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Baby Steiger Tractor True In Every Detail
When he was growing up in Grande Prairie, Alberta, John Loyek always wished his dad had a Steiger 4-WD tractor.
Loyek's father never bought a Steiger. But Loyek built a garden tractor that's true to the big Steigers in every last detail.
"I always liked the looks of the Steigers," Loyek says. "1 guess that'
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Baby Steiger Tractor True In Every Detail TRACTORS Made-It-Myself 18-5-9 When he was growing up in Grande Prairie, Alberta, John Loyek always wished his dad had a Steiger 4-WD tractor.
Loyek's father never bought a Steiger. But Loyek built a garden tractor that's true to the big Steigers in every last detail.
"I always liked the looks of the Steigers," Loyek says. "1 guess that's why I did it. It looks like something that just came out of a showroom"
Loyek's Baby Steiger, which fits nicely into a pickup bed, is 4 ft. wide by 8 ft. long by about 4 1/2 high. It's powered by a 16 hp Kohler grain auger engine he bought new. It features hydrostatic transmission that's infinitely variable up to 8 mph, front and rear ptos, steering, and a 3-pt hitch for the 5 1/2-ft. wide dozer blade mounted in front.
Except for the engine and hydraulics (he had most of the hydraulic components around his shop), Loyek built everything else from the ground up. That includes the Baby Steiger's 4-WD system, made from rear differentials off of two old Chevy Chevelle cars, and the channel iron frame, sheet metal fenders and front grille
made of expanded metal. The grille "pretty much copies the Steiger's exactly," Loyek says. "That took more work than anything else."
Loyek began building the Baby Steiger 10 years ago when he was still in high school. He just put the finishing touches on it this spring, when he painted it Steiger's trademark lime green and black colors.
Altogether, Loyek says he's got about $5,000 invested in the project. "I don't know how many thousands of hours," he adds.
In the future, he plans to make a mower deck for the tractor and may replace its turf tires with dual 15-in. grip tires for looks. However, mounting duals on the tractor would cost a "small fortune" in rubber and require custom-built rims as well, Loyek notes.
Loyek says he'd be very interested in building more of the tractors and/or selling plans for them.
Contact, FARM SHOW Followup, John Loyek, 3510-43a Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada TGL 5T8 (ph 403 440 3835).
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