# Solar Garden Helper Machine



## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

I really Love gardening but I have a bad back and when it comes to staying bent over in the garden it gets rough. So I built this Helper Machine. I call it My P-Machine. Planting/Picking/Pulling weeds/Putting around the garden machine. I had a few things to finish when I took these pictures like the other side seat, mounting the control etc. The Control will be able to be moved easly from one side to the other so I drive it from either side. I am going to wait till early spring to mount the solar panels on the top and the 4-6 volt batteries in the 2 back racks. After building and testing it I have plans to do some more to it to make it where it will be more useful. I think it will help me so much in my BIG garden.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

This is one of the homesteading projects I hope this forum will encourage. Good luck with it and thanks for posting pictures! Now I want one too!!


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Me three

More than neat.....

What a platform for a rack of PV panels


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## manawar (Nov 1, 2011)

Very cool.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Cool.

looks like the solar array will double providing shade for the operator. Are you going to get the wife in the other seat to help with the garden?

WWW


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## wildcat6 (Apr 5, 2011)

I cant see the pics. Is everyone else able to see them?


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

I can see them. 

They are stored in Photobucket so if your firewall has that site blocked then you won't see them.


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

Very nice! I would like one of those.


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## blufford (Nov 23, 2004)

Maybe you should install a reclining seat for quick naps.ound:

A day without a nap is like a cupcake without frosting. ~Terri Guillemets


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Are you going to get the wife in the other seat to help with the garden?
> 
> WWW


 Yep, You got that right--LOL. Actually it will be her and her mother using it the most picking beans.


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

Thanks everyone. I really enjoyed the challenge of bending all the tubing and welding. I have never really done much welding until this project and my first tubing bending.


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## wildcat6 (Apr 5, 2011)

wy_white_wolf said:


> I can see them.
> 
> They are stored in Photobucket so if your firewall has that site blocked then you won't see them.


Oh, I see. That is probably the case then. Really wanted to see. Thanks...


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

If you can not see the pictures send me a private message with your e-mail address and I will send you some pictures that way.



wildcat6 said:


> Oh, I see. That is probably the case then. Really wanted to see. Thanks...


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

I have 2 80 watt panels and 4 6 volt golfcart batteries




















The control is moveable from one side to the other as well as in the middle.











SolarGary you said when I get finished you wanted these pictures but I probably will never finish it. I already got several more things I want to do to make this machine even more useful.


The two seats are adjustable---they will move several inches closer to the row middle or several inches farther away. They are in the middle in this pic.











Once I get the new worn off it I will quit using it to pick Collards---LOL.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

It might be beneficial to add some rods to lift and guide vegetation away from the rear tires.

Looks great and should be very useful.


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

Windy in Kansas said:


> It might be beneficial to add some rods to lift and guide vegetation away from the rear tires.
> 
> Looks great and should be very useful.


I want be using it to pick collards, mostly what it will be used for will not be as wide as the collards. I was just playing in the collard patch.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

Yes, I did note that about the collards. Still though they might be nice in case you felt the need to powder or spray the underside of leaves for insects (if you don't grow organically).

Doubt you could properly lift cucumber vines for ease of harvesting, but also a thought. 

You could use this model of cart for a few ten thousand dollars.
http://bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/press_info/laydown/laydown.htm

Homemade trumps tens of thousands of dollars any day in addition to the satisfaction of doing it yourself in a green mode.


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

I was asked to give some more info on how this machine is built/set-up. It was fabricated out of 1" square tubing 1/8" thick. This was my first build using a welder and tubing bender so do not look at the welding to close. The drive motors, wiring harness and control were remove from a power wheel chair. The two motors operate on 24 volts and are already a gear reduction motor but being I was using a larger rear tire than is on the power wheel chair and I wanted a lot of torque I reduced their output even more to 4.6 to 1 by using a 13 tooth sproket on the motor and a 60 tooth on the wheels drive axle using #35 chain to connect them. The machines top speed is about the speed of a walk but can be slowed down to a craw by using the original wheel chair speed adjust control with the joy stick pushed all the way forward. Naturally it will stop by releasing the joystick or returning it to its centered position. The machine works like a Z turn lawn mower or a rear drive power wheel chair meaning the front tires swivel as the rear tires control the turn. No need for front wheel stearing this way.

I have 4 T-105's 6 volt Trojan golfcart batteries on two racks above/behind the drive wheels so less weight will be put on the front swivel tires. The 4 batteries are hooked in series for 24 volt set-up. I am using 2 12 volt 80 watt solar panels hooked in series that will run through a 20 amp 24 volt charge controller to keep the batteries charged properly. The wiring was simple because I used everything off the power wheel chair including the wiring harness. I had to lengthen the wires some because this machine is so much bigger than the wheel chair. 
The 24 volt battery set-up was wired to the original battery disconnect plug that was on the wheel chair battery pack, so its just a simple plug into the harness. The 24 volt solar charge controller wires hooks to the batteries in the same place as the positive and negative wires for the disconnect plug.

I had the 4 trojan batteries but I could have used 2 12 volt deep cycle batteries if I had of had some or I could have used the original batteries off the wheel chair but those batteries were going bad---so I used what I had but I am sure the run time will be alot longer the way I got it set-up. 

Any Questions---Just ask.



PD-Riverman said:


> I have 2 80 watt panels and 4 6 volt golfcart batteries
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Cool, but where is the TV and Fridge?
Nice collards too


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

No TV or Fridge but I am planning to put some lights on it in case I want to pick some of them collards after dark----LOL.



po boy said:


> Cool, but where is the TV and Fridge?
> Nice collards too


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