The Wheels on the Tractor Go Round and Round
By Mike
Early on we knew that we wanted to try using “tractors” (movable cages without a floor) to keep our fowl safe. It quickly became evident that, due to weight, we needed wheels to move them. We had seen other solutions, for just sliding the tractor, but that did not seem practical. We also wanted to be able to easily remove the wheels, mainly to use one set of wheels on several tractors.
In the world of helicopters there are several solutions to temporary skid mounted wheel assemblies. I used my experience to design a straight forward “lever-handle-mounted-wheel”. With the wheel axle on the bottom of the handle, and another axle about 3-4 inches further up and on the opposite side of the handle, for attaching to the tractor, we have created a lever that will lift the tractor roughly 2 inches off the ground. There also needs to be a stop of some sort, so that the handle will rest on it just after passing the highest point.
The very first set had wood handles, made out of some left over 2×4 scrap pieces, and galvanized lag bolts for axles. The handles themselves actually were quite functional, but the tractor attachment points were a problem. I used some wood blocks, attached to the tractor frame, in order to get my pivot point a bit higher. These wood blocks eventually split and broke from the wear. For the wheels our most ready source has been Harbor Freight, and the flat free have proven to last the longest.
For the second generation wheels we had invested in a small flux core mig welder, and I got to revive my high school shop class welding skills. Not only could I now make a more practical handle, but making a lasting bracket, for the tractor, was a true game changer. I used salvaged square tubing and angle iron, of a few different dimensions, to come up with these brackets. They sit on top of the 2×4 tractor frame, and have lasted quite a while by now.
The latest modification was to curve the handles, to create better clearance from the side of the tractor when raising and lowering the handles. This s-curve was accomplished by cutting a few notches, bending the handle, and rewelding the notches shut. I have also had to reweld, and beef up, some of the axle bolts and stops, but see that as expected wear and tear.
Please feel free to utilize any and all of this information, when creating your very own tractor wheels. We would also appreciate feedback, questions, input and pictures of your creations.