Bone Braker Tractor

Bone Braker Tractor TRACTORS Made-It-Myself 12-5-9 "My goal was to build a powerful, working tractor that would be easy to service and repair with easy-to-find parts," says Gene Snellings, Montreal, Mo., about the tractor he built from scratch using truck, tractor and combine parts tied together with framework fashioned from new steel. He calls the tractor the "Bone Breaker" because he broke his hand the first day he started working on it last winter. The tractor's powered by a 352 Ford engine with an RV cam for low-end torque (Snellings says the engine generally runs at only 1,700 to 2,200 rpm's.). It's fitted with home built headers. No muffler is needed. A 2-speed truck rear end fitted with 26-in. tires powers the rear of the tractor and a combine axle, fitted with 18-in. tires, supports the front. To mount the tractor tires on the rear end, Snellings welded truck wheels to the inside of combine rims. The tractor's fitted with two 4-speed gearboxes that are fitted together "in series" which provides 4 speeds plus reverse to the pto, which is driven off the rear gearbox. The front end is driven by the front mounted gearbox. The chassis and roll bar were fashioned with box steel. Steering is hydrostatic. The tractor is fitted with separate master brake cylinders off a Massey combine, with separate boosters from Ford trucks. The platform, fuel tank and battery box are made of 12-ga. tread plate. The hood and canopy top are 16-ga. steel. The hydrostatic pump is V-belt driven from the crankshaft by use of a homemade pulley. Snellings built the Cat II 3-pt. hitch from scratch. The drawbar is made of 1 1/2 by 31/2-in. steel bar. It slides under the tractor when not needed. There are two remote hydraulic valves. Hydraulic controls are dash-mounted. The tractor's cushioned seat comes from a new van, complete with seat belt. "I didn't build it to be a hot rod. I wanted a real working tractor. So far it works great," says Snellings, who built the tractor last winter and spring. Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Gene Snellings, HC Rt. 67, Box 11, Montreal, Mo. 65591 (ph 314 346-4733).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.