Operating a large farm tractor 8 hours for one dollar

[westwall]

Still isn't going to work.

Small farms mean small money.
Most small farms buy used tractors. (much cheaper)

Now you are talking about a new tractor with specialized needs and even less work produced with a higher initial investment. Even running electricity and new extra batteries around. Meaning more initial investment and extremely limited potential.

There's a reason the stock is in the dumpster. It's a bad idea, bad execution, and lousy sales.

Yup, boutique wineries are the only people that can use them. They are usually run by wealthy dilletantes with a guilt complex.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Still isn't going to work.

Small farms mean small money.
Most small farms buy used tractors. (much cheaper)

Now you are talking about a new tractor with specialized needs and even less work produced with a higher initial investment. Even running electricity and new extra batteries around. Meaning more initial investment and extremely limited potential.

There's a reason the stock is in the dumpster. It's a bad idea, bad execution, and lousy sales.

I agree, feasible tractors are decades away. They're probably only good for carrying a box of apples or grapes across a one acre farm.

 

[JohnDB]

Yup, boutique wineries are the only people that can use them. They are usually run by wealthy dilletantes with a guilt complex.

I still don't think that they will get that much use out of them.

Those grape Vines are for show...not for actually growing grapes.

 

[westwall]

I still don't think that they will get that much use out of them.

Those grape Vines are for show...not for actually growing grapes.

True. With rare exception they purchase their grapes from the large wineries

 

[whitehall]

If it works and pays for itself in fuel savings farmers will buy it. If it is unreliable it's nothing but a boat anchor. So far the consensus seems to lean towards the anchor.

 

[JohnDB]

You can purchase a 30 acre tract of farmland for around $100,000.

Then put a 50 horse tractor costing $150,000-$250,000 on it that can't work an 8 hour day?

That is the very definition of insanity.

 

[toobfreak]

Tractors will be the last vehicles to be converted to EV.

I would change that to:

• Airplanes
• Jets
• Heavy commercial construction vehicles
• Tractor Trailers, semis and 18 wheelers

will be the last if ever converted to EV.

 

[toobfreak]

Properly maintained lithium batteries last 15 years.

You can't know that since lithium ion battery technology has not been in widespread use that long yet to even know that.

And who say consumers will ever "properly maintain" their batteries? They are consumers. People don't have time to deal with a finicky product that needs delicate care.

 

[Viacheslav]

Dear retard, farmers add many massive weights to tractors & fluid in tires for traction & loader balance. Energy density is never going to be an issue!

I am not retard, and I work in this field (electric drive). But for your knowledge, I can give a very rough calculation, the energy density of the best battery is about 250 Wh / kg, while diesel fuel has a density of energy about 12 kWh / kg, that is a 48 times difference.
Diesel engine efficiency is 40%, transmission efficiency varies from 70% to 90%, so in the worst case diesel tractor efficiency is 0.4*0.7 = 0.28 or 28%.
Now compare with an electric tractor, the efficiency of the electric motor is about 92-96%, the efficiency of the inverter with the battery is about 90%, also despite the electric motor, the EV tractor still has mechanical transmissions with an efficiency of, say, 90%, so we get at the worst case 0.92.*0.9*0.9 = 0.74 or 74%.

And if you know how to do school mathematics, you will see that the difference in efficiency is only 2.64 times, and in energy density 48 times.

 

[Viacheslav]

An another example Fendt e100 Vario has 50 kW electric engine and 100kW*h battery can operate for up to five continuous hours under “real” load. It should also be taken into account that a passenger car has an installed capacity factor (capacity factor) usually not more than 25-28% and a tractor in the field has a capacity factor close to 90% and even more.

 

[KissMy]

You can't know that since lithium ion battery technology has not been in widespread use that long yet to even know that.

And who say consumers will ever "properly maintain" their batteries? They are consumers. People don't have time to deal with a finicky product that needs delicate care.

I have a lithium laptop battery from 1999. That's 23 years old. If the factory charger correctly charges the battery & the device shutdown warning was set properly, they will last at least 15 years. Chargers should always run in optimum maintenance mode, with a top off button the consumer can press 20 minutes before use if high capacity is desired at that time.

Capitalism will never allow consumers to extend the life of consumer products. Just as you are not allowed to alter the computer control of an ICE engine powered vehicle. The EPA will also fine you $20k if you alter emission controls.

The Ford Model-T production did not end because of lack of quality. Consumers were baited away by other manufacturers with annual changing colors & styles. Light bulbs only failed because they were designed to fail.

 

[ding]

Oh brother. Old Rocks has got it bad.

 

[KissMy]

An another example Fendt e100 Vario has 50 kW electric engine and 100kW*h battery can operate for up to five continuous hours under “real” load. It should also be taken into account that a passenger car has an installed capacity factor (capacity factor) usually not more than 25-28% and a tractor in the field has a capacity factor close to 90% and even more.

Those are old school numbers. 50 years ago on the farm they claimed cars use 30%, semi trucks 60% & farm tractors 90% of capacity. Since then capacity has greatly increased. Now I can drop the scraper into the ground with the tractor in the highest speed road transport gear and the tractor engine will maintain RPM as the heavily weighted fluid filled wheels continue to spin at full speed while all foreword progress has halted. They now have much more capacity than is being utilized. I have spun the rim inside the tires of 4WD Tractor with Duals all around as all 8 wheels were spinning pulling the scraper.

 

[Old Rocks]

Already seen these on a UK forum, they're great for small farms, golf courses, vineyards etc..

If memory serves, start at £50,000 and you get 10 to 15 years lifespan out of the battery pack.

In ten years, the replacement battery pack will cost a small fraction of what it costs today, and will have more power and last longer.

 

[Old Rocks]

So, the people who want to sell you this tractor tell you it'll only cost you a buck a day to operate it and you don't even question it!

Well now, if that farmer has solar panels, that sounds completely reasonable.

 

[Old Rocks]

How do we know they get 15 years out of a battery when they have no battery 15, 10, or 5 years old.

Now we would not expect you to understand the concept of charge-discharge cycles.

 

[Old Rocks]

 

[toobfreak]

In ten years, the replacement battery pack will cost a small fraction of what it costs today, and will have more power and last longer.

JUST THE OPPOSITE. They will have maybe 50% more power and last maybe 20% longer, but the expense of the continuous mining, foreign competition, manufacturing, importing, recycling, shortages, market fluctuations, and meeting all of the government environmental mandates and restrictions then will be astronomical, driving the cost to 4X what we see even now.

Men will be poor, but the government and its select contractors will be rich beyond all dreams.

 

[toobfreak]

Well now, if that farmer has solar panels, that sounds completely reasonable.

Only if we conveniently leave out all the cost of BUYING all the panels and hardware in the first place, INSTALLING all of it, then the continual UPKEEP, REPAIR and REPLACEMENT, as needed!

 

[toobfreak]

Now we would not expect you to understand the concept of charge-discharge cycles.

Then why don't you explain it to us.