Utility Vehile Built For Less Than $500

Utility Vehile Built For Less Than $500 ATV'S ATV'S 27-3-16 A Wisconsin farmer says his home-built utility vehicle was inexpensive to make and works as well as anything on the market. "I got the inspiration after my dad bought a Deere Gator a few years ago. I wanted one, too, but I didn't want to spend the money so I converted a Subaru pickup," says David Miller, of Pickett. "I based the design on a Kawasaki Mule, My total cost was less than $500." He started with a 1987 Subaru Brat 4-WD pickup which he bought from a friend for $125. He stripped it down to the 4-cyl. gas engine, 4-speed transmission, brakes, steering, and coil spring suspension system. A new frame was fabricated from 2-in. sq., 3/16-in. wall tubing. He replaced the original wheels with larger (26.5 by 1400-12) turf tires, and he made 5-in. wide spacers in order to adapt the new four-bolt wheels to the original five-bolt pattern. He cut 12 in. out of the driveshaft to fit the shorter, 72-in. wheelbase. A 44 by 54-in. hydraulic dump box mounts on back. The box is lined with a sheet of 1/4-in. thick white plastic. A 12-volt power pack operates a pair of hydraulic cylinders that raise and lower the box. A hood was fashioned out of broken plastic panels from a Pepsi vending machine. The side panels hinge on the bottom and swing out for easy access to the engine. Miller added a roll cage with a cargo light on back and headlights on front. The machine has two seats that flip forward for access to the rig's gas tank and battery. To make the shrouding around the base of the seat and the top of the hood he used plastic off the front part of a pop vending machines. There's a drawbar hitch on back. "I use it for hauling rocks, dirt, and wood, pulling wagons, and so on. The box has a 1,500-lb. load capacity," says Miller. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, David Miller, W11215 Zoar Rd., Pickett, Wis. 54964 (ph 920 589-6936).

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