When FOX, MSNBC and CNN pretend that every American needs to pick a side....I choose the side of work, building my farm and saving fuel my friend. This isn't politics...this is getting the work done on a tractor powered 100% by the sun. Remember when the tractor replaced the mule in the field? This is just an electric mowing mule
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer so all I'm hearing is that when they come to take your stuff and land because you'll "own nothing and be happy" you'll just hand it over and smile. I don't know. If the dang thing works it works. And if you want it get it. I just don't want them pushing out our gas and diesel motors. It's not cool And I'm NOT with the one world order bull crap! Nor the going green bull crap. If they were really worried about global warming, etc. They wouldn't build and buy mansions on the coast. To each his own.
@@petermavus4131 the right to e pair is the key If you don’t ensure those rights, electric is death for farmers Same with electric cars If it stays open, it can become an efficiency boost, but I suspect it’ll be quite a while before gas is displaced on the big machines
People often forget that they don't buy a smaller tractor to mow/harvest large plots of land, they buy that smaller tractor to smaller chores. This is just a different smaller tractor, suited for a specific scale of chores, with its own advantages and disadvantages. I applaud you for trying out and showing off this type of equipment.
My friend..it's tough to say when nearly every man, woman and child in this country carries a cell phone, tablet or laptop or all 3! We all live in glass houses as it pertains to lithium battery tech don't we. It's a tough conundrum isn't it
@@ChitFromChinola >Lithium is not mined. Yeah you have to raid the Level Boss for it. 🤣 "Lithium mining in Australia produces almost __half of the world’s__ lithium. Lithium mining in Australia occurs largely in the extraction and processing of hard-rock deposits of the spodumene ore. Processing the ore produces chemical or technical grade lithium concentrates. Further processing yields lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide." Same goes for Africa's counties I belive. And at the end some produce it from undeground waters.
for all the people saying "BOO Your, not a real Farmer without using Gas or diesel" This is just like any other advancement...First, it was hand tilling the soil then it was with mules then steam tractors then what we have now....next it makes sense to have electricity just makes sense and I fully support any farmer that can get their tractor without the use of paying gas prices and getting the work done. I mean our family Farm that has been in the family for 150 years we are getting complete solar for it and looking at electric equipment but that doesn't mean we don't have other tools.
You are such a cheerleader man. Thank goodness for honest people like tractor time with Tim. He gave an honest review that showed the pros and long list of limitations. What a joke.
All I did was show it mowing and share that experience. Folks are down on this because they think it's somehow a political decision and someone is push EV tech down their throats....I'm just sharing an honest opinion of the machine and it's use. Tim is a friend of mine and we both have talked about this machine. Being down on me doesn't bring him up my friend....time doesn't have a farm...I do and we'll do different activities with the tractor than tim does
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer it’s not political at all. My off grid cabin is powered fully by solar. A complete system installed by myself. That tractor has tons of issues and is not even close to being a like replacement for a 1 series type diesel tractor.
Thanks Josh for this video, I'm going to reach out to the manufator and see if we can't get one as well. we use "baby JD " here a lot at the mill and for mowing extra. This would be a great tractor to take it's chors.... Thank you!!!
Have to say I was impressed by how the Solectrac did in the brush mowing test. After watching this, I pulled up their website and have now seen a gear drive version, plus now a backhoe. I still tend to hope they get a canopy with a solar panel on top as an accessory.
A solar panel that size wouldn’t produce much more than enough power to keep headlights running. You need a barn roof amount to even begin seeing some charge.
why does everyone want to be down on this tractor? I just don't understand the motivation to bash something that's new and innovative. Please explain why bash the tractor before we've seen it's full potential?
Yea same I don’t like this electric stuff nor do I think it will last long I wish they would just make some electric and leave the diesels alone same with cars
man....I don't see why folks see an electric tractor and think it's somehow a threat to their old diesels. I have 5 diesel machines on the farm here my friend...and they aint going anywhere
That was one of your best videos. As far as a diesel engine, it's ashame farmers don't get together grow rape seed for making rape seed oil, a renewable fuel, the way Rudolph Diesel intended it to be. WIN! WIN! PS, how much is the basic electric tractor, and was the loader optional? Thanks again
Making the batteries is a one-time operation, burning diesel fuel is for the life of the tractor. The way he did it here was the smart way - solar PV panels to charge the battery. Electric motors are hard to beat - high torque, quite, reliable, good in cold weather, low maintenance, low cost of operation.
@@ChitFromChinola I agree with you on electric motors, I just don't like batteries as a source of transport, I will swallow a chores tractor but not an electric car
I watched the video and for the most part I think that the electric tractor is fine for what it is designed to do, one thing that I noticed in one of comments is that it won't mow in reverse, the problem with that is sometimes you need to mow in a tough spot and backing up is the only way to mow that spot, otherwise it did a good job, good review, it will help people make up their minds if it is for them!
nothing has changed here from day one my friend. I show you the jobs I'm doing and I show you the tools I use. Ever since my first video. The tools are small sometimes and large sometimes.....folks don't just wanna see me move cows around the pasture every video my friend
i imagine this tractor being useful for many reasons. for all the small chores that generally don't need gobs of endurance an electric tractor will do just fine. one of the nearby farms has a small electric tractor (50hp) and they seem to like it for all the small jobs their 50hp diesel would be doing. glad to see some nice and quiet power being used when a diesel engine isn't needed.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer big and really big tractors are starting to see electric drivetrains. the power is still a diesel engine but the operating principle is the same as a modern diesel locomotive. that tech will certainly find it's way pretty quickly into the smaller stuff and at the smaller sizes like what you work at i'm certain we'll see battery hybrids arrive where they have a tiny battery and the engine runs only when you need it.
Awesome video Josh charge is hard for some folks I see this is the future, enjoy your videos and life's observations love to be your neighbor and help you whenever I could, retired old guy here, keep the good videos coming sir
It’s heavy compared to many 25hp tractors… but I saw one at a local ag fair and it’s puny compared to my 1981 Ford 1700 which is 25hp. As a major weekend warrior the run time would be a problem for me, hampering productivity, but I definitely see it working for some applications. Nice you have solar charging. Otherwise being dependent on the grid isn’t 0 emission.
Man...the simple fact is that most folks looking at a 25hp homestead tractor are not looking to get out and mow for 8 hours straight....they come in after work and mow till dark, they move a little dirt in the garden, they work all day on saturday or sunday tilling, moving dirt and mowing. It's not a "production" machine my brother....it's a homestead tractor pretty much
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer You might be mistaken how certain homeowner/homesteaders operate their machinery. I tend to use my equipment infrequently but when I do use them it tends to be intensively. For example, my PTO log splitter on a 1980 Ford 1910 compact is only used a couple of times a year, but then it will be for 8 to 10 hours per day for a few days straight. I have a micro excavator that I don't use too often but when I do it's usually used all day long. When it needs some red diesel it's just a few minutes to fill up with barely any downtime. I appreciate there will be some niche areas where this electric tractor will be put to good use but I'd need my arm twisted and a bargain offer to think about buying one. I'm not anti-electric equipment, I've got a Polaris Ranger EV, an electric dumper and a hybrid car
my friend....I know how I operate my machinery and I'm on 150 acres. We mow common areas, move dirt and gravel and I'm never on a small machine like this for longer than 2-5 hours. Typically I'll work all day, then in the evening get out and mow a few acres...then go back to it the next day. With an electric tractor like this you may have to change up your habbits a bit.....however sitting on a tractor seat for 10 hours per day to mow once a couple times a year...when you could casually mow a few acres at a time seems kinda hard on your back
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer I mow for 2 to 3 hours with a New Holland T4020 and a Lastec 721XR 11ft wide mower. Another job this electric tractor wouldn't handle.
My ride on small 28in wide mower is on last legs it’s been living outside. My shed is coming soon I’m looking at a stiga 372e twice as much as petrol one I do hate filling cans up . Will check on battery rebuilding etc
well i liked it and i have an old 1955 ford 860 never know whether its going to crank or not and no more than i use it these days that little electric tractor would work just fine for me
Nice! The future is here I guess. My recommendation is to have a safe place to charge it if the batteries are lithium. Lost my house in June to a lithium battery explosion. Not fun! Anyway, excited to see more action on this little tractor.
Everything looks good when the sun shines, the solar panels do not make electricity enough when you have a cloudy day. I was impressed with the tractor, I feel that you need to update the channel in a month in 6 months
Remember...Solar panel charges the solar battery bank...battery bank charges the tractor. So the sun doesn't need to be out my brother...hence charging overnight
Yes but would a cloudy day charge the battery bank enough to charge the tractor overnight? Does your battery bank store more than one full tractor battery charge?
I'm not surprised by this tech at all- we've been running 5 thousand pound load-electric forklifts in production plants since the 90s- I think they fully charge couple hours
That's a neat little tractor. It's ironic you decided to mow for this video.... I just did a favor for my neighbor... I ran the bush hog for 11 hours over 2 days.... With an 82 year old tractor and used 10 gallons of gas.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer It was probably closer to 15 gallons because I started out with half a tank..its a 9N ..no modern goodies but it gets the job done.
Here’s the things, if people want use battery cars or tractors or whatever then go ahead, but don’t bother me with it. Don’t force it down our throats and that’s what the government is doing. Everyone is going to have there own opinion on things.
my friend I guarantee you carry a battery powered cell phone in your pocket....I don't see a difference...just a larger battery in the tractor that's more likely to not end up in a landfill like a mobile phone
When I see a huge battery pack like that I think backup power. It would be nice if it had a plug that can be used to power an inverter or charge other things. It seems that would be a huge amount of portable power in an emergency.
I think it would make a fine tractor for 95% of folks with a small homestead and the tasks they would be doing. I do have 2 observations on this particular model/iteration. 1) How does the PTO work in more detail? It sounds like it's similar to an old 'non-live' PTO tractor from the 50's. How would it operate, for example, backing into blackberries, then pulling forward, then backing again? Also, does it push you forward via inertia? 2) Those bigger tires looked very close to the front of the bush hog. I'm not used to a tractor that small so maybe they are all that way. Thanks Josh!
great questions! So....it does not mow backing up, it will slightly push you forward if you don't properly disengage the PTO or drive motor...the tires are close to the mower deck for sure and the deck needs to be locked in securely to prevent rubbing
Great video! Can you post a video of you pushing it into a pile of dirt or gravel? I'm eager to see how the torque responds when demanding power like that vs how a small diesel tractor would.
Very interesting... personally I'm not keen on the tyres for a tractor but it's just the tyres..😊. 2 questions can you use it as a battery backup for off grid and how much difference is there between an engine powered version on price ? .. can really see the market potential globally for this type of machine. Can't wait for more trials.. stay safe 🏴
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer Test it in the rain and let’s see then. Lol 😂 The charging port on top of the machine doesn’t seem like a great idea but we need to know if it can survive. Lol Don’t take my comments the wrong way, just having fun with you. ✊🏻
I get that they have a place and hopefully the future will bring costs on this type technology down. But I'd hate to think how much a replacement battery pack would cost. My little compact tractor is 40+ years old. (No I haven't owned it that long) It would be on its at least third battery pack. That's a huge expense at year 10-15 or so. Just wondering if they told you how much the cost of it is? In the 15 years I have had my tractor I would hate to think I'd would have to have bought new batteries for it at this point.
would you typically be running a tractor all day and all night? I guess I'm confused with the rationale here. Park it in the shed.....charge overnight and work it all day the next day
What most don't know or mention is that it takes alot of fossil fuels to produce that electric battery. What's the cost of replacing or rebuilding the battery? How many machine hours will the battery last before needing to be replaced or rebuilt? Dealer network for a battery replacement or rebuild?
takes fossil fuels to build most anything...from a pair of sneakers to an airplane....however burns no fossil fuels. Dealer network is popping up all over the country now and replacing a battery is supposedly gonna cost around $4k ish...not totally positive on that one
Unless you get stuck, this would be the second time mowing with "Boo Berry!" Any thoughts of getting a Side Blade Attatchment used along the side of the ponds and driveway? The reciprocal saw style.
I like it more after this video. I'm not sure it is big enough to be my next tractor, but when I need and can afford a chore tractor this looks promising.
solar battery bank charges all day...then plug in the tractor at night and recharge the tractor my friend. Solar charges the battery bank, battery bank charges uses stored solar energy to charge the tractor
Josh I love your channel but I gotta say this feels like an infomercial. 1. You try to impress upon its anemic run time of 4 hours and then down play its 12 hour charge time. 2. You said, compared to a petroleum tractor that it didn’t bog down. The grass you showed is very light stuff that my B2650 would mow with absolutely no problem. 3. You say the battery is rebuildable and recyclable. Whats the cost to rebuild? Right now China is destroying the environment and using slave labor to extract the metals used in that battery. That machine is FAR from environmentally friendly. 4. Back to the petroleum, you act as if refueling a tractor is a hazmat level operation with spills happening all the time. 5. The tractor by itself costs $30,000. That’s what I paid for my B2650 with loader, backhoe, pallet forks, and rototiller. A small homestead would still be better off buying a traditional 25 hp subcompact or compact tractor with a diesel motor. I’m sorry the juice is not worth the squeeze on this and it’s a shame to see you try to plug for a company just because they gave you a tractor to try out. In short, please don’t let your channel become a cheap infomercial. I’d tune into the home shopping network if I wanted that crap.
I'll let you know that you're insulting a man that works very hard and it's not appropriate. I'm showing ya something you'd never otherwise see...I travel all over the world to do this for you and i don't deserve to be put down for it
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer first of all I’m not insulting you. I’m being critical of this particular video because it feels disingenuous. If you can’t handle that then perhaps you need to close the comment section. I’ll add another point to this “fine” machine. Tractor time with Tim just released a video pinpointing a MAJOR flaw with this tractor. It doesn’t have a live PTO which is fine if it was a farm tractor designed in the 1940’s. But more importantly you can’t run the PTO while the tractor is in reverse. Why didn’t you mention that? If you’re mowing and need to backup to get to a tight spot you can’t do that with that tractor. That’s beyond ridiculous for a tractor designed in the 21st century to not be able to do that. You make plenty of awesome content, this is not one of them.
Thanks for the review. Unfortunately in the next 20 or 30 years this will be all you are allowed to buy new. So getting ready now and understanding what is out there to be able to make the transition is important.
From what you have said about the battery it's using old technology. New battery technology coming online is going to double if not quadruple battery capability. Just think that little tractor running for ten hours and only taking 30-45 minutes to charge.
Have a couple of question. When we are cutting around fields, with a tree line we usually back under the low hanging tree limbs to cut down the weeds. How does the tractor do at regulating speed in reverse? Does it have a really slow speed in reverse so you don’t end up in the trees and how does that affect the PTO speed in reverse. Have you done any hard work with it where it was not going to make the full amount of run time advertised and if so what was it? Do you know the cost of a battery is and what is a rebuilt battery and how much do they cost. You said the battery was good for 10 years and if so is the battery under warranty for that period of time (that would be great if it is)? What is the warranty on the rest of the tractor? How big of solar array do you need to run the charging station? Thanks for the video and at this point it sound like you have not found a single issue with it and it can do everything as well as or better then a conventional tractor. Looking forward to what you have planned next for this tractor.
Electric forklifts certainly have been around for a long time… but electric forklifts are completely different than an electric tractor, plus electric forklifts aren’t designed to go off-pavement, mostly because of their tremendous weight and low ground clearance. In my 41 yearly working at a large manufacturing company, inexperienced forklift drivers often got stuck as soon as they tried to take a shortcut off the pavement.
yep....not much difference in these machines....but I agree...forklifts are designed with counter weight and they will get stuck on a wet banana peel lol
I think people are conflating this tractor with completely going electric for their entire workforce on a small operation. And while you could, and depending on govt mandates may have to, for now at least it’s a supplemental piece of equipment to conserve fuel. I like seeing the diffferent equipment being used. And I appreciate the transparency of when it’s a sponsored piece of equipment. Keep it up sir.
I don't see this as a gov't mandate or a threat to diesel or gas tractors..it's just one more option for the homesteade/farmer to try something different
Curious questions. Was going slow just a preference or a necessity, and is there any radiators/cooling systems that you have to keep clean? I keep the bucket on to help knock the debris down off my radiators.
@Stoney Ridge Farmer interesting. I run as fast as mid range, and terrain allows, at 4 inches with a clean cut. Try to sharpen your blades with just a tiny bit of a V on the edge. Keep the natural angle on the top grind, then come back with a sharp angle off the bottom to put an edge maybe a 1/4" or less from the bottom of the blade. I have a dedicated field mower that I keep the blades sharp and a brush mower. I only asked because that looked like light materials on camera and you was creeping through it as if it was 5ft high and stupid thick.
So how loud is it when its mowing like that? Im guessing the mower is most if not all of the noise. It would be nice to not have to wear hearing protection. Any idea on price?
it would require an onboard charging system and specialized solar panel to work. Remember tractors take a beating so a solar panel might get damaged pretty quickly
Like the video and full disclosure, I have a kubota, 2 john deeres and 2 fords on the farm, I would look at an electric tractor if work load, quality and price were equal but if that Solectrac is 35K+ you can buy a 30-35 hp deere with the loader, mower, box blade and the resell value is way higher and still have money left over to buy a year or more of diesel, but getting back to the electric tractor, whats the warranty? how long will that battery last when the temp is 20 or 95 degrees? most batteries can not be discharged 100 percent or even 90 without damage, how many mechanics around offer service? Could we service it on the farm? One day all tractors may be electric but won't see it in my life time. Looks nice for small tractor but not for me.
Hey I like Your Video and You are doing a great job at representing the tractor for what it is...BUT, I find it very interesting that after all the improvements and real world innovations that this tractor uses 1940-50 thinking with the PTO not turning if you are not moving ? also The local cost for one is almost double what i can get another traditional brand tractor with loader for, was quoted $38,000 otd for one of these while I was just passing through my local dealer 😮.... I Almost had a Cor-anary!!! LOL It will be interesting to see the future , and It just ain't for me. But I like watching and waiting to see what happens....Remember the delorian???
Interesting concept, I'm surprised the tractor does not come with a canopy or hood with solar panels? Perhaps just a solar trickle charger built in type set up. Or possibley some form of alternator connected to the pto or drive train, just to help with recharging. Great video as always, we have a mini stoney ridge over here as well.
There’s this thing called physics and from it came the law of conservation of energy… so any alternator that requires energy input to turn couldn’t produce a net positive.
@Talan Pomeroy I understand, however if something such as pto is going to turn either way, it could be connected to an alternator of sorts and help to slow power consumption.
Not sure the numbers add up when calculating battery capacity, remaining capacity, and hp required to do the job. Maybe a defective power meter. How much kilowatts was required to charge it to full capacity after the job?
Solar powered is a misnomber. Use it during the day, connect to the grid to charge overnight. The solar charging system doesn't charge the tractor while you're out in the field. Does the charging station have a battery that will charge the tractor (especially useful on very cloudy days)? In other words, while you're out mowing, can the charging station charge the tractor overnioght without connecting to the grid?
make sure you keep the 12V "aux" battery taken care of by keeping the system turned off when not using it, and perhaps putting a tender on it just like you would with any other vehicle if not using for a while. If that 12V is dead, nothing (including charging) on the tractor works..and the "main" battery pack has limited ability to charge the "aux" battery when running...it is just wired to be a sustaining charge with very small gauge wires. Tractor Time with Tim has a video that goes into detail on his experience of this issue.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer yeah i assume if you leave it plugged in to the main charger port, it will maintain the aux battery. I think Tim just left it parked with the system on and it killed the battery, then once dead the main charger doesn't work because it needs the aux battery to activate.
@@StoneyRidgeFarmer He kind of addressed that in the video.. basically didn't know any better crossed with a test observing battery charge level over time. He noted that the charge level didn't drop over time so he thought it didn't really matter if he left the system on, not realizing that it was in fact the aux battery that was dropping and ultimately being completely drained. But to your original point, if kept plugged in when not in use that whole scenario could likely be avoided.
It’s so nice not using petroleum products, like grease, hydraulic fluid, fuel, rubber tires, plastic parts, paint, steel, and all the loud noises that come with a combustion tractor. Batteries are so clean for the environment. At least, thats what they tell us.
it's using hydraulic fluid just like a tractor...just an electric motor. This isn't an environmental vid my friend....just another battery powered tool on the farm
Someone may have already mentioned this but, something to keep in mind... When a battery says "75%" it's probably more like 60%. There is a curve that electric will follow, where you lose battery strength faster as it approaches 0%. So 1.5 hours at 75% seems about right since the lower percentage may drain faster (ex: at 50% you be closer to that 2-ish hours, and at 25% you'll be right at about 3 hours, then at 10% you'll probably hit your 4 hours).. It's not quite linear.
I dont understand converting DC current into AC with the use of a fancy battery bank, then charging the tractor with 120 AC. Id like to see some solar panels on top so it can charge when not in use.
I appreciate the insight since industrial equipment has used battery power for hydraulic functions for decades, so why not agriculture, but how would you run a post hole digger if the PTO only works while in motion?
I feel like it is a bit of an oversight to have that canopy with a fan that runs off the tractors battery and not to have its own solar panel so you can squeeze a tiny bit more work out of a charge. Something you could suggest to the company! On a different note, I'm happy to see electric vehicles becoming so common, however it still bothers me what it takes in the form of strip mining to get the rare materials in order to make the batteries. Hopefully we have a less damaging solution on the horizon as far as battery technology goes. Thank goodness the battery is recyclable though!
The battery in this tractor is lithium-iron-phosphate, so no rare minerals. Lithium is not rare and it is not strip mined. So, you’re good - guilt-free battery in this one.
Hey Josh thank you for the video I enjoyed it and I heard a lady on RU-vid talkin about the new Skil chainsaw battery operated ones and I'm not sure if she did talk about other brands too but she said there is some of them that are getting recalled because of fire yes they caught on fire so I was suggesting would just check out if any of yours are the ones don't want nothing to happen to your house woo and I think that she did mention who's Barney 2 and I'm sorry I don't remember her RU-vid channel but I think that she's the only lady out there that does chainsaw repairs and tells you things about it I know she has blonde hair
The Tractor works fine and quiet. Electric motor with very few parts. What could go wrong? Need new batteries on a Tesla? You might as well buy a new Tesla. The Disposal of Lithium batteries is a environmental disaster. But new battery technology, now tested and better, will save the day.
For the average small acreage homesteader, maybe putting 50 hours on their tractor a year, this is a good little machine. The difference between an electric vehicle and an electric tractor are huge, I'm not quite sold on electric vehicles yet, but for a small tractor like this I don't see why it would be a problem if you're just a small acreage residential homesteader. Diesel is still king but nothing wrong with this. I will also admit it must be nice to not have to listen to a loud diesel screaming while you're mowing. 🤷
Definitely not everyone. Maybe if you have a couple of acres to maintain. Question I have is, How much would it be to replace those batteries? I have a 2011 Massey that if it would be battery operated the batteries would have had to be replaced already. No thank you
not sure how an automotive battery disposal is a massive problem. You take it to the auto parts store, they pay you for it and it gets recycled right? I'm not sure how it's a massive problem...it just gets recycled
I am sure you got everything for free as incentive to push there products. What would it cost one of us to buy the complete setup? Tractor, solar panels, and charging unit?
And how long would it take to fuel up a tractor the. Equivalent? Of the same size instead of waiting 12 hours for a fully charged battery. You can fuel it up within 10 minutes. 10 to 15 minutes and be back my then. Those batteries are not 100% resacramento. The materials inside battery is non recyclabecause because it costs too much to recycle them
Very interesting and cool! I have. 2021 Case IH 40hp tractor and loader and I love it. But this is very interesting! Amazing what they did with the solar charging so it doesn't cost you electricity either! Whats the price point?
I think once they fix ther ergonomics and the transmission it’ll be really nice for 90% of sub compact tractor owners. Wish they would have not made it so awkward. Only get one chance at a first impression and they gave up their first to market advantage. Kubota and JD will be to market before they redesign this thing to operate like a tractor.
