# Forklift Motor controller



## Sisyphus (Feb 21, 2021)

Still really new to this. I am in the market for a motor controller and was looking into the ReVolt diy route. I can solder and have limited electronics experience but i am not savvy enough to make my own circuit board. I see that others on this board have not been able to reach "Paul and Sabrina" to purchase a kit in some time now.

My question is can i somehow use a forklift motor controller? I have a hitachi SCM3-N01 speed controller. I really don't know anything more about it other than it came out of a running forklift.

The project vehicle is a Suzuki Carry Mini Truck that will only need to do 15mph as the top speed. I am not partial to a specific voltage.

Trying to keep the costs down on this project and it seems like the motor controller could be a big stumbling block.

As an end result, I just need to be able to control the motor speed without breaking the bank. Any suggestions or direction would be appreciated.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

When "forklift" motors are used in EV conversions, they are normally used with a much higher-voltage battery than the actual forklift would have, to allow the motor to work at higher speed and to push more current at low speed. The controller from a forklift would likely have both input voltage and output current limits which are too low to give acceptable performance in a road vehicle... but you could check specs on whatever controllers you can find, especially since you are looking for modest performance.

Is this for the separately excited or compound motor that you found? The controller for the traction motor in a forklift with a DC motor is likely only for a series-wound motor.


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## Sisyphus (Feb 21, 2021)

brian_ said:


> When "forklift" motors are used in EV conversions, they are normally used with a much higher-voltage battery than the actual forklift would have, to allow the motor to work at higher speed and to push more current at low speed. The controller from a forklift would likely have both input voltage and output current limits which are too low to give acceptable performance in a road vehicle... but you could check specs on whatever controllers you can find, especially since you are looking for modest performance.
> 
> Is this for the separately excited or compound motor that you found? The controller for the traction motor in a forklift with a DC motor is likely only for a series-wound motor.


I am going to attempt to use the compound motor that was used to drive the hydraulic pump on the forklift. I understand that i might have to excite the fields separately from the armature. If I were trying to do 60mph i don't think i would go this route...but essentially i just need to reach 15 mph and it doesn't have to get there fast...just needs to get there without shifting and without going on fire 

I am going to mess with supplying different voltages to the fields today to see how the motor reacts. It seems as though it will run as an ordinary series motor if I don't excite the the thin wound coils. I know enough to be dangerous, so that is why I am here asking questions. I did watch a couple YouTube vides by Damien Maguire where he is messing with a compound DC motor. He is obviously much smarter than I am in this topic but it looks like it can be done. I don't plan on running a higher voltage than the 48Volts that the forklift was rated for. I believe that the forklift itself only had a 36v battery but was capable of running 48v. if I can't get up to 15mph on 48 volts, I would consider a higher voltage.

I had called a Curtis dealer to see if I could buy a compound motor controller, but they seemed a bit stymied by my request and i haven't heard back from them yet.

I hate to let this motor go to waste so i would really like to get it working in the Suzuki.

I appreciate your thoughts on this Brian_ !!!


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## serik (Jan 5, 2014)

Sisyphus said:


> I am going to attempt to use the compound motor that was used to drive the hydraulic pump on the forklift. I understand that i might have to excite the fields separately from the armature. If I were trying to do 60mph i don't think i would go this route...but essentially i just need to reach 15 mph and it doesn't have to get there fast...just needs to get there without shifting and without going on fire
> 
> I am going to mess with supplying different voltages to the fields today to see how the motor reacts. It seems as though it will run as an ordinary series motor if I don't excite the the thin wound coils. I know enough to be dangerous, so that is why I am here asking questions. I did watch a couple YouTube vides by Damien Maguire where he is messing with a compound DC motor. He is obviously much smarter than I am in this topic but it looks like it can be done. I don't plan on running a higher voltage than the 48Volts that the forklift was rated for. I believe that the forklift itself only had a 36v battery but was capable of running 48v. if I can't get up to 15mph on 48 volts, I would consider a higher voltage.
> 
> ...


This compound wired DC motor can be wired as series DC motor changing thin wire wounded coils on the thick wire wounded coils, the same type as it has, then coils need to be reconnected as series DC motors typically has connected. And then use controller for series DC motor.
But I did not made such experiment, so it is just my guess.
Sorry for my English, please.


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