Re: (ET) zero turn

["Robert" <euclid delhitel net>]

Jerry,
I've thought of doing a zero turn myself. The thing about zero turns is that 
they lend themselves handily to electric drive. Take a look at the Zeon, it 
is well built but it does cost about 5k. There may have been some 'teething' 
issues but overall I think it is probably a decent machine.

Back to your idea. First off, driving zero turn mowers with hydraulics is an 
insane way to accomplish a drive system. I now have a JD 445 zero turn with 
a 25 hp Kawasaki engine. Most of the power goes to the hydraulics and the 
thing eat gas like no tomorrow! Depending on how fast you want to mow I 
would say a 1KW motor on each wheel could work. 1KW is about 1-1/3hp, the 
thing is the controller to run it usually comes with the motor. The bad 
thing is you don't get reverse. You're going to need to  be able to weld and 
have some sort of machine shop if you want to do anything worth while or get 
out a lot of bucks for specialty machine work, it won't be cheap!
What might be the best option is to eBay around and see if you can find an 
old zero turn with a bad motor or hydro pump that someone wants to sell 
cheap that you can adapt to electric. I have thought of doing this but have 
so many projects in the works that I know I'll never get to it, I'm already 
behind on my ET restores and two windmills I'm making and I have a full 
electronics lab and a machine shop.

Good luck and keep us posted,
Rob

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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 2013 09:49:03 -0600
From: "Jerry Barth" <Shredderf16 sbcglobal net>
To: <elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu>
Subject: (ET) Zero Turn Electric Mower Conversion
Message-ID: <26E93EDC7D1F464A8A58FBCE11067B95@DadPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hi Guys,

  I've just joined your list, I was directed to your list by the electric
boat guys.  I blew up the engine on my 15 year old 42" riding mower.  I
really want a zero turn mower to replace it, but those are expensive.
Looking at my old one I could just get a new engine, but for the price of a
new 21 hp motor I might as well just buy a new mower.  Instead I was
thinking of converting my old mower into a zero turn with electric drive
motors.  To drive the blades I would get a new 12-15 hp gas motor.  Looking
at what I have now it looks like I could use the frame and deck from the 
old
mower by turning it around backwards, removing the old rear drive wheels 
and
transmission (which would now be the front) and putting casters there.  
Then
I would mount a new axle/drive wheels driven by electric motors on what was
the front of the old mower.  I looked at some scooter motors available on
the net, but it looks like the biggest ones are about 1 KW.  I'm not sure 
if
this will be enough drive power, although my yard is level so it might be.
I figure the mower with me on it will probably be around 500 lbs.  Also, I
assume I would need two controllers because each wheel has to be
individually controllable, or are there controllers with two channels?

Thanks,

Jerry Barth

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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 11:22:40 -0500
From: Ken Olum <kdo cosmos phy tufts edu>
To: "Jerry Barth" <Shredderf16 sbcglobal net>
Cc: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Subject: Re: (ET) Zero Turn Electric Mower Conversion
Message-ID: <E1VdMvI-00047D-Ud cosmos phy tufts edu>

Hi, Jerry, and welcome to the list.

It seems to me that if you going to go electric, you should go
electric all the way, rather than using gas for the blades.  Otherwise
you go to a lot of trouble and expense and you're still making a big
racket and polluting the air.

                                       Ken



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