They Built Their Own Doodlebug

"Back in 2011 my grandfather, brother, and I built this 'Doodlebug' tractor out of a Cockshutt 60 tractor frame and a Petter PH1 diesel generator engine. We call it the 'Doodlebug' because that's what home-built tractors from the 1940's used to be called," says Kolton Luszeck, Beausejour, Manitoba.

During World War II you could hardly get a tractor, and young men coming back from the war had no money or gas for cars because it was being rationed. However, they could buy gas for tractors. So they started building a lot of 'Doodlebug' tractors by cutting down old trucks or cars. Most anything you could do with 2 horses you could do with these tractors.

"Early in the project we found out the engine we chose was a right hand drive, so we flipped the crown gear in the tractor. That way it would still drive forward," says Luszeck. "The tractor uses a belt tensioner for a clutch and a modified propane cylinder for a fuel tank. Other components, including the tensioner for the clutch, came from an old Deere swather. The steering shaft is off an Oliver tractor. Unfortunately, the pto was seized up and had to be removed. "We use this tractor for hauling wood, harrowing, and some disking work even though it only has 7 1/2 hp.

We haven't had any problems since we built it. It originally had steel wheels, but we converted them to rubber. The front tires were shot after sitting for more than 20 years, but the rear ones were still in good shape with only a few cracks in them. Our total cost to build the tractor was only about $100 since we already had most of the parts."

Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kolton Luszeck, Beausejour, Manitoba Canada R0E 0C0 (ph 204 268-2702; kwluszeck@hotmail.com).

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