Build-Your-Own Tractor Plans?

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We are looking for plans for building a small tractor. We know that Struck Corporation used to sell such, but they seem to have gone over to selling only the complete machines....sigh. Also, there is a recent addition to the CADPlans site that are plans for an all hydraulic small tractor now available---they want $200 for the plans. We are really, really, really hoping that some one here has some further information. Readable, used, old plans for cheap would also be welcomed!

-- Heika Sample (dogdayze@usermail.com), April 18, 2001

Answers

I'm in the process of moving right now so don't have my older issues of mother earth or countryside handy, but i do recall reading in either one, forgot which, there were plans on how to amke a tractor. I remember it because i thought, hmmmm how would you do that. I'll try to see if i can find it, but maybe if you did some digging at the local library in their magazine archives or search you could find it in an old index. Hope this helps.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), April 18, 2001.

There is a newspaper type of publication that tells of all sorts of homemade gizmos and also tells of cutting edge new farm products. Here is their web site. http://www.farmshow.com/

I don't know if they have any tractor plans, but they have been around 25 years so some homebuilt ones should have been shown. Their CDRom is pretty reasonable. The paper edition tells of the homebuilt device, and you can order more in-depth plans if you wish.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), April 19, 2001.


What size tractor are you looking for? As mentioned above the old Mother Earth News built a garden tractor, something around 12HP if memory serves me. Heavy duty one though and looked nice to boot.

Not real tough to build bigger one on your own though. Old timers in many parts of the country built what were called doodlebugs out of old truck parts. They were basically a shortened frame stripped of body with two 4 speed transmissions, one after the other to get speed down and a heavy duty rear axle out of say a 1.5 ton truck. Some used bigger rear tractor tires and modified front beam axle to compensate. If you want smaller, use smaller parts. Get this far you can make it nicer with a belt governor on engine to regulate engine speed under load. (Really nice if using as a tractor) Can also add a 3pt hitch. I've welded them up very successfully for old tractors just by carefully measuring hitch on modern farm tractor and copying it. And add on a hydraulic pump and controls to power it. Burdens surplus even sells a hydraulic motor whose output shaft is same as a pto shaft on a tractor. Mount this on rear of tractor and hook it in to hydraulic system and you can run pto driven equipment.

Now folks that built doodlebugs didnt have plans but knew what they wanted to end up with. Some were very crude simple things and some were quite elaborate. I remember one crude tractor that consisted of a Farmal H tractor rear transaxle grafted on back of a pickup with cab left on truck. Not sure what they used the thing for as it was sitting out in the woods rusting away when I saw it, but it was interesting. I've also seen some that functioned as nice as a commercial tractor only without the sheet metal.

By way making a tractor out of parts is nothing new. Take a gander at this website:

http://users.supernet.com/pages/gtreible/Thrifty%20Farmer.htm

It shows a 1932 kit to convert a model T or A or chev to a tractor.

-- Hermit John (hermit@hilltop_homestead.zzn.com), April 19, 2001.


If you want an engine governor (for a petrol engine) you might check out some cheap after-market cruise control units I saw in our local K-Mart. And guess what? They weren't made in China either...

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), April 20, 2001.

yes i want a brochure on build it yourself end loader

-- noelle coons (RaveGirl2000143@aol.com), September 04, 2001.


You can get the full set of plans you are looking for from Mother Earth News, for about $20.00. Try their web site. If you do find out about other sources or sites, please let me know. Thanks and good luck: l

-- lwp (lwpeoples@aol.com), September 28, 2001.

The tractor plans in Mother Earth News are in the old issues. I think they are issues 69,70 and 71. You can find them at any University Library. Mother Earth News Magazine has a list of plans. Last I checked the offered the tractor plans for $15 plus $4 S$H.

-- JB (jdb_32052@hotmail.com), March 09, 2002.

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