Battery Issue with the Solectrac Electric Tractor! I’ll Explain the Details!

[@m.h4664]

Everything new takes time to grow on me . I like my diesel tractor and I'm not really wanting to trade it for battery powered. I think for now maybe they is a place for both fuel and battery powered. Old timers didn't want to trade their horses in for tractor at first. Hope you and your family have a blessed day praying for you all. Enjoy seeing all the different types of things you show us all

[@craigv5704]

I don't own an electric tractor and not sure I ever will but I did find this video interesting! I love learning little tricks and insights about things, they may pay off in a different scenario.

[@servihomestead4324]

Thanks for sharing this info, which I'm sure is new to most of us. The little battery makes sense. Many electronic systems, like a PC, have some type of a small "control" battery. Thanks, Tim.

[@bladewiper]

Different is not necessarily better or worse, just different. Coming from the heavy equipment world, turning off master switches is just natural for me, I also see one at the front of the main battery. I do have concerns about the location/ durability of the switch handle. I can see it getting hit by your heel or something you put on the floor of the tractor. I do really enjoy seeing the cats roaming around.

[@philsmock4943]

Good to know about the smaller controlling battery. Thanks for the update.

[@tcmits3699]

A Harbour Freight solar battery maintainer imbedded on top of the hood seems like a logical improvement

[@brianinflorida3979]

This goes along with parking outside, highly recommended!

[@tcmits3699]

@@brianinflorida3979 love dem indoors Tesla's

[@Kcolby47]

Electrification is an interesting journey. (Whether you’re a fan or not.). As electric technology continues to evolve, who knows what the future holds for different applications. Thanks for taking us along on this adventure. Blessings.

[@HarDrv]

We appreciate you making the mistakes so we don't have to. We learn more that way. :)

[@73superglide62]

Are you saying running as moving ?

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Not sure I remember the context? Ask your question again with a bit more context?

[@JimFinlayson]

Nice explanation. You’re being fair in your evaluation. I still fear going electric beyond the 18v power tools - even there I’ve learned to keep the batteries charged when stored in the cold.

[@parksfamily6920]

Thanks Tim very informative as always

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Good info, Tim. Thanks for sharing.

[@eosjoe565]

Most EV's (cars, truck, etc.) have a small 12V battery in addition to the high voltage main battery. In most cases when that small 12V battery is dead the entire vehicle is disabled.

[@1guyin10]

I believe Hyundai -Kia is the only company making EVs that power the 12V side by stepping down power from the main battery pack. Everyone else seems to use a separate 12V battery for those functions

[@atodaso1668]

And they put them in really hard to access places. The steps you have to take if your 12v battery dies in most EV's is insane.

[@Sparkeee1978]

Seems like a modest solar battery maintainer cell mounted to the hood or rops etc would benefit this a lot. I have one that came standard on my dump trailer, as its not used every week, and it sure has helped keep the battery in good health.

[@DPWian]

2:08 lol your cat trying to fit it’s head through that rear hood opening.

[@larryrichmond]

Hey Tim, if the tractor works like an EV, the 12v battery actuates a physical contactor that then allows charging and use of the traction battery. Thus when the 12v is dead, you've bricked the tractor.

[@glennvengroff7235]

Call me old school but there aint nothin like the smell of diesel in the morning.

[@bill29456]

Hey Tim: you said the BIG battery doesn’t charge the 12volt battery. When you plug the tractor into a 240 volt charger, does that charge both batteries at the same time?

[@TractorTimewithTim]

No. Only charges the big battery.

[@briandickinson3721]

Rather than calling it an ignition switch it may be more of a contactor. Not trying to be a nerd, just offering a possibly more accurate description. Appreciate your videos , always happy when a new one is released.

[@bhoss7133]

I'd think "Power switch " would probably be acceptable, right?

[@briandickinson3721]

@@bhoss7133 That works too.

[@brooster87]

Thank you brother. Always great videos.

[@johanbos160]

Nice video tim and kristie and a nice tip for everyone with electric equipment 👍

[@Southalabamaoutdoors]

Wondering didn't it come with a manual? If so didn't it mention the information you shared you found out? Just curious

[@williamfenner9915]

No it is interesting to see how these things work.

[@lscanothern2493]

Are you going to get the backhoe for the Solectrac?

[@mikegraziano1562]

A few comments, first I have a 07 Toyota Camry hybrid which also has a special small 12V car battery that costs $350 to replace, more on that later. It lasted 14 years & in that whole time I assumed that there was just the one large battery pack that ran everything, as there is no battery in the engine compartment. So one day I got a message on the dash to change the battery, I"m thinking it's the whole $6000-7000 battery pack. I went on line to see if there was a youtube video on replacing them and low & behold I see a guy replacing the small 12 volt battery hidden in the trunk under a screwed down cover! So... the battery has this air tube which lets any battery acid fumes out of the trunk as well as a special connector...thus the reason it's so expensive ($5 in parts BTW). The biggest issue was that I had a bunch of things to do afterward like re-install the GPS map program, putting in address info etc. etc....but I was happy I was able to get away with only a $350 battery cost. Zip ahead 2 years later and now at 16 years I'm getting messages to check the hybrid system. 3 times now the car has just turned off, once while going 60 mph and trying to get on I-95!!!! Luckily each time I was able to still steer & coast to a stop, I retried starting 4 or 5 times & she started and I was on my way. Now every time I see a 2007 non hybrid Camry I think to myself that lucky person doesn't have a ticking time bomb & can drive that car for 30yrs without replacing the $7000 batteries, or worrying about a battery fire!! The best MPG I ever got was about 33MPG...a new non hybrid Camry now has that or better MPG. An other interesting fact....A friend works at a Honda parts dept and he told me that customers that don't drive for 3 months (snowbirds) end up replacing the pack at like 50,000 miles or 4 or 5 years. Hope this helps someone!

[@bioniclife]

Am I understanding that you have to charge the 12v slave battery independently from the main power source battery?

[@Itsa_Mea]

The tractors propulsion pack can maintain the 12v battery. It just can't charge a stone dead one with no power to start with. It needs power to "energize" the circuits to activate the propulsion pack.

[@thehawkc]

Thanks for the update.

[@samengler539]

Hmm as alway I enjoyed learning from your mishaps. Good job.

[@jeepxj]

the 12v battery uses the key to trigger the main high voltage bus contactor. you can call it the contactor switch instead of ignition. and scream "CONTACT" every time you turn it if you'd like.

[@5075E]

Very interesting video. In my profession of electrician which includes industrial control, we would refer to the small battery as "control power" which often is from a different source than the higher voltage or amperage power running the equipment. One has to think about these kinds of machines in a different way. An internal combustion engine (kinetic energy) and the fuel (potential energy) are actually producing the power required to run the equipment AND recharge the battery but need another source of potential energy (the battery) to get things going. In an electric machine, it's all potential energy stored in the battery that only depletes, there's no generation of electrical energy to "recharge" anything. Your findings tell me there's a couple of oversights in their design. There should be no parasitic drain on the control battery. I don't know of any component or system (other than say a clock) that needs to be supervised while the machine is inactive. In my opinion, the large battery or batteries should be designed to keep the brain alive. I'm curious, are the control and main batteries different voltages? Looks like your going to have to keep the control battery on a seperate trickle charger when not in use to ensure your brain is going to work regardless of the kill switch position.

[@JeremyAkersInAustin]

That switch that he referred to needing to be turned off is the ignition switch. Just like in a a combustion tractor if you leave the switch on with the engine not running, it will run down the 12v battery. In a combustion engine, turning the key on powers up computers, ignition coils, etc, that provide a small parasitic drain. EVs also have computers, and in this case one big one is the BMS (Battery Management System) that monitors and controls the large battery (Which is 72v lithium iron phosphate in this case, so no they are not the same voltage, nor same chemistry) and another big one is the coil: Not an ignition coil, but these big batteries have large contactors that use an electromagnetic coil to close what is basically a large solenoid to connect the main battery to the motor. All of these things are powered by the 12v battery and will absolutely drain it if you leave the key on with the tractor not running. This isn't an oversight in the design, it was purposely designed this way. Running down the 12v battery is a minor inconvenience and easy to jump start and cheap to replace. Imagine if the main pack was allowed to run down in this situation: A tractor parked for months (Which often happens in winter) could completely drain the main lithium battery, potentially ruining it, which would be an expensive repair. Every EV I've looked at has worked this same way for this very reason.

[@Kiot76]

Good morning, Tim, always enjoy your videos. Maybe I missed one that you may have already offered on the battery-operated tractor but have some questions. What does this tractor cost? What is stated as the life expectancy of the battery? How much to replace the battery? What's the H.P. of this tractor? And I believe you have not had a chance to really use the tractor (snow removal, etc.) but any idea of allowed usage between charges? Here in N.E. Ohio, I have only plowed my driveway 3 times this winter, less than 1- gallon of diesel used. Bought my tractor last year, I figure the money saved buying the tractor and not having to pay a plow service will give me a payback in about 75 years, as far as snow removal, one of my smartest investments!!

[@jeromebecigneul2911]

Just a question. On your snow day it appears there is no suspension in the seat. Is that true? Also the bucket really moves slowly. Did you get it to go any quicker?

[@thomasleavitt2580]

Interested in your rear blade assembly, any information? Thank you

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Heavyhitch.com fits in 2 inch receiver of heavy hitch. Use code TTWT for a 5% discount.

[@thomasleavitt2580]

Thanks

[@davidlavine8523]

It's the same on cars, my leaf when we ran it down to nothing we ended up needing to jump the 12v battery so the car would wake up and charge again. So be careful not to run to 0% on main battery either

[@ZILAwelds]

What a great design … needs a few more batteries and switches ….

[@garynelson4749]

is there a reason its hooked up with jumper cables instead of a decent controlled battery charger ?

[@Press1for]

Looks like a good candidate for yard art.

[@kavemanthewoodbutcher]

Got to do some snow clearing the last two days. My 1025r, Joan, did wonderfully, despite R4s on the back. I used a back blade, turned backwards, and was able to clear more than a foot of powder off of my dirt road. Joan cleared three miles of road, and half a dozen long driveways, without so much as a hitch in her giddyap!

[@projectswithjw]

R4s are amazing tires. I'd put them on my work truck if they made them. 👍

[@davisfarmandorchard6160]

No tractor action but at least we got to see the cats 🐈 love the cats ❤

[@jimmcknight3021]

You know the Hoosier saying on snow Tim? When basketball sectional time comes, so does the winter weather with snow. LOL I'm thinking you may still get a chance.

[@ChitFromChinola]

I have an e25, and I ran into the same thing. You have to turn that little red switch off to prevent phantom drain of the 12 volt battery. It takes several days to phantom drain, so it’s not a problem if you use the tractor every day, but I shut off that switch whenever I’m done working. When it happened to me, I used my trickle charger to re-charge it. I also decided to hedge my bets, and bought a lithium-ion 12volt replacement for the stock lead-acid one. (I don’t like lead-acid batteries anyway, so I was happy to get rid of it.) The 12 volt battery is necessary to run all of the 12 volt electrical stuff - the lights and switches all need 12-volt to run them.

[@TheAussieincalgary]

The 12v battery does the same job in EV cars. What I find strange is that it was designed with the manual switch for the cut-off. I would be inclined to fit a contactor (fancy word for heavy duty relay) where the switch is and then have it turn on with the "ignition" key at the first (accessories) position, and the second position would be the main 'ON'/"Ready" mode.

[@atodaso1668]

they cheeped out

[@TheAussieincalgary]

But like Tim said, this is more of a first production prototype. All manufacturers do the same. Changes made on subsequent models.

[@n206ja]

It wasn't clear to me ... does the 12v battery get automatically charged by the main battery charger or do you have to maintain the 12v battery with a separate charger? (If it does require a separate charger, that would seem to be a poor design!)

[@martingibbs1179]

I got the impression the main battery does send charge to the 12V battery when the tractor is on or perhaps charging. Its just the input of charge is only slightly greater or equal to the constant discharge requirements on the 12V battery, so if you let the 12V battery run down the main battery can't send enough charge to charge the 12V back to full charge in any reasonable time frame. My guess so long as you use the disconnect switch every time you turn the tractor off you won't have to worry about separately charging the 12V battery.

[@DaileyWoodworks]

"I learned this in the way I normally do, by doing something wrong". Me too, Tim, me too.

[@ranger6x660]

I’m surprised they don’t want the tractor plugged in when it’s not being used.

[@ColbyAbazs]

You might want to check the voltage on the 12v small battery when the key is in the on position to make sure it is getting charged from the big battery. Mine had a wiring issue that prevented the big battery dc-dc converter from charging the 12v system so things would work for awhile but eventually the small battery would get low and the whole system would freak out in confusing ways. It is not like a car where the car on voltage is up at 16vdc but when using the tractor it should be maintaining the small battery at 13vdc ish based on my recollection.

[@NoahThacker]

I have this same electric tractor and did the same thing with the 12v battery. I just replaced the 12v lead agm battery for a LiFePo4 battery. Same size and higher capacity. I still try to turn off the 12v system when I’m done using the tractor, though.

[@jddriver9565]

how many hours are on that machine? looks like the tires are worn down quite a bit.

[@TractorTimewithTim]

300 or so.

[@jddriver9565]

@@TractorTimewithTim ahh ok thanks:)

[@JohnWilson-ql8ks]

so am i right to assume that as your running the EV tractor it is not recharging either battery??

[@therealcdnuser]

I drive a 17’ Ioniq EV and it has a built in battery tender for the 12V system. I was surprised to find out not all EVs have this feature. On most EVs the 12V system is the most unreliable part of the vehicle. EV typically use smaller batteries (no need to crank over an engine) but these smaller batteries seem to fail.

[@jimbos1567]

I am curious as to how long the battery actually lasts while your working with the tractor, and then, how long does it take to recharge .

[@TractorTimewithTim]

It slowly recharges while the tractor is running.

[@ram64man]

Most evs have phantom drain on the 12 v the switch was put in to stop that from happening, but unfortunately there’s no sensor to tell you to turn it back on when in use

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Won’t start with the switch off.

[@RCPSU4]

I do like the smaller videos when you put them out. This was interesting to see what you've encountered on this specific tractor with regards to the battery. Makes me curious if Deere's electric 1025 has the same setup.

[@InsanePacoTaco]

This is very similar to how the 12V battery functions in Toyota hybrid vehicles. It powers the normal electronics and its interaction with the drivetrain is just pulling in relays and contactors to get the drive motors power from the traction battery.

[@charliesmith9528]

I have a 2022 Farmtarc 25h diesel ,,battery is dying after sitting a month,,light is flashing on control panel that shows a charging issue,,could a bad battery be the cause,,since my tractor is only 9 months old i would hope alt is still good?if battery is bad is a actual tractor battery needed or will others work,,any help would be apprec

[@ashleyhecht1024]

Hi! does anyone know what kind of battery is used for the starter battery in the Solectrac?

[@ashleyhecht1024]

Hi Tractor Time Tim - I see you liked my question - do you have the answer to this question, and if so could you post it? It would be very helpful...

[@wayneweis653]

What battery tech is the 12 V battery?

[@nekoroms]

looked like a cheap lawnmower type battery...so ultimately not great

[@derekdreke4990]

This is the same with some electric motorcycles just surprised no one tells anyone about this stuff

[@Norseman220]

Many electric cars have the same problem. Too little charge of the 12v battery can leave you stranded after the car has been sitting for a few days. Especially in cold weather.

[@WS-gc6df]

Hey Tim, just an idea for a video. Could you consider doing a video on how to replace the grill on a 1025r. Like you, we have 2 1025r's and one has a hole in the grill and I've almost put holes in the other one. Grill guards are in our future...but it would be great if you could show us how to replace the stock grill. Thanks

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Interesting! I just removed and reinstalled mine on Johnny X to clean it up for a show. Never even thought about folks being interested in this! I’ll think about doing it again.

[@WS-gc6df]

Thanks for considering this. It would be a big help for us and maybe others as well. I haven't been able to find a video on grill replacement on KZbin. Thanks for all the great videos!

[@lcee6592]

Very interesting stuff with EV Tractor. Sounds like the 12v battery is kind of like a home thermostat. It runs on low voltage but controls the furnace and A/C. Too bad the snow didn’t get going yet!!

[@chrisw7551]

If the 12v battery needs to have a charge in order for the high volt battery to be charged, does the switch you were referencing need to be on(or can it be off?) for the charger to charge to battery. Sorry if my wording is a little confusing. Thanks Tim and Christy for this series!

[@TractorTimewithTim]

I understand the question, not absolutely sure on the answer. Sorry. I’ll try this…but it makes sense to me that the 12v will need to be ‘on’ to charge.

[@AdamHayekM]

@@TractorTimewithTim I did the exact same thing to my tractor as Tim, and I did worse even and completely ruined the 12v battery, though Solectrac sent me a new one under warranty and explained about that switch. I believe that cutoff switch should be on at all times including when charging except when it's not being used for a long time. I don't know if it's recommended to just leave the tractor just plugged in when it's parked over an extended period though I assume it is safe.

[@redmondjp]

@@AdamHayekM Thanks for sharing this - as an EE I think the manufacturers have screwed up on this design a bit - that small battery should be able to be fully recharged while the tractor is in use, from the large battery. If it isn't, then it will inevitably discharge and sitting in a partially-discharged state for long periods of time will lead to premature battery failure. If this was my tractor, I would install an on-board charger/maintainer on that 12V battery and keep it plugged in when not in use. That way, even if the master switch is left on, the controls power battery will stay fully charged and live a full life.

[@davidwho8215]

It has been this way with my Teslas for years, as far as having a separate 12VDC battery. My newest Tesla now has a compact lithium 12V battery, but if that 12V becomes discharged, the car will not operate. I’ve heard of folks having issue’s similar to your tractor, in their Tesla, but I’ve never experienced it. The fact that the tractor has a battery disconnect is concerning to me, as it would seem to indicate they know there is a substantial phantom drain issue. The main drive unit battery and controller should not let the 12V battery become discharged. I would guess they are still working out issues, and will eventually overcome this problem. Does it have over-the-air update capabilities?

[@jgmallin7080]

I'm wondering if, when the 12v battery was 'dead' plugging in the charge cable, should have charged the 12 v battery, then when the system saw 12v, it would charge the main batteries.

[@doolittlegeorge]

It's actually a safety feature to turn that switch into the *"off"* (breaking the circuit) position. No different from turning a key. The *"Mains"* (main "larger" Battery) should also have an on/off switch. Emphasis on *"mains"* as the 75 horsepower Solectrac has swappable Batteries which is absolutely the way to go if you pure BEV as first off you can store your Batteries in a warm, sheltered space such as Basement or Garage space that needs safe air space as Batteries are always discharging so same with lead acid always store when not in use in a safe open not in your kitchen or living room space and away from any liquid fuels, coolants, hydraulics etc. Of course this should be done via in person with Solectrac Dealers and Owner's Manual as well!

[@chadz2143]

Same with a hybrid with dead 12v. No go no matter big bat state of charge. Sounds like they should have added a factory 2 prong cord to attach a trickle charger to when it sits

[@ourv9603]

I've learned WAY MORE making mistakes than all I learned out of tech manuals. Its just like my dear sweet daddy (may he rest in peace) used to tell me- 'If you aint makin mistakes, you aint trying.' !

[@badgerdad777]

My Nissan Leaf won't go without the 12V battery as it controls the main disconnect of the larger battery. This is done for safety so you don't get killed by the larger battery.

[@freecycling6687]

Not sure what they mean that the large battery will maintain the 12v one. If it will "maintain" it, then you'd think that would be enough to compensate for the phantom drain on it, wouldn't you?

[@seanwahl1000]

One thing that bothers me about vehicles/tractors going electric is I feel like my life already revolves around keeping everything charged. Trying to keep the cell phones, laptop, speaker, earbuds and Makita tools all charged keeps your mind busy for sure, let alone worrying about the darn car all the time.

[@davidlavine8523]

Nah, it becomes routine. Everytime we get home with the leaf we just plug it in, better than going to the gas station in

[@johniac7078]

Good stuff!

[@Michael_Schmitz]

I had 12V problems until I fixed the shutoff switch. The contacts were corroded (happened on the dealer's lot) which dropped the voltage I got from the 12V battery, making the battery drain issue much more pronounced.

[@TyrelHaveman]

All electric vehicles are exactly like this. The high voltage battery is disconnected by contactors/relays except when you're operating the vehicle or charging it. The 12V system operates those contactors, so you need the 12V battery to turn it on or charge it. The 12V electronics are powered to monitor for the charging plug to connect or for the driver to request the high voltage turned on, and activate the contactors. So there is some slow draw. However most electric cars are capable of monitoring the charge level of their 12V battery and keeping it charged from the high voltage battery when needed. This tractor seems to have a more simple setup, probably for cost savings, so you actually turn off the 12V battery to prevent it from discharging.

[@austinschad1773]

I’m surprised they didn’t go with the forklift setup everything runs on the 36v battery they have a converter

[@nekoroms]

probably for safety and for transportation...everyone these days seem to want the high volt electrics to have a "way to make them safe"

[@keenansmith2007]

The 12v battery powers an interlock system. To allow the HV system to work.

[@bradleymcclintock7771]

Well that's strange 🤔.

[@fsj197811]

I understand the electronics end of it but that setup with the battery sucks for exactly the problems you've had. They should put a second 'state of charge' meter on there for the small battery or at least a warning light.

[@vincentrose9060]

I don't own an electric tractor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night!

[@BitCounter]

That switch is in the worst spot ever to be as important as it is. You might as well wire a light to it so you know it is on.

[@BillCarlson]

This is a bit surprising - on electric cars if the car is turned off, it will 'turn on' every ~6 or ~12 hours and charge up the 12v battery. Sitting 4 weeks shouldn't have any effect. I wonder if they did not implement that system?

[@Dan-nj8du]

Shades of my Toyota Prius. There's a conventional 12v battery that operates the electronics separate from the high voltage battery driving the motor. That 12v battery dies and you go nowhere no matter how many kwh are in the big battery. With the Prius that battery gets a charge from the engine, like any other vehicle. Wonder how the Solectrac charges the 12v...

[@Ghostrider304]

Yet another reason this technology is no where near ready for me. Thankfully my 1025R still runs like a Deere!

[@therealcdnuser]

You also have a 12v battery in that Deere. These systems are common in all vehicles. Most unreliable part of any vehicle, gas or electric.

[@thomasleahy3767]

My understanding is electric cars have a smaller 12v battery as well. It is easier for manufacturers. They already have 12v electronics and lights.

[@s1283]

Happens to the best and worst of us. But, not being afraid to show the human side of your professional experience is the image we want to pass down to our kids and to our apprentices. Ethics matters as much as knowledge

[@yvonnejohnson1557]

Sorry Tim stickling with diesel less trouble from gary

[@DanGinney]

Instead of a pony motor motor it has a pony battery! 😂

[@Itsa_Mea]

EXACTLY what I thought of. A Pony Motor would probably blow the minds of some people as much as this battery situation. 🤯

[@utubota5522]

This 12v battery configuration is similar to my Tesla. It needs the 121v battery operable to make the car work.

[@s1283]

Interesting. But if you’ve ever looked at any hybrid car, you’ll find there’s still a 11v battery to run the “normal” car stuff, including the engine. Then there is a completely separate battery pack running at a high voltage to run just the electric drive. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, they pilot the electronics on the tractor with a low voltage battery and only use the high voltage pack for hydraulic motor and drive. Stranger still, the battery charge cable can’t charge the low voltage system. Seems like a major oversight.

[@clintoncherry8893]

What a stupid setup. You need a secondary battery to power a primary battery. Can't tell me that there's not a way to power up the electronics on the tractor with just the primary battery

[@jimmcknight3021]

I think it was a cost saving measure 🤔 However, the company ought to make a big deal on training new owners on this odd setup. They might even want to throw in a deep cycle battery charger for this. I'm just guessing that it may be a deep cycle marine battery rather than a regular 12 volt?

[@mainer1755]

I try to be green (I have solar cells all over my roof) but the little Yanmar in my 2038R is so efficient and clean that I just can't see going electric with a tractor-yet. Maybe in a few more years when the technology matures and the batteries are not as ecologically damaging to produce. We will get there, but right now a five gallon jug of diesel holds me for hours and hours, and barely nicks the environment.

[@Wolfhound.]

the fact that the big battery is not hooked into a maintainer for the 12v battery is totally a turn off

[@davidferris4563]

The 12v battery serves the same purpose is what a 12 volt battery would do on a regular ice tractor or vehicle. It is there to control instrumentation fans accessories in the case of an EV or this the 12 volt main relay for the charging and to control the high voltage battery. Normally in the case of an electric car when you plug the car into charge it also charges the 12 volt battery. In operation when the cars being driven or the powers on to the car, the high voltage battery is charging the 12 volt battery. Biggest reason that they do that is because in the case of like my Chevrolet Volt the high voltage battery is at about 400 volts. You can't run the accessories or anything with that voltage because there's the risk of shock. That is why the used 12 volt for all the accessories. I'm sort of surprised the draw on the 12 volt is that high that after a month that kills the battery because in the case of a normal ice car normally it would last longer but perhaps the batteries smaller in the tractor. The key thing is when you're operating the tractor the high voltage battery will charge the 12 volt battery. You do not need to worry about putting a maintainer or anything to charge at battery in the case of with the soul track as long as you shut off the circuit so you don't have the draw all the time when it's parked for a long. Plugging the tractor into charge would probably be the effect of being a battery maintainer if you have it plugged in all the time, but I do not know how the charger works on that and the case of my Chevrolet Volt when I have the car plugged in during cold weather. It also maintains the temperature in the battery so the battery doesn't get blow freezing and that's one functional. Why I leave that car plugged in all the time draws very low juiced to do that because the battery pack is pretty well insulated.

[@smalltownMainer]

small hood mounted solar panel trickle charger would work for that small battery.

[@martineastburn3679]

Sounds like the 12v battery controls the dash board and thus the basic electronics.

[@ShaneZettelmier]

Doing things wrong to figure out how they work is what we call “science”

[@shakes7333]

Has to charge to be able to maintain. Must be like a 1-5amp charge.

[@jimconnor8274]

Our niece out in Arizona got locked out of Her Tesla do to the small battery losing it's charge. That was on the side of I-10 with two young children. A fossil fuel powered toe truck to the rescue. In time they'll work out these problems.

[@kylekleman]

The industry is still using 12volt for accessories in electric vehicles. Very shortly new accessories with the same voltage of the lithium ion battery will be coming out hopefully eliminating this problem. Plus it’s one less battery to replace every so often. Also less weight as lead acid is quite a bit heavier.

[@hagak1679]

Not sure that will ever happen since the traction batteries is not defined at a single voltage across the industry. Also having the power electronics to handle such high voltages on every accessory just would not make sense. Also dealing with HV is a pain why add that to everything? The only issue I find in his issue was that the traction battery could not charge the 12V, however it sounds like he had it pretty dead at which point the DC-DC converter that handles the charging may have a safety that it wont turn on if the 12V side is below a certain threshold.

[@kylekleman]

@@hagak1679 you are right that one barrier is companies using different voltages. I think within the next five years the industry will settle into a couple main voltages. 800V and xxxVolt? Other advantages I didn’t mention with higher voltages is the ability to use lighter gauge cable. This reduces weight and cost for the manufacture. You can also route thinner gauge cabling easier. When you make millions of cars per year, that adds up fast. I think the power electronics issue is a big lift but once it’s switched over and the supply base is there, you are good.

[@hagak1679]

@@kylekleman But everything on the 12V circuit really would not benefit much from higher voltages, you do NOT want to run 800V to the key switch, radio, etc. Even small fans you do not want those voltages. The industry will NOT come to a single HV for all vehicles, just would not make sense. Just like you do not have a single engine size for all cars.

[@barelystablefarm7151]

Why can't the "master" switch be a relay controlled by the ignition switch? that way you never forget to shut it off. Obviously there is a significant parasitic load if it went completely dead in that short time frame.

[@TractorTimewithTim]

4 weeks? Pretty small battery.

[@IamDog0]

The 12v system works exactly like it does on a standard tractor. This is also exactly how the 12v system works on on a Tesla or any other EV. Minus the weird 12v shutoff switch.