Mini Road Grader / Garden tractor Project

Waldon52 · May 12, 2014

Todays picture shows tractor number four in the workshop. I have already pulled the front axle off , rolled the axle forward five feet and set the blade from the walkbehind snowplow in the center to get a rough idea of my plan.

This tractor has been in the shop before to get home made rear fenders, hand built rear wheel adaptors for larger rear tires, new five bolt front hubs and spindles for larger front tires . :thumbsup:
I guarantee two weeks from today it will look much different. :thumbsup:

handirifle · May 12, 2014

What are the power train specs on that tractor? Looks like an interesting project.

roadhunter · May 12, 2014

Can't wait to see this project complete.

arrow · May 12, 2014

Is the engine going to be behind the driver as a traditional road grader has?

bcp · May 12, 2014

arrow said:
Is the engine going to be behind the driver as a traditional road grader has?

Farm tractors converted to long wheelbase graders used to be more common than now. Much easier than going to a rear engine.

Here is one:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeross/177638600/

More:
https://www.google.com/search?q=tra...nN8ffoASw6oGgAQ&ved=0CCUQsAQ&biw=1411&bih=743

Bruce

Ed of all trades · May 12, 2014

Looking forward to seeing the finished project and the steps you take from here to there.

Waldon52 · May 13, 2014

Building it more like the old road maintainers. Several years ago I built two models for a 80 year old fellow and his 83 year old brother who had a real Ford Maintainer and I was the only one they could find to build them out of steel for them. So this project is a little on that idea.

Todays picture shows me cutting out the 6 inch steel tubing and some 3 in. steel tubing for the front frame beam section. 20 years ago I bought this band saw and only used it five times. It sat for 18 years and last year I was going to put it on Craigslist for $200.00 . Once I started puttering with the garden tractors I started using it.

Waldon52 · May 13, 2014

next pic

Waldon52 · May 13, 2014

Here is a picture of the Ford Maintainers I built steel models of several years ago.

arrow · May 13, 2014

bcp said:
Farm tractors converted to long wheelbase graders used to be more common than now. Much easier than going to a rear engine.

Here is one:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/joeross/177638600/

More:
https://www.google.com/search?q=tra...nN8ffoASw6oGgAQ&ved=0CCUQsAQ&biw=1411&bih=743

Bruce

Thanks for the pics Bruce. I enjoyed them. The maintainers I do not think I've seen before. I wonder how much that attachment was back then? If anyone could build a rear engine grader however, it would be Waldon.

Waldon52 · May 14, 2014

Todays picture shows the front tube section now bolted to the rear frame . Now I will design the parts to attach the front axle to the frame.

Renze · May 14, 2014

The municipality in the town i work, hires a local contractor with an extended NH with belly mounted grader and a rotavator on the back to chop up berms and grass grown ridges. Seems to me like an effective setup for sand road and roadside maintenance, we hardly have gravel roads here so they dont need the weight to cut hard packed gravel anyways..

http://bosbolsward.nl/content/image/a551cdded8fcace3631b6bcc172942d8.jpg

Waldon52 · May 15, 2014

Todays progress pic shows the parts cut out and welded to connect the front axle . Next I will work on the steering and beef up the center of the frame more.

Looking4new · May 15, 2014

Are you going to put a turntable and side shift cylinders on it too? As well as the cylinders for crowning?

Waldon52 · May 16, 2014

Not sure yet how I am going to do that .
Each day I just go out and do one part of it , not to the blade ideas yet.
Yesterday I spent the whole day redesigning the steering system. I got it done last night and it steers great:cool2:
Now today I will get back to beefing up the center of the frame.

Here is a picture of one of my handbuilt steel models of a grader I built a few years ago.