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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?
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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 .

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.
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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.

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.
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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 .

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.

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.

OldDiyer said:

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.

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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.

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.

Personally I would just get another truck and a decent trailer. Just be aware short wheel base trailers are a lot harder to back up. Here when a customer comes in with a 10 ft or under we disconnect the trailer once unloaded turn the vehicle around, reconnect, and reload. So much better than jackknifing and damaging both the vehicle and trailer.

OldDiyer said:

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.

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That's still a possibility. I'm hesitant to jump and do that before I really know just how much work I'll be getting. If I build a decent customer base I can justify the purchase. If I end up with just a few service jobs and the few mowers I'll refurbish and sell, then I can't justify that. That's another reason I'm taking everything really slowly. I also have to consider my health as a limiting factor in just how much money I sink into this. Between the heart problem and the possibility of the cancer returning, I can't get too wild with spending money on equipment and tools. Decisions like this were snap decisions 15 to 20 years ago. There wasn't a whole lot I wouldn't try or buy if I really wanted to. LOL!

Tiger Small Engine said:

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.

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OK. Now, that stopping thing was something that I actually thought of. At normal, factory ground speeds on a lawn tractor that wouldn't be a big issue, but if I was to get too much speed, I was also worried about stopping, especially in an emergency type situation.

The 5' x 8' trailer is what I had in mind. I've found a few on the 'Net and not too far from me at prices I find reasonable.

As far as the visibility, people here are more conscious of things like a mower. We have all those other nonconventional types of vehicles running around town. Everything from quads to side by sides to scooters and golf carts run around this town regularly, especially spring through fall. No, I don't think I'd be overly concerned with that here in town. Most everybody in town is aware of the slower rigs. There are 4 or 5 streets that I'd stay away from like most of the guys running the other, slower vehicles.

Glades Cat said:

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.

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That's what my umbrella policy is for. I always carried one when I was working in the computer field. I hadn't decided if I thought I would need one for my little biz, but finally decided to go ahead and get one again. Unfortunately, we live in a society that is "sue your ass" crazy. Just yesterday my contractor and his employee, my wife, and I had a good laugh over some of the crazy law suits of recent years.

As for liability from running a nonconventional vehicle on the roadways, when I found out what all types of vehicles were running around this town I asked a few different people about insurance in the event a golf cart caused an accident. I have yet to get this confirmed by my own insurance agent, but I have been told by two different city council members that since this city has officially made it legal to run all the different, nonconventional vehicles on city streets, your auto insurance will cover them, even though they are not licensable. One of the council members said his insurance agent told him that, under these circumstances, his home owner's insurance would provide liability protection. Like I said though, I have NOT talked to my insurance agent about that. And, like you stated, this would no longer be JUST a lawn tractor driving on city streets. It would be a lawn tractor pulling a trailer. That could very well change everything.

But, I think all that is a moot point. There are just too many "what if" and "could be" situations involved in doing the lawn tractor and trailer thing. My wife also pointed out that with my lack of storage space I really don't need another tractor of my own taking up any of that precious real estate.

StarTech said:

Personally I would just get another truck and a decent trailer. Just be aware short wheel base trailers are a lot harder to back up. Here when a customer comes in with a 10 ft or under we disconnect the trailer once unloaded turn the vehicle around, reconnect, and reload. So much better than jackknifing and damaging both the vehicle and trailer.

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You're right about that. I have backed all sorts of trailers around in my lifetime. I was born and raised on a farm, then spent a lot of time working for other farmers until I left for the Army. I also got into a situation with one of my computer customers where I ended up both driving tractors working the fields and driving trucks hauling grain. That farmer never owned a semi until the second year I was doing work for him. He called me one July morning and told me I needed to get to the farm so we could go get "my new truck". He had purchased an International 9400 with a Cat in it for me to drive. He COULD NOT drive a semi. That really was my truck. LOL! He ended up buying a 40' double hopper for it and I drove it every fall for several years.

I think I have mentioned on here that I spent 30+ years in the computing industry and spent 30+ years trying to get out of the computing industry. I was very good at what I did with computers, but I never liked it. I have always wanted to be outside instead of sitting inside at a desk, but it was hard to turn away from the money in computers. I tried quite a few different hings to get away from computers, but always ended up right back there.

One funny story about backing a trailer. When that farmer bought that semi for me to use, my CDL had expired. As soon as he got the double hopper I decided to get the CDL back. When it came time for the driving test, a really young girl was the one to go with me. She was scared to death. There was no covering that up. We first had to do all the maneuvering to prove I could park the thing and back it up, as well as corner it properly. At one point she told me to pull the rig forward and kind of around a corner. She then pointed to an orange cone that was sitting in he grass beside the drive behind the testing facility. She then told me to go get in the truck, back it around the corner, then stop with the left trailer bumper as close to the orange cone as I could. I jumped in the rig, fired it up, backed around the corner, up over the curb, and set that corner of the bumper about 8" to 10" from the tip of the cone. She was going berserk. "Oh, my", she hollered. "You drove over the curb!" I got out of the truck, walked back to where she stood, and asked what the problem was. She explained that I had run over the curb. I looked her right in the eye and said, "You told me to put the corner of the bumper as close to that cone as I could. The only way I can get it that close is to put it over the curb." She looked a little confused and said, "No. I wanted you to stay on the drive and just stop the back of the trailer IN LINE with the cone." I looked at her and cracked a little grin and said, "Then that's what you should have told me. I was only doing EXACTLY what you told me to do." She looked like she wanted to cry. She finally said, "Let's go inside and get your license issued." She was so rattled she didn't even bother having me take a road trip. LOL!

The moral of the story. If you tell me to do something, you'd best be explicit in your instructions.
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Thanks to everyone for all the input. It is obvious that my modified lawn tractor/trailer idea is dead in the water. You guys made too many valid points about problems with that sort of thing. It was just an idea, but logically you all are right. It's a bad idea, LOL!

smhardesty said:

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.

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Putting a hitch on an existing car can be problem as well
A friend is into Subaru's however putting a hitch on his current one would cost $ 3800 ( aus)
Apparently you have to change the computer, brake sensors , some of the rear lighting harness and you have to fit the Subaru specific sub loom for the trailer wiring , you can not just splice a trailer pug in or the computer will register a wiring fault & go into "limp home " mode ( so much for too much technology ).
The dealer also suggested replacing the rear suspension , another $ 2750
So all up $ 6,550 to fit an unbraked tow bar and an extra $ 180 for an electric braked trailer ( + $ 655 for higher capacity alternator )
A rough dented used F350 goes for about $ 4000 + $ 250 for a tow bar if not already fitted .
An L300 like I drive will go for $ 2,000 & most come with tow bar fitted
A Toyota High Ace is about the same price & a Lite Ace about $ 500 less.
Consider actually fitting out a van as a service van which is what I have done .
The L300 will take a 36" mower in the back or a any tractor if you slip the deck off
I keep a set of on site tools ( cheap ones ) in the van an empty 5 gal oil drum ,a sump pump ,a couple of jacks , 4 jack stands , a 6' length of rectangle steel tube ( to slide over blades ) plus a tool box of hand tools , some shop towel & hand cleaner.
As for parts, an assortment of fasteners ( that often break or fall off ) a 5 gal drum of SAE 30 & 10W 40 , 2 grease guns .
Before I go to do a service I slip in a set of blades & belts for the mower(s) I am going to look at .
I try to do a couple at a time to reduce travel time .
By doing this I do not end up getting my street vehicle dirty, seats greasy, body dented etc .
It also prevents the street vehicle ending up as a repository for broken parts

I ave been a van driver / motorcyclist all of my life
For 40ish year I either subbed or ran my own delivery business.
Every one I met who drove a flat top had a bad back from lifting stuff to waist height or shoulder height depending upon the truck deck height.
Most van drivers had good backs because our loads are at knee height .
IF I was going to set up from scratch, I would get a walk through van that I could stand full height in the back but I have learned to walk on my knees when I enter the load space .
Apart from that, press a button & all my stuff is locked inside which is good if I am going to be busy in some ones back yard for an hour or so .

I don't believe I'll run onto any of the problems you brought up. I can find nothing online to indicate that type of situation. I had mentioned to my mechanic a while back that I might want to have a hitch and light kit installed on the car. He didn't mention any major problem in doing that. He's a pretty good mechanic so if I decide to put a hitch on, he'll thoroughly research it prior to beginning any installation. I have a great relationship with him.

There is always the Rickshaw method. Lol

Glades Cat said:

There is always the Rickshaw method. Lol

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LOL! Yeah, that method might be the best yet. The cost of doing ANYTHING is just out of control. When I bought my 14' trailer several years ago, I got a heck of a deal on it. It had been purchased by a farmer that wanted to put two 450 gallon tanks on it to haul water and chemicals for his spray rig. It was a 3500 pound, single axle trailer. The dealer I bought it from said the farmer made exactly ONE load trip with it and came in to trade it for a much bigger trailer. I was kind of surprised that there was no damage done to the thing, but it was still just fine. I got it for $875. Then, a simple hitch mounted on my Ford pickup for $89 (I think, but it might only have been $79) and I was in business.

Now, I'm only looking for a nice, used 5' x 8' trailer and a hitch for the car and I'm going to be in it for well over $1,000. Half as much trailer and a cheaper hitch and it'll still cost me way more than I paid for the old setup. And then a customer will grumble when I say I have to get 'X' amount of dollars for a used mower or for a repair job.

I don't question my auto mechanic when I take my car to him for something. He's damned good at what he does and has never failed to find and repair any little problems I have had. He just tells me what I owe him and I pay it. Period. I look around his shop art the tools and equipment, including that ungodly expensive diagnostic computer and I know that he is charging what he has to in order to stay in business.

But as to the rickshaw method, it might be cheaper and easier to just go push the equipment to the house. LOL!
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Have you considered getting an atv/quad and a trailer?
I have an old klf 300 and a ropey old trailer for moving bits around the garden and sometimes take the quad to move a mates 17ft boat as he can't get a truck in his garage.
It's a very capable quad even if it is 30 years old. One of the newer ones would fit the bill perfectly I'd have thought if your just collecting/returning mowers?
Though I will admit, I have no idea how the laws work where you are regarding quads and trailers.

CraigH said:

Have you considered getting an atv/quad and a trailer?
I have an old klf 300 and a ropey old trailer for moving bits around the garden and sometimes take the quad to move a mates 17ft boat as he can't get a truck in his garage.
It's a very capable quad even if it is 30 years old. One of the newer ones would fit the bill perfectly I'd have thought if your just collecting/returning mowers?
Though I will admit, I have no idea how the laws work where you are regarding quads and trailers.

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As far as I know, quads are completely street legal inside the city limits here. Several of the towns around here have legalized quads, golf carts, mopeds, scooters, gas powered bicycles, and a few others. And yes, that idea had run around in my pea brain a couple of times. Picking up and delivering OPE here in town is my primary concern. I also have to consider the possibility of needing a trailer to go get some piece of equipment that I buy off of Facebook Marketplace or Craig's List. That is the only reason I haven't gotten serious about a quad or something similar. I'd hate to buy the quad only to realize I really need a hitch on the car to go pick up stuff I buy. I haven't done anything yet. I told my wife I may want to see how this summer goes before I buy anything. If I see I'm going to have only calls here in town, then a quad would be a serious consideration. If I get even a few calls from out of town, then I'm going to go the route of a hitch for the car and a little better trailer. I'd just hate to do something now that ends up being the wrong choice down the road.