He Built A 4-Engine Garden Tractor Puller

2020 - Volume #44, Issue #5, Page #20

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“I like to build things that are different, so I recently built a garden tractor puller powered by four 8 hp. Harbor Freight Predator V-twin engines. It runs really well and has a lot of power,” says Earl Overbeek, Allegan, Mich.
    Overbeek, who belongs to a local garden tractor pulling club, started building the tractor 3 years ago. “I built it to compete in the 1,200-lb. class and am happy with how it has performed so far,” says Overbeek.    “The rules say a tractor in this class can have up to 32 hp. but no more than 4 cylinders, so I built mine with four 8 hp., 4-cycle, single cylinder engines just to be unique. I paid $235 apiece for them. Getting all 4 engines hooked together and synchronized was the hardest part of the job. Each engine belt-drives a center-mounted driveshaft that runs through the transmission.”
    The tractor’s 4 straight pipe mufflers are made from 1 1/4-in. dia. kitchen sink drain pipe and attached to the engines with home-built, L-shaped steel brackets. “The pipes are lightweight, which is good, but they’re also very loud so I have to wear ear protection,” says Overbeek.
    The tractor sports a 6-ft. tall roll cage, made just for looks out of 1-in. dia. electrician’s pipe by Overbeek’s nephew. “The roll cage isn’t required, but I thought that if I’m going to build a garden tractor with 4 engines it might as well have a big roll cage on it,” says Overbeek.
    He started with a Cub Cadet 1100 garden tractor, keeping only the frame, rear end and axles. He lengthened the frame by 18 in. to extend the wheelbase to 56 in., and installed a used 3-speed, gear-drive transmission off another Cub Cadet tractor.
The electric-start engines are attached in sets of 2 to pairs of 1-in. sq. tubing that run across the tractor’s frame.
    The tractor’s starter and ring gear are off an old Farmall. “The engines aren’t electric start, so I mounted a balanced ring on the main driveshaft and added the starter off a Farmall M. The starter meshes with the ring gear in such a way that I can start all 4 engines at the same time,” says Overbeek.
    Two of the engines’ air cleaners are mounted on one side of the tractor, and the others are located under the hood.     “The 4 engines up front make the tractor a little nose heavy, so I plan to lighten up the front end and add more weight on back. The tractor has an aluminum hood that saves about 15 lbs.”
    The tractor rides on 26-in. tall, 12-in. wide rear tires with 6-in. high ribbed tires on front. The rear axle is original, but Overbeek used 1 by 2-in. sq. tubing to build the front axle.
He bought the tractor’s heavy-duty clutch and wheelie bar from Midwest Super Cub (ph 563 659-5276; www.mwsc.com), and the wheels and axles from Miller Tire Co. (ph 419 335-7010; www.millertire.com).
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Earl Overbeek, 3246 Lakeview Dr., Allegan, Mich. 49010 (ph 269 673-8548 or cell ph 616 836-1585).

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He Built A 4-Engine Garden Tractor Puller AG WORLD “I like to build things that are different so I recently built a garden tractor puller powered by four 8 hp Harbor Freight Predator V-twin engines It runs really well and has a lot of power ” says Earl Overbeek Allegan Mich Overbeek who belongs to a local garden tractor pulling club started building the tractor 3 years ago “I built it to compete in the 1 200-lb class and am happy with how it has performed so far ” says Overbeek “The rules say a tractor in this class can have up to 32 hp but no more than 4 cylinders so I built mine with four 8 hp 4-cycle single cylinder engines just to be unique I paid $235 apiece for them Getting all 4 engines hooked together and synchronized was the hardest part of the job Each engine belt-drives a center-mounted driveshaft that runs through the transmission ” The tractor’s 4 straight pipe mufflers are made from 1 1/4-in dia kitchen sink drain pipe and attached to the engines with home-built L-shaped steel brackets “The pipes are lightweight which is good but they’re also very loud so I have to wear ear protection ” says Overbeek The tractor sports a 6-ft tall roll cage made just for looks out of 1-in dia electrician’s pipe by Overbeek’s nephew “The roll cage isn’t required but I thought that if I’m going to build a garden tractor with 4 engines it might as well have a big roll cage on it ” says Overbeek He started with a Cub Cadet 1100 garden tractor keeping only the frame rear end and axles He lengthened the frame by 18 in to extend the wheelbase to 56 in and installed a used 3-speed gear-drive transmission off another Cub Cadet tractor The electric-start engines are attached in sets of 2 to pairs of 1-in sq tubing that run across the tractor’s frame The tractor’s starter and ring gear are off an old Farmall “The engines aren’t electric start so I mounted a balanced ring on the main driveshaft and added the starter off a Farmall M The starter meshes with the ring gear in such a way that I can start all 4 engines at the same time ” says Overbeek Two of the engines’ air cleaners are mounted on one side of the tractor and the others are located under the hood “The 4 engines up front make the tractor a little nose heavy so I plan to lighten up the front end and add more weight on back The tractor has an aluminum hood that saves about 15 lbs ” The tractor rides on 26-in tall 12-in wide rear tires with 6-in high ribbed tires on front The rear axle is original but Overbeek used 1 by 2-in sq tubing to build the front axle He bought the tractor’s heavy-duty clutch and wheelie bar from Midwest Super Cub ph 563 659-5276; www mwsc com and the wheels and axles from Miller Tire Co ph 419 335-7010; www millertire com Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Earl Overbeek 3246 Lakeview Dr Allegan Mich 49010 ph 269 673-8548 or cell ph 616 836-1585

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