Electric Motor for Farm Tractor EV Conversion

[@michaelsmithers4900]

Ben! I am so excited you are moving on this again! Can't wait to see how it comes out!

[@jamesglenn2006]

Good to see you back on this project. I'm interested to see it completed

[@SheepShearerMike]

Great to see you back again Ben, now tool shops are open and the problems of the last year have calmed down a little. Shame you can't use the Leaf motor, but I can see the problems with high voltage you were facing. Keep up the good work.

[@randr10]

I've got an old Kioti tractor with a bad motor that I just bought. Been having a hard time finding replacement parts for it since it's so old, so I started wondering to myself what would be involved in converting to electric? Found a cheap electric fork lift with no batteries that's cheaper than even a core on a replacement diesel engine, so got the wheels turning. Can't wait to see the follow up videos.

[@JeremyAkersInAustin]

I am so stoked to see you making progress on the Tractor again! I've got a Farmall Super H which is a sister model to the one you're building.

[@ward26102]

Oh this is going to be a great project! 👍Ben, I met you a few years ago at the Mother Earth News Fair in Kansas. I love your videos and you are a terrific teacher. Well I am finally starting on my first EV project, a motorcycle. Keep up the great work!

[@BenjaminNelsonX]

Thanks Laura!

[@alanswanson5642]

You would lose you pto but they do make pto pumps. Glad to see you are still working on this. I have a ih 300 utility . They are great tractors.

[@rickway2039]

Glad to see action on this! I have a farmall 450 with a roasted engine and was following the leaf build to see if I'd be better off just copying you :D

[@ourdown-homelife3956]

Great project! Looking forward to seeing more!

[@alexiswhite9341]

Hi I'm trying to convert a Chevy Metro to electric and your older series on converting your Geo Metro has been super helpful but I'm struggling to find a motor in my area and I was wondering what would be powerful enough as far as HP... In order to still reach highway and throughway speeds?

[@kennypool]

Why convert a geo metro that gets like 70 mpg ? Duh. Convert a suburban or a hummer.

[@BenjaminNelsonX]

If you specifically want to use a forklift motor, here's some of the best information for you: www.diyelectriccar.com/threads/using-a-forklift-motor-and-choosing-a-good-one.7598/ Otherwise, there are plenty of series-wound DC motors available for purchase through EV parts dealers: 300mpg.org/projects/electro-metro/ev-parts-suppliers-links/

[@alexiswhite9341]

@@BenjaminNelsonX thank you!

[@alexiswhite9341]

@@kennypool it already didn't run and was less than $500 and I'm in highschool so it was a good car for me personally

[@kennypool]

@@alexiswhite9341 fix it

[@maxiflow8695]

Es espectacular la idea!!! le deseo exitos en su proyecto!!!!

[@randyeller8139]

Was wondering if you had figured out how to get that project finished and while I’ll miss the wheelie mower this if you’ll pardon the pun just fits. Looking forward to seeing the rest of this series!

[@joaorodrigues4009]

In a 20hp tractor conversion, would I need to get a 15kw motor?

[@Teamotoring]

Great video just wondering is it more efficient to have no clutch and a second PTO motor? Very inspired by this video

[@surplusstock8778]

Would these forklift motors work in a motor yacht?, I'm only looking to go 10 knots max for short distances

[@donvoll2580]

Good day from Ont. Boy I didn't see anything for a while on this subject Thanks

[@luipir]

I'm particularly interested in Battery dimension depending on how much autonomy and workload is necessary.

[@BenjaminNelsonX]

In this case, I think what's really going to happen is that I'm just going to put as large of a battery as I can physically fit under the hood. We want to try to keep the tractor with a classic look, and don't want to put any on the back, as we need to be able to use the PTO and 3 point implements.

[@luipir]

@@BenjaminNelsonX did you estimated a kWh consumption in dry and wet condition?

[@BenjaminNelsonX]

@@luipir I really have no idea how to estimate the energy consumption. There have been enough DIY electric cars and motorcycles that it's easy to have estimate and "rules of thumb" for those machines. If you know of a good source of info for tractor energy use, or a good way to estimate it, please let me know.

[@luipir]

@@BenjaminNelsonX seems Crr coefficient is almost similar to a normal car tire as in www.researchgate.net/publication/288218298_The_rolling_resistance_and_tractive_performance_of_a_small_agricultural_tractor_with_different_surface_and_moisture_conditions_on_Bangkok_clay_soil/link/6006e777299bf14088a684a2/download so considering wind resistence ininfluent for slow velocity, the main effect is due to the weight using the normal EV formulas

[@The_Brew_Dog]

Hey alright. I’m wanting to do something similar on a knuckle boom lift. Has an old Nissan 35hp gas/propane engine and I want to change it out to electric. Haven’t dove in very far yet but I think it’s gonna be possible. Interested in what you have learned so far.

[@BenjaminNelsonX]

You should be able to replace that with a DC electric motor, no problem. Just put in a forklift motor from a similar size piece of equipment.

[@The_Brew_Dog]

@@BenjaminNelsonX that’s what I was thinking also. It’s older so there isn’t any controller to deal with, it’s all relays and diodes. Not quite sure how to calculate what size electric motor I need to get to be equivalent or better to what the gas engine provides currently. That little 35 hp Nissan doesn’t have a whole lot of torque so my guess is just about anything I put in there should be just that. I’m sure this information is all readily available, I just barely took on this project last week so haven’t done much research.

[@martialme84]

Sounds like a great project! Starting to develop the idea that i could maybe make a hobby out of dicking around with electric vehicle conversions and trying to get a feel for what other people are doing and the hurdles and so on.

[@vuilbaardgames3280]

What kind of motor speed controller do you use?

[@BenjaminNelsonX]

This would use a PWM series wound or permanent magnet motor controller like those by Curtis or Alltrax. Essentially the same as any electric golf cart motor controller.

[@Валодимир]

​@@BenjaminNelsonXде можна такий купити

[@ghopkins66]

Hey Ben, love your videos, so useful. I am considering converting a tractor to electric here in the UK for us on our small farm. What is the kW / HP rating of this motor? And what was the original tractor engine's HP? Just wondering what you've gone with relative to the original. Thanks!

[@BenjaminNelsonX]

The original gas engine was rated at about 38 horsepower. I do not have an official rating for the electric motor, as when I got it, it did NOT have an ID plate on it. It came out of a Nissan brand forklift. I HAVE run that motor as high as 144V/500A, which comes out to a little less than 100HP. (That will make a Geo Metro go over 70 miles per hour in a 55 zone...) If I run this motor at 48V with a 500A controller, peak power should be about 32HP, but with excellent torque at low speed, which is really what a tractor needs. So, I think it should be a good match. I think that a forklift and a tractor this size are relatively similar vehicles.

[@maishabakari2919]

@@BenjaminNelsonX hi, what formula you use to convert as you say motor as high as 144V/500A, which comes out to a little less than 100HP or motor at 48V with a 500A controller, peak power should be about 32HP, help me a formula to convert Volts/Amps to HP

[@BenjaminNelsonX]

@@maishabakari2919 Volts x Amps = Power in Watts. 1 HP = about 746 watts. I used this same motor in an electric car conversion and that car could go faster than 70 MPH. 48V x 500A = 24,000 watts / 746 = about 32 HP.

[@maishabakari2919]

@@BenjaminNelsonX thanks alot, you're not jealous, you're the one who can help others, this calculations I will use to change my ICE car to electric.

[@GMC.Sprint]

I think these are great motors for this project. I would be careful about adding an additional bearing without a flexible coupling. If the bearings perfectly in line, the three bearings will apply a load to each other and burn them up. Delt with a supplier that did this and burnt up water pumps every 300 hours like clockwork.

[@BenjaminNelsonX]

Hmm. Interesting thought. I guess two points always make a straight line, but with three, you better darn well make sure the middle one is lined up right!

[@Murphyslawfarm]

G'day I love this build mate

[@electricvahicals88]

Sir I want tractor electric conversen kit

[@harrisorganicwineandspirits]

Good to see you have the tractor running. Did you use a set of bearings in the adaptor plate to take the thrust of the clutch? I fear that the electric motor bearings would chew out quickly without the clutch thrust being supported. Check out EV4U youtube page.

[@WileHeCoyote]

Lookin good bud!!

[@GarrettRC5thscaler]

Oh snap!

[@romanl2608]

Fajnie

[@andyheilmann1656]

Oh no Rip wheely lawnmower

[@somewhat7]

6:06 Ahahahahahaa!!!

[@BenjaminNelsonX]

I just always hate photos where you can't tell how big something is.