Tractor-Powered Ice Cream Maker

2010 - Volume #34, Issue #6, Page #21

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Whenever Doug Snider feels like having a little ice cream, he just starts up his 1960's Allis Chalmers B10 garden tractor. That's because Snider mounted a 5-gal. ice cream maker on back of the tractor that's belt-driven off the mower deck.
  "My wife calls it our DQ 21. The DQ stands for Dairy Queen and the 21 stands for how many quarts of ice cream it can make. It takes about 45 min. to make 5 gal. of ice cream. The ice cream comes out perfect," says Snider. "I can make ice cream with the rig setting still or while driving in a parade."
  He modified the tractor's rear end gearing to slow it down while operating the freezer. A tachometer installed on the tractor's dash lets him know how fast the paddles inside the bucket are rotating. "The tachometer also lets me know when the ice cream is almost ready, because as the ice cream gets thicker the engine will start pulling down a bit and the tachometer will drop." A thermometer is also mounted on the dash and lets Snider know the temperature of the water and ice that's used to make the ice cream.
  A homemade stainless steel bracket supports the bucket. "The bracket is hinged so after we're done making ice cream, I can remove the belt and tip the bucket backward to dump out the ice and salt that I save to use when making the next batch."
  He bought the freezer from an Amish community, which had used a "hit and miss" engine to operate it.
  "At the time I thought we'd just use the freezer for family affairs so I didn't overhaul the tractor. But within two years, we had made more than 300 gal. of ice cream. We started donating ice cream at social parties for friends and neighbors and at community projects, so I decided to restore the tractor and make it look really nice."
  Snider says he's willing to make garden tractor-powered ice cream freezers for others if there's enough interest.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Doug Snider, 6823 State Rt. 13, Somerset, Ohio 43783 (ph 740 743-2573 or 740 684-1065; doug.snider@carmeusena.com).

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Tractor-Powered Ice Cream Maker FARM HOME Food Whenever Doug Snider feels like having a little ice cream he just starts up his 1960 s Allis Chalmers B10 garden tractor That s because Snider mounted a 5-gal ice cream maker on back of the tractor that s belt-driven off the mower deck My wife calls it our DQ 21 The DQ stands for Dairy Queen and the 21 stands for how many quarts of ice cream it can make It takes about 45 min to make 5 gal of ice cream The ice cream comes out perfect says Snider I can make ice cream with the rig setting still or while driving in a parade He modified the tractor s rear end gearing to slow it down while operating the freezer A tachometer installed on the tractor s dash lets him know how fast the paddles inside the bucket are rotating The tachometer also lets me know when the ice cream is almost ready because as the ice cream gets thicker the engine will start pulling down a bit and the tachometer will drop A thermometer is also mounted on the dash and lets Snider know the temperature of the water and ice that s used to make the ice cream A homemade stainless steel bracket supports the bucket The bracket is hinged so after we re done making ice cream I can remove the belt and tip the bucket backward to dump out the ice and salt that I save to use when making the next batch He bought the freezer from an Amish community which had used a hit and miss engine to operate it At the time I thought we d just use the freezer for family affairs so I didn t overhaul the tractor But within two years we had made more than 300 gal of ice cream We started donating ice cream at social parties for friends and neighbors and at community projects so I decided to restore the tractor and make it look really nice Snider says he s willing to make garden tractor-powered ice cream freezers for others if there s enough interest Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Doug Snider 6823 State Rt 13 Somerset Ohio 43783 ph 740 743-2573 or 740 684-1065; doug snider@carmeusena com

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