We make a walk-behind tractor with our own hands using the example of a design from Valentin Arkhipov

A walk-behind tractor is a necessary unit, but expensive. Fortunately, you can do this yourself. Read more in the article.

Author of the article

Petr Mikhailovich

I know everything about walk-behind tractors and tractors.

Processing a site manually requires a lot of effort and time. It is much easier to use a special unit, which allows you to reduce the time for plowing and other work with the soil. A new walk-behind tractor is easy to find in a store, but it’s cheaper to make it yourself.

Of course, this will be difficult for some. But there are many advantages to building a car yourself. One of them: you will know the structure of the unit and if it breaks down, immediately eliminate the cause.

Necessary materials

Let's start by finding spare parts for the future homemade walk-behind tractor. Every walk-behind tractor is equipped with the following technical components:

• engine;
• transmission;
• Control block;
• creeper (reducer);
• aggregation system.

The motor is removed from an outdated or faulty motorcycle. When choosing an engine, preference is given to two-stroke engines, but this does not mean that four-stroke engines are not used when creating a walk-behind tractor. A suitable option is a motor removed from the IZH PLANET motorcycle.

There are several types of transmission in walk-behind tractors:

• gear (standard tractor transmission);
• gear-worm;
• belt-gear-chain;
• hydrostatic (a new, expensive technical device that has recently appeared on the market).

The control unit consists of a set of levers that switch speeds, a button that increases or decreases the fuel supply to the engine, and brakes.

It is required that the structure be equipped with an aggregation system, which is an important design element, connecting a homemade walk-behind tractor and the attachments created for it with your own hands. Therefore, the bracket must be firmly attached to the supporting frame of the structure and equipped with a power distribution device when the load on it increases.

The best cultivator: instructions for buyers

We talked above about how to choose the best walk-behind tractor for you. In principle, for a motor cultivator the same principles apply as when buying a walk-behind tractor. Consider for what tasks and loads you are using the hardware. The power of this equipment ranges from 1 to 8 hp. with a weight from 10 to 100 kg.

Keep in mind that a light cultivator will constantly jump out of the soil. High-quality work with it requires weight. You can buy different quality devices for different purposes. To increase your capabilities, purchase additional awnings.

Of course, walk-behind tractors have a larger selection of additional equipment, but you can easily find a hiller, potato digger, harrow or plow for your walk-behind tractor when using them together with metal wheels.

Think about the country and manufacturing company. Many people use European technology because it is of the highest quality. Although, if you don’t have a lot of money, you can look at Chinese or Russian production.

Drawings of homemade walk-behind tractors

Scheme of a walk-behind tractor based on a Minsk motorcycle

Drawing of a walk-behind tractor based on the Voskhod-3M motorcycle

Drawing of a walk-behind tractor based on a scooter

What is this design?

Essentially, a walk-behind tractor is a modern version of a horse. When living in a village, it is an indispensable unit.

It often happens that it is not possible to drive a tractor onto a personal plot to plow the land due to its large size. The walk-behind tractor is capable of working in the most inaccessible places and even processing plots measuring one square meter.

One of the main advantages of this device is its minimal fuel consumption. As a rule, a full tank with a volume of 4.8 liters is enough for half a day of work, and sometimes more. Considering that many types of work on the land have to be done with your own hands, such a unit is indispensable in agriculture. Digging, hilling, surveying, planting and digging up potatoes can be safely entrusted to his steel shoulders, saving a lot of time and effort.

Such a factory-assembled device costs from 30 to 200 thousand rubles, ranging from Chinese manufacturers to powerful diesel engines from BMW and Toyota. A cheap Chinese option can fail at any moment, and purchasing a unit from famous companies is expensive. It is much easier to use old equipment as a donor and, having purchased some spare parts, assemble the walk-behind tractor with your own hands. It will be cheaper even than the Chinese version.

Work that can be performed using such a device:

1. Transportation of goods, maximum load 250-300 kg. To do this, a trailer with a seat and space for transported weights is attached to the hitch of the walk-behind tractor.
2. Plowing and harrowing using a milling cutter, cultivator and harrow.
3. Planting both potatoes and any other crop.
4. Fertilizing the soil.
5. Hilling.
6. Harvesting potatoes.

With a wide selection of optional equipment, this unit can be used for sweeping, drilling and snow removal. To install one equipment, you will need a hitch, while the other is connected directly to the gearbox.

Making a walk-behind tractor

Let's start making the walk-behind tractor:

1. We assemble the frame: we use a welding machine, it is advisable to use solid metal. We make the structure rigid. The frame structure consists of two side members; the rear ends must be bent upward, and the front ends must be welded together. We attach a control unit with levers to the rear part. We connect the spars to each other with transverse strips. The front bar will act as a stand for the transmission and battery.
2. The motor mounting point is made in the form of a slide, brackets are welded to the sides, and a water pipe with a diameter of 42 mm is welded to the center. A transverse arc is attached to the middle of the resulting sled, which has holes for mounting the engine and the base of the frame. In the front cross member of the frame there is a place for installing a tension chain that ensures the operation of the gearbox.
3. Installing a gearbox is an important element in making a homemade walk-behind tractor. The gearbox performs the conversion of torque energy into lower speeds. Typically the gearbox is installed between the engine and the wheels. There are options for homemade walk-behind tractors, when the gearbox can be used not only to move the walk-behind tractor, but also to operate a drill, cutter, homemade pneumatic drive, etc.
4. We equip the engine with air cooling and use an electric motor designed for 12 volts.
5. We install wheels not exceeding 10 inches. The spline cuts of the axle shafts transmit torque to the wheels. To improve the grip of the wheels on the ground, you can install a special tire made of wire or chains - i.e. We make lugs with our own hands.
6. We install an exhaust system that remains unchanged. Although it is possible to install an exhaust removed from a motorcycle, you can make your own exhaust. You will need a pipe from which the pipe will be made, and muffler cans. The adapter between the pipe and the muffler must be made by a turner; it is impossible to make this mounting unit yourself.
7. We are preparing a place for a fuel tank, which you can make yourself: any plastic canister with a capacity of at least 5 liters will do. A hole is made in the canister and a special hose is installed through which the fuel will be transported.
8. We connect the units and components to each other and start the walk-behind tractor.

Using all the tips described above, you can assemble a walk-behind tractor yourself in a fairly short time, using only available materials and spending a small amount of money.

Assembly tools

Of course, such complex work cannot be done without a special tool. The most necessary things, without which it will be pointless to start work:

• welding machine and electrodes;
• a set of metalwork tools, including hacksaws, files, vices, cutters and countersinks, dies and taps for various threads;
• drill or powerful screwdriver, with a set of drills of different thicknesses;
• set of open-end wrenches;
• screwdrivers;
• grinder and cutting discs for metal;
• a set of various nuts, bolts and screws;
• measuring tool, ruler, tape measure, square, caliper and bore gauge.

For complete security, a mini-lathe will also be useful, but this is already a rather exotic tool for a home craftsman. Although with its help you can easily grind exactly that part, without which the walk-behind tractor does not work properly.

You must be able to handle the tool and, more importantly, follow safety precautions. Working with a device such as a welding machine or grinder can lead to fire or cause irreparable harm to health. Therefore it is extremely important:

1. Follow the tool manufacturer's instructions.
2. Wear protective gloves and goggles.
3. Overalls should fit snugly to the body and be made of flame-retardant materials.
4. Be sure to check the serviceability of the power tool and wiring before starting work.
5. All actions must be carried out in well-lit and ventilated areas.

Attention! Compliance with safety precautions when working with welding and cutting tools is a mandatory requirement

Motoblock with low gear, with PTO. Four-wheel drive.

Not all buyers of walk-behind tractors have areas with an even head start and comfortable soil. For some a walk-behind tractor is not only a technique for cultivating land, but also a vehicle. Not every walk-behind tractor can work on heavy soil and virgin soil. Tired of constantly changing belts? They tear, twist, fall off, slip. All these and other questions will be solved by a unique Russian-made defense machine, whose name is UGRA.

A walk-behind tractor, the design of which does not have a single belt even for connecting attachments, is the Ugra NMB walk-behind tractor. In fact, this is a one-of-a-kind walk-behind tractor that has a disc clutch and a gear reducer.

As I said earlier, Ugra walk-behind tractors have a disc clutch, a gear reducer and a rigid splined power take-off shaft. More precisely, the UGRA walk-behind tractor has 2 rigid PTOs. The weight of the walk-behind tractor without attachment and weights is 98 kg. The set includes cutters, pneumatic wheels, axle extensions and, accordingly, a coulter. The handle position is adjusted in 2 planes, which adds convenience to use. The gearbox axles are round in shape with a diameter of 30 mm. Why not hexagonal like the Chinese? Everything is very simple: the disc clutch is very rigid, when the drive is turned on, the discs are in engagement and a critical load on the cutters or wheels can damage it. For example, a wire is wound or a stone gets between the cutters and the gearbox - these and other situations prevent the gearbox axes from continuing to rotate. However, on round shafts, protection in the form of cotter pins will work, which in this case will simply be cut off, and on hexagonal shafts it will inevitably lead to damage to the gearbox or clutch.

READ What kind of oil for a four-stroke walk-behind tractor

As for engines, Ugra walk-behind tractors have a fairly large selection. The cheapest line is equipped with Chinese Lifan, and there are options of different power and even with electric start. Models with a Subaru engine, unfortunately, are no longer produced, but Honda and Briggs can always be found on sale. Under no circumstances should you be afraid of Lifan motors; although they are manufactured in China, this is not a handicraft semi-basement production, this is an entire industrial enterprise with quality control and a guarantee. Of course, HONDA has a greater resource than Lifan, but upon purchase the price will be significantly higher. But in terms of maintenance, over the course of several years, you can invest in a Honda engine comparable to the cost of a new Lifan engine. Therefore, most often, after 10-15 years of operation, buyers who have chosen a Honda engine or another engine in the premium segment install a new Lifan.

A very interesting attachment for the Ugra walk-behind tractor is a symbiosis of a kind of professional and household equipment. For example, the Zarya mower for Ugra walk-behind tractors seems to look the same as a mower for an MB walk-behind tractor, but is no longer driven by a belt, but by a full-fledged PTO. This increases efficiency and reduces vibration levels. The same goes for snow blowers and other active attachments.

Remember at the beginning, I told you about the presence of 2 power take-off shafts. So, they are divided into leader and follower. Arranged vertically, upper and lower. The first PTO is responsible for the connected attachments; the rotation speed directly depends on the engine speed. But why do we need a second PTO, the rotation speed of which completely depends on the rotation of the walk-behind tractor wheels. Another undeniable advantage of the Ugra walk-behind tractor is the ability to transform it into a full-fledged mini-tractor. Nowadays, all kinds of adapters and modules are gaining popularity among walk-behind tractor owners. As a rule, they are connected to the walk-behind tractor frame and are essentially a passive hitch that limits the cross-country ability of the structure. But engineers at the Kadvi plant have created an adapter that, on the contrary, makes the walk-behind tractor more passable, while allowing the use of the entire range of attachments. This is the AMPK-1 adapter - it has its own gearbox and is connected to the power take-off shaft, which drives the wheels of the adapter. Thus, the walk-behind tractor becomes an all-wheel drive passable vehicle for which there are practically no obstacles. This is another reason to choose the Ugra walk-behind tractor.

Motoblocks of the Ugra series have been produced since 2009 and have a gear reducer, a clutch made of metal-ceramic discs and a manual gearbox. Wheels measuring 4.5×10 and the center of gravity shifted forward allow you to work with the walk-behind tractor without digging, both on virgin soil and on plowed ground. The maximum speed with a vehicle (cart or adapter) is 14 km/h. Of the features. convenient weight distribution, low center of gravity and engine moved forward. Weight 86 kg. The gear shift is on the gearbox: 3 forward speeds and 1 reverse. Engines are installed from both budget (Lifan) and premium class (Honda, Subaru, Briggs Stratton). The walk-behind tractor has a full-fledged power take-off shaft, due to which there are no power losses. In combination with attachments, it can perform a wide range of work: cultivate the soil, mow, spray, water, dig and plant potatoes, transport cargo, remove snow. Attachments do not require any skills to install. 2 PTO allows you to connect a wide range of additional attachments (except for classic mowers and snow blowers): circular saw, rotary mower, rotary snow blower, feed crusher, water pump, earth auger, etc. It is possible to attach an all-wheel drive adapter, which is connected at the rear through the power take-off, due to This results in 4 driving wheels. The steering column is easily adjustable in horizontal and vertical planes and has vibration protection. Turning the steering wheel in a horizontal plane allows you to avoid “trampling” the soil during cultivation. The Ugra walk-behind tractor complies with European safety standards: the control system allows you to stop the unit instantly and safely. The set includes 4 cutters with the possibility of increasing 3 on each side, a coulter (depth limiter), axle extensions or differential extensions.

To summarize, I will say that Ugra walk-behind tractors have firmly taken the position of inexpensive and high-quality walk-behind tractors with a disc clutch. The only requirement is strict adherence to the operating rules according to the instructions. But this rule also applies to other walk-behind tractors.

With movable joint

When a trailer is movably coupled to a motor-cultivator, the angle of the vertical axis between the cart and the cultivator changes. It is easier to make such a device, but when turning it will be necessary to apply more force. This type of trailer is inferior in geometric characteristics: the turning radius becomes larger.