Garden Tractor Powered By "Hit & Miss" 1-Cyl. Engine

Garden Tractor Powered By "Hit & Miss" 1-Cyl. Engine AG WORLD Ag World 23-3-24 "It gets a lot of second looks when I display it at shows," says Steve Kazenske, LeClaire, Iowa, who equipped a 1965 Wheelhorse garden tractor with an old 1-cyl. "hit and miss" gas engine. Kazenske bought the tractor used without an engine and mounted a 1935 Stover-Built "Economy" 1-cyl., 2 hp gas engine on it that's equipped with an open-topped radiator on front to keep the engine cool. One of the engine's flywheels is used to belt-drive the tractor's original transmission. To make the garden tractor look more like a real, antique tractor, Kazenske removed the fenders, added a cast iron seat, and left the engine out in the open. He also mounted a 15-in. high chrome pipe muffler on front. "It's definitely a one-of-a-kind tractor," says Kazenske. "Hit and miss gas engines were originally designed to belt-drive water pumps, grain elevators, corn shellers, etc., and have become popular collector's items over the years. I paid $300 for the engine which had been laying in a barn for years and had to be rebuilt. I paid only $27.50 for the tractor." Kazenske made an angle iron frame to support the engine and mounted a pulley on one of the engine's flywheels, allowing it to belt-drive the tractor's original transmission. Belt tension is controlled by three idler wheels. He replaced the original rear tires with 23-in. high, 6-in. wide agricultural tread tires and painted the wheels white. The 15-in. high front tires are original. The cast iron seat is supported by a spring-loaded shock absorbing suspension system (off an Allis-Chalmers WD tractor) that's bolted to the tractor frame. "It was a lot of fun to build," says Kazenske. "I start the engine by hand cranking the flywheels. I chose the Wheelhorse tractor because it's equipped with a transmission that's belt-driven down one side of the tractor. The 1-cyl. engine runs at only about 600 rpm's compared to 1,500 to 1,800 rpm's on the original engine so the tractor can't go very fast, but that's not a problem because I don't drive it much. The tractor battery was mounted under the steering wheel. However, the tractor no longer needs a battery because the engine runs off its own magneto, so I removed the battery and mounted a fake gas tank in its place. I plan to replace the fake gas tank with a toolbox. To improve the tractor's looks I also replaced the original knob on the gearshift lever with a glass doorknob." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steve Kazenske Machining & Welding, 630 Wisconsin St., LeClaire, Iowa 52753 (ph 319 289-3447).

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