Deere Baby Stroller

Deere Baby Stroller AG WORLD Ag World 20-5-21 One of the most unusual baby strollers you'll ever see is the one built by Dan and Kathyrn Dolence, Grey Eagle, Minn., for their son, Ryan, 2. It's 34 in. long, 21 in. wide at the back, and 18 in. high. The seat frame and push handle on back are off an old bus seat frame. The 12-in. high rear wheels and 5-in. high twin front caster wheels and the steering wheel were bought new and were designed for an Ertl pedal tractor. "It gets a lot of attention wherever we go," says Dolence, who brought the stroller with him to the recent Farm Fest show near Redwood Falls, Minn. "Ryan is very active but once he's in the stroller he'll stay there. I got the idea when I saw some scrap metal in our junkpile that looked like the right shape for the hood. The big tires make it fairly easy to push. It doesn't have a seat belt but it would probably be a good idea. However, the steering wheel prevents Ryan from getting out too fast." Dolence used two pieces of steel from the cob carrier off an old Allis-Chalmers corn picker to form the sides of the hood and between them welded in a length of 2 1/2-in. wide, 1/4-in. thick, L-shaped flat metal to form the top and front part of the hood. He mounted the steering wheel on one end of a steel rod and inserted the other end through a hole drilled into the top of the hood. "The steering wheel and rod spin freely and are not used to steer the stroller," notes Dolence. He tach welded expanded metal into a square frame made from 3/4-in. angle iron to make foot rests on each side of the tractor. The two caster wheels are held together by a long 3/4-in. dia. bolt that runs through a steel bracket attached to the bottom of the tractor frame. He used sections of foam and vinyl to make the seat cushion and back, stretching the vinyl over the foam and wrapping it around pieces of plywood before stapling it on. He screwed the back to the frame from an old bus seat which he shortened up and welded back together. The handlebar was also part of the bus seat frame but is separate from the seat. It's held secure at the bottom on each side by steel pins that fit inside brackets. By pulling the pins Dolence can swing the handle forward over the steering wheel, allowing him to fit the stroller inside his van for transport. A bunge cord is used to keep the handlebar secure. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dan Dolence, Box 96, Grey Eagle, Minn. 56336 (ph 320 285-3175).

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