Re: (ET) New guy in town...

[Dave & Debbie Barden <daveb seanet com>]

http://www.electrictractor.com/

check it out.  It's a brand new state-of-the-art machine includes regen 
braking. also quite pricey at 5 or 6 grand.

my limited experience with these older machines and reading this list is 
that 
you will probably end up with a machine that needs some work.  but once 
ALL the 
problems have been taken care of you'll have a very reliable machine 
indeed.

I think the best strategy concerning the wife is to make sure she 
understands 
that the machine will need some TLC to get it to the reliable point then 
put in 
the time energy and money to make sure you get it to that point before you 
tell 
her it is ready to go.  Also I'd make a fresh set of batteries the last 
purchase because they'll most likely be your biggest expense.  Fix the 
little 
things like frayed wire/cable, stuck contactors, corrosion, etc first, 
then put 
in the fresh batteries.

I'm sure others will have other opinions.  :^)

 
> I've been considering moving from my John Deere 170 to an E-15.  Being 
> the
> cautious sort, I've been gathering info & reading this list for a while.
> 
> I realize these are 30 year old tractors, and am wondering whether I can
> effectively keep one running reliably.  I've entirely rebuilt my MGB, 
> engine
> included, but I'm no electrical engineer.  Some (most?) of the electrical
> postings on the list go whistling way over my head.  I don't mind 
> getting my
> hands dirty at all, but I don't want the ET to be a primary "hobby" 
> (already
> have enough of those!!) - i.e., when my crop's a-growin', I need to be
> a-mowin'!  Plus, the wife won't put up with a "maybe it will, maybe it
> won't" mower without sending grief my way... ;^)
> 
> So, if you use one weekly or more for mowing, how often are you spending
> time fixing?  Other comments?
> 
> I like many of the features of the ET, but I don't want to make a bad, if
> enthusiastic & idealistic, decision.
> 
> (side note:  anybody care to venture why, with all of the electronic
> innovations that have taken place in the last 30 years, no major
> manufacturer has done a new (modern?) version of the E.T.?  I'd be
> interested...)
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Steve Welch
> 
> 
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