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Comment by rickypp | Hacker News Reader

Were it me, I would have started with a pre-2000's Craftsman mower as a base. They have a 6 speed transaxle with a differential (which solves the steering problem mentioned) and a built-in brake, and examples with broken or missing gas engines can be had used for $100 or less quite often. They have that boxy sheet metal look of old tractors too. It would also be possible to adjust the pulley ratios to slow it down or just block off the higher speeds until the kids get a bit older.

Granted, I understand that the purpose of a project like this isn't just in the end result. Depends what crafts you want to practice and what's just necessary work around them. There's still quite a bit of fun project left in converting an existing mower to electric and refinishing it to look more like a classic tractor.

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You can buy those transaxels (different number of speeds) surplus fairly cheap, but you have to look.

Though the goal was a kids toy, and those mowers are too large for that use.

Kids grow. If it were me I'd just remove the mower deck, throw an extra muffler in its place (because without the deck the engine will be the next loudest thing and I don't wanna listen to it). Maybe lock out the top speeds depending upon age/yard topology.

Stuff goes straight to permanent memory at that age so by giving them a "real" tractor there's a lot of potential to learn good lifelong lessons prompt them to ask the kind of questions that result in good teaching.

This is one I know of off the top of my head: https://surpluscenter.com/power-transmission/transaxles-tran...

Way cheaper to find a broken mower.

They're constantly sold dirt cheap in my area with very minor problems, like old gas. People don't know how to fix it, so they buy a new one and sell the old.

I bought four working mowers. $500, $250, $220, and $200. One was missing a deck, one was running rough. Otherwise complete.

They're all craftsman, one vintage from the 80s.

We use one to mow, one to move the trailer, the old one mows but it mostly sits, and the last was a gift for my wonderful neighbors who are old and were still using a walk behind.

That's how I buy snow blowers where the fix is usually clean the carb jet or replace it for 20 bucks.

He mentioned hills - I would be worried about kids rolling it and getting crushed. I've got an old sit-on mower and it is very heavy.

I'm in New Zealand and we have a number of deaths every year from quad-bikes on farms. Often children. They are being careful but quads on slopes are dangerous.

But those are internal combustion engines, so each time your kid want to have fun, it annoys everyone.

I'd rather have my kid ingrained with the idea that electricity is the future even if it's an amazing achievement to be able to tame explosions to move around

Right, that's why I mentioned nabbing one without a working gas engine and converting it to electric as the focal point of the project.

Ha sorry, thanks for the explanation

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