Good point. This is a 700 lb mower and not a 2 lb RC airplane. The linear actuators they use on Mythbusters look very expensive. I looked on ebay and found a few 12v actuators for around $100. I'm not sure if those will work I'll need to do some more research. I have several controllers that I might be able to use laying around and even an older receiver.

If I can keep this under $500 I might try to give it s go. I'm not sure is $500 would cover it all.