Homemade tractor (in aus)

[tractor-mower project 1]

Hi all, after consulting my wife on buying a SCUT/CUT she has, well firmly disagreed with the idea. However my dilemma is that I am wanting to create a garden/planting area, and due to our soil being 99% clay, I've had to approach the costly territory. So what I want to ask is:

Out of these three, what would be best
1. 7hp rear tine Chinese tiller
2. Tea20
3. Homemade tractor


Now I am limited to around ~5000aud or 3500-4000 usd. anything newer than an old Fergie is too expensive, and anything larger is a no due to size. (Well the fergie is already much too big but it's the smallest I can find).

I was initially planning on building a small wheeled tractor, with most likely a very low geared 19hp lawnmower engine, and another to purely drive the pto. This would allow me to build to the size I require, aswell as using mostly cheap or readily available parts. The issue I ran into was:

A hydrostatic off a lawnmower would burn out long before the tractor could much of anything, and the rear pto gives me some concern about HP/torque.

So my option now is to take a small car engine, detune it massively and run the entire system off of that. But that would require a transmission, which I would have to gear down myself, and the engineering for the pto would be far harder.


The other option is to build a tracked vehicle, as thatway I would have cabin AC, better traction, better stability , and tighter turns (a big must). However I'm completely lost on what to do in terms of transmission type, how to get said transmission to work. I was thinking clutch and brake but I would need to learn fully how to assemble that.

I do want a small as possible tractor due to size issues, imagine Kubota BX/b7000 series size. Hence why as the only small high hp second hand tractor in aus is a tea20. So what would I be best building? A small tracked homemade 2wd, or a smidge larger tracked vehicle? And what improvements would you make?

 

[tacticalturnip]

I don't know about Australia, but at least here those older Ferguson's seem to have a fairly big fan base, and that would imply- to me- that there must be a fair amount of parts available. Not only that, but there are manuals out there for them, including new print ones from 3rd parties.

I'd try to find a solid Fergie, given your options. Plus, I think you'll have the most fun with it.

 

[tacticalturnip]

As for modifications, well, this is an obvious one.

 

[tractor-mower project 1]

I don't know about Australia, but at least here those older Ferguson's seem to have a fairly big fan base, and that would imply- to me- that there must be a fair amount of parts available. Not only that, but there are manuals out there for them, including new print ones from 3rd parties.

I'd try to find a solid Fergie, given your options. Plus, I think you'll have the most fun with it.

Oh yeah they're really popular here, it's either them, internationals or David browns or fiats. But Massey's are byfar the most popular, the only thing I really dislike is the high speed and large just, size in general. Since the areas I need to use it in are absolutely miniscule, and 15 point turns don't sound fun lol

 

[scootr]

Rent whatever you need once or twice a yr until the wife comes around to your way of thinking.
GL though, the wife may be harder than the ground

 

[tractor-mower project 1]

Rent whatever you need once or twice a yr until the wife comes around to your way of thinking.
GL though, the wife may be harder than the ground

Have looked into that, and with what they're charging it's cheaper to bite the bullet lol. Most places near me are a few hundred for 1-3 days, which multiple times a year is tractor money haha. And by the sounds of it she definitely won't budge

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Hi all, after consulting my wife on buying a SCUT/CUT she has, well firmly disagreed with the idea. However my dilemma is that I am wanting to create a garden/planting area, and due to our soil being 99% clay, I've had to approach the costly territory. So what I want to ask is:

Out of these three, what would be best
1. 7hp rear tine Chinese tiller
2. Tea20
3. Homemade tractor


Now I am limited to around ~5000aud or 3500-4000 usd. anything newer than an old Fergie is too expensive, and anything larger is a no due to size. (Well the fergie is already much too big but it's the smallest I can find).

I was initially planning on building a small wheeled tractor, with most likely a very low geared 19hp lawnmower engine, and another to purely drive the pto. This would allow me to build to the size I require, aswell as using mostly cheap or readily available parts. The issue I ran into was:

A hydrostatic off a lawnmower would burn out long before the tractor could much of anything, and the rear pto gives me some concern about HP/torque.

So my option now is to take a small car engine, detune it massively and run the entire system off of that. But that would require a transmission, which I would have to gear down myself, and the engineering for the pto would be far harder.


The other option is to build a tracked vehicle, as thatway I would have cabin AC, better traction, better stability , and tighter turns (a big must). However I'm completely lost on what to do in terms of transmission type, how to get said transmission to work. I was thinking clutch and brake but I would need to learn fully how to assemble that.

I do want a small as possible tractor due to size issues, imagine Kubota BX/b7000 series size. Hence why as the only small high hp second hand tractor in aus is a tea20. So what would I be best building? A small tracked homemade 2wd, or a smidge larger tracked vehicle? And what improvements would you make?

Ive built a few. Use your 19 HP engine. Put two standard transmission in line straight to the rear end. Take the center out from a clutch hub and weld it to a piece of drive shaft, with one U joint or two very close, and that will make the two transmissions couple together. On the front transmission use the other clutch hub and weld a u joint with a shaft that runs to the front. Put your engine on top of the shaft and belt drive it with a double v belt pulley. You can have a belt tensioner like on a tiller to engage the belt. Height will be your problem. So putting the engine above the drive will solve that issue. Or, if it is vertical shaft engine, you could hydraulic drive the two transmissions and it will last because of the low gearing. Get like a Toyota truck rear or something common so you may can play with a locking rear differential in the future

 

[etpm]

For about 20 years I had a 1945 Gibson tractor. It used a 7HP Wisconsin engine. The engine had a small diameter 6 groove sheave on the output shaft. 4 of the grooves drove a large diameter sheave. This sheave shared a shaft with a small sprocket. The sprocket in turn drove a large sprocket which was affixed to the input shaft of a 1935 Chevy truck transmission. The truck tranny in turn drove, through a special u-joint, a Chrysler rear end that had been shortened. The speed reduction through the sheave and the sprockets was very high. The large diameter sheave assembly was mounted to a plate that pivoted. This plate was actuated by the clutch pedal. So by moving the plate about the pivot the tension on the vee belts was varied, giving a clutch action. The tension on the belts was supplied by springs. The whole thing worked quite well. The 2 grooves on the sheave that weren't used for locomotion were used to power implements. If you build your own tractor I think you could learn a lot from looking at a Gibson tractor. Check out this link: Gibson Garden Tractors . BTW, my tractor steering was by a long lever on the right side of the tractor. Weird to use at first but it worked very well.
Eric

 

[scaredychicken]

i think that you should take your lovely wife on a Date to the tractor dealership ... have her check them out with you. imagine the wonderful garden area that you could develop. Give it a few months ... she'll warm up to the idea of a small used tractor - they save a lot of labour. And you'd be saving all that effort from you-build-it tractor plans. Perhaps you need a small Garden Tractor - like a ride on lawn mower / tractor, but beefier.

My wife didn't want a tractor either, but now i need to keep the keys

 

[ericm979]

I remember back in the '70s Mother Earth News, a back to the land hippie magazine here in the US, had an article about using old pickup truck running gear to make a home made tractor. They put two transmissions in line to lower the gearing. The hard part would be traction- truck tires aren't going to do all that well.

What sort of work would you be doing with the tractor? We don't have clay soils here, it's more the opposite. But I can't imagine plants growing well in pure clay. You'll likely need to amend the soil. Maybe it would make sense to hire a tractor to break up the clay with a sub soiler or similar for drainage and truck in some topsoil. Then you can work that by hand or with a roto tiller.

The longer we garden the less we're tilling, even in the new garden that I "prepared" a few years ago by flattening an uneven area with the tractor and piling on a bunch of rotten firewood. It was pretty random but other than there being a lot of rocks it's done great. There's no point in damaging the soil structure when it's working well.

 

[MossRoad]

You can get a very nice tiller for under $1500 here.

 

[WranglerX]

You migh try explaining to your missus trying to fabricate home made tractor will cost 3X and much as purchasing one to your specifications....

 

[Renze]

TE20 has only four gears, is it of any use on a tiller at all ?

Chinese tillers, go ahead and try your luck. I would get a used Honda or something so you can at least get parts for it

 

[tractor-mower project 1]

You can get a very nice tiller for under $1500 here.

Sadly not here, unless I buy Chinese. It seems prices are doubled + the gst ecr makes it un-feasable

 

[tractor-mower project 1]

You migh try explaining to your missus trying to fabricate home made tractor will cost 3X and much as purchasing one to your specifications....

Haha I wish only 3x. To buy what I'm looking at will be 10K minimum, and to get something with some use on it would be around 15K. And after just recently spending 7 on a mower she's already fairly not happy

 

[tractor-mower project 1]

TE20 has only four gears, is it of any use on a tiller at all ?

Chinese tillers, go ahead and try your luck. I would get a used Honda or something so you can at least get parts for it

The te20, sadly no. I learnt the hydraulics are ran off the pto aswell, which entirely killed it for me as I can't justify taking it off just to lower the implement.

As for the tiller, I've found a powerful small one for 500$, so I plan on buying that and trying it whislt I source parts and finalise designs for the tractor

 

[tacticalturnip]

The te20, sadly no. I learnt the hydraulics are ran off the pto aswell, which entirely killed it for me as I can't justify taking it off just to lower the implement.

As for the tiller, I've found a powerful small one for 500$, so I plan on buying that and trying it whislt I source parts and finalise designs for the tractor

I hope you post your progress as it comes along; home made projects are always cool to watch come to fruition!

I definitely don't have such skills, so I enjoy watching those that do hone their craft.

 

[arto98607]

Sadly not here, unless I buy Chinese. It seems prices are doubled + the gst ecr makes it un-feasable

Are used Troybilt Horse model tillers not available in your part of the world?

I bought mine for $200 couple of years ago and did few very minor repairs.
They are quite capable for creating & maintaining small garden area, but ofcourse one needs to take it easy if the ground is rock hard at first.

 

[BxB301]

This tractor from the late 40's should give you some ideads.
Also, a small DIY garden tractor is not an uncommon thing to do.
You'll need to shorten a rear, and use some minor machining methods for a pulley, but its doable.
Also, If you can find a 1970's ford with a 'granny low' 4-speed, that should be all the gearing you would need (maybe?)
PTO is the hard part.
Anywho, tractor pictured uses a Crosley transmission, mounted to a custom splined pulley, and a centrifugal clutch.

 

[tractor-mower project 1]

Are used Troybilt Horse model tillers not available in your part of the world?

I bought mine for $200 couple of years ago and did few very minor repairs.
They are quite capable for creating & maintaining small garden area, but ofcourse one needs to take it easy if the ground is rock hard at first.


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There may be "some" however that would easily go for 1000$ plus, nonrunning. Which when a little Chinese one is half the cost. Or 1/4 the cost of a running unit, it sadly makes more sense, I really don't know why they're so expensive here though. The Chinese one should be here in about 3 weeks hopefully and by then I should be finishing the tractor plans