Steps Move On Nifty Tractor Lift

Steps Move On Nifty Tractor Lift TRACTORS Modifications 26-4-9 If you or someone in your family has trouble climbing into tractor or combine cabs, you'll be interested in this simple 12-volt winch operated lift designed and built by Yutan, Nebraska, farmer Charles Zaugg. "I've had my hip replaced twice in the past few months and have been advised not to climb. So I built this lift for my International 5088 tractor," says Zaugg. Powered by a standard electric winch, it consists of a pair of expanded metal steps, spaced 7 1/2 in. apart, that slide up or down on a pair of channel irons that bolt onto the tractor frame in place of the original steps. The winch mounts under the cab and operates off the tractor's battery. Roller bearings inside the channel irons make for easy, smooth rolling up and down the channel irons. The winch cable is fitted with a hook that simply attaches to a bracket on the bottom step. The winch is operated with a simple up-and-down control switch that mounts on the cab door. It raises and lowers the steps at the same controlled speed. "The tractor doesn't need to be running since the lift runs off the battery," says Zaugg. "I had to build two steps in order to get the winch down low enough to hook onto. The steps raise up high enough so they're out of the way when traveling on the road. I paid $400 for the winch so my total cost was less than $500," says Zaugg, who notes that he also built a similar lift system for his International 1066 tractor. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Charles Zaugg, Rt. 1, Yutan, Neb. 68073 (ph 402 625-2439; E-mail: fmz@alltel.net).

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