Gator Look-Alike Built From 2 Garden Tractors

2012 - Volume #36, Issue #4, Page #43

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Tim Fisher built a Deere Gator-type utility vehicle out of 2 MTD riding mowers. It’s 8 ft. long, painted Deere green and yellow, and powered by an 18 hp V-twin Briggs & Stratton engine.
    “I call it the N-Tim-a-Gator,” says Tim. “It has a fabricated hood, deck, seats and bed. Some people who see it think Deere built it years ago and only realize it’s a one-of-a-kind after they take a closer look.”
    He started with one MTD riding mower in good shape and one that was junked out. He stripped the good mower down to the frame, rear axle and engine. He used 16-ga. sheet metal to build a new floor and also to build the bed. Then he cut off the front half of the junked out mower, including the wheels and axle and steering column, and welded it on front. He used 16-ga. sheet metal to make a new hinged hood and moved the gas tank under it.
    He made 2 new vinyl-covered seats and mounted them inside homemade frames fabricated from 1-in. tubing. “I cut out plywood in the shape of the seat and bolted it to the frame, then put foam on and wrapped vinyl around that. The seat cushions are from the mattress off an old pop-up camper that happened to be yellow,” says Tim.
    He left the mower’s original hydrostat shifter handle in place but bent it forward at a 90 degree angle and then slipped 3/4-in. dia. tubing over it. A linkage system runs from the handle under the floor and up to a homemade gas pedal, which is shaped like a pocket at the toe and has a tow hook mounted on it. “It shifts much like a golf cart. Instead of moving the hydrostat shift handle back and forth by hand to go in forward or reverse, I push my foot down to go forward and pull it back to go in reverse,” says Tim.
    “I use it to haul fertilizer and lime in my peach orchard and also to do various garden projects. It really comes in handy,” says Tim. “The bed doesn’t dump but instead has a fixed tailgate that fits inside a slot and is held in place by 2 pins.”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tim Fisher, 326 Sunnybrook Creek Rd., Lawrenceburg, Tenn. 38464 (ph 931 242-8378; tfish326@gmail.com).

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Gator Look-Alike Built From 2 Garden Tractors TRACTORS Conversions Tim Fisher built a Deere Gator-type utility vehicle out of 2 MTD riding mowers It’s 8 ft long painted Deere green and yellow and powered by an 18 hp V-twin Briggs & Stratton engine “I call it the N-Tim-a-Gator ” says Tim “It has a fabricated hood deck seats and bed Some people who see it think Deere built it years ago and only realize it’s a one-of-a-kind after they take a closer look ” He started with one MTD riding mower in good shape and one that was junked out He stripped the good mower down to the frame rear axle and engine He used 16-ga sheet metal to build a new floor and also to build the bed Then he cut off the front half of the junked out mower including the wheels and axle and steering column and welded it on front He used 16-ga sheet metal to make a new hinged hood and moved the gas tank under it He made 2 new vinyl-covered seats and mounted them inside homemade frames fabricated from 1-in tubing “I cut out plywood in the shape of the seat and bolted it to the frame then put foam on and wrapped vinyl around that The seat cushions are from the mattress off an old pop-up camper that happened to be yellow ” says Tim He left the mower’s original hydrostat shifter handle in place but bent it forward at a 90 degree angle and then slipped 3/4-in dia tubing over it A linkage system runs from the handle under the floor and up to a homemade gas pedal which is shaped like a pocket at the toe and has a tow hook mounted on it “It shifts much like a golf cart Instead of moving the hydrostat shift handle back and forth by hand to go in forward or reverse I push my foot down to go forward and pull it back to go in reverse ” says Tim “I use it to haul fertilizer and lime in my peach orchard and also to do various garden projects It really comes in handy ” says Tim “The bed doesn’t dump but instead has a fixed tailgate that fits inside a slot and is held in place by 2 pins ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Tim Fisher 326 Sunnybrook Creek Rd Lawrenceburg Tenn 38464 ph 931 242-8378; tfish326@gmail com

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