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Re: (ET) Life after Bill.
From Lee:
Since it seems like everybody else is 'mourning the loss' I'll kick in my
bit.
I think there are a couple of things that should be considered before
anybody takes on Bill's job. I would love to do it, but I'm in my
seventies so you know it couldn't be a long term commitment. Which leads
me to ask:
Just how old are most elec-trak owners? Is investing a lot of time and
effort going to 'pay off' in the long term?
Second - Just how many functioning elec-traks are out there? And how long
will they remain 'functioning''? I've had my E-15 for over 25 years(bought
it used), and have used it for everything (still do). But like me, it's
taking more fixing up each year to keep it running. And like me, there's
pretty much a limit as to how much fixing up you can do. Mine definitely
needs to be rewired. When I look at the wiring I marvel that the thing
still runs. The circuit board looks like it's been buried in a trash heap
for 20 years. Sometimes I have to hit the black panel with a wrench to
make it run. Bearings are loose. The brakes are no good (although the
Bill Gunn modification helped that a lot). The wheel hubs keep coming
loose, etc. etc.
So am I going to do all that stuff? So I can take it to some nursing home
or condo with me? Not likely! I don't think it's going to be
'functioning' much longer!
I see the situation sort of like the passing of the old 'Johnny Poppers"
(John Deere's two cylinder tractors). I thought the world was coming to an
end when they quit making those things. But the fact is the new tractors
were much more efficient, powerful, etc.
There's lots of poppers still around but I don't think anybody actually
uses them except for tractor pulls at state fairs.
It seems to me that if an electric tractor is going to have 'mass market
appeal' today, it's going to have to be re-enginerred from the ground up.