Tandem Axle 4-WD Tractor Fitted With Dump Box

2014 - Volume #38, Issue #4, Page #30

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James Batchelder, West Topsham, Vt., converted his 1980’s Ford 16 hp. garden tractor into a 4-WD, tandem axle model equipped with a dump box. He also built a trailer to pull behind it.
    “I call it my redneck UTV. I built it last spring and so far it has passed my ‘take it or break it’ test with ease,” says Batchelder. “I use it to haul firewood and for a lot of other chores. I use a hand-operated boat winch to operate the dump box, which has a capacity of about 1,200 lbs. I locked the differentials together so the machine has posi-traction and, with 4-WD, it can go almost anywhere.”
    He started out with a Ford YT16 garden tractor equipped with a belt-driven Peerless 800 transaxle. He bought another identical tractor for parts and removed the transaxle, frame and wheels, then welded the 2 tractor frames together. He also welded 2 pulleys together in order to drive the add-on axle. The engine belt-drives the original pulley that powers the tractor’s rear axle, and from there the double pulleys belt-drive the rear axle.
    “I made a tandem gearshift lever that connects the add-on axle to the tractor’s original gearshift lever. It lets me shift the gears on both axles at the same time with a single lever,” says Batchelder.
    He also cut the front part of the frame off the parts tractor and welded it on front of his tractor to make room for a 2,000-lb. electric Warn winch, as well as a home-built steel push bar. “The winch is there in case the tractor ever gets stuck, but I don’t think that will happen very often,” says Batchelder.
    The dump box measures 40 in. long by 36 in. wide and is built from 1/8-in. thick sheet steel bolted to a 1-in. sq. steel frame. The box’s sideboards, headboard and floor are lined with 3/4-in. thick, pressure treated plywood, and the floor is covered by a water-resistant poly bed liner.
    The hinge was made by welding 2 metal brackets on back of the frame. A 3/4-in. dia. steel rod is welded to the dump box and runs through the brackets. He cut the mud flap from a dump truck in half to make mud flaps for each wheel.
    He mounted a rollbar off an old Honda 4-wheeler over the entire length of the tractor.
    The back part of the rollbar is welded to steel racks that he bolted onto both fenders, while the front part is welded to a homemade pushbar. Batchelder keeps a toolbox on one rack and a chainsaw on the other. “I slipped foam pool noodles over most of the rollbar and also added lights on top,” he says.
    He added a 1 7/8-in. dia. ball hitch on back of the add-on axle so he can pull a homemade trailer. “I built the trailer out of an old Cushman Truckster and use it to tow my homemade wood splitter. It has a tailgate, and I plan to convert it into a dump trailer with a hand-operated pump so I can use it for other chores.”
    It took Batchelder about a month to build the unit. “I spent only about $500, whereas commercial utility vehicles sell for up to $18,000. I paid $100 for both tractors. My only other cost was the steel that I used for the dump bed and for the rollbar, which I bought at a yard sale,” he notes.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, James Batchelder, 190 U.S. Rt. 302, West Topsham, Vt. 05086 (ph 802 439-6922; nikkis_place@yahoo.com).

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Tandem Axle 4-WD Tractor Fitted With Dump Box TRACTORS Conversions James Batchelder West Topsham Vt converted his 1980’s Ford 16 hp garden tractor into a 4-WD tandem axle model equipped with a dump box He also built a trailer to pull behind it “I call it my redneck UTV I built it last spring and so far it has passed my ‘take it or break it’ test with ease ” says Batchelder “I use it to haul firewood and for a lot of other chores I use a hand-operated boat winch to operate the dump box which has a capacity of about 1 200 lbs I locked the differentials together so the machine has posi-traction and with 4-WD it can go almost anywhere ” He started out with a Ford YT16 garden tractor equipped with a belt-driven Peerless 800 transaxle He bought another identical tractor for parts and removed the transaxle frame and wheels then welded the 2 tractor frames together He also welded 2 pulleys together in order to drive the add-on axle The engine belt-drives the original pulley that powers the tractor’s rear axle and from there the double pulleys belt-drive the rear axle “I made a tandem gearshift lever that connects the add-on axle to the tractor’s original gearshift lever It lets me shift the gears on both axles at the same time with a single lever ” says Batchelder He also cut the front part of the frame off the parts tractor and welded it on front of his tractor to make room for a 2 000-lb electric Warn winch as well as a home-built steel push bar “The winch is there in case the tractor ever gets stuck but I don’t think that will happen very often ” says Batchelder The dump box measures 40 in long by 36 in wide and is built from 1/8-in thick sheet steel bolted to a 1-in sq steel frame The box’s sideboards headboard and floor are lined with 3/4-in thick pressure treated plywood and the floor is covered by a water-resistant poly bed liner The hinge was made by welding 2 metal brackets on back of the frame A 3/4-in dia steel rod is welded to the dump box and runs through the brackets He cut the mud flap from a dump truck in half to make mud flaps for each wheel He mounted a rollbar off an old Honda 4-wheeler over the entire length of the tractor The back part of the rollbar is welded to steel racks that he bolted onto both fenders while the front part is welded to a homemade pushbar Batchelder keeps a toolbox on one rack and a chainsaw on the other “I slipped foam pool noodles over most of the rollbar and also added lights on top ” he says He added a 1 7/8-in dia ball hitch on back of the add-on axle so he can pull a homemade trailer “I built the trailer out of an old Cushman Truckster and use it to tow my homemade wood splitter It has a tailgate and I plan to convert it into a dump trailer with a hand-operated pump so I can use it for other chores ” It took Batchelder about a month to build the unit “I spent only about $500 whereas commercial utility vehicles sell for up to $18 000 I paid $100 for both tractors My only other cost was the steel that I used for the dump bed and for the rollbar which I bought at a yard sale ” he notes Contact: FARM SHOW Followup James Batchelder 190 U S Rt 302 West Topsham Vt 05086 ph 802 439-6922; nikkis_place@yahoo com

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