Yet another R/C Mower build

[KC8OYE]

Greetings all! I figured I would start with sharing some design ideas and details while I work the rest I have a couple of different push mowers I'm going to start with... I have a really nice honda that's spare.. but it's so nice.. do I really want to hack it up?? (pretty sure it has a metal deck) but I really do like is the blade clutch.. meaning the engine can run w/o the blade spinning.. kind of a nice feature. .the other is a dinosaur craftsman mower I was given that I think has some internal engine issues. (feels like a LOT of drag when pulling on the rope) I'm also tempted to use a Kawasaki FV420 engine I have because I _REALLY_ like the idea of electric start! but I'm not sure about doing the rest of what I want to do with that engine..

I plan on running 12v, Lead-acid (I'm cheap, i have them, they're easier to charge) but also, I plan to run a 12v alternator off the belt previously used for the traction drive.

i'm thinking these electric motors should do the trick nicely, (cost effective, reasonable size) i'm waiting to get more details on the sprocket shaft.. I'd rather use a 420 chain over bicyle chain.
https://www.amazon.com/Reduction-El...mzn1.fos.18ed3cb5-28d5-4975-8bc7-93deae8f9840

I plan on using 13x6.50-6 turf tires, (but can also get knarly lugged tractor tires in this size too)
and these wheels:
https://www.bmikarts.com/6-Drive-Wheel-38-Studs-2-78-Bolt-Pattern_p_35546.html
These wheels mean they can just float on a single solid shaft... simple.

so with all that.. and the 9tooth sprocket on the motors, a 24 tooth-ish sprocket on the drive wheels and the size tire will give me the target max speed of about 4.5mph. and again, if I need hardcore torque, I can always switch to up to a 75tooth sprocket (or whatever fits inside a 13" diameter tire)

I'm thinking of using pnematic casters on the front. i plan on mowing ditches and extreme hills, so it's not likely i'll be on manicured lawns

i'm also planning on a angle sensor similar to what cell phones have to alert if the hill is too steep, or in the case a rollover actually happens, can immediately kill the engine before the spinning blade of doom becomes a problem.

i'm planning on having r/c control of the throttle, (mainly a switch between idle and mowing speed, don't really need FULL control) if I can make the electric start happen, I might just automate the choke and throttle to make it an r/c puss button start..

I plan to have R/C control of the cutting height too.. if I can find a way to adjust quick enough, I have some advanced plans for that to help avoid lawn scalping..

ok, i think that brings me to end of what I've though of so far. so now on to the crappy part.. having to spend money.. lol

I did just order a FlySky Fs-I6X which comes with the IA6B receiver, but I'm going to go ahead and upgrade to the IA10B receiver because heck it's only $20

 

[Chubaka]

I don't like Hondas due to plastic decks and stacked bladed giving it a lower cut. Some olders ones have nice aluminum ones. Blade clutch and adjustable throttle are always a plus.

400cc kawi is a serious mill for a mower. I've been tempted to buy a 180 or 190v for my Toro push mower. Spindles up front are a must. Unsure if a tip over sensor will work. That's the lovely sensor on a motorcycle or atv that let's you hang out for a while and chill instead of dipping after a minor spill.

As for spending money...... my former boss preached you gotta spend it to make it..... ain't that the truth. Good luck on your creation.
https://www.rctalk.com/forum/threads/the-lawntoy-2-4ghz.131019/

https://www.rctalk.com/forum/media/albums/the-lawntoy-2-4ghz.114/

 

[Greywolf74]

Good luck! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

 

[KC8OYE]

Alright, moving forward a little bit at a time. I ordered a 10 pack of servos just because it was cheap, along with a 16 channel servo controller that uses i2c. (this lets me use 3 wires to control 16 servros from an arduino) i got these for throttle, choke, etc. if I need a bigger servo, like for the engine kill/brake then I'll get that as needed.
I also ordered 2 12v motors that I think are big enough. even if not, they'll do for now. along with an appropriate h-bridge controller.
i've been trying to learn FreeCad for 3d modeling.. it's slow going, lol. (see attached image)
I've had some success getting my arduino to decode the sbus/ibus output. but from what I've seen, I need to update the firmware in my FS-i6x to make it transmit all 10 channels.. will cross that bridge when I need to.

 

[WickedFog]

Alright, moving forward a little bit at a time. I ordered a 10 pack of servos just because it was cheap, along with a 16 channel servo controller that uses i2c. (this lets me use 3 wires to control 16 servros from an arduino) i got these for throttle, choke, etc. if I need a bigger servo, like for the engine kill/brake then I'll get that as needed.
I also ordered 2 12v motors that I think are big enough. even if not, they'll do for now. along with an appropriate h-bridge controller.
i've been trying to learn FreeCad for 3d modeling.. it's slow going, lol. (see attached image)
I've had some success getting my arduino to decode the sbus/ibus output. but from what I've seen, I need to update the firmware in my FS-i6x to make it transmit all 10 channels.. will cross that bridge when I need to.

You can get Autodesk Fusion 360 for free with a hobbyist license from their site. And Lars Christensen on YouTube has a great beginner series on using it.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL40d7srwyc_Ow4aaOGXlP2idPGwD7ruKg