Thread Number: 81453  /  Tag: Other Home Products or Autos
RETRO-FRIDAY GENERAL ELECTRIC ELEC-TRAK
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Post# 1054916   12/20/2019 at 11:05 (1,560 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )        

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I had the GE Elec-Trak Model E15 for about eight years. It was fun machine! When I lived in Ohio, several of our counties would not allow GE Elec-Trak's at the county fair garden tractor pull contests because the gas tractors would always lose to the Elec-Traks. You can see it in a tug of war contest with a gas tractor near the later part of this video.

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Post# 1054946 , Reply# 1   12/20/2019 at 18:46 (1,560 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)        

goatfarmer's profile picture

I've seen ElecTraks with the Wheel Horse name, and New Idea.


Post# 1054950 , Reply# 2   12/20/2019 at 20:16 (1,560 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Every Housewife's Dream

launderess's profile picture
A gadget designed to get His Nibbs out of the house for hours on end, and get the grounds done. *LOL* Almost good as getting him a shed!



Post# 1054951 , Reply# 3   12/20/2019 at 20:21 (1,560 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        

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These things are quite powerful!





And versatile as well!












Post# 1054954 , Reply# 4   12/20/2019 at 20:34 (1,560 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
On another note

launderess's profile picture
Watching that GE electric tractor pull a gas powered one like a sack of feathers shows advantage of electric motive power.

Same principles and advantages applies to pure electric or diesel-electric locomotives; which is why they rapidly replaced steam as power on the point.


Post# 1054968 , Reply# 5   12/20/2019 at 23:29 (1,560 days old) by LowEfficiency (Iowa)        

lowefficiency's profile picture
>> Watching that GE electric tractor pull a gas powered one like
>> a sack of feathers shows advantage of electric motive power.

I’m very much pro-electric, but that’s not what this marketing demonstration shows.
Rather, this is just a textbook example of the relationship between weight and friction (traction). And the Elec-Trak, being somewhere in the neighborhood of 350lbs heavier, is (was) always goin to win.

You can tell that the gas engine wasn’t lacking in power in any way, because it wasn’t stalling- it was only spinning its wheel. It simply didn’t have as much weight over the drive wheels as the Elec-Trak.


It’s the exact same story as the recent tug-of-war video of the Tesla Cybertruck...


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Post# 1054970 , Reply# 6   12/20/2019 at 23:43 (1,560 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Alrighty then.... that's me sorted.

launderess's profile picture
Never mind...

*LOL*


Post# 1054972 , Reply# 7   12/21/2019 at 00:01 (1,560 days old) by LowEfficiency (Iowa)        

lowefficiency's profile picture
:D
Sorry if that came off the wrong way!

It’s a convincing demonstration, just not the whole truth. And if pulling capability is what you are after, then it is a valid strength overall. It’s just that weight typically has its downsides too- turf damage for the lawnmower, or handling impacts for the electric passenger vehicles.

Except for the locomotives you mention. It’s perfect for them!


Post# 1054975 , Reply# 8   12/21/2019 at 00:26 (1,560 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

The GE tractor dragging that gas one(John Deere)demonstrates the greater breakdown torque of electric motors over gas ones.If you put too much load on the gas motor---it stops.Good safety measure-you can't burn the gas motor out.Now the electric one will try to keep going-unless a fuse or breaker trips shutting the motor down.The electric motor could overheat in that condition.With locomotive you had the problem with DC motors of "stall burn" the burning of the motor rotors communtators from too much current.With AC traction-used today You face the problem of possible overheating-no brushes or communtators.VFD drives instead-this could be used in a modern version of the electric tractor.Breakdown torque even GREATER!!!The operator has to monitor temp and current meters to avoid overheating.You can get a Lean Green Machine-an electric ZTR mower today for the price of 16K including Lithium battery packs that allow 8 or 16hrs of use before recharging.And like the GE tractor you can use it to power similar tools shown with the GE tractor.A string trimmer instead of the bladed one.And those same tools can be powered from a battery backpack if you don't have the ZTR mower-and an electric push mower that can run from an on board battery or the backpack.Lean Green machines today leads with electric outdoor power tools.Commercial lawn care companies are chainging over to their electric system.They can be recharged on the trailer overnight from a 240V outlet.

Post# 1054976 , Reply# 9   12/21/2019 at 00:33 (1,560 days old) by bradfordwhite (central U.S.)        
350 lb ?

bradfordwhite's profile picture

So, we could just throw an old washer dryer pair, or a heavy refrigerator from the 1970s in the truck bed of the F150 and it would blow the Tesla Truck away with no problems?

 

Wow.

 

Your screen name is goals.  for sure.  yep.


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Post# 1055009 , Reply# 10   12/21/2019 at 06:36 (1,559 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

The Tesla "Truck" looks more like some sort of sports car.How would you carry appliances in that?

Post# 1055024 , Reply# 11   12/21/2019 at 11:34 (1,559 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )        
Elec-Trak performance

reactor's profile picture
GE clearly states the Elec-Trak has an advantage in weight distribution. It also had great weight..period. Mine was roughly 860lbs with batteries. If I recall the next model up, the E20 was 900 bs. Despite the weight, it handled beautifully, I loved the front mounted deck so I could ease it under bushes, etc.

I agree with Oliver, an electric motor when matched against a gas motor of equivalent horsepower, will always be the victor, with all other things being equal A gas engine can only provide its rated horsepower/torque. An electric motor can provide well over its rated horsepower under load. (A point will, however, be reached, when the protective circuitry will eventually cut cut off the current if the load is sustained.)

There is much less potential "turf damage" damage with the Elec-Trak despite it's heavy weight. When my dad passed away, I inherited his Sears/Craftsman riding lawn tractor, so I sold my Elec-Trak.

Quite contrary to LowEfficiency's statement, the extra weight of the Elec-Trak prevented "turf damage." I had several areas in my yard with steep inclines with which the Elec-Trak never had any problem traversing with the because of its power and its weight distribution.

The Craftsman would lose traction, spin its tires, and then trench the lawn as it tried to go up the incline. I even changed the rear tires and put aggressive tread all turf tires on it. they only gave me a slight increase in traction and then when they did break free, they just dug much deeper gouges in the soil.

I wish I had my Elec-Trak back. Shouldn't have sold it, but I didn't have room for two tractors in the garage and I wanted to keep my dad. On the bright side, with the GE being a valued collector's item I gained quite a bit of profit off of it.


Post# 1055028 , Reply# 12   12/21/2019 at 12:18 (1,559 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c )        
I had a friend

Who had one of these, It was a great machine The deck being out front was wonderful ecause you could trim under bushes etc easily with it and of course it was quiet!


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