Help with an idea

[smhardesty]

First, this is just a thought that I have. No need for anybody to do any serious researching or elaborate explaining of how to do what I'm thinking. This is nothing more than an idea that MIGHT work for me.

I screwed up a couple of years ago. We had two cars, a truck, and a 14", 3500 pound, single axle trailer. I was already drawing rocking chair money and my wife was just about to retire. We decided we didn't need all the vehicles so I sold one car, the truck, and the trailer. Now, here I am back in the small engine repair biz and I need a way to haul mowers and tillers, mostly just around town.

I'm not too keen on the idea of buying another truck. I have thought about putting a hitch on the car and buying a small trailer. I really don't want to put a hitch on the car so have been rolling an idea around in my pea brain. That is where I'm needing some general thoughts about this idea.

I know there are ways to make a lawn or garden tractor run faster than normal (ground speed, not engine RPM). I have never done that. So, is there a relatively easy and inexpensive way to jerk the deck from under a tractor, change gears or pulleys, and make the thing run 2 or 3 times faster than normal? What I'm thinking is that I could then buy a small trailer that will handle most lawn tractors and then also any push mower or tiller. I already have a Hi Hitch that fits most MTD tractors and probably a whole lot more than that. If I had a little tractor and a trailer, I could then run around town and pickup and deliver equipment and do it a little quicker than the standard speed of any lawn tractor. I already know I'll have to devise a way to keep the front of the trailer planted on the ground while loading a lawn tractor on the trailer. That won't be a big issue. I already have a couple of thoughts on that.

So, what I really need to know is how easy, or difficult, it is to increase the ground speed of a lawn tractor. I don't have a tractor that I'd do that to right now. I'd need to buy whatever I would use for that purpose. If one type or brand of tractor is easier to do that to, I can start looking for one that is in decent shape.

Anybody got a quick, general idea? Or, should I abandon this idea right now?
.

 

[bertsmobile1]

It will be different in every state
In Aus each State road authority prescribes what can be used on the roads
Their regulations down here require that the item of plant must not be modified , be inspected annually display a liscence plate & be insured.
Mowers are allowed to travel at a maximum of 20 kph but must have seat belt , ROPS & rotating orange warning beacon fitted
Modified plant items must get an engineering certificate to certify they are safe and they cost around $ 10,000 at present here but that is a once only cost .
OTOH a motorcycle can tow a trailer down here , but you can not get a trailer registered connected to a motorcycle , work that one out .
So you could tow a trailer with a Harley ( no shortage of them in the USA ) or probably even use a motorcycle with a platform sidecar
depending upon width restrictions.
Again a lot of the restriction that apply to cars & trucks do not apply to motorcycles like load overhang .
I was once arrested carrying 2 x 14' long ladders home from the scrap yard on my B40
Went to court, then the officer was giving his evidence I asked him 3 questions
1) was the defendants mannar of riding posing a risk to public safety / did he appear to have full & complete control over the motorcycle , answer yes ( took a bit of doing to get a yes/no answer to that one ).
2) was the load secured to the motorcycle such that it was unlikely to fall off & injure other road users ? answer yes
3) can you show the court the statute that specifies the allowable overhang on a motorcycle & placed a copy of the road traffic act on the witness box , despite the police prosecutor objecting, the magistrate agreed that if there was not a regulation then I could not be breached for contraviening it .

I then moved that as there was no breech of any statute no prima face case existed and this is a vexation prosecution by a policeman with a set against motorcyclists.
Magistrate warned me I was skating on thin ice for a vexatious prosecution but agreed there was no prima face case & it was dismissed with costs awarded to me .

In the NSW statutes the only mention about loads on motorcycles states that they must be securely fastened to the motorcycle and if the load is human the motorcycle must have pillion foot pegs & a pillion strap or grab rail .

Right now I am looking at fitting a side car to my WM20 for the purpose of shifting push mowers , tillers & the like .

 

[smhardesty]

Things are a whole lot different here where I live. This city has approved quads, side by sides, golf carts, Mopeds, scooters, and gas powered bicycles for use on city streets. There is no existing state statue or city ordinance prohibiting the use of a lawn mower as public transportation. To the best of my knowledge, only licensed drivers are permitted to run the quads, side by sides, and golf carts. I think maybe the scooters too. But lawn tractors and gas powered bicycles are used by youngsters and adults alike. In fact, I know one gentleman that uses his stone stock Craftsman mower to ride from his house to the bars. He gets juiced up and drives it home. Now, if the local law enforcement wanted to, they could cite him for driving under the influence. They don't because he has a short route to travel, never causes any problems, and manages to steer the tractor in a safe manner.

No, the law isn't even a consideration for what I'm wanting to do. My only concern is how to do it and what tractor is best suited for an easy conversion.
.

 

[Glades Cat]

Heck yeah, it can be done.
Did you see what Vicky Vallencourt did to Bobby Bouche’s lawn tractor in Waterboy? Souped it right up. That thing would scoot right along.
A gas golf cart might also serve you well.

 

[smhardesty]

I looked into golf carts. Those things are like gold! I was kind of shocked when I started looking for a decent used one. Not my cup of tea. If I was going to spend that kind of money, I'd go ahead and look for a cheap pickup.

I'm just trying to see if there is a simple and inexpensive way to change pulleys or gears in an inexpensive lawn tractor to achieve speeds of 2 or 3 times over a plain, stock tractor.
.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Hydro drives have a strictly limited maximum speed
While on most you can increase the input shaft speed around 10% much more than that will fry it .
Fit large wheels & you loose towing capacity.
So that leaves you with manual gearboxes & Varidrive pulleys
With the vari drive you can go up to the limit os the bearings so you can fit a big engine pulley but again that will be at cost to slow torque for starting with.
So now we are left with manual boxes which is what the bulk of the racers use
Down side is you can not shift on the fly & of course if the actual gears will take the load of the mower + the load behind it .
So if I was to do it then I would fit a motorcycle gear box , solid shaft rear axel and go cart disc brakes
In fact probably an entire go cart drive train would work but that would require a bevel box or using a horizontal shaft engine turned sideways .
You have to keep remembering that CHEAPNESS is the only factor taken into account with mower design for the past 40 years .
So everything is a cheap ( light ) as possible
Untill the advent of cheap powered jockey wheels just about every caravan, boat & trailer yard down here used a cone clutch Cox mower to tow their stuff around the yards , usually fitted with a long rod off the F-R foot pedal so the operator could stand next to the mower while controlling it in order to pack the stuff tight in the yards but AFAIK no US mower company used cone or friction drives .
Got one right now in the yard except this is a based on a Murray Sentienal with the stack pulley inverted .
It is here for work on the clutch as it keeps on snapping belts & eating up idler pulleys .

 

[smhardesty]

I think what you are saying is what I am running into with websites or YouTube videos about increasing ground speed on a cheap lawn tractor. Unless I find something or someone tells me differently, I'm afraid I'm going to be looking at putting a hitch on the car. That is NOT what I would consider ideal, but it's looking like the most reasonable option. I guess in the long run it might be for the best, At least if I have a hitch on the car and a trailer I can pick up equipment in neighboring communities. I have passed on 3 pretty decent deals on 42" and 46" lawn tractors recently. One in particular that I should have just jumped on. The owner wants it out of his garage and I'm about 99% certain it only needs the valve lash adjusted, He did like so many other owners when that problem pops up. He bought two new batteries for it and then bought and installed a new starter. Of course, it's still doing the same thing. I even offered to fix it for him, right there in his garage. He flat refused. He said he was sick of it and wanted it gone. His asking price was WAY below the value of the thing if it was serviced and running. I passed on all of them only because I have no way to haul them and I won't go asking friends to help if I'm going to refurbish the things and sell them. I'd have to pay for that help and that starts getting touchy when you mix $$$ and friendship.

 

[OldDiyer]

If it were me, I'd be looking for a small pickup and with luck it may be 4-wheel drive for winter. At that point you can find a used single place trailer for the lawn tractors as you are now doing more repairs means you will get into snow blower repairs as well and the truck will be better in winter picking up the dead blowers when it is cold outside.

 

[Tiger Small Engine]

If it were me, I'd be looking for a small pickup and with luck it may be 4-wheel drive for winter. At that point you can find a used single place trailer for the lawn tractors as you are now doing more repairs means you will get into snow blower repairs as well and the truck will be better in winter picking up the dead blowers when it is cold outside.

Get a small pick up truck, base features, old but in good shape. Get a 5’x10’ trailer, pay cash for both and be done with it. Try braking a lawnmower at 20 mph pulling a trailer in an emergency stop situation. What about visibility with drivers seeing you? Not worth the trouble.

 

[Glades Cat]

Something to consider....
If you are leaving your property and driving/towing on public roads, you may want to think about the possibility of accidentally damaging property or injury to others and the subsequent liability.
A vehicle is meant for towing a trailer on roadways. A lawn mower is not. You may be found negligent if taken to court. Get something you can’t insure.
I was a fireman for 34 years and have seen the improbable and impossible happen.