Hi. I’m new and building a RC Lawn mower. Later I’ll incorporate Arduino sensors for safety and telemetry. But for now I am in research and design phase. In the last 24 hrs I found enough info to understand how to use a Spektrum DX6E transmitter and receiver and Sabertooth 2x60 Amp Controller (I think). Next challenge is sourcing the wheelchair motors.
But this got me thinking…I want to use differential steering, and either control with one gimble or two (undecided). But for something like a lawnmower, is front or rear drive best? Two casters would be on the opposite side of course.
I haven’t worked with a lawn mower but after doing some research I found that most people prefer the rear drive because they provide better traction and work nicely on irregular fields, this is also the design most commonly used on commercial lawn mowers.
By the way, I used to have a lawn mower, and it had a rear wheels drive!
Also, what I know from cars, cars with mostly rear wheels drive (like BMW and Mercedes of which I am a big fan ) have good traction and good start, since when starting to move, all weight transfers to the back. Also, on the front wheels, they do not have CV joints, so their turning radius is smaller than for the cars with front wheels drive.
But, disadvantage for rear wheels drive is driving on snow or ice you can easily slide of the road
All good points. I favour the rear wheel drive for the reasons you stated.
Plus, I doubt I will be doing much RC lawn mowing in the snow
I did look at the section you referenced. However, I think even the biggest motor in there ( the RB-Plx-365 ) would be too small. This kit is exactly what I need too, as it has wheels and hubs, and it is 12V which is a bonus. But at only 85 ft lbs of torque I think it is too small. Most people building rc lawnmowers opt for wheelchair motors which typically consume about 250 watts. At its peak draw the RB-Plx-365 would draw 8 x 12 = 96 watts. So I know its torque is no where near that of a wheelchair motor.
I’ll continue searching. I’m guessing a 5HP engine, batteries, mower deck, electronics, wheels, etc. will come in just under 200 lbs. This is right in the range of wheelchairs (most low end chairs are rated at 250 lbs), and move at least as fast as a lawn mower. This is why most people use them for the build.
Love it. The tracks are definitely cool. I’m actually looking forward to the frame and metal work side of it. And I was worried about the learning curve on the RC, but am more confident on that now. I like projects where I have to master new things. Already starting to think ahead for the telemetry options.
The search for the right motors continues! I have a Optima Blue Top (deep cycle) car battery almost new, so I was hoping to use this, but most wheelchair motors are 24V. Too bad…those Blue Tops are great batteries and super expensive.
) have good traction and good start, since when starting to move, all weight transfers to the back. Also, on the front wheels, they do not have CV joints, so their turning radius is smaller than for the cars with front wheels drive.