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Todd Markle An Introduction to

Garden Garden tractor pulling is getting

more and more popular every year It is a family oriented sport that allows practically all ages to get involved and have fun It is also a fairly budget friendly form of motorsports competition It seems to be springing up in most areas of the country including the Midwest the South and the Northeast

Even if you dont plan to be a competitor yourself reading these articles may make watching different forms of pulling more enjoyable since you will hopefully better understand the science behind it

The concept of modern tractor pulling is fairly simple The pulling tractor is hooked to a machine called a weight transfer sled The overall weight of the sled is usually several times the weight of the tractor At the beginning most of this weight is on wheels so it is easy to get the weight started in motion As the sled moves down the track weight transfers from the wheels to a skid pan This makes the sled progressively more difficult to pull The winner is the competitor who pulls the farthest distance

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In the early days of the sport the sled was literally a wooden platform that was pulled down the track To make the sled progressively harder to pull human ballast was used People stood along the track at specific intervals and stepped on the sled as it passed Today we can see some obvious problems with this setup with the least of which being fairness How and when a person steps on can really affect the pull Safety is the main concern with this setup Some of these little tractors can move the sled down the track at 20 miles per hour so just jumping on the sled would be very difficult at that speed

Momentum is the name of the

game so the more speed the tractor can achieve the further it will move the sled Unlike most motorsports weight is an advantage More weight equals more traction It is still advantageous to keep your tractor as light as possible This allows the

The wide frame Cub Cadets are popular with pullers because the flared front frame section accepts the larger flywheel for the gear drive starters The gear drive starters have an easier time cranking a high compression engine

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This tractor is about as stock as you can get The vertical exhaust stack is a common pulling modification although most pullers dont use a muffler Wheel weights are an easy way to add weight if you have them

would need to travel to an event If you have to travel more than an hour or two it can make for a long day and cost more money in fuel This could be a big factor in determining if this sport is right for you

You may be lucky enough to have several clubs in your area that sanction pulls If so hopefully their rules are somewhat standardized Before you decide to get into pulling try to attend several pulls as a spectator and take your family if you would like them to be involved as well Take a camera or a camcorder and take photos or videos of the various machines you see Look at and take photos of the details of various custom built parts such as hitches wheelie bars and weight brackets

These photos will help give you ideas on how to make these parts for yourself Dont be afraid to approach the competitors and ask questions Most people are proud of their machines and love to talk about them Just make sure they dont look busy when you start a conversation They may be concentrating on getting their tractor ready for the next round

While you are at the pull see if you can get a paper copy of the clubs rules

Garden tractor pulling is truly a sport that the whole family can get involved in Many women enjoy it just as much as the men do

maximum amount of movable weight which you can move to different areas of the tractor to achieve optimum balance

Ideally on a two-wheel-drive pulling vehicle optimum balance is achieved when the tractors entire weight is on the drive tires The weight of the sled tends to pull down on the tractors drawbar which tends to lift the tractors front end When the front tires are slightly off the ground the tractor is getting maximum traction You dont want the front end to get too high though The higher the front end gets the lower the drawbar gets The higher the drawbar the more the tractor tends to pull up on the front of the sled which makes it easier to pull You dont want the front end to get so high that the wheelie bars touch the ground either The wheelie bars are strictly for safety and any weight they carry is weight that isnt pressing the drive tires into the track Their purpose is to keep the tractor from flipping over backwards

Engine power is also very important The more power the engine has the faster you can move the sled and the more momentum you can build up

One of the first things you will want to do is find out if there are any pulls in your area to determine how far you

There are many ways to add weight to a puller Barbells are popular with beginners because they are inexpensive and easy to find Be sure to securely fasten them to the tractor

Some of the upper level tractors like this Pro Stock get pretty wild looking and are far from stock This low slung tractor is running what is known as a half pint style chassis The name came from the first tractor built in this style

Even though the class is called stock pullers have some creative freedom in paint color and graphics to personalize their machines

or find out if they are posted on a website It is very important to know the rules before you start modifying a tractor to pull Otherwise you could spend a lot of time working on the tractor only to find out you arent allowed to pull because you are in violation of the rules

Here are some important factors that are usually governed by rules

bull Tire size and type bull Engine size and modifications

allowed bull Weight bull Maximum Engine RPMs (usually

only in stock classes) bull Hitch or Drawbar height and

length bull Overall length of tractor bull Tip over bar specifications (wheelie

bars) Like most other hobbies the amount

of money you have to spend can vary quite a bit There are usually a multitude of classes with one for just about every budget A big factor is your particular skill set If you can turn wrenches and maybe do some welding and fabrication work that can save you a lot of money over having someone do this work for you Chances are if you are reading this magazine you probably have some interest and skills

Here is a fairly stock looking narrow frame Cub Cadet The aluminum wheels reduce weight and dress the tractor up a bit

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in tinkering ith things mechanical anJAay Dont be afraid to try learning some new skills The more work on your tractor that you do yourself the more fulfilling your pulling successes will be

You are probably wondering what kind of tractor would be the best to use as a starting point for building a puller Opinions vary but the older gear drive Cub Cadets are the most popular by a huge margin There is a reason for this because they are built like a small farm tractor with an automotive clutch and all gear transmission There are folks who successfully use other makes but mostly in the stock classes In the higher level classes nearly all the tractors started out as Cub Cadets Some have their sheetmetal changed to make them look like other brands Most clubs dont allow changing sheetmetal in the entry level classes

Whatever tractor make or model you chose be certain it is a true Garden tractor that is designed to pull ground engaging attachments There are many tractors out there with 12 rear wheels that look like garden tractors but are actually lawn tractors These models have drive-trains that wont survive in pulling even in the stock classes In general the tractors with the best survivability will have cast iron transaxles The belt driven tractors do have an advantage in changing gear ratios With the Cub Cadets the only way to change ratios is by getting different gears for the transmission On a belt driven tractor you can change to different size pulleys Since this is an IH magazine most of the information here will be applicable to Cub Cadets

Changing gear ratios is important to be able to match your ground speed to your engines power output You want your ground speed to be a fast as possible without having the engine run out of power

Many pullers use telescopic front weight brackets This allows the weights to be moved out to the maximum distance allowed by the rules but easily collapsed to make transporting easier

You may be thinking that hydrostatic drive tractors would work well because of their infinitely variable speeds Unfortunately while hydros are awesome for mowing grass and other lawn and garden chores they arent very efficient at transferring power A fairly large percentage of the engines horsepower is lost through the hydrostatic drive This has proven to be too much of a deficit to overcome in most cases Unless your club has a specific class for hydros a gear drive would be your best choice

One nice thing about the older Cub Cadets is that there is a lot of interchangeability of parts So it isnt too difficult to swap a gear drive transmission in place of hydrostatic unit

Once you have a tractor to use as a starting point for you puller you want to make sure it is in top running condition Your club may allow engine modifications but you would probably be best served by leaving the engine stock in the beginning But a thorough tune up to make sure its at least up to stock specs is a good idea A new spark plug head gasket points condenser carburetor rebuild kit and air filter would be a good starting point Changing the fluids and checking the valve clearances would also be in order

While some clubs have rules that cater to tractors straight off the lawn you will probably still need to make some modifications in the name of safety Most clubs reqUire wheelie bars in all classes These are bars that protrude from the rear of the tractor to keep it from tipping over backwards They can have wheels or skid plates to contact the ground The rules can vary so be sure to build them so you conform to your local clubs rules It is fairly common that they protrude at least 5 beyond the rear tires and be less than 5 off the ground They also need to be strong enough to

Here is the rear view of a pro stock tractor This tractor has a simple adjustable hitch that uses threaded rods and wheelie bars with skid shoes

support the weight of the tractor Whatever measurements the rules call for leave a small margin for error so you dont get disqualified on a minor technicality It is also a good idea to make them adjustable in height to compensate for different tire sizes and pressures

A seat back is another important safety item Most stock tractors have seat with some sort of back rest If you have an early tractor with a pan seat you may want to either build a back rest or change to a seat that has one Most clubs require at least a 3 high seat back to keep the driver from sliding off the back of the seat if the front end comes up

Most clubs also now require a safety helmet even in the stock classes If you dont already own one for another purpose be sure to buy one that is DOT approved Full face Motocross or ATV helmets seem to provide the best compromise between safety and visibility If you decide to move up to one of the classes that use alcohol for fuel you will need a fire suit

The above mentioned items are safety related and what I consider a bare minimum of modifications needed to turn a stock garden tractor into a puller The following modifications are fairly simple but can make a big difference in how competitive your tractor is

A very important item is an adjustable hitch or drawbar As mentioned earlier the higher the drawbar is from the ground the better the tractor will pull Consequently most clubs have a maximum drawbar height If your stock drawbar is lower than the maximum you will conform to the rules but you will be at a disadvantage to the tractors that have their hitch at the maximum height Most rules call for a 1-12 diameter hole for the sled chain hook to drop into

This tractor uses wheels on the wheelie bars Notice the weights under the drawbar Also notice the tires These are specifically designed for pulling and are referred to as pro pulling tires

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This tractor could use a bit more weight on the front end Notice the wheelie bars are touching the ground This takes weight and traction from the drive tires The driver could help

The driver of this tractor is leaning back to possibly correct for too much front end weight

turf type tires can work but this is

These two tractors rulllling sUe by- siDe are pulling the same sled This is called double tree pufing uses a setup similar to a two horse hitch This offers an extra chablge of normal pulling

correct this by scooting forward on the seat

Weight is an advantage so you need to be able to get your tractor up to the maximum allowed for the class There are many ways to do this so let your imagination be your guide Barbell weights are popular easy to find and relatively cheap if you find them used at yard sales and in local classified ads Some people melt down lead tire balance weights to make their own Be sure to take proper safety precautions when doing this

Whatever brackets you make to fasten them to the tractor make sure they hold the weights securely Any parts or weights that fall off the tractor during a pull will probably get you disqualified

Most clubs have rules that spedfy how far the weights can protrude from the front of the tractor Also most rules dont allow weights to protrude rearward beyond the rear tires and there is usually a maximum width allowed Try to keep all your weights as low to the ground as pOSSible but keep them high enough that they cant drag on the ground

Depending on the weight class you may need to add as much as a couple hundred pounds to the tractor If you are making your own weights be sure to make them in different increments that allow you to arrive very close to the maximum weight I like to have a few as small as 5 pounds so I can get within 5 pounds of the target weight

By now you are probably wondering about tires Tires are a very important part of tractor pulling So much so that Im going to talk more about them in another issue You may be lucky enough to buy a tractor that already has bar tread (or AG tread tires) tractor type tires already on it There are many brands and styles of these tires and some work much better for pulling than others Under certain track conditions the regular

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usually the exception rather than the rule In some areas pulls take place on pavement so turf tires would be a better choice for that

If you want to buy AG tires for your tractor dont run out and buy the first or cheapest set you find Take a look at what others in your class are running Chances are most of them will be running the same ones and that is because they are probably what works best on your local tracks Unfortunately some of the best stock pulling tires have been recently discontinued by their manufacturers

If you build your tractor or a part for it and you later decide you dont like it or think it can be improved on dont be afraid to make changes Most competitive machines are being constantly improved as technology skills and knowledge progress

So far I have only mentioned building custom pulling parts yourself but there are also aftermarket parts manufacturers who make just about everything you could possibly need to build a pulling tractor Some of these suppliers will even build you a complete readyshyto-run tractor Look for more information about these suppliers in an upcoming issue I have found a couple places on the internet where used parts can be found A lot of folks will move up to a higher class or make changes to their tractors and will have good used parts to sell One place to find these

ad site and themiddot Be sure -seller q bull _ ow what you are buying I idea to watch both these site) e before buying so you bav - o fair prices There are also 5eOe web forums with lots of IDOl degJrnla tion that can easily be found seanbing garden tractor pullin

Thanks __ _ j and Kathy Lear John Piper anti -a-=-f Chiello for providing me itt -c ~ he photos used in this articc

ro by email at farm _ ~com or if you prefer to sen ~e a _ _ my address is Todd Malmiddot e 3S3-i Ptnns Valley Rd Spring Mills Pa - - I can also be reached b phltJd middot l O in~nings at 814-422shy7632 11 ie any interesting IH

tips or techniques you snare- with other readers i- a line