Zero-Turn Mower Converted To Tracks

2016 - Volume #40, Issue #3, Page #23

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James Bassett, Berlin, Md., turned an early 1990s Yazoo zero-turn riding mower into a camouflaged marsh buggy that rides on tracks and can motor through the marshland on his property.
    The tracks ride around three sets of wheels and axles. The mower’s original rear wheels drive the machine, and the tracks ride around them and two more sets of axles in front. A wooden compartment just in front of the driver is used for storage and to haul dead deer.
    “I live on a big farm that borders a bay with lots of marshland. We do a lot of deer hunting there, and it’s always a battle getting dead deer off the marsh. My marsh buggy works excellently on and off the marsh,” says Bassett.
    “I already had the zero-turn mower, and a friend gave me some old hard plastic tracks off an old Argo off-road vehicle.”
    The Yazoo mower was equipped with a 25-hp. Kohler engine and 60-in. deck. He removed the deck, then cut off the front part of the mower frame and used 2-in. square tubing to lengthen the mower frame by 18 in. He mounted two boat trailer axles on front.
    The gas tanks were in the way of the tracks, so he added two wooden side panels to the machine and bolted the gas tanks onto them.
    “I built the machine 5 years ago, and it has really changed the way I hunt. Now I want to shoot deer on the marsh just for a chance to use it,” says Bassett. “The rear tires drive the machine without any slippage inside the tracks, and the side pieces keep water from splashing on me as I drive. I use the mower’s original controls to steer and go forward and backward. If I need to haul more than one deer, I pull the second one on a rope behind me.”
    Bassett also replaced the mower’s original rear tires with lugged ATV tires. “The 4-wheeler tires have plenty of tread to pull the tracks,” he notes.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, James Bassett, 9632 Goody Hill, Berlin, Md. 21811 (ph 443-366-2034; bassettpullingteam@yahoo.com).

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Zero-Turn Mower Converted To Tracks FARM HOME Lawn Mowers 31h 38 James Bassett Berlin Md turned an early 1990’s Yazoo zero-turn riding mower into a camouflaged marsh buggy that rides on tracks and can motor through the marsh land on his property The tracks ride around 3 sets of wheels and axles The mower’s original rear wheels drive the machine and the tracks ride around them and 2 more sets of axles in front A wooden compartment just in front of the driver is used for storage and to haul dead deer “I live on a big farm that borders a bay with lots of marshland We do a lot of deer hunting there and it’s always a battle getting dead deer off the marsh My marsh buggy works excellent both on and off the marsh ” says Bassett “I already had the zero-turn mower and a friend gave me some old hard plastic tracks off an old Argo off-road vehicle ” The Yazoo mower was equipped with a 25 hp Kohler engine and 60-in deck He removed the deck then cut off the front part of the mower frame and used 2-in square tubing to lengthen the mower frame by 18 in He mounted 2 boat trailer axles on front The gas tanks were in the way of the tracks so he added 2 wooden side panels to the machine and bolted the gas tanks onto them “I built the machine 5 years ago and it has really changed the way I hunt Now I want to shoot deer on the marsh just for a chance to use it ” says Bassett “The rear tires drive the machine without any slippage inside the tracks and the side pieces keep water from splashing on me as I drive I use the mower’s original controls to steer and to go forward and backward If I need to haul more than one deer I pull the second one on a rope behind me ” Bassett also replaced the mower’s original rear tires with lugged ATV tires “The 4-wheeler tires have plenty of tread to pull the tracks ” he notes Contact: FARM SHOW Followup James Bassett 9632 Goody Hill Berlin Md 21811 ph 443 366-2034; bassettpullingteam@yahoo com