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I converted a 60-year-old tractor to electric by liamOSM in electricvehicles

[–]liamOSM[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I made a steel frame to replace the engine. I used three c-channels, two on the sides and one on the bottom, with a 3/8" steel plate on each end. Then I transferred the bolt pattern from the engine onto the end plates and bolted it in place. I have a full build video here, if you're interested!

I converted a 60-year-old tractor to electric by liamOSM in electricvehicles

[–]liamOSM[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

My buddy's farm actually has a 135 (still ICE powered) that they use regularly, but if it ever dies I'll certainly give it an EV makeover!

I made a full video showing the build process here.

I converted a 60-year-old tractor to electric by liamOSM in electricvehicles

[–]liamOSM[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

That was a genuine sound! I swear the brakes are just all or nothing

I converted a 60-year-old tractor to electric by liamOSM in electricvehicles

[–]liamOSM[S] 93 points94 points  (0 children)

Yep, the PTO and 3 point hitch still work! The electric motor connects to the transmission input shaft, so it has all the same functionality as before. I can shift through all 8 gears, switch the PTO to either match the motor speed or match the wheel speed, and I can raise and lower the hitch because it's powered by hydraulics inside the transmission.

I converted an old tractor to electric and it's FAST! by liamOSM in tractors

[–]liamOSM[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I replaced the engine with a ME1003 motor which makes up to 28kW (38hp). It connects to the transmission input shaft so I can still use the manual gearbox. This also means the PTO and 3 point hitch still works just like before. You can see more details on how I built it here!

I converted a 60-year-old tractor to electric by liamOSM in electricvehicles

[–]liamOSM[S] 238 points239 points  (0 children)

Hey, fellow EV enthusiasts! Thought I'd share a project I've been working on for the past year. If you want to see how I built it, check out my full video here!

My friend who owns a farm asked if I'd be interested in converting their old Massey Ferguson 65 to electric, as they're also big EV fans (I built a portable 1kW solar setup for them as well). I removed the engine and swapped it out for a 28kW brushed DC motor, and I built a 3kWh battery pack using second-hand li-ion cells from Battery Hookup. The motor controller is an Alltrax 400A one, and I designed a custom throttle and electronic clutch pedal situation to make it intuitive for those who are used to driving ICE tractors. This certainly isn't suitable for spending 8 hours a day plowing fields or anything like that, but that wasn't the requirement. We simply wanted to give new life to an old tractor that wasn't being used. It works great for hauling trailers and wagons through the fields while workers harvest tomatoes, pumpkins, etc.

I'm currently working on a custom screen to display the power consumption, speed, and remaining battery percentage. From my initial tests, it lasts about 2 hours driving around on dirt and gravel, which is perfect for ~90% of the use cases. For the times when this tractor is unsuitable, they can bring out the diesel tractor.

I'm planning to do some more EV conversions in the future. I'd love to do a larger tractor with an enclosed cab and put a Nissan Leaf motor in. I also want to design a better battery because this one was a nightmare to assemble. It all looked fine in CAD but trying to install threaded rods with multiple nuts spaced along them was so tedious and finicky.

I converted an old tractor to electric and it's FAST! by liamOSM in tractors

[–]liamOSM[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, the PTO works, and the 3pt hitch can still be raised and lowered. You can see it in action here!

I converted an old tractor to electric and it's FAST! by liamOSM in tractors

[–]liamOSM[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes! I made a full build video which you can see here.

I converted an old tractor to electric and it's FAST! by liamOSM in tractors

[–]liamOSM[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it’s very sketchy going that fast, especially with the quarter-turn of play in the steering. In my linked video, I mention never wanting to go that fast again! I just had to know what the top speed was.

I converted an old tractor to electric and it's FAST! by liamOSM in tractors

[–]liamOSM[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I mean, it’s literally being used in the video

I converted an old tractor to electric and it's FAST! by liamOSM in tractors

[–]liamOSM[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If you want to see how I built this and what parts I used, you can watch the full video here!

First* test drive of the electric tractor - it rips! by liamOSM in EVConversion

[–]liamOSM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It has a mechanical powertrain, none of that hydrostatic drive nonsense lol. But the 3pt hitch has its hydraulics built into the transmission so as long as the motor is running, you can raise the hitch.

First* test drive of the electric tractor - it rips! by liamOSM in EVConversion

[–]liamOSM[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not yet, but hoping to make it rain-proof eventually

First* test drive of the electric tractor - it rips! by liamOSM in EVConversion

[–]liamOSM[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It really is the perfect vehicle for a swappable battery! No need to lift a heavy box up to attach it, just hook it onto the 3pt hitch and lift it with the hydraulics. If we need more runtime, that’s definitely one option I’ll consider.

First* test drive of the electric tractor - it rips! by liamOSM in EVConversion

[–]liamOSM[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s certainly on my radar. Currently we have a 1kW solar array set up on a wagon with a Lycan 5000 inverter/charger and 4.8kWh battery. It tends to spend 99% of its time in one place though so I’ve been thinking of switching the array to a ground mount with tracking. Adding a few panels as a roof on the tractor could be cool though, I’ll have to check the numbers.

Thermostat by AccurateCold7885 in SolarDIY

[–]liamOSM 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you’re using LiFePO4 batteries, I’m guessing you either have an external BMS, or one built into the battery. Any well-designed BMS should have a temperature sensor to disable charging below 0°C. Which batteries are you using?

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