RC lawn mower

[Electrohacker]

so a few of you know I've been sitting on the start of this project for a while now with a mower I pulled out of the garbage and a couple wheel chair motors I got off ebay

well recently I decided to get the mower running. I tor the whole thing apart, cleaned it and reassembled it, then fired it up with an motor cycle battery

the mower it self was an excellent find as it's 6.5HP with vertically driven belt drive for the front drive. this means I can use the belt to drive an alternator if I need it to keep the battery up

the mower is also electric start and has a magneto, meaning I can drive it into position, start it up, and mow, then shut it down and drive away. the magneto SHOULD be enough to keep the battery topped off, but if not refer to the previous paragraph.

other benefits, its a mulcher or bagger, I might add a side output.


here's the controls test bed I set up

basically each mamba max is driving each wheel chair motor and it drives like a tank

pulling a couple hundred pound roller seems like a good test

 

[joe]

that is awesome!
:willy

 

[william g]

Hey now this is a project to watch :tmb

Please, if you could video of this is needed!!!!

 

[Savage03]

Very creative! Wish my grass would look that good lol :tmb

 

[Manfjourde]

Haha, this just brightened my day! That is so awesome and can't wait to see how it comes along and turns out. More pics and vid for sure! I can just see you sitting on the deck eating snacks and soda in the shade while your thumbs do the work! Genius.

 

[Electrohacker]

look up "RC lawn mower" on youtube. I'm really just following what others have done, just a little different.

I'll see about a video, all I have right now is a ESC test. I wasnt sure ifs a mamba max could run a wheel chair motor off a motor cycle battery.

 

[Electrohacker]

test drone in action

 

[MiRatlhed]

Man that is cool. Guess I shouldn't of sold that old Quickie power chair that we did not use...:doh

 

[Electrohacker]

actually if it's like my grandmas old chair.... sell it for a grand buy all the components and then flash the cash left over to the nay sayers

 

[pflumitch]

I wasnt sure ifs a mamba max could run a wheel chair motor off a motor cycle battery.

You would be surprised how little those motors will draw. I would be surprised you would get over 30 amp draw each motor at stall. The mamba max will work no problem and is wayyyy overkill.

 

[Electrohacker]

actually I calculated a 40 amp stall current

one ESC has a fan the other doesn't, and that one gets awfully hot, so I might add a fan soon

I know the ESC's are a little over kill but they wont be dedicated to this rig, the idea behind using a RC controller is that I can switch them to my trucks when I want too. helps justify cost

 

[william g]

I think you'll need some treads though, they seemed to spin/slip a little easy.

I have to warn you, find the tires anywhere but a medical supply house. As soon as they are marked ''medical device'' the price more than triples.

Tires for my chair, $65 each from medical supply. Ordered elsewhere I pay 30 a pair.

 

[pflumitch]

Out of curiosity, where did you buy your tires Will?

 

[william g]

Out of curiosity, where did you buy your tires Will?

I am in a manual chair, so a bicycle shop :laugh

 

[Electrohacker]

the wheels and tires are any old industrial tire.

I probably wont need them on the mower though

my traction problem is more about weight. the pull rig weighs almost nothing and it pulls 150-200 lbs or roller... lol, I'd slip too!

the mower will put weight on the wheels and SHOULD help this. if not I'll look for used or new industrial tires