Sears Mower Converted To "Wrecker"

Sears Mower Converted To "Wrecker" FARM HOME Lawn Mowers (31h,38) 29-5-29 "I use it for pulling garden tractors that won't start into my shop where I can do service work on them. It's a lot easier than pushing tractors by hand," says Doug Brown, Columbia, Tenn., who converted an old Sears Craftsman 11 hp riding mower into a "wrecker" by bolting a hand-operated hydraulic hoist on back of the tractor. Brown bolted part of the frame off an old riding mower on front of the tractor to hold concrete blocks for weight. On back, he added a hand pump hydraulic lift off an old handicap lift. The hoist is equipped with two hydraulic cylinders mounted on a pair of metal arms. By getting off the wrecker and pumping up and down on a handle mounted on the hoist, Brown can raise the front wheels of a tractor off the ground. "It lets me pick up even the biggest garden tractor and tow it wherever I want to go. I used it one time to pick up a 24 hp Sears riding mower and dragged it home from a neighbor's place to my shop," says Brown. "It cost almost nothing to build. The hydraulic lift was originally designed for handicapped people. I was able to buy it for $5 at an auction for hospital employees. "I bought the Sears mower for $50 from a friend who often picks up scrap at dumpsters. Someone had thrown the tractor away, even though it was in immaculate condition. The engine was still shiny, and you could tell the tractor had never had a bad day's care." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Doug Brown, 2904 Luke Moser Rd., Columbia, Tenn. 38401 (ph 931 388-1314; dkbrown13 @earthlink.net).

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