Electric Lift Installed On Wheel Horse Tractor

2021 - Volume #45, Issue #2, Page #18

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Steven Reining, Mt. Zion, Ill., recently added an electric lift system on his 1974 Wheel Horse 12 hp. garden tractor. The tractor came factory-equipped with a hydrostatic transmission with manual lift.
“It was a simple conversion that required minimal modifications to the tractor. Electric lift really comes in handy for rototilling and moldboard plowing work,” he says.
Reining says most factory electric lifts are built into the tractor and work good for a long time. Repairing them, however, can be a very time-consuming project. “The conversion I designed can be easily and affordably done to any manual lift tractor. It’s much simpler than adding an internal package.”
He bought a 12-volt electric screw jack on eBay, and attached it between the tractor frame and the existing lift handle. “The screw jack you use should have at least a 10-in. stroke and about 300 lbs. of force,” says Reining.
He used a split pipe to build an attachment block that goes around the lift handle to give it more strength. He then made a fixed lift tab that bolts onto the tractor frame. “The lift tab has to be strong because it holds up the screw jack and takes all the weight of the implement,” says Reining. Then he clamped the lift bar attachment to the tractor and connected the screw jack ends to the 2 points.
The next step was to install a 12-volt DC rocker or toggle switch that is “spring return to center” so the switch is on-off-on. “Don’t use a detent switch as you’ll likely burn the screw jack motor by leaving it powered in one direction or the other,” says Reining.
“The last step is to either remove or block out the detents on the tractor’s original lift, because you don’t want the lift to get stuck in the original mechanical notches. Locate the controls where they’re most convenient to use.”
Reining says the electric lift makes it easy to adjust implement height. “When you stop the screw jack’s movement, that’s where the implement’s lift height stays because you can’t push the screw jack in or out,” he notes.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steven L. Reining, 120 W. Main St., Mt. Zion, Ill. 62549 (ph 217 864-4664; slreining@gmail.com).

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Electric Lift Installed On Wheel Horse Tractor TRACTORS Conversions Steven Reining Mt Zion Ill recently added an electric lift system on his 1974 Wheel Horse 12 hp garden tractor The tractor came factory-equipped with a hydrostatic transmission with manual lift “It was a simple conversion that required minimal modifications to the tractor Electric lift really comes in handy for rototilling and moldboard plowing work ” he says Reining says most factory electric lifts are built into the tractor and work good for a long time Repairing them however can be a very time-consuming project “The conversion I designed can be easily and affordably done to any manual lift tractor It’s much simpler than adding an internal package ” He bought a 12-volt electric screw jack on eBay and attached it between the tractor frame and the existing lift handle “The screw jack you use should have at least a 10-in stroke and about 300 lbs of force ” says Reining He used a split pipe to build an attachment block that goes around the lift handle to give it more strength He then made a fixed lift tab that bolts onto the tractor frame “The lift tab has to be strong because it holds up the screw jack and takes all the weight of the implement ” says Reining Then he clamped the lift bar attachment to the tractor and connected the screw jack ends to the 2 points The next step was to install a 12-volt DC rocker or toggle switch that is “spring return to center” so the switch is on-off-on “Don’t use a detent switch as you’ll likely burn the screw jack motor by leaving it powered in one direction or the other ” says Reining “The last step is to either remove or block out the detents on the tractor’s original lift because you don’t want the lift to get stuck in the original mechanical notches Locate the controls where they’re most convenient to use ” Reining says the electric lift makes it easy to adjust implement height “When you stop the screw jack’s movement that’s where the implement’s lift height stays because you can’t push the screw jack in or out ” he notes Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Steven L Reining 120 W Main St Mt Zion Ill 62549 ph 217 864-4664; slreining@gmail com

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