View
Left
side, close-up
Dash view from
driver's seat
Under the hood
View
of the batteries
Charger, under the
seat view
[Dead link: http://www.renewables.com/tracpage1.html] New Holland
tractor converted to electric
[Dead link: http://www.renewables.com/tracpage2.html] Scratch-built
zero-radius electric tractor
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