Electric Tractor vs Diesel Tractor

Which is the best, an Electric tractor or a diesel tractor? Both have advantages and disadvantages.

An electric tractor is super silent and emissions-free, but a diesel tractor is much cheaper and easier to maintain than an electric tractor.

Before, I was using a diesel tractor, but I wanted a more environmentally friendly tractor with less noise, so I purchased an electric tractor.

However, unlike the diesel tractor that I service myself, the maintenance and servicing can only be done by the service provider.

Click here to read another article on how the tractor engine works.

Keep reading below for more details.

Which One Is The Best Between The Electric Tractor And Diesel Tractor

 John Deere is leading the way in the electrification of tractors and is installing a continuously variable transmission with electromechanical power splitting in the power class over 400 hp.

 According to John Deere, the durability of the powertrain surpasses any other concept previously offered in the industry.

 It is unclear whether this means hydraulic power-split transmissions or other electrified drives. 

The gearbox structure is simple and allows real-time diagnostics from a distance.

A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine designed by the German engineer and inventor Rudolf Diesel (1858–1913) in 1897.

 The diesel engine was originally developed to run on peanut oil with the idea that different countries could grow their fuel.

Let us a table to analyzed the two

 The electric tractor is more environmentally friendly than the diesel tractor because it is noise pollution free.         Diesel tractor is not pollution free, and it also has noise pollution to the operator and the environs
The electric tractor is easier to maintain than the diesel tractor because it removes the stress of changing engine oil and filters.Regular maintenance is there, which includes the change of engine oil, oil filter, fuel filter, etc.
 It is faster than the standard diesel engine. The rpm of the electric motor is faster than the rpm of a four-stroke or two-stroke engine, which makes it faster. 4. Electric tractor is very smooth to operate. The smoothness enhances the efficiency of the operation.  It is slower in the RPM compared to electric, so it is slower than an electric motor.
Electric vs Diesel tractor

1. Diesel tractor is easier to operate than an electric tractor. It has been around for decades, so operators are more familiar with it than the new electric tractor innovation.

2. Diesel tractor is cheaper to acquire than electric tractor. There is a lot of competition for diesel tractors, so they are cheaper than electric tractors with few manufacturers. These manufacturers are still enjoying Monopoly.

Do Tractors Use Gas or Diesel

Presently most tractors use diesel. Tractors use two or four-stroke engines.

These engines are making use of diesel, not gas. They were built with a fuel system that helps the engine to function.

However, some engines use gas.

They can be categorized into ;

1 Stoichiometric  Otto cycle

2. Lean burn, Otto cycle engines

3. Dual fuel mixed cycle

4. Diesel cycle natural gas engines.

But these engines are not too common in tractors. The most common engine in the tractor is a diesel engine.

CAN YOU PUT TRACTOR DIESEL ENGINE IN TRUCK

It is one of the questions that a lot of people usually ask. To answer this question, let us consider a few things.

A truck engine is either a four-stroke or two-stroke engine.

 It is an internal combustion engine. It is built with some systems such as a fuel system, lubrication system, starting system, valve train system, cooling system, and charging system.

These are a few systems made up of internal combustion engines.

Now let us consider a tractor engine. A tractor engine is either a four or two-stroke engine. It is an internal combination engine.

 It also works with fuel, lubrication, starting, valve train, cooling, and charging systems.

If you compare the engines, you will notice similarities between them. The major concern is the capacity. The engine capacity is rated as horsepower (HP). The capacity of the engine must be put into consideration.

 A tractor engine can be put inside a truck engine if the capacity is equal.

Majorly, tractor engines are usually four-cylinder engines, while a truck engine is usually a 6-cylinder engine. If these factors are properly checked, the engine can work together.

Does John Deere Have an Electric Tractor?

The answer is yes. John Deere produced the first electric tractor.

The electrically powered John Deere Lanz 500 brings water to the animals in the pasture, bundles wood, spreads manure, mows and loads grass, turns and rakes hay.

It gets its drive energy from a battery storage system with a capacity of 32 kWh. That’s enough for four to six hours of use under moderate load.

Even now, John Deere is working with Joskin on the subject of electrification.

John Deere is leading the way in the electrification of tractors and is installing a continuously variable transmission with electromechanical power splitting in the power class over 400 hp.

How does John Deere’s new eAutoPowr transmission work? With the eAutoPowr transmission, John Deere has completely replaced the hydraulic components with an electric power path.

The two brushless electric motors should work almost wear-free.

How Does Electric Tractor Work 

Electric tractors work thanks to batteries that can be used without starting the engine. 

These tractors with an electric motor require less maintenance than traditional tractors. 

Those manufactured by Fendt and John Deere can have a nominal power of up to 400 horsepower.

The tested tractors’ batteries have a performance of 650 V and a capacity of 100 kWh, which means that they can be used for up to 5 hours uninterrupted until they need to be charged again. 

The chargers are usually CCS type, and in less than an hour, they can be charged up to 80% of their capacity. Charging stations can be easily installed on any farm or operation.

Although there is still much technology to be developed, the main benefit of this type of tractor is to promote more sustainable agriculture, reduce polluting emissions as much as possible, and reduce noise generation.

What Is The Voltage Of Electric Tractor 

Electric tractors currently available are large (over 180 kW or around 250 hp) and medium-sized tractors with over 75 kW (around 100 hp) power output in continuous operation.

Rather, these are compact tractors with less than 75 kW output.

However, electric motors and batteries allow a short-term boost power, which usually corresponds to twice the nominal power, i.e. up to 150 kW.

Large tractors cannot currently be designed as electric tractors because of the massive amount of energy needed for regular use in agricultural operations. 

 But the question also arises as to whether large tractors need to carry electrical energy on the tractor for an operating period of 8 to 12 hours.

A quick battery change system would also be conceivable. 

Summary

After reading the article, you should be able to determine the advantages and disadvantages of electric and diesel tractors.

The diesel tractor can work as long as the engine is running, but remember that it is noisy compared to the electric tractor.

Remember how electric tractors work. The battery provides electric current, which rotates the electric motor, which provides rotational force to the tractor wheel.

Click here to read another article on which type of tractor is good for the first-timer.

Is your tractor an electric or diesel?