2011 - Volume #35, Issue #5, Page #21
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Self-Propelled Portable Tractor Grill
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“It gets a lot of attention at shows and community events. Some people even ask if it was factory built,” says Rodenberg.
He started with a 1948 Allis Chalmers G, which was designed with a rear-mounted engine and transmission and an arched pipe frame on front for increased visibility. Attachments, such as a cultivator, could be belly-mounted on a toolbar between the front and rear wheels. He unbolted the frame and the front axle, and then built a new frame with brackets to support the grille. He also installed a used front axle that he bought at a salvage yard.
He used 14-ga. steel to build the grille, which measures 2 ft. in dia. by 3 ft. long. The draft is controlled using a pair of slide-type vents in the grille and spring-loaded caps on exhaust pipes on front of the tractor.
“I take it to shows and community events all the time. The first time I used it was at a party for guys in my shop, where we grilled 20 New York strip steaks,” says Rodenberg. “The Allis G is getting to be a rare tractor, so I left the tractor’s original arched frame and axle intact so I can bolt them back on if I want to.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jim and Eunice Rodenberg, 2105 Fern St., Grand Rapids, Minn. 55744 (ph 218 326-1437; eujim2@paulbunyan.net).
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