My Elec-Traks - Maintenance Tools


There were a number of tools sold by General Electric for use by consumers as well as dealers to keep the Elec-Traks running smooth. Below is the most complete listing I have come up with along with pictures of those I have and even a few pictures of those I don't have. There were not a lot of different tools made but many of them were pretty unique! Many of these tools are listed in the following publications:


"NOS" Hydrometer (Hydro-Mite) (AP10):

G.E. provided two different hydrometers for both dealers and consumers. A professional model and this little pocket model from Thexton, the “Hydro-Mite”. Seems like a pocket model might get you into trouble as putting it back in your front shirt pocket after being soaked in battery acid might have an adverse effect on your shirt, let alone the skin underneath! I was able to pick up a "NOS" Hydro-Mite still in the original display card from an ex-dealer who still had the original invoice for it from G.E. proving its authenticity.

Hydro-Mite

"NOS" Elec-Trak Hydrometer (Hydro-Mite) (AP10)



"NOS" Hydrometer (Specific Gravity) (AP11):

G.E.’s larger, more professional model of hydrometer came in a non-descriptive box with no brand name. As you can see from the picture the float had to be inserted in the glass tube and the rubber siphon added before you could use it. This also was "NOS", still in the original box, never used from the same ex-dealer. It was also noted on the same original invoice G.E. had sent him proving its authenticity.

Associated Publications:
Hydrometer

"NOS" Elec-Trak Hydrometer (Specific Gravity) (AP11)



"NOS" Measured Battery Filler (AP12):

The Measured Battery Filler (AP12) allowed the user to push the tip into a battery cell and it would fill it with distilled water up to a perfect level every time without having to guess when it was full. I was able to pick up a "NOS" version of one of these items from an ex-dealer- note the “AP12” tag still on it! He also parted with a few parts and pieces from some incomplete ones.

Associated Publications:

Battery Filler

"NOS" Elec-Trak Measured Battery Filler (AP12)



"NOS" Tire Gauge (AP14):

A Tire Gauge (AP14) was sold as an optional tool to dealers to sell to Elec-Trak owners. An ex-dealer sent me this one, he had found it among his things and was pretty sure this was one of the ones G.E. had shipped to him at one time. It still ooks brand new! The AP14 was a "low pressure" tire gauge and unlike other tire gauges it was made specifically for smaller garden tractor type tires measuring air pressure from just 0-20 psi.

Tire gauge

"NOS" Elec-Trak Tire Gauge (AP14)



"NOS" Blade Sharpener for TH20 (AP20):

Part number "TH20" actually referred to the ¼” Drill Motor Head for the Elec-Trak Power Head (TM3) hand tool. This was used to sharpen mower deck blades using the Elec-Trak 36V Drill Attachment (TH20) - pretty handy! Again I got this "NOS", never been used, same ex-dealer I got the hydrometers from.

Blade Sharpener

"NOS" Elec-Trak Blade Sharpener for the TH20 (AP20)



"NOS" Yellow Touch-up Paint– Spray can (AP29):

I consider it a miracle I was able to get a can (Left) of original Elec-Trak Spray Paint (AP29) sold by G.E. to allow consumers to touch up their electric tractors with. Again I got this "NOS", never been used, same ex-dealer I got the hydrometers from. Two years later I discovered a friend had a can (Right) as well but the label was different. GE had actually produced two different labels for their spray cans.

Yellow Spray Paint

A spray can of original "NOS" Elec-Trak Yellow Paint (AP29)



"NOS" Yellow Touch-up Paint– Pint (AP30):

Another miracle! I was able to get an original pint can of Elec-Trak Paint (AP30) sold by G.E. to allow dealers and consumers to touch up their Elec-Traks with. G.E. didn't get too fancy with it, no pretty labels, Probably just went down to the paint line, poured some yellow into a pint can and slapped a label on it. I got this "NOS", never been used from a fellow collector who had picked it up in a packaged deal with some other items. Thanks buddy!

Pint of Yellow Paint

A pint can of original "NOS" Elec-Trak Yellow Paint (AP30)



"NOS" Battery Terminal Protector- Grease (AP31):

I picked a couple of tubes of this G.E. "Long-Life Grease" in a box of odds and ends from an ex-dealer back in 2010. In late 2011 I picked up yet another box of odds and ends from a different ex-dealer but the boxes the tubes came in had a small yellow sticker attached that read "Battery Terminal Protector" Part number 243A4680P1. Score! Another old genuine Elec-Trak item found that was furnished to the dealer channel and consumers a like to help maintain these electric tractors.

Elec-Trak Grease

Tubes of original "NOS" Battery Terminal Protector- Grease (AP31)

Elec-Trak Grease Tube

Close-up of Battery Terminal Protector- Grease (AP31)

Elec-Trak Grease Label

The sticker on the boxes verifying the description and ET part number.



"NOS" Grease Gun (AP35):

G.E. sold a Grease Gun (AP35) along with Grease Gun Cartridges (AP36) to dealers to ultimately resell to home owners. I looked high and low for one of these for many years and finally found one in the stash of an ex-Elec-Trak Dealer. They were distributed by J-Mark, a popular automotive tool supplier of oil can spouts and oil filter wrenches as well. Many of these early one-handed grease guns looked very similar, I suspect a single manufacturing company made them all and they were OEM'd by various companies. These instructions were found in the box as well as a copy on them was also found in his literature stash. This invoice was also found in the dealer's paperwork.

Grease Gun

An original "NOS" Elec-Trak Grease Gun (AP35)



Elec-Trak Small Crimper:

General Electric provided two different crimpers to their dealer channel, a small one and a large one. This one is the smaller one, still looking for the larger one. The "Super Champ" model was from Amp Inc.

Small Crimper

The Elec-Trak Small Crimper



Elec-Trak Multimeter:

General Electric provided a Monarch Multimeter to their dealers in the "Dealer Test Kit" for troubleshooting and warrenty work. I got this off eBay and I am not 100% certain this is the exact model number but it sure looks like the photograph.

Multimeter

The Elec-Trak Multimeter



Digital Volt Meter (ECSA-3):

General Electric provided these simple digital volt meters to dealers at a class they had put on for them. They gave an instant reading for both 6V and 12V batteries and require no batteries. Most are still working great 40 years later!

Digital Volt Meter

Digital Volt Meter (ESCA-3)



"NOS" Elec-Trak Battery Service Kit:

General Electric also provided a "Battery Service Kit" to their dealers in the Dealer Test Kit for servicing batteries in the tractors. A cable puller, terminal cleaner, cable reamer and a cable crimper were included in the kit from K-D tools who still makes kits today. I was really fortunate to obtain this kit from a former G.E. Elec-trak executive who still had it and had never used it after all these years. I found out from KD Tools that this kit was discontinued in November of 1992.

Battery Service Kit

"NOS" Battery Service Kit



Elec-Trak Battery Lift Strap:

I picked this up in a box of odds and ends from an original Elec-Trak owner and it has taken me a while to verify it was indeed an original Elec-Trak Battery Lift Strap. I knew they were made by KD Tools per the New Idea Dealer Tool Kit flyer. I scanned in and magnified the picture in that publication to verify the model number but I could not tell if it was a model "305" or "205". KD Tools is still making a battery strap identical to this one today and so I contacted the company and they verified that the Model 205 has been around forever with virtually no change to it. It appears in a 1971 Elec-Trak era catalog they had in their archives. This tracks well with the publication below where G.E. started shipping an upgraded strap to dealers in October of 1971 when the last actual change to the Model 205 came out from KD Tools. Bottom line, the Model 205 strap KD Tools sells today is the same strap G.E. included in their dealer kits back in the early 1970's. Some things just cannot be improved on!

Associated Publications:

Elec-Trak Battery Strap

The Elec-Trak Battery Lift Strap

Close-up of the Battery Strap

Close-up of the "Model 205" Battery Lift Strap



"NOS" Auxiliary Charging Kit (243A4817G1):

The Auxiliary Charging Kit was designed to charge a bank of batteries being stored outside of the tractor itself, for instance a bank being stored on a dealer’s shelf. Basically it consisted of a “jumper” plug for the accessories outlet and a series of light weight jumper cables for the remaining string of batteries. One would get the string wired up, plug it into the accessories port and set the timer on the tractor leaving the main power switch "off" thus re-routing the charge through the accessories port and out to the external battery string. I have two of these, one of which had never been used. What will they think of next? : )

Associated Publications:

Auxiliary Charging Kit

"NOS" Elec-Trak Auxiliary Charging Kit



Battery Tester (BT2500):

The Battery Tester is a rather crude, not to mention a rather deadly looking tool but I suppose was effective in its own way. It had two pointed tips marked for the positive and negative terminals of a battery and two wooden handles one would grasp when pressing this apparatus onto a six volt battery. A meter would indicate the charge available in the battery. Seems like there ought to have been a better way…like perhaps a multi-meter? I picked this one up at the Electric Tractor Store.

Associated Publications:

Battery Tester

The Elec-Trak Battery Tester (BT2500)



36V Discharge Tester:

The 36V Discharge Tester was yet another interesting tool provided to dealers. It permitted you to plug it into a 120V AC outlet and then put the “jumper” cables onto the power pack. This box essentially would suck the life out of the batteries and allow you to observe how long it would take to discharge the pack- nothing but the best technology for the G.E. Dealer Community! As it turns out, they were very popular with the dealer community and most dealers seem to have had one.

Associated Publications:

Battery Load Tester

36V Discharge Tester

Battery Load Tester Close-up

36V Discharge Tester- close up



Additional items I am looking for that I don’t have pictures for are…

  • Tire Gauge (0-20lbs) (AP14)
  • Orange Touch-up Paint (AP33)
  • Grease Cartridge for AP35 (AP36)
  • Tire Studding Gun (AP64) <== Part number later re-used for chains.
    (This may refer to the Kengrip product that was offered for Elec-Traks as well.)
  • Large Crimping Tool 3.13MB
  • Locquic Primer grade T
  • Loctite Retaining Compound #75
If you have any of these items and wish to see them go to a good home where they will be well appreciated, please ! Even if you are not ready to part with them just yet I would welcome any pictures you can send me of these items that I might add them to this site to share with others.