Electric Tractor - the future

patsy_mccabe

Came across this video today. A converted Fendt Tractor to electric. 360 Kilo-Watt Hours energy in the batteries when charged. Can haul 30 tonne for 8 hours work. Effectively replacing the original 160 Kw (215 Hp) diesel engine. The future is electric, is seems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_gKNHeODhc

amacca

Twould only be the future for me if proven cost effective and reliable

Being old fashioned I'd still want a diesel as a back up...

I'd say the future will be more robotic, automated stuff with much less man hours spent on a seat and fewer farmers unfortunately.....

ruwithme

& driverless too patsy, must be over twenty years ago now, some lad said about driverless tractors in the future. Another lad piped up & said "she'll know when to wait at the end of the road, until the other lad driving the ordinary one comes down to the wide place to get by"

the day of the salute could be soon gone folks.

have2flushtwice

If electric is the way to go, lads should be prepared to dig a bit deeper.

I priced the hire of a 1t electric digger with a breaker for a week, 1225. Electric dumper was 850 for the week. Plus delivery and collection cost of 155 each way.

Diesel digger 406, dumper 406, breaker 80 a day (only need it for 1 day) and extract fan was 85.

Couldn't guarantee I'd get 8 run hours from the electric gear. 6 at normal usage was the guideline.

Would have to leave the 2 small gennys running all night and watch them for fuel as well. Fumes would be a concern where I was bringing them, but the extract fans would sort that.

Regarding driverless, bobcat have an app where you can operate a skidsteer from the phone. Their promo video is on YouTube showing the lad sitting on a garden bench, phone in hand and the skidsteer tipping around the garden.

148multi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119661049#Comment_119661049

Isn't there a temporary filter you can put on the exhaust for inside work.

For every kwh used charging how much is available for working time.

have2flushtwice

I've never heard of the filter, if you have any link or detail please let me know.

Haven't a clue about the usage and charging, if I'm hiring I try to keep it going as much as I can, so 6 hours wouldn't do it for me.

148multi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119671503#Comment_119671503

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As I understand there are different levels of filtration available.

10-10-20

Sorry to butt into a group which I don't frequent, but I can't see electric tractors becoming the replacement for diesel units. A few reasons that we all know are the weight and cost concerns as well as the concerns around recharge times, etc. Even if they could be recharged quickly, how could any electrical provider support a ~350kW link in rural areas coupled with the unpredictable charging times and durations of high demand followed by idle periods.

For these reasons and more I foresee that hydrogen will be the fuel of choice for industrial and heavy machinery, mostly driven through the benefit of weight, ease of refilling, energy-density as well as being a transportable fuel (albeit with caveats), and can be produced nationally if there is a reasonable source of green electrical power.

Harry's Farm had good coverage of JCB's efforts in this regard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDKLoLUQgH0

The downsides of H2 would be that as it's a gas product it may further complicate the right-to-repair drive legislation due to the inherent safety risks of handling this gas.