Re: (ET) Hybrid Electrak?

["Christopher Zach" <cz alembic crystel com>]

I think they were and can. Check your connections for any hot spots and throw on a set of drift cutters

C

Sent from my Droid thing

----- Reply message -----
From: "William Martin" <martinsprinklerdesign yahoo com>
Date: Fri, Jan 14, 2011 11:42 am
Subject: (ET) Hybrid Electrak?
To: "Banks, Michael J." <BanksM zhi com>, <elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu>

1.5 to 2 hours is probably about all you'll get out of your batteries running 
the snow thrower as hard as you're running it.  Everything sounds normal to me, 
given the conditions.  I don't think these machines were designed for that heavy 
of snow work.  I have a gas powered walk behind snow blower as a backup if I 
ever get a really nasty snow.  That wouldn't be a bad idea for you.  Probably 
more cost effective also.

That's my 2 cents!

Billy




________________________________
From: "Banks, Michael J." <BanksM zhi com>
To: William Martin <martinsprinklerdesign yahoo com>; 
elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Sent: Fri, January 14, 2011 11:35:17 AM
Subject: RE: (ET) Hybrid Electrak?


The batteries were full, but they are getting old.   I had replaced 2 this 
summer, last I checked the SG on the remaining 4 was still good.     I probably 
got about 400’ total, but this was almost 2 feet of snow, it was over the top of 
the snow thrower.    We were actually backing the tractor up every 10 feet or to 
shovel the snow in the next ten feet on to the already cleared spot so the snow 
was below the top of the snow thrower.   Plus I had to get through where the 
plows had left the snow at the end of the driveway which was probably 3 to 4’ 
high.
 
3’ out of the garage was probably an exaggeration, but I had chains and in the 
lowest gear.   I could probably have used more way in the back.    The snow was 
over the top of the blade in some spots.   The big problem with the blade was 
there was nowhere to push it.
 
I want to say it took at least an hour to get to the end of the driveway,    
  So maybe I was running the thrower for an 1.5 to 2 hours.      As soon as I 
would hit snow, the usage gauge would move above the red level and start to peg 
against the right wall of the meter.    So I would peg, then stop, let the usage 
fall and let the drum spin back up to speed, then move forward again… and 
repeat.
 
From:William Martin [mailto:martinsprinklerdesign yahoo com] 
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 11:26 AM
To: Banks, Michael J.; elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Subject: Re: (ET) Hybrid Electrak?
 
How long did the tractor run with the snow thrower running?  Did you have a full 
charge?  How old are your batteries?
 
You should get alot more run time out of your batteries than a 200' strip.
 
I'm assuming you made it 3' with a blade attached.??  Are you running tire 
chains?  I can push through a snow pile bigger than my E15 with the blade, tire 
chains and no weight on the back.  I would think you would be able to also in 
one of your low gears.
 
As for a hybrid...that kind of defeats the purpose of our electric tractors 
doesn't it??  :)  You would need a setup to generate 36 volts at very high 
amperage if you want to run the tractor and the snow thrower.  Sounds expensive 
to me.
 
I would check the batteries.  You may be due for a new set or have a bad one.
 
Good luck.
 
Billy 
 

________________________________

From:"Banks, Michael J." <BanksM zhi com>
To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Sent: Fri, January 14, 2011 10:25:10 AM
Subject: (ET) Hybrid Electrak?
I have a 200’ driveway that is paved and flat, but here in New England we just 
got hit with 19” of snow.     The E12 tractor got about 3 feet out of the garage 
before it couldn’t go any farther.    I put the snow thrower on and I made it 
down the driveway and almost back to garage before my batteries didn’t have 
enough charge to throw snow.
 
Has anybody tried hooking a gas powered generator up to the tractor to extend 
its range forextreme cases like this?