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Yard-Dozer
You Can
Build
It comes as a $350 kit
you can assemble with
no machining. You can
also build it yourself
from a $5 set of plans
New idea in yard tractors — a small, crawler-tread dozer that's
so simple you can put it together from a kit in a few hours.
By CHARLES E.RHINE
PS Home Workshop Editor
Forward. Push both con- Reverse. Push reversing Wide turn. Center inside Sharp turn. Brake inside
trol levers forward. Only pedal down with foot; track lever; push forward track lever; push outside
light pressure is needed. both levers forward. outside track lever. track lever forward.
the Mini-Dozer. There are no gears; an wrong. About the only parts that might
ingenious arrangement of V belts, pulleys, wear are the belts; these you can replace
and levers gives forward and reverse power, at a hardware store or garage. They can
and clutching and braking action to each be changed in a few minutes. A complete
track separately. Everything is controlled by lubrication job consists of greasing four
two hand levers and a foot pedal. You can wheels and three bearings.
learn to drive it with a few minutes practice. The engine is a well-known brand, and
The tractor body is made of 12-gauge takes the care usually given to gas engines
steel, and all internal braces and supports of this size and type.
are 3/16" steel welded in place. The wheels How it works. Each lever controls the
are cast iron with self-lubricating bearings movements of the track on its side. The
and ride on 7/8" steel axles. The treads are levers are mounted on self-aligning bear-
steel plates welded to heavy-duty conveyor ings so they can pivot independently. With
chain. The power train is a series of V belts hands off the levers, they are in neutral.
and pulleys that reduce r.p.m. and provide The rear drive belts are slack in their pul-
clutching action. The final drive to the rear leys, so no power is transmitted to the
wheels is a chain-driven sprocket with a tracks. This is also a safety feature, since
6.75:1 ratio. whenever you let go of the levers, they re-
As the illustrations show, the parts are turn to neutral, and the tractor comes to an
few and simple. This makes it easy to immediate stop.
build and maintain. There's little to go Pushing forward on a control lever tight-
Small enough to haul in a station wagon, this yard- Two kinds of tracks—cleated for pulling power and
dozer is only 46" long, 33" high, and 3 7 ½ " wide. smooth for lawn work—switch easily when needed.
Control levers for clutching and braking mount on Reversing mechanism comes preassembled; you just
self-aligning bearings so they pivot independently. bolt it to the tractor body. Left foot operates it.
With everything inside now in place (except the en- Tracks go on over two cast-iron sprocket wheels,
gine), you can see how simple the drive train is. and are tightened by nuts on the track spreader bar.
ens the constantly rotating clutch pulley in (within the length of the tractor), you brake
the rear drive belt, putting the track the inside track while you push forward on
on that side in forward motion. Pulling the outside track lever. You make turns
back on the control lever brings the brake while going in reverse the same way; the
arm to bear on the belt so that it is only difference is that you do it while you
squeezed against a channel iron, braking hold down the pedal.
the track it drives. Only slight movement How to buy a Mini-Dozer. You buy
and pressure are needed. everything—completed machine, kit, plans,
To go forward, you just push both levers parts, attachments—from C. F. Struck Corp.,
forward. You reverse by pushing down the Cedarburg, Wis. Struck is just starting pro-
reversing pedal with your left foot, and duction on the Mini-Dozer, so if you want
pushing both levers forward. You make a to buy a completely assembled machine,
wide turn by putting the lever controlling it's best to check on delivery time. But
the inside track in neutral (center position) there's no problem in getting plans. You
and pushing forward on the lever control- just send $5 with your request and you'll
ling the outside track. To make a sharp turn get them by return mail.
MAY 1967 87