{"id":4002,"date":"2015-07-22T16:21:25","date_gmt":"2015-07-22T21:21:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.plastibots.com\/?p=4002"},"modified":"2018-07-31T09:22:11","modified_gmt":"2018-07-31T13:22:11","slug":"supercharged-cubcadet-electric-mower-lipo-battery-mod","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.plastibots.com\/index.php\/2015\/07\/22\/supercharged-cubcadet-electric-mower-lipo-battery-mod\/","title":{"rendered":"CubCadet CC500 Electric Mower – LiPo Battery Conversion"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CubCadetLiPo3\"<\/a>I decide to go the electric mower route about 5 years ago. \u00a0I was hesitant as the 12V lead-acid batteries most electric mowers come with suck – and they are heavy. \u00a0At that time, the only better technology was Lithium Ion battery-based mowers, but they were very expensive. \u00a0I decided on the CubCadet CC500, which was a good balance of quality and price. It was a 48 Volt lead-acid unit.<\/p>\n

It only took 2 years for the (4) original lead acid batteries to waste away. \u00a0I was stuck between going\u00a0back to gas, or replacing batteries.\u00a0 I let myself go somewhere in between by only replacing 2 of the 4 batteries with new lead acid units. \u00a0That only lasted a season and I soon found myself charging the batteries twice for each mow. \u00a0To add insult to injury, our new patio further reduced the cutting area – yet I still needed 2 chargers per cut! \u00a0I needed a solution…<\/p>\n

After getting into RC quads, I realized the solution was right there in front of me with the Lithium Polymer batteries I’m using for my quads. \u00a0They are the perfect combination of power\/weight and longevity. \u00a0After doing some math, I figured I needed approx 10000 mAh of juice which would give me about 40 minutes cut time (48V @ 550 Watt motor). \u00a0LiPo batteries can be expensive, so I decided to go\u00a0low risk route and start with\u00a02 x 22.2 Volt 5200 mAh batteries\u00a0($100 each). \u00a0This gave me ~45 Volts @ 5200 mAh (series connected) – which would give me ~20 minutes cut time. \u00a0Another bonus was that LiPo’s have a nice power to weight ratio, so I gained some significant weight savings with this new set-up.\u00a0The CubCadet wiring design is straight forward, and I was able to hack the LiPo’s into it quickly while also maintaining the existing circuitry (i.e. the safety switch, overload fuse etc).<\/p>\n

\"CubCadetLiPo4\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Results:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The results are impressive. \u00a0After being on vacation for a week-and-a-half, the grass got pretty tall. \u00a0 The new set-up cut through it with ease and power – even the denser damp grass. \u00a0I’ve got to do a few more cuts over the next few weeks to get more concrete results, but I don’t think I need to add more batteries (I had originally banked on about 10000 mAh). \u00a0This mod cost about $250 CAD in parts. \u00a0For many, this could be viewed as a waste since you can get a gas mower for that much. However, I expect to get a few hundred mows out of these batteries. \u00a0To me, the cost justifies the benefits (environmentally sound, quiet, lighter (than both gas and a lead-acid set-up), long lasting, faster charging, no pollution). \u00a0I figure I will get at least 5 seasons out of this.<\/p>\n

Update: Sept 2017 – Well, 2 years out, and the system has been working well. \u00a0Unfortunately, both batteries had a cell go dead on me, so I need to get some new batteries. \u00a0I’ve chalked it up to cheap batteries with poorly cells.<\/p>\n

Update: \u00a0I just completed another\u00a0cut and the system performed great. \u00a0Batteries maintained good power through the entire cut as well as heavy parts. \u00a0I was even able to take the mower into the valley and clear a path through 4 foot weeds down to our garden. \u00a0When I was done, it still had plenty of juice.<\/p>\n

Update Aug 22: \u00a0Very happy with the results. \u00a0I am averaging about 2 cuts per charge on the 5200 mAh set-up, so I don’t expect to be adding batteries as this works for me.<\/p>\n

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Sound Byte:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Some folks have asked for a video of the sound of the mower. \u00a0 Given it was an electric mower when I started the mod, there is no real difference in switching over to LiPo’s. \u00a0Electric mowers are pretty quiet to start. \u00a0I can mow and have a conversation with someone no problem. \u00a0 That said, here’s a video clip of the sound with some SPL numbers. \u00a0In short, it registered @ 120dB. \u00a0That’s pretty significant, but keep in mind the tablet was 1 ft way from the motor\/blade.<\/p>\n