Cabless electric tractor

Wigeon

Member
Arable Farmer
It was the most beautiful evening today, and I'm just in from spraying. My evening was spent in my glass box, trundling up hill and down every 36 metres, admiring some spectacular views, at my favourite time of year.

But then I thought to myself actually, this is a bit rubbish. Might as well be watching it on TV, as the air con blasted away to keep the smell of chlormequat and moddus out of my nostrils, and the engine thundered away behind me.

All of which got me thinking- it's all a bit disconnected isnt it? I'd much rather have been admiring the view in silence, and in the fresh air. Ok, so take the spraying bit out of the equation, but if someone made an electric cabless tractor I'd have one in a heartbeat.

Didn't they say that sitting on one of those cultivators pulled by wires from traction engines, the only sound you could hear was the crisping of the stubble as it vanished into the furrow. I'd like that. Where can I buy one?

Oh dear, perhaps that aircon wasnt working so well after all...
 

itsalwaysme

Member
Location
Cheshire
It was the most beautiful evening today, and I'm just in from spraying. My evening was spent in my glass box, trundling up hill and down every 36 metres, admiring some spectacular views, at my favourite time of year.

But then I thought to myself actually, this is a bit rubbish. Might as well be watching it on TV, as the air con blasted away to keep the smell of chlormequat and moddus out of my nostrils, and the engine thundered away behind me.

All of which got me thinking- it's all a bit disconnected isnt it? I'd much rather have been admiring the view in silence, and in the fresh air. Ok, so take the spraying bit out of the equation, but if someone made an electric cabless tractor I'd have one in a heartbeat.

Didn't they say that sitting on one of those cultivators pulled by wires from traction engines, the only sound you could hear was the crisping of the stubble as it vanished into the furrow. I'd like that. Where can I buy one?

Oh dear, perhaps that aircon wasnt working so well after all...
 
I doubt Commercial vehicles will go electric with batteries unless battery prices drop considerably.

The reason being Commercial vehicles usually work far longer hours than cars - which usually do short journeys for a few hours at most.

Commercial vehicles can be worked in shifts, so potentially no time for recharging. Hence the reason JCB think the future is hydrogen.
 

Agrispeed

Member
Location
Cornwall
I doubt Commercial vehicles will go electric with batteries unless battery prices drop considerably.

The reason being Commercial vehicles usually work far longer hours than cars - which usually do short journeys for a few hours at most.

Commercial vehicles can be worked in shifts, so potentially no time for recharging. Hence the reason JCB think the future is hydrogen.

Rapid chargers are pretty nifty nowadays. quite a few fleets of electric vans now, even unto LWB Sprinters. Surprising how many delivery vans don't actually do huge milage. Half the time ours are out they are 'idling' during deliveries. Massive savings there. Electric vans aren't actually a huge amount more expensive than diesel equivalents and are cheaper per mile, especially now!

Not so sure we'll see electric HGVs and hypermilers for a while mind.
 

Flatlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lorette Manitoba
It was the most beautiful evening today, and I'm just in from spraying. My evening was spent in my glass box, trundling up hill and down every 36 metres, admiring some spectacular views, at my favourite time of year.

But then I thought to myself actually, this is a bit rubbish. Might as well be watching it on TV, as the air con blasted away to keep the smell of chlormequat and moddus out of my nostrils, and the engine thundered away behind me.

All of which got me thinking- it's all a bit disconnected isnt it? I'd much rather have been admiring the view in silence, and in the fresh air. Ok, so take the spraying bit out of the equation, but if someone made an electric cabless tractor I'd have one in a heartbeat.

Didn't they say that sitting on one of those cultivators pulled by wires from traction engines, the only sound you could hear was the crisping of the stubble as it vanished into the furrow. I'd like that. Where can I buy one?

Oh dear, perhaps that aircon wasnt working so well after all...
I actually enjoy spraying. My sprayer is the quietist machine on the farm. Engines back behind product tank and good sound proofing. Even running at full chat it’s barely noticeable. As for the smell of chemicals have you tried a carbon filter, I’ve sprayed some pretty smelly sh1t over the years but never noticed it in the cab. Maybe I’m at the top of the sad list but I’d rather be out in the field watching crops grow and taking in the changes if the year than parked in front of a telly trying to figure out who’s going to unblock a nozzle or asking yourself why you forgot to log the new telephone pole that the boom just encountered. cant See any battery powered heavy equipment being main stream until battery technology can give better running time. Wouldn’t be surprised if we see a diesel electric powered tractor or combine
 

Farmer Roy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
NSW, Newstralya
I doubt Commercial vehicles will go electric with batteries unless battery prices drop considerably.

The reason being Commercial vehicles usually work far longer hours than cars - which usually do short journeys for a few hours at most.

Commercial vehicles can be worked in shifts, so potentially no time for recharging. Hence the reason JCB think the future is hydrogen.

ever used a cordless power tool & swapped batteries to keep going ?

Kenworth ( amongst others ), who do have a bit of a track record of producing “commercial vehicles”, are looking at doing pretty much exactly that . . .
 

Wigeon

Member
Arable Farmer
I actually enjoy spraying. My sprayer is the quietist machine on the farm. Engines back behind product tank and good sound proofing. Even running at full chat it’s barely noticeable. As for the smell of chemicals have you tried a carbon filter, I’ve sprayed some pretty smelly sh1t over the years but never noticed it in the cab. Maybe I’m at the top of the sad list but I’d rather be out in the field watching crops grow and taking in the changes if the year than parked in front of a telly trying to figure out who’s going to unblock a nozzle or asking yourself why you forgot to log the new telephone pole that the boom just encountered. cant See any battery powered heavy equipment being main stream until battery technology can give better running time. Wouldn’t be surprised if we see a diesel electric powered tractor or combine
Oh yes, dont get me wrong- I'd much rather be out there doing it than sat inside. Watching the crops grow is great, and it's the best way to see the farm. Your sprayer sounds rather better than mine however!
 

Wigeon

Member
Arable Farmer
Well this has not gone in quite the direction I was expecting!

By cabless I meant sitting in the open air doing the job without diesel fumes and noise, ie platform station or whatever the Americans call it, rather than sit-at-home-in-your-pants-full-on-robot tractors.
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Well this has not gone in quite the direction I was expecting!

By cabless I meant sitting in the open air doing the job without diesel fumes and noise, ie platform station or whatever the Americans call it, rather than sit-at-home-in-your-pants-full-on-robot tractors.
I understood what you meant😊
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
exactly, & that is the direction the long distance road freight industry ( Kenworth, among others ) are looking at.

you could probably swap batteries out quicker than you could pump 1000 l of diesel . . .
could do it for cars as well just need to standardize battery shape and connector but then petrol and diesel are standardized.
pull in a garage robot arm takes one battery off and another puts a charged one on you pay for the charge automatically and on your way, be like a F1 pit stop
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top