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2011 - Volume #35, Issue #3, Page #23

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"Mini" Antique Steam Tractor

"I drive it in parades at antique tractor shows and have won several awards. I enjoy giving my grandkids rides on it," says Doug Schiller of Belvidere, Ill., who built a miniature antique steam tractor out of an old Sears garden tractor and scrap parts.
    The tractor is powered by an 8 hp Briggs & Stratton engine and is complete with flywheels, fake pressure gauges, a variety of emblems, and 4 loud air horns. A tall, curved metal roof protects the operator.
    "I didn't use plans to build the tractor to scale, but just pieced it together as I went along," says Schiller, who also built a 2-wheeled trailer to pull behind the tractor.
    He bought the 1960 tractor at a scrap yard without an engine or hood. He mounted a Sears 30-gal. air compressor tank on front and built a sheet metal box that mounts behind it. A 2-ft. long, 5-in. dia. aluminum smoke stack, made from an oxygen tank off a medical wheelchair, mounts on the tank. A large pressure gauge off an old steam tank mounts on the box, with a smaller gauge on front of the tank. The front grill is original to the garden tractor but is turned upside down, with a "door knocker" emblem mounted on it.
    A battery-operated fan, mounted inside the box, blows heat through a screen on top of the box to keep the engine cool. "I added the fan after the box got so hot that gas in the fuel line started boiling, which caused the engine to quit running. I also wrapped heat-resistant insulation around the smoke stack to help keep the engine cool," says Schiller.
    The tractor has a total of 4 air horns, which operate off 2 separate systems. Two horns are operated by a fire extinguisher filled with air pumped in from the air compressor tank; and the other horns connect to a battery-operated air compressor.
    "I pull on a handle connected to a throttle cable that activates the fire extinguisher, and I use a toggle switch to operate an electric pump that operates the air compressor tank," says Schiller. "I can blow one air horn or the other, or operate both horns at the same time. When I blow the horns people can hear me coming from a long way off. The tractor is loud, too. I put a muffler inside the smoke stack, but it's located toward the bottom so the engine's noise bellows back out the top."
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Doug Schiller, 345 Beister Drive, Belvidere, Ill. 61008 (ph 815 979-4591; flagcaddie@gmail.com).

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Mini Antique Steam Tractor I drive it in parades at antique tractor shows and have won several awards I enjoy giving my grandkids rides on it says Doug Schiller of Belvidere Ill who built a miniature antique steam tractor out of an old Sears garden tractor and scrap parts The tractor is powered by an 8 hp Briggs & Stratton engine and is complete with flywheels fake pressure gauges a variety of emblems and 4 loud air horns A tall curved metal roof protects the operator I didn t use plans to build the tractor to scale but just pieced it together as I went along says Schiller who also built a 2-wheeled trailer to pull behind the tractor He bought the 1960 tractor at a scrap yard without an engine or hood He mounted a Sears 30-gal air compressor tank on front and built a sheet metal box that mounts behind it A 2-ft long 5-in dia aluminum smoke stack made from an oxygen tank off a medical wheelchair mounts on the tank A large pressure gauge off an old steam tank mounts on the box with a smaller gauge on front of the tank The front grill is original to the garden tractor but is turned upside down with a door knocker emblem mounted on it A battery-operated fan mounted inside the box blows heat through a screen on top of the box to keep the engine cool I added the fan after the box got so hot that gas in the fuel line started boiling which caused the engine to quit running I also wrapped heat-resistant insulation around the smoke stack to help keep the engine cool says Schiller The tractor has a total of 4 air horns which operate off 2 separate systems Two horns are operated by a fire extinguisher filled with air pumped in from the air compressor tank; and the other horns connect to a battery-operated air compressor I pull on a handle connected to a throttle cable that activates the fire extinguisher and I use a toggle switch to operate an electric pump that operates the air compressor tank says Schiller I can blow one air horn or the other or operate both horns at the same time When I blow the horns people can hear me coming from a long way off The tractor is loud too I put a muffler inside the smoke stack but it s located toward the bottom so the engine s noise bellows back out the top Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Doug Schiller 345 Beister Drive Belvidere Ill 61008 ph 815 979-4591; flagcaddie@gmail com

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