Snowmobile from a walk-behind tractor. More versatile and cheaper than a motorized towing vehicle

Many have a walk-behind tractor on the farm. And not all of the owners of this equipment imagine that their agricultural unit can be turned into a snowmobile. Or rather, a snowmobile called a motor dog (motorized towing vehicle) is gaining popularity among hunters and fishermen. How can this be done?

So, your walk-behind tractor must have a rear hitch:

Hitch, where attachments are attached: plow, trailer or something else. If not, the hitch can be purchased and installed. Cost: 800-1500 rubles.

To convert a walk-behind tractor into a motorized towing vehicle (motorized dog), you need a tracked drive:

Models are available for different gearbox shafts: 23 mm and 32 mm for hex. And 25 mm and 30 mm - on a round shaft. With a different number of support wheels. The cost of one of the models (without a walk-behind tractor):

The weight of this crawler drive is 48 kg, track width - 22 cm, support area - 3518 cm2. The unit will not fall into the snow with such a support area and weight. Clearance is 33 cm. Gears - wear-resistant plastic. Suitable for motoblocks "Ugra", "Kadvi", "Neva", "Cascade", "Salute", "Agat", "Oka", "Caiman". In addition to heavy motoblocks (Agro or MTZ). This module is rather weak for them.

Yes, the track drive isn't cheap. But with its help, you can confidently clear snow if you attach a blade to the walk-behind tractor. A motor-block on wheels on a slope or in wet snow will slip. This will not happen on tracks.

There are cheaper models:

The cost RUB 26,000 Track support length - 70 cm. Drive weight - 22 kg. But the support goes to a plastic sprocket and it can break when hit, especially in cold weather. I think this is not a very successful model.

There is another type of tracked chassis for a walk-behind tractor:

They are even cheaper. Price: 26-28 thous. rub. But their clearance is lower. And drive through a chain drive. An asterisk is installed on the drive axis of the walk-behind tractor.

If you have decided on a tracked module, then we choose a modular sled for a walk-behind tractor. The ideal option would be like this:

There are rear versions, and there is also front (third slide). The front versions are made with a swivel track (turning the handle). With the rear version, you need to turn, steer with the walk-behind tractor itself. Moreover, two modules can be simultaneously installed on the walk-behind tractor. Their cost: RUB 9,000 (front module) and RUB 10,000 (rear).

Some of the fishermen make sledges themselves, they are boiled from a pipe, and the skis are made from bent plywood sheathed with plastic:

You can make sledges from boards and sheathed with tin. But it will look like a collective farm. And you can buy plastic for motorized dogs. Their cost starts from 500 rubles

It is better to make a rigid coupling from the pipe to them. This will save at least RUB 5,000 How in reality such a walk-behind tractor can move on a caterpillar track, you can evaluate in the video:

An overview of the modular sled and the walk-behind tractor itself is here: https://youtu.be/DcEI7SHXXVI

So what is the versatility of such a snowmobile, converted from a walk-behind tractor? The fact that it can be used for earthwork in the spring (for which it was purchased) and for clearing snow in winter:

You can also purchase auger snow blower. I wrote about this module for a walk-behind tractor here

In winter, entertainment is added (fishing, skiing on forest roads and virgin snow). Why idle a walk-behind tractor? Someone will say that this is an expensive pleasure. For some, yes. But people buy snowmobiles for hundreds of thousands of rubles (and some models cost more than 1 million rubles). And they go to them a couple of times during the winter.

An analogue of these modules for a walk-behind tractor is a motorized towing vehicle (motor-dog). Their cost begins from 50 thousand rub. A more or less worthy model - from 80-90 thousand rub. You can use them only in winter. So the purchase of even a set of walk-behind tractor-tracked chassis and sleds will be more profitable and more versatile.

Who uses a walk-behind tractor on a tracked chassis with a sleigh - write your review in the comments. Pros and weaknesses of the unit. Comments will be useful to readers to make their choice.

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