MOTHER'S MINI-TRACTOR (PART I)

Enlarge Image Image Gallery [1] The sheet-metal hood tilts forward for easy refueling and maintenance. the battery is housed under the hinged seat platform. [2] The bare-bones tractor minus its body components. Our unit's steering system is from a VW beetle. [3] Even though this bush hog is actually too large for MOTHER's tractor, the ""team"" cuts well on level ground. [4] Stepped-down gearing, 17 horsepower, and a short wheel-base combine to make the compact workhorse both powerful and maneuverable.

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Gardening, logging, lawn care, and snowplowing all add up tp big bucks, unless you build...

Home gardening is presently enjoying a steady increase in popularity. And we suspect that as the economy worsens, and as greater numbers of people begin to take a discriminating look at the often questionably safe methods and materials used in the production of commercially grown fruits and vegetables, the practice of raising-your-own will become even more widespread.

Naturally, if this backyard boom continues, more and more folks—green thumbs and greenhorns alike—will be searching for ways to ease their gardening chores . . . and many of them will more than likely find themselves in their local dealers' showrooms, eyeing the latest crop of pint-sized, 12- to 20-horsepower tractors.

And, of course, the past few years of inflation have taken their toll within the outdoor power-equipment industry. Tractors that might have been available for around $3,300 not long ago can't be touched today for much less than $4,500!

Now don't get us wrong . . . most of these mechanical mules are still good buys. In fact, the newest workhorses generally sport features and improvements that allow their operators to handle everyday plowing, tilling, and mowing chores with even less effort than was required, using similar machines, just a few years ago. Unfortunately, the hard truth is that simple economics may prevent many people—especially those just starting out with a newly acquired parcel of land—from taking advantage of the industry's latest offerings.

HOMEMADE VERSUS STORE-BOUGHT

There is an alternative, however. If you [1] feel comfortable fabricating metal goods, [2] own or have access to the equipment necessary to make the parts for such an undertaking (a cutting torch, an arc welder, a metal grinder, and a large-chuck power drill are a few of the major tools you'll need, to start with), and [3] are prepared to spend a good bit of time planning and assembling an admittedly involved project . . . then you can build a basic garden tractor that'll be every bit as good as (and, in some cases, far better than) those available from the manufacturers today. And you can do it at a cost that won't quite touch the $2,000 mark!

Interestingly enough, our whole tractor project resulted from a need that had to be filled. When research staffer Clarence Goosen purchased a small spread with the intention of settling on it, he found himself—like many folks in the same situation—caught between his desire to get the land into production (which would require the help of a small tractor that he didn't have) and the financial pressure that usually accompanies the acquisition of property.

Well, Clarence's solution was obvious: By making his own compact tractor, the handyman decided—using salvaged auto parts, a small air-cooled engine, an assortment of sheet metal and steel stock, and some off-the-shelf components—he'd be able to have a machine that'd be self-designed to suit his needs perfectly, and still wind up paying only a fraction of the going retail price.

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