Quick answer: It will work. As long as the field and the armature voltages are the same the motor should run fine. It will have more power but I don't think the speed will change, just that it will be more peppy going up hills and whatnot. It will have the capacity to pull more current because it will be able to pull more stuff and that could overheat it, but in normal drive around mode current draw should be reduced by 25% (which will make the wires happier)
A series motor will change speed as more voltage is added; but a shunt should stay about the same. This is why I would not run the snowblower at 48 volts; it spins fast enough already. However I did just do a complete overhaul, so maybe it could handle it without the auger exploding.
That said, be very careful with field weakening, especially in reverse.
Oddly enough this is why I am comfortable running the lift motor at 36 volts instead of 18. It's a series wound motor and just spins faster so the lift goes up and down quicker. You have to be careful as the internal overload breaker will not work (it will flash over at 36v) so putting a fuse that is half the size of the 30a used at 18 volts will keep you from ripping your deck apart as the stalled motor tears out the lift mounting.
Technically the brushes should be wearing faster but I have yet to replace them. In fact I think the higher current and lower voltage and slower armature of the 18v setting burns out the brushes and commutator bars quicker when the motor stalls while doing a heavy lift.
Running the lift motor at 48v.... Hm, don't know. Use a 10amp fuse and it might be time for DC rated fuses as opposed to the normal car fuses.
Chris
A quick question for the group...has any ever run the drive motor in our ets on 48v? I am building a new mower deck and the deck will be at 48v and hope to not change out the tractor drive motor just yet.Any thoughts?
On Mar 24, 2026 7:18 AM, Chris Zach via Elec-trak <elec-trak@cosmos.phy.tufts.edu> wrote:
Cool! To another list member?
My E20's transmission is starting to make odd noises after smashing ice
all winter. I'll drain the oil (assuming there is oil in there) and see
if I have chunks of metal going on. It's not an end of world problem but
it is a bit annoying and I think there are a lot of transmissions out
there...
But boy with the tow strap it's great for dragging logs out of the
forest (where trees fall down) and across the yard.
Chris
On 3/24/26 02:18, john.hosken@usa.net wrote:
> Sold and picked up.
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> 1. E20AA Basket Case For Sale (john.hosken@usa.net)
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> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:03:12 -0400
> From: <john.hosken@usa.net>
> To: <elec-trak@cosmos.phy.tufts.edu>
> Subject: (ET) E20AA Basket Case For Sale
> Message-ID: <00d001dcb5c2$f9fa5e10$edef1a30$@usa.net>
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> When I paid $200 for it 25 years ago, it was a complete low-mileage E20AA
> with somewhat rusty sheet metal, varmint-eaten wiring and previously-frozen
> batteries. It's now disassembled and cleaned for restoration. Sale includes
> a box of NOS wearing parts that cost me $450. As-is - $350. I and it are in
> 02467.
>
> John
>
> 857-234-5789
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