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Home-Built Electric-Powered Tractor
"No one's ever made an electric-powered tractor as well-built or as versatile as mine. It'll blow snow, mow grass, grade drive-ways, and tow big loads," says Peter Heide, Steinbach, Manitoba, about the workhorse electric utility tractor he built 25 years ago.
The machine is 38 1/2-in. wide, 67 1/2-in. long, 33-i
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Home-Built Electric-Powered Tractor ENERGY Alternative Fuels 20-1-29 "No one's ever made an electric-powered tractor as well-built or as versatile as mine. It'll blow snow, mow grass, grade drive-ways, and tow big loads," says Peter Heide, Steinbach, Manitoba, about the workhorse electric utility tractor he built 25 years ago.
The machine is 38 1/2-in. wide, 67 1/2-in. long, 33-in. high, and weighs 1,000 lbs.
It's powered by six 6-volt deep cycle batteries coupled to a 36-volt series wound electric motor.
Heide used dual control, variable coneto-dish friction drives for the transmission. Chain-driven planetary drives off aircraft starters mount inside each drive wheel, which are fitted with 10.5 by 12-in. low-profile flotation tires. Independently con-trolled drive wheels permit 360? spins, Heide notes. Rear caster wheels fitted with small aircraft tires help to turn on a dime. Top speed is 5 mph.
Drive levers in the middle of the tractor are fitted with cams that automatically en-gage the tractor's brakes when moved to the central, neutral position. Brakes came off a snowmobile.
The tractor's seat is fitted with prongs so it can be positioned in one of two sets of sockets in its frame. It can be turned 180? to face backwards.
Heide built a 3-pt. hitch for the tractor out of tubing and flat iron. He uses linear actuators, like those used to open and close bombay doors on aircraft, to lift and tilt the 3 pt. with the control levers.
Heide's 3 pt.-mountable snowblower, mower deck, blade and bucket are all 42 in. wide.
He uses a General Electric snowblower for clearing snow. He modified the original snowblower by cutting off two auger flights from one side, then reattaching it at a 90? angle, giving him four shovels instead of two to increase capacity 50%. He also re-positioned the motor and made a new chain drive for the blower to improve balance and visibility over it. For snow-blowing, drive wheels are in front.
He uses a General Electric mower which has separate electric motors for each of its three 16-in. overlapping blades. For mowing, castor wheels are in front. A two-tire oscillating axle bolts on instead of the single tire axle for operating on uneven ground.
Heide can mow about a half a day be-fore having to recharge the tractor with his 115-volt automatic recharger. He can blow snow for two or three hours before recharging. It takes about three hours of recharging for each hour of running.
"I've been told it would be too costly to mass produce, but I wouldn't trade this buggy for the moon, says Heide. He has about $4,400 invested in the project.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Pe-ter Heide, P.O. Box 1334, Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada ROA 2AO (ph 204 326-2288).
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