Elec-Trak

The GE Elec-Trak was the first commercially produced all-electric garden tractor, made mostly between 1969 and 1975.^[1] Despite their limited production and availability, many Elec-Traks are still in use today^[2] and have a cult following among tractor and electric vehicle enthusiasts.^[3] They are an archetypal or seminal design that has influenced all later electric tractors.

Several models were produced, including: the E8M and ER8-36 (8 hp); the E10M (10 hp); the E12 and E12M (12 hp); the E12S and E15 (14 hp); the E16 (an upgraded version of the E15), and the E20 (16 hp). GE's claimed horsepower figures were false; the table below includes "real" horsepower. The E8M and ER8-36 were styled more as ride-on mowers than tractors. The "M" suffix used on some models indicates the ability to accommodate a mid-mounted (belly) mower, and an "H" was used on some models to indicate a heavy duty, double sized battery pack.

GE also made an industrial version of the Elec-Trak, the I-5. It was orange instead of yellow, and had fenders over the front wheels and attachment points for a roll cage and forklifts of varying heights, but was otherwise identical to the E20.

Elec-trak branded attachments included electric trimmers, edgers, chainsaws, radios, arc welders, fork lifts, front-end loaders, rotary brooms, roller aerators, lawn rollers, dump carts, large vacuums, agricultural sprayers, moldboard plows, row crop cultivators, tillers, disk harrows, sickle bar mowers, belly mowers, front-mounted rotary mowers, front or rear-mounted ganged reel mowers, lawn sweepers, electric rakes, snowblowers, snowplows, golf bag holders, double seats, 120vac rotary inverters, canopy tops, and more.^[3][4] Most of these attachments were connected by a 36VDC "power take off" using a NEMA 10-50 outlet, usually used in the U.S. for 240VAC clothes dryers and thus compatible with readily available cords in most of the USA.

After the shutdown of production at GE, Elec-Traks were produced under the Wheel Horse^[5] and Avco New Idea^[6][7] labels.

Some time after the final shutdown of the Wheel Horse line in 1983, all remaining parts and dies were sold to Bill Gunn,^[8] a dealer in Edgerton, Wisconsin. Eventually Gunn retired and all remaining stock was sold to Jim Coate of the Electric Tractor Store.^[6][7]

Elec-Trak Component Motors

Notes

References

• GE Elec-Trak owner's discussion forum
• The Elec-Trak owner's club
• Internet Elec-Trak discussion list
• George Beckett's history of the Elec-Trak
• Steve Shore's history of the Elec-Trak
• Garden Tractor Talk's GE forum
• decespugliatore. Retrieved 5 January, 2017.
• E15 restoration at BuildItSolar
• Mark Frerking on Elec-Traks (Dec 9, 2007)
• Electric Tractors and Mowers at EValbum
• Elec-Traks at Econogics
• Mike Bryce, "The Elec-Trak Rides Again" Home Power #70, April/May 1999
• Jim Coate, "EVs Can Bring RE to the Field" The Natural Farmer September 2005
• Oscar H. Will III, Garden Tractors. Voyageur Press (2009) ISBN 978-0760331965
• Michael A. Martino, Straight from the horse's mouth: The Wheel Horse story. Stemgas Pub. Co (2000) ISBN 978-0970666802
• E. F. Lindsley, "Fantastic Elec-Trak runs on batteries, powers your electric tools too" Popular Science July 1970
• James M. Liston, "GE introduces the Electric Tractor" Popular Mechanics April 1970

Vendors

• The Electric Tractor Store, offering parts and restoration advice
• Scanned copy of the Clean Power Supply catalog
• Used and NOS parts and tractors at Watts-Up-Elec-Traks
• Elec-Traks tractors, parts and manuals at Kansas Wind Power