DIY and Alternative Tractors

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From Berea Contacts

Bob

Open source is a new term but hardly a new concept. There are "free" and "do it yourself" tractor plans out there. Some were published in the likes of Popular Science or Popular Mechanics. There's probably some overlap among these:
http://www.vintageprojects.com/tractor-plans.html
http://www.green-trust.org/junkyardprojects/FreeTractorPlans.html
http://www.youtube.com/user/bentonkb/videos
Looks like The Mother Earth News had plans in 1978 and 1982 (around the end of the heyday of the back to the land movement):
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1978-09-01/Bill-Whitakers-Homemade-Tractor.aspx#axzz2P7a06i98
http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/do-it-yourself-mini-tractor-zmaz82jazgoe.aspx#axzz2P7a06i98
There are plenty on youtube, start with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqKwmwnCcvM
And, of course, all patents effectively become open source when they expire. And as Scott points out sometimes de facto open source sooner.

Scott Justice

I just saw this two days ago in CAMARTECH Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation and Rural Technology, Arusha, Tanzania. Idea is great but cost is way too high-10000+ USD. Engine transmission differential all from UK. Also see http://fwsteam.blogspot.com/2010/08/tractor-for-africa.html


Liks