Great thread. This is exactly what I'd like to with my Yard Bug mower. It's a sit over the motor rig with room for a grass catcher under the seat too. I'd like to put the batteries where the bag would normally sit.
It looks like my system is a 2 belt system, one belt driving the blade and the other driving the transmission. So, if I can swap the gas engine with an electric motor (and the motor rpm is similar to the gas engine) then it seems like it could be a nice conversion. I'm also assuming I don't need a motor controller since speed is normally zero to slow. I'm not really familiar with contactors, but my understanding is they're a physical connection in the line completing the circuit between the battery and motor.
I need to find a good source for a 24-48 V motor that spins in the 3500-5000 rpm range. I figure I'll also look for 2-4 deep cycle 12 V batteries, contactors and cables. Installing the batteries shouldn't be a problem since I need to build a tray that sits over the deck/under the seat.
Would a golf cart motor be a good candidate?
Am I missing something, or would this work? A motor controller would be nice so I can vary speed, but then my blade speed would vary too. 2 motors would be nice, but then things start getting hard to write off under the 'hobby' budget.
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