Built-From-Scratch Tracked Power Unit

2016 - Volume #40, Issue #1, Page #25

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Sheldon Zook was looking for a way to power his snowblower when his garden tractor no longer worked. He ended up with a multi-purpose, year-round power unit.
    “I have a habit of naming things, and this one is called Harold,” says Zook. “I use it to power a snowblower and have used it on a wood splitter. I’m considering building a mower for it.”
    Zook took the engine from an old Geo Metro car whose body had rusted out. He also salvaged the Metro’s gas pump, fuel tank, wheels, computer and wiring harness, radiator, and fan.
    “At the insistence of my son, I also took the horn,” says Zook. “I installed everything on a frame fabricated from an old trailer house hitch.”
    He picked up used hydraulic wheel motors and hydraulic controllers from salvage. The valve bank was one his father had salvaged, and the drive controllers were from a Case IH tractor. The seat was from an old lawn mower, and the lift cylinder was from a surplus center.
    “My biggest expense was buying a new hydraulic pump, reservoir tank, and lines,” says Zook. “The pump runs off the engine, and everything else is hydraulic-powered. I built the linkage for the control levers and used rubber rollers from a power wood planer for handles on the levers.”
    Zook also installed a control diverter for a speed control. Maximum speed for Harold is about walking speed, 4 to 5 mph.
    Tracks are made from ribbed rubber belting. To hold them in place, Zook bent flat iron strips in a U shape and bolted them to the underside. They hold the belting in place on the wheels and ensure traction for the wheels.
    “The body is sheet metal bent by a local shop and attached to a steel tube frame,” says Zook. “I can pop it all off in about 5 min.”
    Lift arms are made from heavy-wall, 3/8-in. thick, 1 1/2-in. square tubing. Zook designed a quick-tach system so he can drop the snowblower or splitter and use the tractor to pull trailers.
    The pump puts out 20 gpm with a pressure relief at 2,500 lbs. Zook has found it is more than enough for the snowblower and the splitter.
    “When running the splitter, I couldn’t find a piece of wood, knotty or whatever, that it couldn’t split,” says Zook.
    Zook suggests using the engine to power a hydraulic pump, which added to the versatility and ease of building Harold. The pump system and other purchases totaled about $3,500.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sheldon Zook, 2837 Hwy. 11 S., Loman, Minn. 56654 (ph 218 283-4919).

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Built-From-Scratch Tracked Power Unit MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous Sheldon Zook was looking for a way to power his snowblower when his garden tractor no longer worked He ended up with a multi-purpose year-round power unit “I have a habit of naming things and this one is called Harold ” says Zook “I use it to power a snowblower and have used it on a wood splitter I’m considering building a mower for it ” Zook took the engine from an old Geo Metro car whose body had rusted out He also salvaged the Metro’s gas pump fuel tank wheels computer and wiring harness radiator and fan “At the insistence of my son I also took the horn ” says Zook “I installed everything on a frame fabricated from an old trailer house hitch ” He picked up used hydraulic wheel motors and hydraulic controllers from salvage The valve bank was one his father had salvaged and the drive controllers were from a Case IH tractor The seat was from an old lawn mower and the lift cylinder was from a surplus center “My biggest expense was buying a new hydraulic pump reservoir tank and lines ” says Zook “The pump runs off the engine and everything else is hydraulic-powered I built the linkage for the control levers and used rubber rollers from a power wood planer for handles on the levers ” Zook also installed a control diverter for a speed control Maximum speed for Harold is about walking speed 4 to 5 mph Tracks are made from ribbed rubber belting To hold them in place Zook bent flat iron strips in a U shape and bolted them to the underside They hold the belting in place on the wheels and ensure traction for the wheels “The body is sheet metal bent by a local shop and attached to a steel tube frame ” says Zook “I can pop it all off in about 5 min ” Lift arms are made from heavy-wall 3/8-in thick 1 1/2-in square tubing Zook designed a quick-tach system so he can drop the snowblower or splitter and use the tractor to pull trailers The pump puts out 20 gpm with a pressure relief at 2 500 lbs Zook has found it is more than enough for the snowblower and the splitter “When running the splitter I couldn’t find a piece of wood knotty or whatever that it couldn’t split ” says Zook Zook suggests using the engine to power a hydraulic pump which added to the versatility and ease of building Harold The pump system and other purchases totaled about $3 500 Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Sheldon Zook 2837 Hwy 11 S Loman Minn 56654 ph 218 283-4919

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