Re: (ET) tractor

["Darryl McMahon" <darryl econogics com>]

Hi Neil (and all),
never left this list, but have been quiet for a while.  Spent much of last 
summer 
away from the keyboard and at the cottage with electric tractor and 
electric boat.  
The ET was in regular service hauling concrete from road to construction 
site 
(under the cottage), moving trailers, grading roadways and driveways, 
moving earth 
and rocks, even dragging a heavy staircase around the property.  

Brought the ET home at the end of the season, and tried using the plow 
blade to 
clear snow at home.  One round of that was enough, and I put the 
snowblower back 
on.  Long, snowy winter here, so the ET continued to earn it's keep, 
including 
doing a fair bit of street when the city plows seemed to have trouble 
finding us.

It's been back to the rototiller for the past month or so, but I think 
that period 
is drawing to a close, so probably time to put the tiller away and take 
the tractor 
north again for the summer.

I use the tractor to launch the trailer with the electric boat - makes for 
an 
environmentally friendly launch for the zero-emissions boat.  And there's 
lots more 
construction work ahead, including a rain-water collection system to 
eliminate 
drawing water from the lake.  One more step to making the cottage a 
4-season 
property.

Other than that, lack of gainful employment is taking up a lot of time 
(chasing 
leads, lots of non-paying work about, and some time for personal projects, 
such as 
the online electric tractor inventory).  Made the shift from voluntary to 
involuntary income interruption in January.  

Hope to have the Black & Decker 8080 cordless electric reel mower (circa 
mid-70s) 
operational this year.  Don't have enough lawn left to justify even the 
corded 
mower I refurbished last fall (Cdn$15 at an auction last summer).  And 
what little 
lawn we had is disappearing as I tilled up some of the city land this 
spring to 
make more space for vegetables.  I still can't get over how the BH tiller 
on the ET 
just chops up roots.  And I am not deaf or shaking from shoulders to 
fingertips 
when I'm done.

What I need next is an ET attachment for dandelion removal.  The HC-05 
cultivator 
isn't fine enough, and mine needs some attention.

Thanks to everyone for their comments on the mystery tractor.  Hopefully 
the owner 
will join the list after seeing the ones I am forwarding to him.

Oh, and another EV buddy of mine has just picked up an E12 in Connecticut, 
so 
hopefully we will be hearing from him here soon as well.

Darryl

Date sent:              Mon, 02 Jun 2003 16:44:40 -0400
From:                   Neil Dennis <wombat dssinternet net>
To:                     Elec-trak <elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu>
Subject:                (ET) tractor

> Hey, Darryl, long time no hear !  Glad you're back.  (;-')
> 
> Doubt that was a Case, at least the one I had was built differently and
> was orange.  Called a Case-Avko, or something like
> 
> You're probablyright, about that period a lot of companies built up
> electrics on gas tractor frames - remember the gas shortage panic ?  So
> far I've had John Deere (still using), International and Case, I'd almost
> bet MTD was in there somewhere (they built to contract for outfits like
> sears, Wards and lots of others.
> 
> wombat - may have to buy new batts for the JD, getting so I can't do the
> whole lawn on one charge. {:-{
> 
> 
>