How to make a mini-tractor from a walk-behind tractor with your own hands

How to quickly get a homemade tractor from a walk-behind tractor

During the preparation of the land for sowing, caring for the allotment, harvesting, the owner of a large farm has to be on his feet all day, which, of course, causes severe fatigue. That is why all the advantages of a walk-behind tractor, such as maneuverability, low fuel consumption with a relatively high performance and functionality, recede into the background due to the need for constant walking. But why not build a homemade tractor from a walk-behind tractor, especially since this can be done in just a few steps using a small attachment.

The adapter trailer attaches to your motorized helper's rear hitch, providing an additional axle flexibly connected to the front wheelset... Equipped with its own hitch for attachments and a seat for the operator, this mini-tractor based on a walk-behind tractor allows you not to step by changing the angle of the steering wheel to the body, but to drive directly over the cultivated strip of land. Fortunately, the clearance of the adapter corresponds to the clearance of the front wheelset. Thus, you increase the speed of plowing or hilling from 5 km / h accessible to pedestrians to quite comfortable 10 km / h, that is, 2 times, without getting tired at all.

Choosing a walk-behind tractor

Almost any walk-behind tractor can be successfully converted into a mini-tractor

Nevertheless, it is important to understand that the discrepancy between the initial device and certain criteria will not allow the resulting unit to effectively and efficiently cope with its tasks. For example, if the engine power is low, it may not have enough pulling force in order to endure not only the standard load when working with attachments, but also additional - in the form of additional structures that were not initially taken into account and the operator's body weight.

Therefore, when choosing a unit for conversion, it is important to take into account its characteristics:

• the capacity must correspond to the area of ​​the site and the planned loads on the unit;
• type of fuel - it is best to be guided by the criterion of practicality, therefore diesel fuel will be optimal for a mini-tractor, due to the economy of its consumption on large areas;
• the massiveness must be sufficient for the device to cope well with hard ground. Unlike a walk-behind tractor, on the ease of which its maneuverability depends, in this case, a low weight will serve as a disadvantage;
• cost is an important criterion, given that one of the goals of refurbishment is precisely to save money. Therefore, if a new walk-behind tractor is selected for conversion, it is better to choose an inexpensive domestic model with a high-quality and powerful engine.

Among small agricultural units of Russian production, brands such as Argo, Neva, Centaur, MT3, Zubr are especially suitable for breaking from a walk-behind tractor into a mini-tractor. Most of the models from these manufacturers meet all of the above criteria. According to the demand for them and the reviews of the owners, it can be judged that these devices have established themselves as reliable and economical equipment, convenient in operation and easy to repair, thanks to the availability of spare parts. Below we will consider, as an example, a mini-tractor converted from an Agros walk-behind tractor.

Using the Zubr and Agro walk-behind tractor

If you are thinking about the question of how to make a minitractor out of a walk-behind tractor, then as an example you can consider the "Bison" model.As in the case described above, this device has a good power plant, it operates on diesel fuel. For the manufacture of a minitractor, you must prepare:

• hydraulic system;
• additional wheels;
• brake system;
• steering.

As for the hydraulics, it will be required to operate the device in conjunction with attachments. Additional wheels can be borrowed from a passenger car.

Before making a mini tractor out of a walk-behind tractor, you can try to find the Agro model. In this case, the approach will be more serious. Reinforcement of the drive axle shaft and wheel reduction gears will be required. As a manufacturing option, you can position the engine at the rear, this will distribute the load as evenly as possible.

You can convert a walk-behind tractor into a mini-tractor using technology that is the same for all models. As an exception, there is a tractor manufactured on the basis of MTZ. Before starting work, you should prepare tools and parts.

• welding machine;
• wrench;
• fastening element;
• electric drill with a set of drills;
• grinder;
• nuts and bolts;
• discs for cutting metal.

Choosing a walk-behind tractor

Of the important parameters for these devices, it is worth highlighting:

• Cost and manufacturer.
• The size of the plow (if the mini tractor will be used for plowing the land).
• The type of engine used.
• The weight.
• Power level.

Power. One of the most important parameters, since the performance and power of the mini tractor directly depends on the engine power. The more aggressive and heavier the load on the transport, the more powerful you need to take the walk-behind tractor.

The weight. If a homemade mini tractor is used for plowing the land, then the weight of the walk-behind tractor will be a critical parameter. The defining point is the type of cultivated land: for hard varieties of soil, you should not choose too light motoblocks, otherwise the mini tractor will not cope with its purpose.

In any case, for any purpose, the heavier the walk-behind tractor, the better the working data of the future mini-tractor.

Price and manufacturer. If possible, it is better to choose products from firms that have been on the market for a long time. If financial opportunities are limited, you can get by with cheaper analogs. Russian products will also be the best option for most.

Chinese walk-behind tractors

These are mainly copies of Russian models. Their cost is lower due to the underestimated resources for production and savings on materials. This has a somewhat negative effect on the final quality of the product.

At the same time, the functionality does not differ from Russian motoblocks. Recently, products of acceptable quality have appeared, although they are still far from analogues from Russia. Popular Chinese walk-behind tractors include the Bison, Farmer, Centaur, Forte, Aurora, Zirka and others.

Russian products

The optimal solution with a reasonable price. Motoblocks with a belt drive or with a transmission with the ability to transmit torque to a snow thrower, tiller or rotary mower have gained popularity among buyers. In any case, the process is not complete without the participation of a special belt.

A feature of our developments is a simple device of the clutch system. From the maintenance procedures, only the replacement of the belt remains. Even Soviet engineers designed a gearbox, which is recognized as one of the most successful on the market. Professional motors of foreign manufacturers are used. The units are functional and reliable.

Popular Russian motoblocks:

• Neva,
• MTZ Belarus (Belarus),
• Agro,
• Firework,
• Cascade,
• SICH (Ukraine),
• Oka,
• Favorite,
• Tarpan
• other.

How to assemble a mini tractor with your own hands

Having prepared diagrams and drawings, it is necessary to find suitable parts. At a minimum, you need an engine, transmission, frame, and steering.Finding the right parts at home is very problematic, so you can walk around the flea market and look through the sites selling spare parts. Here you can literally buy the parts you need for a penny.

Frame

Fracture is usually done from a metal channel No. 5 or No. 9. The structure of this material has a sufficient margin of bending strength. Two semi-frames are welded from the channel, which are connected by a hinge joint. For these purposes, you can use propeller shafts from trucks.

If the fracture does not suit you, you can make a mini-tractor on an all-metal frame. This design usually consists of four elements: right and left side members, front and rear cross members.

The side members can be made from channel # 10, the rear and front crosshead from channel # 16 and # 12, respectively. A metal bar can be used as a transverse beam.

Engine

For work, a DIY mini-tractor can be equipped with any engine of suitable power. The best option is a power plant with a capacity of 40 horsepower.

Most often, M-67, MT-9, UD-2 and UD-4 engines are installed on self-made units. There are models equipped with engines from domestic passenger cars of the Zhiguli or Moskvich series.

If the homemade product is made according to the 4x4 formula, for the M-67 unit it will be necessary to increase the gear ratio of the transmission, otherwise the power plant will not have enough power to provide the necessary force for the wheelsets

Please note that an additional cooling system may be required for the powertrain

Transmission

The gearbox and power take-off shaft can be removed from the GAZ-53 car. The clutch will fit from the old GAZ-52. In finished form, these nodes will not work; additional adjustment will be required.

To synchronize the clutch with the engine, you will need to weld a new clutch basket and adjust it to the required dimensions. At the engine flywheel, it will be necessary to shorten the rear plane and drill an additional hole in the center. These operations can be done on a lathe.

Mini tractor in the process of assembly

Steering

This unit should include hydraulic cylinders, this will provide the mini-tractor with better controllability. It is impossible to make a hydraulics system with your own hands at home. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the ready-made hydraulic system from any agricultural equipment. Please note that a pump is required to circulate the oil in the hydraulics.

Rear axle

You can take a suitable assembly from a car and a truck and install it on a homemade structure. It is first necessary to shorten the axle shafts on a lathe.

If there is no finished bridge, a composite structure from different machines is allowed. The front axle is not a driving axle, so any node that is suitable for size will do.

Wheels

The radius of the wheels depends on how the mini tractor will be used. For transporting goods, discs with a radius of 13 to 16 inches are better suited. To carry out agricultural work, you will need wheels of 18-24 radius.

Mini-tractor from the Zubr walk-behind tractor

DIY mini tractor for household. Do-it-yourself mini tractor with an engine from a walk-behind tractor

All households or small farms require a lot of manual labor. Do-it-yourself assembled mini-tractor helps to reduce its share. It can be used for various purposes, including hay harvesting, soil cultivation, transportation of crops or fertilizers. It turns out to be problematic to carry out such operations without mechanization at home.

Large agricultural companies decide on the purchase of foreign or domestic agricultural machinery.Small farms do not always manage to allocate the required amount for a mini-tractor, so they have to come up with and implement homemade developments. For a do-it-yourself household, all assembly is carried out from scrap materials. If necessary, certain power units are made more powerful, and the product is designed to be as maintainable as possible with a universal set of spare parts and consumables.

Pros and cons of a homemade mini tractor

The wide popularity of this type of technology is provided by the following advantages:

• Comfortable operation in confined spaces. For a homemade mini tractor, fields of less than 2-3 hectares are optimal. Larger areas are processed with larger and more powerful equipment.
• Manual digging is not effective in all areas. This applies to stony or hard ground textures. In this case, manual labor will be much harder. It is more appropriate to use a mini tractor for a household in such circumstances, which, in a matter of minutes, with the appropriate attachments, will complete the task.
• Making a mini tractor with your own hands will often be cheaper, especially when a power plant from other equipment is available. You can make the rest of the nodes with your own hands, the drawings in this case will be unique.
• Ample opportunities for reconstruction, rebuilding, revision and repair. Since you will have to make a mini-tractor yourself from improvised means, you can lay down the prospect of re-equipment in advance in the schemes.
• The homemade product will be lightweight, which will not create unnecessary stress on the soil. This makes it safe to operate even when caring for crops during cultivation, hilling or harvesting.

Agros

The experience of the owners shows that a mini-tractor from an Agros walk-behind tractor turns out no worse than from other similar units, but there is one feature that should be paid special attention to. The standard axle in the configuration of this device has insufficient fracture strength

As a result, a mini-tractor built from an Agros walk-behind tractor works no worse than any other, but the load on the axle shafts may turn out to be higher than they can withstand. Therefore, in order to avoid breakdowns during conversion, this unit should be additionally strengthened. Users note that the use of modernized wheel gearboxes (for example, UAZ, LuAZ) helps to successfully cope with this stage of assembly. Their use corrects the gear ratio, due to which the traction resource increases.

Before starting the conversion, you should decide where the motor will be located: in the front or rear of the homemade tractor. The rear position of the engine in this case will reduce the load on the base axle, which requires reinforcement - this will make it possible to do without reinforcement. Before getting started, you need to make sure and double-check that you have all the necessary basic parts. Take care of the steering systems, braking systems, an extra pair of wheels (you can take ordinary car wheels) and the hydraulic system in advance

The presence of the latter is important to ensure the smooth operation of the device in aggregation with attachments

The device of the walk-behind tractor and minitractor

The walk-behind tractor and the mini-tractor have a lot of common design features, which allows you to easily convert one device into another. But, nevertheless, these are two different technical units, which will be clear from the description of their technical device.

Walk-behind tractor device

Motoblocks Cayman, Patriot, Texas, Foreman, Viking, Forza consist of several main working units:

• Power unit. In the design of walk-behind tractors, 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines can be used. At the same time, they can also differ in the type of fuel used - gasoline or diesel. There are models that run on electricity.The motor power can be different, up to 10 hp.
• Governing bodies. Basically, all the main buttons and control levers are located on the control handle to make it easier for the operator to operate the device.
• Transmission. There are several varieties: toothed, toothed-worm, belt-toothed-chain and hydrovolume.
• Undercarriage. In this capacity, a conventional wheelbase in the form of two wheels is used.
• Additional equipment connection systems. Aggregation of attachments is carried out on a special bracket, and in some devices - on the power take-off shaft.

Mini tractors have a similar structural structure, including the same basic elements, but not much differing in the technical characteristics of these working units. The device of a mini-tractor of Russian, Chinese and Belarusian production will look like this:

Mini tractor engine

• Engine. The configuration of minitractors provides for the use of gasoline and diesel engines. The power of the former can reach 18 hp, and diesel engines can have power from 12 to 50 hp.
• Transmission. Modern units are equipped with a friction clutch, where torque is generated by friction between the driving and driven components of the clutch.
• Chassis. Basically, mini tractors use a wheelbase consisting of four wheels. There are units operating on tracks.
• Governing bodies. The main control of the mini tractor is carried out using the steering wheel, but other levers and buttons are located on the dashboard.
• Aggregation system. You can hook any attachments to the Uralets, Kubota, Bulat 120, Yanmar, Belarus 132n mini-tractor. With the help of a power take-off shaft, this unit is able to work with active devices - a mower, a cutter, etc.

It is this circumstance that makes various enthusiasts try to convert their walk-behind tractors into full-fledged mini tractors, so that it is more convenient to operate them. In addition, the converted walk-behind tractors will show much higher productivity than before the conversion process.

Homemade tractor engine

Depending on the engine power, there are light (up to 5 kW), medium (up to 15 kW) and heavy (up to 50 kW) mini-tractors. When choosing an engine for your tractor, you should clearly understand what functions it will perform for you.

Since there is no point in making a powerful technique for working on small areas. Photos of various do-it-yourself mini-tractor designs are shown below.

For light and medium mini tractors, engines from motoblocks, which have now become popular, are best suited.

For a home-made heavy mini-tractor, made by hand, an engine from cars, or from tractors T-25, T-30 and their modern counterparts, is suitable. These engines can be purchased inexpensively on the secondary market along with a clutch and gearbox.

A simple solution

The issue of modernizing motoblocks has found a response among many manufacturers of this type of equipment. Given that homemade products are very popular, manufacturers decided to make the work of home craftsmen easier.

Now ready-made adapters are purchased for the models "AGRO", "Neva", "Zubr", which turn the walk-behind tractor into a mini-tractor. Such an adapter includes the following elements:

1. Additional semi-frame.
2. Steering (complete) with required pedals.
3. Front axle shaft for chassis.
4. Brake system.
5. Additional attachment for equipment. A manual lift is usually included in the standard package, but an electric drive is installed at the request of the buyer.
6. Driver's seat.

Even a person without technical education can assemble such a kit with his own hands. You just need to arm yourself with a set of wrenches and follow the attached instructions.

The disadvantages of this option include the high cost of the basic kit. It is much easier to save up some more money and purchase a ready-made mini-tractor, which will eliminate the need for self-assembly of equipment.

Conclusion

The mechanization of work on your summer cottage or personal plot allows you to turn routine duties into fairly easy and even enjoyable activities, since in this case the main load falls on various technical means, and the owner only has to manage them. The walk-behind tractor is deservedly considered such a universal assistant. However, many mistakenly believe that its acquisition will solve almost all the problems of processing a land plot, but this is not always the case. And yet a walk-behind tractor, for example, "Neva", can be used to create a more complex and efficient unit -.