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RE: (ET) New guy in town...
I would agree that the ET is simple to fuel, but then, so is a gas tractor
-
just get a can for the gas! However, plugging in the ET should be a plus,
not a minus.
I think the real "infrastructure" problem with the ET was the dealer
network. It is electric, which is a technology that tractor dealers simply
did not know in 1960, nor do they understand it today. Most small engine
and tractor dealers can pretty much fix anything with a gas or diesel
engine, but a golf-cart-like drive system? Too difficult. I find the
"Owner's Service Manual" can be used to diagnose 99% of the issues with
simple tools and instruments, but very few tractor dealers would invest in
the labor skills necessary to deal with a foreign technology.
On the other hand, golf cart dealers should be able to service the ET, a
very similar technology to that employed by electric golf carts. However,
golf cart dealers don't really do a "retail" business, dealing mostly with
fleets of carts at clubs. I had a golf cart dealer right down the road
from
me (I got a couple of sets of excellent used batteries there), and I never
saw a retail customer in his yard. When you think "lawn tractor", you
think
Sears, Bolens, Toro, Home Depot, but not "the guy 50 miles away who sells
golf carts."
In other words, GE had a big marketing problem. One of my tractors, an
E-15
was originally sold through a commercial turf equipment dealer who did some
retail business too. He's still in business, but only sold GE stuff for a
couple of years. It was too complex to handle repairs (yup - I interviewed
him when looking for parts on day). The other one I got very cheap (very
second hand) because the owner couldn't find an individual or dealer that
would take it in trade for anything. Everyone was scared of the
technology.
It was in excellent condition, and with a change pf batteries, I have used
it to cut my lawn for 5 years without any repairs whatsoever - well, I did
replace the brake pad (of course!)
I think that until pollution control laws for small engines come in to
being
(the EPA will be on it soon), gas holds an edge in the marketplace. But if
we have small gas engines that require frequent or expensive services,
like,
for example, replacement of fuel injection computers, then ETs will begin
to
look very serviceable indeed. By the way, there are a number of Electronic
Fuel Injection systems already employed in 2 cycle snowmobile engines, and
they aren't cheap or easy to service. As servicing gas engines becomes
more
expensive, the higher "front end" costs of an ET will be offset by lower
operating costs. In addition, dealers will have to pay for additional
training for service technicians for the more complex gas engines, so
perhaps electric tractors will begin to find a real market.
Thanks for letting me expound!
-----Original Message-----
From: elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu
[mailto:elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu]On Behalf Of T Humphrey
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 1:56 PM
To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Subject: RE: (ET) New guy in town...
I agree with most points, except the refueling infrastructure. The
current infrastructure is more advantageous to the ET. You can't
drive your tractor to the gas station, therefore you need to plan
a special trip to go get the gas, which poses a danger from spark
ignition. Then you need to manually pour the gas into the tank of
your tractor, which most people do while it is still hot, posing a
heat ignition danger. The ET is simple, plug it in. Period. The
fuel is delivered from the point of generation right into the
tractor, almost a perfect infrastructure.
I use a Landis controller, so my tractor is nearly fool proof,
just plug it in and walk away. One day my wife mowed the lawn, I
reminded her to remember to plug the tractor in when she got done,
because it is bad for the batteries to sit discharged. She said
OK. She did plug the tractor in when she got done, however I
forgot to tell her to set the timer. Now I have a Landis, problem
solved. The manual for the tractor says the charger will go from
empty to 95% in about 5 hours, the other 12 or so hours are for
the finish charge. I don't beleive a finish charge is required
every cycle, especially with a Landis, it comes on every once in
awhile and charges for 5 mins and then shuts off. How long does a
battery have to sit at 95-99% of charge before sulfation starts,
or is positive grid corrosion a better alternative?
I have posted before about bypassing the Landis, but I have found
recently that that is not necessary. I went out a 10pm and plowed
my driveway, takes about an hour, so I figure that the batteries
are pretty much drained. Plug it in, come out at 7AM, and plow
again, (Lake effect snow all night, 1.5-2 inches per hour, 64
inches over a 3 day period). The batteries handled the job. and
did it again and again for those 3 days. In my mind the Landis
Controller is the best investment I have made yet. other than the
ET itself :)
I really think that if someone could build a tractor with modern
controls (both machine and charge) and ask ~$3500. sold through
Lowes or HD or Sams Club (a great source for batteries) then they
would have a hard time keeping up with demand.
Sorry I didn't mean to get off on a bunch of varying subjects......
Stay Charged!
Hump
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Trice, Phillip Coling [mailto:pctrice mgmt purdue edu]
>Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 1:37 PM
>To: Jeremy Gagliardi com; elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
>Subject: RE: (ET) New guy in town...
>
>
>Stephen,
>
> I think the main driver (no pun intended) is economics.
The pressure
>of economies of scale in gas engine production (as Jeremy says)
permit them
>to be cheaper than electric-based prime movers. I imagine that the
>small-engine industry has also benefited from the piggy-back
effect of
>gasoline engines in cars. That is, they are much more familiar
than are
>electric-drive tractors (or cars, or almost anything), and enjoy
immediate
>acceptance in the marketplace.
> Add to that the refueling infrastructure, and the deed is
done.
>
>On the topic of infrastructure, who can speak to the adequacy of
our current
>electrical generation/distribution infrastructure for electric
vehicles?
> There is an argument to be made that, if charging is to be
done
>during off-peak hours, our existing infrastructure not only might
be
>sufficient, but might be made more efficient due to the load-
balancing
>effects.
> Drifting off-topic,
>
> -Phil Trice
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu
>[mailto:elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu] On Behalf Of
>Jeremy Gagliardi com
>Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 7:53 AM
>To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
>Subject: Re: (ET) New guy in town...
>
>On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 19:53:45 -0500, Stephen & Carol Welch wrote:
>> (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...)
>
>Because it's still cheaper to produce an I.C.E. tractor. That
way they put
>more of the hidden costs on the consumer -- gasoline, oil, spark
plugs, air
>filters, maintenance -- rather than on the producer.
>
>Also, and perhaps this is just my jaded opinion, that the I.C.E.
>manufacturers have successfully implanted the viewpoint into the
collective
>consumer that a tractor that must be "plugged in" *gasp* is too
>inconvenient.
>
>
>(---------------------------)
> mailto:Jeremy Gagliardi com
> http://Jeremy.Gagliardi.com
>(---------------------------)
>
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