Cheap Utility Vehicle Built Out Of Riding Mowers

Cheap Utility Vehicle Built Out Of Riding Mowers ATV'S ATV'S 29-3-34 "I call it my cheap Gator because my only expense to build it was welding rod and some bolts. My grand kids have a lot of fun driving it," says Cleo Brown, Nashville, Mich., about the inexpensive utility vehicle he built out of riding mower parts. The 2-WD rig has a two-passenger padded seat and a 30 by 36-in. wooden dump box on back. It's powered by an 8 hp Briggs & Stratton engine, which was moved to the back to give the rig more traction. The engine belt-drives a 6-speed transaxle. The engine, rear wheels and axle, hood, pedals, and front fenders are all off a Sears Craftsman riding mower. The front fenders were originally the Craftsman mower's rear fenders and were turned around to fit. The belt that drives the transaxle is from the power steering unit off a 1955 Chevy car. The battery is under the hood. To lengthen the rig, Brown removed the frame from a Dynamark riding mower, turned it around 180 degrees, and then welded it onto the Craftsman's rear axle. "By reversing the Dynamark's frame I was able to mount the engine using the same bolt pattern, without having to drill new holes," says Brown. He wanted to move the Craftsman's steering wheel and column toward one side of the rig in order to make more room for passengers. However, the steering arm was on the wrong side which meant turning the wheel one way would have caused the machine to go the other way. So he replaced the steering system with one off a Century riding mower. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Cleo L. Brown, 11861 Carlisle Hwy., Nashville, Mich. 49073 (ph 517 852-0738).

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