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.

[dh1]

Everything was painted and the tractor put back together. New rear tires were loaded with RV antifreeze in tubes, winter was coming and I have the MF630 dozer blade for this tractor.
The MF10 garden tractor is red gray and silver, there is also an AMF1010 tractor which is the same thing with a different hood, grill and paint. The 1010 is red and off white. Since this is a custom tractor I painted it along the lines of the 1010 but you can still tell it's a Massey.

1- What I started with
2- My Restored 66MF10
3- AMF1010
4- The finished product ET2

[dh1]

This is a video of the first chassis test run.

YouTube - ‪Electric Massey Ferguson Garden Tractor test run.‬‏

And a video of the first test drive after reassembly.

YouTube - ‪Electric Massey Ferguson Garden Tractor test drive‬‏

[dh1]

Shorty after the test drive video it snowed, so I got the snow plow painted and mounted on ET2 the electric Massey garden tractor. I plowed the driveway a few times with it and it worked good, did the job.
A snow plow test video.

YouTube - ‪ET2 snow plow test.‬‏

A power test video was done later and you can hear the belt slip in 4th gear.

YouTube - ‪Electric Massey ET2 Power test.‬‏

[dh1]

Testing continues as time goes on, the longest I have run it was about 2 1/2hrs. This was plowing the biggest snow fall we had this yr, right after I finished the driveway I drove it down to my neighbors and back, about 3km total. When I got back I put my hand on the motor and it was hot, couldn't hold your hand on it too long. I also checked the controller and it was cool, not cold but not warm either, that unit doesn't heat up at all. I let the tractor sit for an hr and then measured battery voltage, 2 batteries down 50%, 1 battery down to 45% charge, that battery runs the 12volt lights and I was using them.
Here's the latest video, a summary to date.

YouTube - ‪ET2 Electric Tractor Movie april 2011‬‏