Most larger ride-around landscaping machinery has a similar transmission, a transaxle containing a gearbox, or in some cases, a continuously variable drive. [Made In Garage] has a Toro lawn tractor with just such a setup, and when the transaxle failed he replaced it with a hydraulic drive.
The video below is a classic bit of workshop porn, as he fabricates both the hubs and the rear frame to fit a pair of hydraulic motors. The throttle pedal is a hydraulic valve with the lever swapped for a pedal, and the hydraulic reservoir, in a nice touch, is an old fire extinguisher.
We’re not so sure about the pipework in such an exposed position under the machine as we think it would inevitably be damaged, but you can’t argue with the results. Having used a rough service mower with a hydraulic drive in the past, we appreciate always being exactly at the right ratio for the engine.
We think perhaps he should complement it with a loader.
Thanks [Keith Olson] for the tip!
Supernaturally clean looking thumbnail or intro image.
Like, clearly not natural.
Either it was a labour of love to design and render that with so much detail, or there’s a very cool AI in the loop cleaning it up. Because most of those little features are real but there are significant differences from the actual one in the video.
Or he built two, and one is a hero prop.
Anybody know what AI tool can do that kind of cleanup?
AI upscalers in general. If you turn up the strentgh (reduce the weight of the initial image) it tends to confabulate more and more details. So the the general idea of the source image remains but an the details are re-imaged (or re-imagined ?)
Ah. Cool.
Added to my Great List Of Stuff To Play With Someday.
Thanks.
Maybe somebody cooked up a “showroom floor” filter?
Something like that would surely become popular for online vehicle sales. Note: I’m not saying that’s a good thing…
The tractor can identify as a turnip for all I care. I just loved the Youtube presentation as it didn’t have any voiceover, stupid influencer faces or garish type at the intro to gain views … just “I maed dis”, “I make a new one” sort of actual Maker content. I watched the whole thing, which is unheard of for me. Love it.
Nice.
I didn’t watch the whole video yet to see if there’s anything to balance the flow across the motors, but he might be able to tighten up the turning circle by biasing the pressure/flow from one side to the other when steering. Just for funsies.
It looked like they are plumbed in parallel, to work as a differential. (Actually, anti-parallel, since normally one is turning in the reverse direction from the opposite one.)
Yep. Towards the end, he parked it up against a pole and dug holes in soft ground by spinning the rest wheels, but at one point only one wheel was turning, so an open differential.
How did that tractor ever move? The rear wheels seem to be held on by just circlips?
The keyway is plainly visible.
That’s a fine way to do it: The key shears off (it’s designed to) if the shaft gets overtorqued.
Saved my proverbial butt on a PTO more than once.
Case lawn tractors were hydraulic drive