4-WD Articulated Garden Tractor

4WD Articulated Garden Tractor TRACTORS Made-It-Myself 9-4-11 "There's no tractor like it on the market," says Maurice True, New Castle, Ind., who put together a 4-WD articulated garden tractor from scrap parts around his New Castle, Ind., tractor repair shop. The tractor consists of two joined-up IH Cub Cadet garden tractor rear ends (He had to reverse the ring and pinion gear on one so they'd run the same direction). True installed a drive shaft between the two rear ends with a universal joint at the center to allow for back-and-forth articulation and up-and-down oscillation. Above the driveshaft, at the front of the tractor, he mounted a small transmission from an old Crosley auto and the tractor's 12-hp Kohler engine. The transmission has three speeds forward and reverse. A roller chain runs from the transmission to a sprocket on the transmission shaft. For steering, he cut down an old Allis Chalmers "B" steering box and ran a tie rod along the left side of the chassis from the front to the rear end. The tie rod steers the tractor by pulling the two halves of the tractor together or pulling them apart. He can take the rear end out of gear, shifting from 2-wheel drive to 4-wheel drive. "It's like operating a large IH 4-WD tractor. I use it to haul wood or push snow with a front-mounted blade," says True, noting that a key to the design is the use of the old Crosley transmission. "It's only about 12 in. long so it fits right up under the steering wheel." He spent only about $300 on parts to build the tractor. "I've got more into tires than anything else," says True, noting that it's fitted with 10.50 by 12-in. garden tractor tires. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Maurice True, Rt. 4, Box 42A, New Castle, Ind. 47362 (ph 317 836-4959).

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