Low Speed High Torque Drive?

[JHale]

Hey all!

In a project completely unrelated to FIRST, I have a question about putting together a high-torque drive.

Here is the context: My goal is to have a robotic (in a few years maybe autonomous) snowblower...yeah. I got my hands on a HUGE 10hp 5x3' impeller Craftsman, its ancient but it kicks major snow butt!

I am trying to work out the design for the drive right now. There are two options:

1. Electric drive run off battery/generator combination.
2. Mechanical drive run off the existing input shaft.

The first is easy, but what is a good motor/transmission combination? Money is definitely a factor, I can't really spend more than $250 or so per trany. Remember that I am trying to replace a 10hp motor in this case.

The second I would imagine to be more effective but way more complicated. I would need two transmissions (one for each drive wheel) that would have forward and reverse. I was thinking planetary with clutches but its a complicated approach.

What are your thoughts?

Some tech:

12" drive wheels in skidsteer type configuration. (The rest of the blower just scrapes along the ground)