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He Converts Garden Tractors To Electric Power
Brian Edmond says it’s relatively easy to convert a gasoline-powered lawn tractor to electric and mow your lawn for about 50 cents a charge rather than burning several gallons of gasoline.
Edmond owns Edmond Electric Co. in Amherstview, Ontario. His electric mower can be plugged into a standard 120-volt outlet or use solar power. Edmond says the electric lawn tractor is quiet, convenient, and good for the environment. The tractor runs clean without gasoline, oil, pulleys, or belts, and it keeps a charge for about 2 hrs. - about 2 acres of cutting - or 8 to 10 hrs. of pulling a trailer in the yard. Edmond says, “It’s amazing how it never breaks down and needs almost no maintenance.” Aside from blade sharpening and keeping air in the tires, the 4 12-volt batteries have to be changed about every 7 years and that’s about it.
Edmond describes how it works in simple terms. There are 3 motors; one for the drive with electronic speed control, and 2 smaller ones mounted directly to the mower blades. While cutting, the total amperage is at 40 amps (or 2,000 watts). “Because battery run time is the most important aspect of most conversions, I paid particular attention to the most efficient design,” says Edmond. Using his design, the blades run purely on battery power with very little wasted energy. When the batteries are spent, they’re plugged in and the system charges them in 4 to 6 hrs. An added handyman’s feature - by using a 48-volt power inverter, the tractor’s battery can supply 110-volt AC power and can be used to plug in power tools, or for an emergency power backup to power a freezer or furnace.
Also, adding safety to the converted tractor, both the blades and the drive motor are equipped with electromagnetic braking. This braking will slow down the tractor, then apply the parking brake automatically, when the accelerator pedal is released or the operator lifts off the seat.
    Edmond’s company makes plans available for converting a lawn tractor at home using easy-to-find parts. “Some parts are expensive. I’m constantly looking for alternative parts that will be cheaper.”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Brian Edmond, 90 Harvard Place, Amherstview, Ontario Canada K7N 1J4 (www.electrictractor.net; bedmond1968@gmail.com).


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2017 - Volume #41, Issue #1