IC engine tractor conversion query

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Fellow tinkerers.

I have a wheelhorse C125 garden tractor fitted with a Kohler 12hp petrol engine.

Is it possible to ditch this and fit an electric motor and batteries with enough power to drive the thing?

I contacted a motor supplier (used to dealing with industry not a shed engineer) and was quoted over 2k for a motor and 48v lead acid battery system which would still need a controller etc.

In my simple imagination a foot mounted motor with enough grunt and a sufficient battery pack would get things moving, but you folk who power locomotives with electrickery will hopefully provide some technical knowhow to my concept.

It has an 8 speed gearbox and the petrol engine runs at 3500 rpm. I have all the weights and specs if needed.

I think the firm I wrote to thought the motor would be driving the wheels direct rather than through a gearbox.

Thinking caps on please

Plasma.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Can it be done for a decent cost

[Tim ChambersParticipant @timchambers76147]

Plenty to see on YouTube https://youtu.be/NMWQxc9Ch2w

This firm are local to me but the website doesn't seem to have changed much recently.

https://www.everything-ev.com/

Edited By Tim Chambers on 29/07/2019 17:17:28

Edited By Tim Chambers on 29/07/2019 17:28:53

[Tim ChambersParticipant @timchambers76147]

Edited By Tim Chambers on 29/07/2019 17:20:34

Edited By Tim Chambers on 29/07/2019 17:23:44

Edited By Tim Chambers on 29/07/2019 17:26:51

Trying to embed with mobile is impossible.

 

Edited By Tim Chambers on 29/07/2019 17:27:56

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Thanks Tim.

Some food for thought there. Plenty to keep me thinking about while I plan things.

I've been offered an electric airport luggage tug, capable of towing 6000kg for the job I have in mind.

Trouble is it's in Buckingham and I'm in Barnsley.

Never organised transport like this so I'm having fun calling haulage firms.

Regards mick

[AdrianRParticipant @adrianr18614]

I think the conversion to an electric motor is easy, the hard bit is getting the batteries.

The energy density of batteries is very low compared to fuel and to have a decent run time you need huge batteries. Which if are lead acid are also very heavy.

Your 12HP engine would need to be replaced with a motor would draw 11KW assuming 80% efficiency of the controllers etc. At 48V that would be 229A, so for 1hr at full power you would need about 500AH of battery (lead acid max discharge 50%).

If you want to be green, buy biofuel.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

 

 

Edited By V8Eng on 31/07/2019 14:40:31

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by Plasma on 31/07/2019 12:31:34:

Thanks Tim.

Some food for thought there. Plenty to keep me thinking about while I plan things.

I've been offered an electric airport luggage tug, capable of towing 6000kg for the job I have in mind.

Trouble is it's in Buckingham and I'm in Barnsley.

Never organised transport like this so I'm having fun calling haulage firms.

Regards mick

I wonder if it'd be better to just use the tug and try to find a way to get a PTO off it?

pgk

[steveteeParticipant @stevetee]

I think it's fair to remind ourselves that whilst the petrol engine runs at full speed, it doesn't run at full load much of the time.

[Tim ChambersParticipant @timchambers76147]

Posted by AdrianR on 31/07/2019 13:47:47:

If you want to be green, buy biofuel.

If you really want to go green ,buy a goat.

[Philip BurleyParticipant @philipburley44197]

Hello , well if you remove the engine , I need a kohler for my Wheel horse , that would go towards the cost of an electric !!!!

regards Ohil

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Have you actually investigated the size of the motor in the tug? I looked at a baggage tug some years ago for a possible full size electric vehicle project. It was huge and very heavy for it's output. The tug was up for grabs and literally 1/4 of a mile away on the same industrial estate as my work but I still passed on it.

Robert G8RPI.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Electric ride on mowers and garden tractors seem to be available across the pond some seem to run at 48v, do not know if they are available in the U.K. yet.

More info via these links

Ryobi

TodaysMower

Edited By V8Eng on 31/07/2019 21:35:52

Edited By V8Eng on 31/07/2019 21:44:13

[John OlsenParticipant @johnolsen79199]

Husqvarna do an electric ride on mower, as well as their robotic ones where you don't even need to be there at all. The ride on one is about NZ$7500 which would translate to about 300 to 4000 GBP I guess.

John

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Posted by AdrianR on 31/07/2019 13:47:47:

I think the conversion to an electric motor is easy, the hard bit is getting the batteries.

The energy density of batteries is very low compared to fuel and to have a decent run time you need huge batteries. Which if are lead acid are also very heavy.

Your 12HP engine would need to be replaced with a motor would draw 11KW assuming 80% efficiency of the controllers etc. At 48V that would be 229A, so for 1hr at full power you would need about 500AH of battery (lead acid max discharge 50%).

If you want to be green, buy biofuel.

Look at golf cart batteries. Designed for a bit more than 50% drop . Come as 6V I believe but H duty

[AdrianRParticipant @adrianr18614]

Yeup, the 50% was for deep discharge batteries. Yes you can discharge them more but it drastically reduces their lifetime. 50% is a compromise between capacity and lifetime.

I note that one of those electric lawn mowers has a 3yr warranty and a 1yr limited warranty on the battery. What a confident manufacturer.

[RMAParticipant @rma]

Posted by Plasma on 31/07/2019 12:31:34:

Thanks Tim.

Some food for thought there. Plenty to keep me thinking about while I plan things.

I've been offered an electric airport luggage tug, capable of towing 6000kg for the job I have in mind.

Trouble is it's in Buckingham and I'm in Barnsley.

Never organised transport like this so I'm having fun calling haulage firms.

Regards mick

See Parcel2Go website and put in what you want moving, and the quotes come rolling in. Saves a lot of time, but give it time for all the quotes to arrive as sometimes the cheaper ones come in last. Good luck.

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Just an update. The item was listed on ebay, however the seller used three year old photos from a previous sale to advertise it. Something was fishy and the seller lied about the photos so I pulled my bid. Not worth taking a punt and if I had not had the information and advice from you gents I would have bought a 1020kg lemon.

Many thanks plasma

[PlasmaParticipant @plasma]

Just by way of an update on this story.

I decided to rebuild the original Kohler engine and abandoned plans to electrify Fred.

Turned out to be a good call, the engine is in good shape and runs well.

I also decided to look into registering Fred with the DVLA so I can insure and use on the road.

It was a bit of a faff, mainly through the covid shutdown of DVLA operations.

But I finally received a V5 for my now V registered tractor.

I will probably never get stopped by the police but I'm legal and covered fully comp.

Off to the shops on my tractor then lol

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Buckingham to Barnsley – was only 130 miles at 10 mph – only about 14 hours with pit stops (Don't forget the charger !!) – Come in handy for the next project ??

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

I once drove a vintage tractor from 8 miles beyond Buckingham to Lincolnshire one sunny Sunday (Silverstone GP weekend) many moons ago. Was a little faster (~12 1/2mph top speed) and I did fit a more comfy seat. 80 miles in the day (with plenty of stops/rests) was enough but not too much. I did watch the GP as well. Driving 30 or 40 miles on the tractor was not unusual.

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