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2007 - Volume #31, Issue #4, Page #30

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To handle jobs around his farm yard, Joe Roller mounted an old pickup box on a stretched out Bolens 1256 garden tractor. It didn't cost anything, and the Bolens made the job extra easy.
Roller says the Bolens has a tough 12 hp engine that had been sitting unused for four to five years. He replaced the battery, filled up the gas tank, and it started right up.
The beauty of the Bolens is its main frame, which is nothing more than a 2 1/4-in. pipe, and the hydrostatic transaxle. To stretch the frame out for the box, all he had to do was add pipe. Roller also wanted to put the seat ahead of the engine and the front axle, which meant he had to remount all three. Again that was easy, given they were simply bolted to the pipe in the first place.
"All I had to do was lengthen the rods that regulated forward and reverse speeds, as well as the throttle and choke cables," says Roller. "With the steering wheel now in front of the steering axle, I had to weld an ear on the axle to activate the tie rods and lengthen the rod from the steering gear to the tie rods."
Roller mounted the pickup box on pivots over the transaxle. He has a latch that holds it in place at the front, which he can easily trip from the operator's seat. It is balanced so it will tip backwards and dump when loaded and the latch released.
Roller uses it for everything from cleaning up orchard prunings and hauling compost and leaves to getting the mail. The rig works just about perfect, but he has a few changes in mind anyway.
"The Bolens has a hydraulic cylinder that was used to raise and lower the original mower. I plan to hook that to the box," he explains. "Also, I have an extra set of wheels, and once I get tires for them, I will add them to give me duals in back. This will give me a wider footprint for less tracking on the lawn and also give me more stability."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Joe Roller, 6857 16th St. S.E., Grand Forks, N. Dak. 58201 (ph 701 772-0610; rollerrr@aol.com).

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Powered Dump Cart Great For Yard Work WAGONS/TRAILERS Miscellaneous 31-4-30 To handle jobs around his farm yard, Joe Roller mounted an old pickup box on a stretched out Bolens 1256 garden tractor. It didn't cost anything, and the Bolens made the job extra easy. Roller says the Bolens has a tough 12 hp engine that had been sitting unused for four to five years. He replaced the battery, filled up the gas tank, and it started right up. The beauty of the Bolens is its main frame, which is nothing more than a 2 1/4-in. pipe, and the hydrostatic transaxle. To stretch the frame out for the box, all he had to do was add pipe. Roller also wanted to put the seat ahead of the engine and the front axle, which meant he had to remount all three. Again that was easy, given they were simply bolted to the pipe in the first place. "All I had to do was lengthen the rods that regulated forward and reverse speeds, as well as the throttle and choke cables," says Roller. "With the steering wheel now in front of the steering axle, I had to weld an ear on the axle to activate the tie rods and lengthen the rod from the steering gear to the tie rods." Roller mounted the pickup box on pivots over the transaxle. He has a latch that holds it in place at the front, which he can easily trip from the operator's seat. It is balanced so it will tip backwards and dump when loaded and the latch released. Roller uses it for everything from cleaning up orchard prunings and hauling compost and leaves to getting the mail. The rig works just about perfect, but he has a few changes in mind anyway. "The Bolens has a hydraulic cylinder that was used to raise and lower the original mower. I plan to hook that to the box," he explains. "Also, I have an extra set of wheels, and once I get tires for them, I will add them to give me duals in back. This will give me a wider footprint for less tracking on the lawn and also give me more stability." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Joe Roller, 6857 16th St. S.E., Grand Forks, N. Dak. 58201 (ph 701 772-0610; rollerrr@aol.com).

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