dfkrug
Super Member
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2004
- Messages
- 7,197
- Location
- Santa Cruz Mtns, CA
- Tractor
- 05 Kioti CK30HST w/ Prairie Dog backhoe, XN08 mini-X
Well, not completely homemade; I started with a Suzuki Samurai.
Moving dirt around with your tractor, one loader bite at a time can be pretty
inefficient and frustrating, esp when you need to move the dirt more than
100 feet or so. 500 feet, and you REALLY want a dumptruck.
So.....I have always wanted a small utility vehicle that could move a ton
of dirt or rocks at a time, easily. That rules out your ubiquitous Gator, Mule,
Rhino, or RTV. Those factory side-by-sides are quite expensive, too.
Enter the Suzuki Samurai, a 4x4 small jeep that features short wheelbase,
fully-boxed frame, and readily available repair parts. You can land one of
these for $500, with a little patience and a trailer.
So, I got me an 88 "tintop" 1.3L 5sp a few years ago. Engine and tranny needing a
bit of work, but no frame rust, good compression, and the front hubs not
frozen. (I did get a "free" 86 AMC Jeep Wrangler before this, but it had only
a partially-boxed frame, and it was bigger, with a 6 cyl motor. Got rid of it.)
An even better find would have been an automatic Sidekick/Tracker with the
1600cc FI engine.
Photos show my acquisition, hauled 25 mi to my property.
Moving dirt around with your tractor, one loader bite at a time can be pretty
inefficient and frustrating, esp when you need to move the dirt more than
100 feet or so. 500 feet, and you REALLY want a dumptruck.
So.....I have always wanted a small utility vehicle that could move a ton
of dirt or rocks at a time, easily. That rules out your ubiquitous Gator, Mule,
Rhino, or RTV. Those factory side-by-sides are quite expensive, too.
Enter the Suzuki Samurai, a 4x4 small jeep that features short wheelbase,
fully-boxed frame, and readily available repair parts. You can land one of
these for $500, with a little patience and a trailer.
So, I got me an 88 "tintop" 1.3L 5sp a few years ago. Engine and tranny needing a
bit of work, but no frame rust, good compression, and the front hubs not
frozen. (I did get a "free" 86 AMC Jeep Wrangler before this, but it had only
a partially-boxed frame, and it was bigger, with a 6 cyl motor. Got rid of it.)
An even better find would have been an automatic Sidekick/Tracker with the
1600cc FI engine.
Photos show my acquisition, hauled 25 mi to my property.