I have heard about people converting old mowers in to go karts. Has anyone done this? Does it make for a safe and usable go cart? How practical would this be?
I know that if you switch a big pulley on the engine and a smaller one on the trans then it will go faster but as far as a gocart idk. it would be cool for the mud though if you some how kept some torque and covered the belts with like a removable plate.
#3
dria
I do not think that is a bad idea! Bethie I do get the feeling that you like to convert things if you can! So let's start a how to... How to convert a mower to a go cart!
Just got back from Tenn. visiting inlaws. Went to Wilson County Fair They Had lawnmower races! The riding mowers raced in classes from stock,"take off blades put on helment and race,"to some that would really go dangerously fast!Looks like loads of fun.They all looked like riders but that was as far as it went.Great entertainment for grandson and I.
I love lawnmower races. The one I ever saw was in Missouri and it was great. I'm not really going to participate anymore, but I still love to watch it.
#6
the neighbor
We had an old rider whose deck was trashed, and we usta just send the kids out on it. All it took was removing the deck. Yeah. it WAS kinda slow. Just right for junior drivers. We hooked it up, freight-train style, to an engine-less go-kart, a coupla kids wagons and a trike on the end, and let 'em drive out in the field. A gallon of gas gave us a nice break from any number of kids... As far as the go-kart conversion goes, I'm thinkin' it'd be scary. Most of the mowers I've looked at really were'nt what I'd call over-engineered. Those racing ones have very little in common with "real" lawnmowers. I want to see a lawnmower race where they MOW LAWN. Some of those with the snowmobile drive train might be interesting. They smoke the tires like a funny car. You wouldn't be able to tell if you'd mowed or plowed!
I've seen video of lawnmower racing and it looks like a lot of fun if you are brave enough! I wonder if I can get them to put this on the agenda at our next county fair!
I tried this once for my 10 year old son. It was a real pain to do this and it worked out only so well. In the end, I just coughed up $200 for a real go-cart; best 4200 I ever spent.
#9
briggs
we made one years ago when i was 10 .. ..we used an old snow blower motor that had the clutch and chain on it for the drive ..I think it was a 8hp Tecumseh off an old sears snow blower ...It had one forward gear you had to engage it at a low idle then give it gas my father rigged up a gas peddle and he put front brakes on it cant remember what he used or how he did it tho i know there was a cable man would that thing fly lol hard to stop also smashed up the front a few times till i got used to her ....
This reminds me of go carting in the early 60's, we put LARGE McCulloch Chainsaw engines on, they would FLY... no one in high school gave any thought to brakes & we ran them on the county highways, (couldn't get by doing that today)...
We finally scared ourselves out of it after mounting 2 engines on the rear on a live axle WAY too FAST, and still only using only a friction brake on a rear tire... :smile:KennyV
#11
briggs
I bet that made for one heck of a ride ..Its true eh we wouldn't be able to do something like that today and get away with it ..I used to take mine out on the street and roast the back tires lol try that now and see what happens ...EEK I would have loved to see that better still drive it :thumbsup:
To be honest: This Wolf-Cart was a piece of Junk. Not sure, how much they sold. But since they belong to MTD, they ended production of the Cart. The Tec engine was bad and had Problems cause of overheating.
#15
dusty-t
Here is one I built for my grandchildren two years ago.
I've never actually done this but I would think it would work if you have a powerful enough motor, though I would question how safe it would be. Probably not the best solution for kids.
I've never actually done this but I would think it would work if you have a powerful enough motor, though I would question how safe it would be. Probably not the best solution for kids.
Hi Kelly, This machine will go about twice as fast as a normal lawn tractor. It was an 18 hp Kohler and I swaped in a 6 hp . Three spd trani. Clutch, brakes and gas pedal. Padded roll bar and seat belt. Reasonably safe, probably safer than most of the production models. Partly because of the reduced speed( 15mph) but also tip sensor and kill switch. And because it never got used unsupervised. That last one is the one that counts.:biggrin: Dusty
As a kid we took the motor off my mother's tired old Maytag wringer washer, powered by a Maytag 2-cycle "kick" start engine and built a go-kart around it. Never did do very good, but them I found the Maytag motor was only rated at 1/2 hp.
There are not many around that remember the original Maytag washing machine actual had a small gasoline engine powering it... It was later produced only with an electric motor...
Those gasoline engines were not much good for anything else... we also tried. :smile:KennyV
That is so cool. It is recycling to the max, and I guess it's a good thing if you don't need a ride on mower anymore or are upgrading. I loved that photo; thanks so much for sharing it with us.
#22
dusty-t
I remember the engines on the old washing machines. We didn't have hydro so for my mother it was a big time luxury item.:biggrin: Dusty----- And ya that jd golf cart is pretty cool.
You can make a cheap Go Kart from a self propelled rotary lawn mower........just remove the blade and attach a trailer to it......and hey presto.....a Go Kart!
I would first off widen the axel for better stability. Perhaps throw on some atv tires as well. Then change the pully sizes to increase the speed. A rider with high and low would be prefferred that way it could be used for work and play. Lots can be achieved with a welder and a grinder haha :thumbsup:
#26
BGC
I hadn't thought about this in so long, well not since I was a kid. We had one with a mower engine on it and loved it. I wondered if anyone made these things anymore.
My dad did this when I was a kid and we used to race them with the neighbors. It used to be a hoot. I guess it would depend on what you are using how safe it would be.
Nice! Love the name but it should be green. :tongue:
#32
Chief Ben
Well I'm more into motorcycles than Go Karts " But " I was thinking some one may want to build something like this for your kid's or you and the wife. I don't want to upset any one but I think the one is a little funny, The Chief:laughing:
I think they are on there way to Wal-Mart
#33
JDgreen
I have seen the pic of that couple on the big tractor, er. cycle, er, whatsit a few times, but that one of the JD mower trike is really unique. Wonder if that is street legal? :confused2:
i had a old poulin 21 chain saw, that i could not get the bar or the chain for it anymore, the shopkeeper told me to sell the motor to some kid for a go-cart motor. he told me the motor would probably outlast the the go-cart. they have the lawn mower races in a county near me every county fair they have. check out stevens county fair in minnesota
#35
sdsra
Many years ago I built a sprint car for my son with a roll cage and all, it would go 23mph and my son had a ball on it, it started out as a mower but the frame was a lot more sturdy than what they are now, when he out grew it we took off the motor and gave it to some kids that really admired it and they would push it all over the place taking turns riding, they didn't care that there wasn't a motor. Oh, by the way, you would sit down much lower than before and not as high as the mower seat was which made it much more stable.
#36
searsboy
I used to have a racing mower that I played around on and hit 50 Mph. It was lowered down to about 3in off the ground and I run a 7in pulley on the motor and 2in pulley on the transaxle. The motor was a 18 horse v-twin Kohler command with Shaved heads and a aluminum flywheel with dual exhaust coming out on both sides straight pipes so it was nice and loud. I wrecked it about 2 years ago and messed up the frame I miss it a lot but now I'm building a new one . I will post pic when it's built but it will be a while cause I jut got started on it lol it's been too cold.
i let my 5 yr old grandaughter use our first craftsman for her go cart.....goes slow ond steady.....took blades and deck belt off.......left deck on for stability.....thinking about adding a roll bar
I think they are on there way to Wal-Mart
