Electric Garden Tractor

[dh1]

This is my 2nd EV conversion it started with a 1966 Massey Ferguson MF10 Garden Tractor. It might look like a good one in the pic but it is a combination of several MF10,+12 tractors that doesn't run.
The goal was to try to made an electric garden tractor that would be able to use the original attachments.
First step was to strip it down to a rolling chassis less the 10hp gas engine.
Then a good cleanup, inspection to see what was good and what needed repair.
Then to try to figure out what I was going to do, where to put the electric motor, batteries???

[dh1]

The motor, I have a ADC FBI 4001A but was unable to use it as I couldn't figure out haw to connect the motor to the trany or where to put 10 batteries.
So I ended up using a ADC 140-07-4001, 2hp continuous, 10hp peak, 36 volt motor. 45amp cont, 275amp max, 5.58 dia, 29lbs.
The tag is unreadable but I'm pretty sure this is what it is, paid $40. at a flea market for it.
A bracket was made out of 1/4" steel plate and the motor mounted in a spot where it could be hooked to the trany with a v belt using the original tensioner.
Also the factory lift was retained so that it could be used for attachments.
Mounting the motor like this, the Vari-Drive feature is eliminated, but the control handle for it still works the parking brake. Located on the right hand side of tractor.

[dh1]

Since it has a 36volt motor 3, 12volt deep cycle group 27 Wallmart batteries were bought. The gas tank and original battery holder were cut off and new racks for the 3 batteries were made. One thing I was able to do was to mount all the batteries without cutting the hood or grill to retain the factory look.
There is enough space under the hood for 2 more batteries, and you could even mount 2 out back behind the seat. Mounting batteries behind the seat I really did not want to do as the is a rear lift there that I want to be able to use for attachments.

[dh1]

Time to see if it works, no controller has been bought yet, I have a control panel from a 36 volt floor sweeper that I bought at the same time as the motor and it has 36volt solenoids on it. I mounted 1 and put a cable with a battery booster clamp on it so I could select 12, 24, or 36volts for testing. I used a small jumper wire to turn the solenoid on and off.
It worked, 12volts had enough to move it self but that's about it.
24volts much more power.
36volts even more power.
1 problem that showed up was some clucking and mushiness from the rear end, thought it was the belt slipping at the time.

[dh1]

After the first test drive it was time to teardown the tractor again, this time completely apart. Everything was cleaned and prepped for paint as well as some more repairs. Found out why the rear end felt clunky and mushy, discovered some big cracks in the frame where the trany mounts. I welded them up and hopefully no more problems there. Finished the battery racks with some better hold downs and started on the wiring.

[dh1]

The motor I'm using is not reversible so to make the tractor go backwards the trany is put in reverse. Trany has 4 forward and 1 reverse gear.
Right from the start I wanted to use a controller on this one, my 1st EV has non only a contactor and the tractor is jumpy as it has no clutch.
The motor specs say 45amps continuous, 275 peak.
I picked a Kelly controller 36volt, 80amp continuous, 200amp max. This controller will deliver almost 2x the continuous rating of the motor and this is what I based my decision on and that fact that it was recommended to me by a fellow EV buff. Also I bought the foot throttle for it.
I also got a fork lift battery charger, 36volt.
Painting has begun and tractor started to be put back together.

[Daox]

Very nice summary thread! Are you planning on getting anymore attachments for it?

[dh1]

Originally Posted by Daox

Very nice summary thread! Are you planning on getting anymore attachments for it?

Thanks so far it seems to work.
I have the rear lift for it and a sleeve hitch for it. As for rear attachments I have a Brinly cultivator and 10" plow that has a broken point, in the proses of getting another point (share) for it. Also I have a home made reversible box scrapper with teeth that I want to adapt for the sleeve hitch.
I have the MF630 Dozer blade (snow plow), 42" blade that works good. With 2 link tire chains.
I have a pull behind reel mower set.
Any powered attachments will have to be self powered as the way the motor is mounted they won't work. Even if the motor was in the same place as the gas engine was it wouldn't have enough power to drive them.

[Xringer]

An amazing conversion! I'm extremely impressed by the performance of that motor.
And the battery life.. That controller was a good investment!

Congrats Doug, on a job very well done!

[dh1]

Originally Posted by Xringer

An amazing conversion! I'm extremely impressed by the performance of that motor.
And the battery life.. That controller was a good investment!

Congrats Doug, on a job very well done!

I think the controller with the foot throttle is what really makes it work good.
the motor has enough to move it around, when I plow the snow I use 3rd or 4th gear, 4th is nice as it's faster. It seems to have a lot of low rpm power and as the rpms go up the power or torque drops off. It will go really fast down hill and slow right up going up the same hill.
I picked the 200amp controller over the 3ooamp mainly to limit the power to the motor. To try to protect it for burning up to quick. I don't know how much more power you would get with the 300amp unit, be nice to try just to see.
One thing I might do is install a another solenoid with a momentary switch, to connect the batteries direct to the motor as a power boost, that would show a power gain if there is any.

Anybody have a line on meters, looking for 2 1/8" round amp and volt meters.
0 to 300 amps, and 0 to 40 or so volts.
Be nice to see what this thing draws when used under different conditions.