Miniature Oil Pull Rumely Tractor

1989 - Volume #13, Issue #5, Page #18

[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story | Read this issue]

Don Chana, St. Edward, Neb., built a miniature "Oil Pull" tractor modeled after old 1920's-era Rumely tractors that ran on kerosene.
The miniature steel-wheeled tractor, made mostly from scrap iron, runs, rides and drives almost like the real thing. It's 5 ft. long and 31/2 ft. high to the top of the steel roof and is powered by. an old 2 hp Fairbanks-Morse gas engine. Its 3-speed Model A transmission is belt-driven off the engine. A pair of chains wrap around the steering shaft and front axle to steer the rig. There wasn't enough room for a seat so Chana pulls a cart, built by mounting a wagon seat on two steel wheels.
"Our kids love to drive the tractor. They spend hours driving it around the yard," says Chana. "Top speed is 3 mph, about the same as the real Rumely tractors. The tank on my miniature Rumely is mainly for looks. Engine exhaust runs through a pipe and into the tank where it makes a mellow sound just like the old tractors did. The exhaust comes out of a 4-in. wide opening in the top of the tank so it looks just like the real thing. After the engine has run for a half hour or so, the radiator is hot enough to send steam out the top of the tank, too," says Chana, who notes that he didn't build the tractor exactly to scale, but simply proportioned components according to the size of the wheels.
Chana borrowed the front and rear axles and the steering shaft from a Woods Dear-born 1-row pull-type corn picker. He used 9-in. high steel press wheels off a drill for the tractor's front wheels, and 18-in. high steel press wheels off an old Deere 490 corn planter for the rear wheels. "The tractor should have spoked wheels to make it more authentic," notes Chana, who hand-cranks the tractor to start it. He can convert the tractor's posi-traction rear end to 1-wheel drive by removing a pin from the rear axle.
For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Don Chana, RR 1, Box 209, St. Edward, Neb. 68660 (ph 402 678-2858).

Click here to download page story appeared in.

Click here to read entire issue

Miniature oil pull Rumely tractor AG WORLD Ag World 13-5-18 Don Chana, St. Edward, Neb., built a miniature "Oil Pull" tractor modeled after old 1920's-era Rumely tractors that ran on kerosene. The miniature steel-wheeled tractor, made mostly from scrap iron, runs, rides and drives almost like the real thing. It's 5 ft. long and 31/2 ft. high to the top of the steel roof and is powered by. an old 2 hp Fairbanks-Morse gas engine. Its 3-speed Model A transmission is belt-driven off the engine. A pair of chains wrap around the steering shaft and front axle to steer the rig. There wasn't enough room for a seat so Chana pulls a cart, built by mounting a wagon seat on two steel wheels. "Our kids love to drive the tractor. They spend hours driving it around the yard," says Chana. "Top speed is 3 mph, about the same as the real Rumely tractors. The tank on my miniature Rumely is mainly for looks. Engine exhaust runs through a pipe and into the tank where it makes a mellow sound just like the old tractors did. The exhaust comes out of a 4-in. wide opening in the top of the tank so it looks just like the real thing. After the engine has run for a half hour or so, the radiator is hot enough to send steam out the top of the tank, too," says Chana, who notes that he didn't build the tractor exactly to scale, but simply proportioned components according to the size of the wheels. Chana borrowed the front and rear axles and the steering shaft from a Woods Dear-born 1-row pull-type corn picker. He used 9-in. high steel press wheels off a drill for the tractor's front wheels, and 18-in. high steel press wheels off an old Deere 490 corn planter for the rear wheels. "The tractor should have spoked wheels to make it more authentic," notes Chana, who hand-cranks the tractor to start it. He can convert the tractor's posi-traction rear end to 1-wheel drive by removing a pin from the rear axle. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Don Chana, RR 1, Box 209, St. Edward, Neb. 68660 (ph 402 678-2858).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.

SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW NOW