"Slow Speed" Tractor Great For Running Tiller

"Slow Speed" Tractor Great For Running Tiller TRACTORS Conversions 23-1-6 "I just couldn't find a tractor that would go slow enough," says Illinois farmer Tom McKee who needs to work slowly when tilling between rows of strawberries using his Multivator tiller. With a conventional tractor he was continually braking and clutching to run at a slow enough speed to thoroughly work up the soil between rows. Finally McKee decided to put together his own "slow speed" tractor by reworking an International "B". He removed the original engine and in-stalled a Ford 4-cyl. engine from a Ranger pickup. Then he geared the tractor down by installing a second transmission - from an IHC "A" - behind the original "B" transmission. The result is a tractor that'll crawl along at speeds as low as .7 mph while keeping the throttle up high enough to run the tiller at full speed. For additional radiator cooling, McKee mounted a bus heater with two electric fans along the left side of the tractor. The front axle is 8 ft. wide to straddle two 48-in. berry rows. The wide axle came off the rear of a combine. The rear wheels are regular tractor wheels. McKee sometimes adds duals for wet conditions. The driver platform is fitted with two extra-wide bus seats so there's plenty of room for passengers. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tom McKee, Highway 51 South, Ramsey, Ill. 62080 (ph 618 423-9376).

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