Custom Built Garden Puller by Jason Rhodes 

IH Cub Cadet 682 Garden Puller

I look forward to the pulling season every year. For me, it's one of the signs that summer has officially arrived. My family, friends and customers are all telling of the improvements to their pullers for the upcoming season, as well as new additions to the pulling team. My dad and brother primarily hit the antique pulls in rural northeastern Pennsylvania.

They may be antique pulls, but they still get pretty competitive and crazy with their tractors. I really like watching the old 460's and the Super MTA's burn down the track with the sled behind them, but nothing gets my blood pumping quite as much as hearing the turbos start winding up on a super stocker and seeing that smoke flying into the air.

The other part of the pulling season I like is that people become excited about puller models as well. In general, I get requests for pullers all year round. During pulling season however, the requests usually come from serious pulling enthusiasts or owners of actual pulling teams. This year, I finally got to scratch build an entire 966 puller from the frame up. I had been wanting to scratch build a puller for awhile, so I was more than happy to jump at the chance to make this model for the owners of the Red Addiction Pulling Team. Right now, that model is in its final stages, but it won’t be finished in time for this month's deadline. I will submit finished photos for next month's Toy Tractor Times.

The photos I have submitted this month instead are of a project I did in my spare time awhile back. I grew up mowing our lawn on a Cub Cadet 682, so I had wanted to make a pulling version of it for quite some time. I started off with a Cub Cadet 682 casting which had seen better days.

Cutting out the 682 grill

From there, I carefully cut out the grill with a rotary tool. Once that was removed, I scratch built a new front and grill for it, and installed 1/16th scale lights that I had in stock. From there, I ground off the hitch and front axel as well. I scratch built a new, lower front axel for it. I used a set of Goodyear wheels and the spindles off of a model dune buggy that I picked up a couple years back. This made the front wheels removable with the wrench included in the dune buggy set. The rear axel required a little work as well. The cut pulling tires I had for the rear didn't quite fit, so I built a new axel for it, which made the rear of the tractor sit a little higher. Next, I scratch built a front weight bracket and then turned a fuel tank from aluminum for it. Turning aluminum is always one of my favorite parts of a build. I also turned the air cleaner from aluminum as well.

Puller Project

Grill Cut Out/New puller tires

Rear hitch cut off

To complete the building phase of the project, I scratch built a belly bracket, hitch, wheelie bars, weights, shifter and throttle for it. Finally I filled all seems and small holes and then sanded them down smooth.

Wheelie bar

Puller with added details before painting

Once a model reaches this point, I clean it in the parts washer, dry it, and sandblast it, clean again in the parts washer, and dry it again using compressed air. From there, it is time for primer and paint. I usually let the paint dry for at least 5-7 days before I move to the next step. It makes assembly much cleaner and safer as well. After the paint had dried, and the model was assembled, I made my decals in Adobe Photoshop and then applied them. Once I had finished all my work on the model, I decided that something was missing. Then it hit me; it needed a tach on top of the dash to add a little more detail in that area. I am quite happy with how the model turned out in the end. It took about ten hours of total build time, but I think it was well worth it. I have been displaying it for quite a few months now, which is nice. I usually have to ship my models out a few days after I get them finished.

Detailed Dash

I hope these pictures will inspire some of your readers to try building their own garden pulling tractor. They are relatively inexpensive to build compared to a 1/16th Super Stock puller. There aren't many parts available for them, so it really gives you a chance to experiment and try new things. I would be happy to help with information or tips in my spare time by email.... jason@modeltractors.com . Whether you decide to try to build your own little puller, or are just excited about watching the real ones rip down the track, I hope this pulling season brings lots of fun times and memorable moments for everyone. Have a good one!

Finished Puller

Roughed Out

4Grill & Belly Bracket Added

Finished 682 Puller

Pulling Tractors and Customs Custom built to order Pulling tractors and some models ready to ship.  E-mail or Call for models available. Jeff Blackburn    683 Beech Wood CT #29        Ripon, WI 54971   E-Mail: Polarisjb@charter.net          Phone: 920-410-4375

TTT June 2004 Page 11

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