Here's a link to an Arduino project that could be the "controller" of two large DC motors via solid state controllers. http://playground.arduino.cc/Main/DCMotorControl I have done some work with the Arduino products, and they are pretty cool - using a joystick and other switches or controls attached to an Arduino controller board as input to motor controllers probably would be a "no brainer" for some. I have done some fairly complex networking with wireless Arduino sensor loggers and found the once familiar with the programming language and environment, development of prototypes can happen fast. And cheap too. From: Konstanty, Walter (GE Energy Management) [mailto:Walter Konstanty ge com] Pieter, Good reply…. ¾ HP on mower motors is probably enough. What kind of brush mower do you have? I’m looking for one and not sure which to buy. Have ½ acre with various weeds/small trees and would like to mow them down. Let me know. …Walt From: Pieter Litchfield [mailto:pieter_litch yahoo com] An interesting project. I am no electrical engineer, but a couple of comments anyway: In this day and age of microcomputers, I would think that some kind of pulse width modulation controlled for each wheel by a simple processor and a joystick could handle all the variable wheel speed and reversing providing you could find some solid state relay that could handle the amperage of those pulses. Electric motors would be well suited to the task since they develop max torque at stall. My nephew has a zero turn electric wheelchair which is conceptually identical to a zero turn mower ( motors can individually reverse to spin on axis). You just need to scale it up! I wonder if there isn't an electric forklift or mover controller that would do the job? I have a brush mower with 15 hp, and it can cut 1.5 inch saplings. I would think that a finish mower with an engine solely devoted to turning the blades would require substantially less. The 3 motors on a ET finish mowers are probably a lot less - I don't know the number, but I bet someone else here does. From: Jerry Barth [mailto:Shredderf16 sbcglobal net] 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 |