# Which Farm Quad should I convert



## BPS (Aug 11, 2018)

Hello, New here.I'm planning on converting a Farm quad preferable 4wd.

Can anyone recommend make and model that I should be looking at for ease of conversion?


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## BPS (Aug 11, 2018)

I was considering the following quad bikes Honda 350 fourtrax or
Honda foreman 500 trx?

I would like to use Tesla Model S Battery modules if I can find a way to fit them.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

I doubt that there's much difference between brands and models that is important to conversion, assuming that you will be replacing the engine and possibly transmission with a motor or two (and reduction gearbox(es) if you didn't keep the transmission), leaving the original suspension and final drive units in place. They all seem to have the drivetrain laid out in a pretty similar way.

I had originally assumed that you would be doing a side-by-side or UTV, rather than a traditional "straddle the engine" quad. A side-by-side would have a lot more space for battery, but you know what vehicle type will work for your purposes.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

BPS said:


> I would like to use Tesla Model S Battery modules if I can find a way to fit them.


That's a huge challenge, both because the big flat modules are not shaped conveniently for this purpose, and because they only have 6 cells in series each, so you need a lot of battery to reach a useful voltage. The Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt modules are more obvious fits.


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## Cauzway (Jun 5, 2018)

BPS said:


> Hello, New here.I'm planning on converting a Farm quad preferable 4wd.
> 
> Can anyone recommend make and model that I should be looking at for ease of conversion?



Hi!


I'm in the exact same position - looking for the right quad/ATV model to convert for farm/wood lot use. One of the bigger problems I'm facing is how to connect the motor to the drive shaft...*can I just connect it directly into the drive shaft without chain or belt?* ie. male (motor) into female spline (drive shaft) connection.



Just a note from my research thus far: I'm puzzled by all these e-ATV companies that have gone out of business in the US but appear to be doing well everywhere else in the world.


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## SWF (Nov 23, 2007)

I converted a Polaris ATV (see link in signature below), and one of the reasons I used that model is that the engine and transmission are in separate housings. Connecting the motor to the drivetrain was fairly straight-forward. The transmission has 2 speeds, which makes the ATV good for both low and high speed work. You definitely want some form of gear reduction between the motor and axles to get good torque and allow the motor to run at reasonable rpms.


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## Cauzway (Jun 5, 2018)

SWF said:


> I converted a Polaris ATV (see link in signature below), and one of the reasons I used that model is that the engine and transmission are in separate housings. Connecting the motor to the drivetrain was fairly straight-forward. The transmission has 2 speeds, which makes the ATV good for both low and high speed work. You definitely want some form of gear reduction between the motor and axles to get good torque and allow the motor to run at reasonable rpms.



Thanks for the info. Is the seperate housing a standard feature of Polaris ATV's? 



I'm finding better deals directly from the dealerships then from used ones on Kijiji. I'm thinking I might have to buy a brand new one. I'll wait till the warranty runs out and then convert it. Anyone else finding this strange pattern? I'm searching in Ontario, Canada - maybe it's just a seasonal / regional thing.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Cauzway said:


> Is the seperate housing a standard feature of Polaris ATV's?


Traditionally, Polaris - unlike other manufacturers - has tended to use a belt-type CVT in their ATVs. Polaris started by building snowmobiles, and this is essentially the same transmission as used as most snowmobiles for decades. That means that the engine is connected to a simple gearbox (with reverse and maybe high and low gears) by the belt of the CVT, so they are relatively separate. I assume that the intention here would be to replace the engine with the electric motor, and to replace the CVT with a plain (fixed-ratio) toothed belt or chain drive of whatever ratio works best for the motor.

I don't know if all Polaris ATVs use a CVT.

This discussion in a Polaris forum shows a typical setup in the first post: the first image shows the belt CVT (engine shaft on the left, gearbox shaft on the right), and the third image shows where these components are in the ATV.


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## SWF (Nov 23, 2007)

Cauzway said:


> I'm finding better deals directly from the dealerships then from used ones on Kijiji. I'm thinking I might have to buy a brand new one. I'll wait till the warranty runs out and then convert it. Anyone else finding this strange pattern? I'm searching in Ontario, Canada - maybe it's just a seasonal / regional thing.


Mine is a 2004 Polaris Sportsman 500HO. Likely most years around this are similar with respect to drivetrain, but you would need to confirm. I see quite a few Sportsman for sale in Ontario on Kijiji and Autotrader in the $2500 range. You could also try posting an ad on Kijiji looking for one that has a blown engine.


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## PStechPaul (May 1, 2012)

I've been looking for something like this to electrify. A few weeks ago I found a 6x4 John Deere Gator for $1500 but it must have sold instantly - just needed a clutch and otherwise looked good. Just now I found this for $500:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/260495644780255










I'd probably jump on it if it were closer, but it's about 60 miles away.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

PStechPaul said:


> Just now I found this for $500:
> https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/260495644780255


That's strange: it looks like a Gator 6X4 or a knockoff of one, but has Pug badging... and the Pug is quite different. It looks like they built these before the current design... a couple of decades ago.


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