E-Cub Conversions Continue

E-Cub Conversions Continue Bill Bayer’s goal of converting a garden tractor to battery power for mowing his yard seems never to end. The project started with the conversion of an old Murray lawn tractor, which he used with a pull-type mower converted to electric power. “The Murray had a weak transmission, so I fabricated an articulating 4-WD Cub I call Artie,” says Bayer (Vol. 49, No. 1). “It worked great, but it took too much energy to cut the lawn. The old Murray did it with two-thirds the energy.” He decided to convert a Cub 1000 to battery power, but with more energy storage, to replace the Murray and outwork Artie. He also wanted hydraulics instead of using actuators for the 3-pt. and other lifting needs, as he had on Artie. “The actuators are slow and have about half the power that was advertised,” says Bayer. “They also don’t allow for float, such as back dragging with a loader.” That was important because he wanted to replace his Kubota BX2200 with its front-end loader. Plans included mounting a belly mower to replace the pull-behind used with the Murray and Artie. Bayer nicknamed his new project Ms. Cub. He started the project on August 25, 2024, and mostly finished it about 10 mos. later. During this time, he created and posted 24 videos on his YouTube channel. These videos include detailed explanations of various steps, setbacks, and recovery as the project became increasingly complex. Some of the complications arose from adding a second motor, in addition to the traction motor. It was designed for use with the intended belly mower, as well as the front and rear e-PTOs.  One goal for Ms. Cub was that everything be neat and contained. His attraction to the old Cub 1000 was partly due to its large engine compartment and full side panels, all of which were metal. “I wanted to make it look cleaner than Artie or the Murray, which I did to a fault,” says Bayer. “When you open the hood, all you see is a removable black box that holds the batteries, the battery equalizer and two wires. The motors sit under it, and the controller and charger are mounted alongside.” All the electronic components are stored in their own compartment beneath the dash panel. The hood and side panels shield everything from the elements. As a result, the battery-powered tractor keeps its original look after the conversion. Other things didn’t go as planned. After thoroughly prepping a 44-in. deck with rebuilt spindles, cleaned and repacked bearings, and fresh paint, he set it aside. “It uses a tremendous amount of power,” says Bayer. “The blades spin faster and make a nicer cut, but it uses twice as much power as my pull-behind. This reduces the amount of lawn I can cut on a charge in half.” He also dropped the idea of hydraulics, a front-end loader and a 3-pt. hitch, with or without actuators. He’s in the process of fine-tuning a flail mower for use on Ms. Cub, but so far without luck. He initially developed it for mounting to the front end of Artie. “It worked amazingly well and did a beautiful cut, but it put so much stress on the frame that it bent it,” says Bayer. “It also vibrated really bad. The geometry was wrong as well. If I drove up hill, it would dig into the ground.” He has been working on a rear mount for it on Artie. Instead, he’s considering mounting the flail mower on the front of Ms. Cub. Meanwhile, he’s using the 1000 with his pull-behind mower. “If I can’t get the flail mower to work, I may get a 52-in. deck and mount it to the front end of Ms. Cub for a better cut,” says Bayer. Eliminating the belly mower leaves that motor underused. Bayer might use the cog sprocket on it to run a hydraulic pump or the previously mentioned front-mounted mower deck. One thing is clear: the conversion saga will continue. “I’m having some problems with the throttle tensiometer sending erratic signals to the motor controller, making operation a little jerky,” says Bayer. “I’ll have to get a new tensiometer, take out the battery and undo all the cables.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bill Bayer, 250 Buffalo Bottom Rd., Linden, Tenn. 37096 (ph 931-589-0001; bluharo@yahoo.com; YouTube: @billbayer5526).

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