tractor build competition?

Ok guys, me and some of the others got to talking in chat and thought it would be sweet to do our own version of diygokarts.com's build competion, it would be a 6 month competion where the winner would be recognized as that years top builder. there would be rules and regulations that would need to be ironed out but the basis is that you would have exactly 6 months to build a fully operational and SAFEish mowchine, there will not be any extensions on that date, so you would need to be serious on this. you would have to have pictures of the build before and after, and if possible build videos or video updates. the main thing would be it being based off mower parts, which means a custom built frame would be a go, but you couldn't grab a atv frame or the like, i want yalls honest opinions on this cause i think it could be a awesome way for our builders to get recognition for there skills, ill leave this poll up for a a week and a half then we will take the count down and figure out for sure weather or not we could do it.

[EDIT: someone raised a good point, this will only happen if we have members completely, 100% serious about this, it would not be a good competition if only 1 or 2 people entered, preferably we would have more than 10, would be awesome if we had over 20 or 30,

I would say yes, agreeding on time line... rules are Fairly simple to make.... But i ope people understand a 6 month build off-its that long for a reason. Dont just paint and pulley swap your tractor and say "im done". Should be frame up, or scratch built.

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

I would say yes, agreeding on time line... rules are Fairly simple to make.... But i ope people understand a 6 month build off-its that long for a reason. Dont just paint and pulley swap your tractor and say "im done". Should be frame up, or scratch built.

EXACTLY in 6 months your build should be above and beyond a normal all terrain lawn tractor, this time frame also gives you enough time to build, test and recalibrate what ever isn't working right, like you said red, in 6 months you could build a whole custom frame for a mwer then drop a crate 350 in it and have time left

nooo redline let people paint it and pulley swap it and call it done, less competition for the serious ones

Here is my $.02
When you limit builds with rules and regs, you in the end limit ingenuity and the strive to push yourself past your comfort zone.
Id rather see a couple of different categories  with a panel of judges that's  not a part of the site to get more voting ( like someone make a y-tube pic vid of all contestants and let the viewers vote and add it up that way, we can still vote too)

redzz02 wrote:

nooo redline let people paint it and pulley swap it and call it done, less competition for the serious ones

lol good point , i do hope we get alot of people doing serious builds tho

muddstir wrote:

Here is my $.02
When you limit builds with rules and regs, you in the end limit ingenuity and the strive to push yourself past your comfort zone.
Id rather see a couple of different categories  with a panel of judges that's  not a part of the site to get more voting ( like someone make a y-tube pic vid of all contestants and let the viewers vote and add it up that way, we can still vote too)

Really basic rules and regs, like safty concerns, and whats aceptable-deadlines.

muddstir wrote:

Here is my $.02
When you limit builds with rules and regs, you in the end limit ingenuity and the strive to push yourself past your comfort zone.
Id rather see a couple of different categories  with a panel of judges that's  not a part of the site to get more voting ( like someone make a y-tube pic vid of all contestants and let the viewers vote and add it up that way, we can still vote too)

My thoughts, based in having run 2 buildoff competitions so far-

The purpose of the rules, is for two things... 1)To ensure that the builds stay somewhat related to the topic. Keeps somebody from nailing a craftsman hood to a jetski and calling it what it isn't, if you know what I mean. 2)The rules define what is complete, for finishing purposes.

Multiple categories for builds likely isnt going to fly here. It's been my experience that if 50 people SAY they will enter, maybe 10 actually will, and perhaps 5 or 6 will actually finish. Too many trophys and too few runners makes for a boring, one-horse race.

I can run it if yall would like. I'm not going to participate in any as I have too much going on to start another project.

I'd like to have been a judge..if I could

Could happen. This all started in chat last night, the guys were asking about the DIYGK buildoffs. If we keep hammering out ideas, maybe we can fly this thing.

So this would mean that I would have to make a complete new mower? Like I couldn't use the monster project it's jusy parts mocked up basically

k2500life wrote:

So this would mean that I would have to make a complete new mower? Like I couldn't use the monster project it's jusy parts mocked up basically

Use what parts you want to make a vehicle that fits the contest rules. Just remember, if you want to win you have to build better than everyone else

i think the rules should be

1. offroad mower build, we are atltf not heymow or anyone else
2. has to be built from a mower chassis, can be modified
3. lawn tractor engine should be used
4. good working brakes
5. post a build thread with pictures and videos along the way
6. do an unveiling after the 6 months and have pics and videos of it in action

would have to be a new project from scratch nothing partly started already, and i think there should be a trophy or some type of prize for the winner.

after the 6 month deadline all the builders would have a week to submit there final pictures and videos of them romping the sh**** out of the mower and then voting would start

just my ideas

I'd say wipe the first rule. It's all turrain tractor forum not just about muddiing mowers.

Rule number three should be any kind of engine.

It should be scratch build if you wanna win (frame up) but should be less than 20% (or something) before you enter.

Sounds like a good idea. Just get things rolling quick before I get too much done on the one I'm working on for it to be in the competition!

redlinemotorsportts wrote:

I'd say wipe the first rule. It's all turrain tractor forum not just about muddiing mowers.

Rule number three should be any kind of engine.

It should be scratch build if you wanna win (frame up) but should be less than 20% (or something) before you enter.

Yes let's see those CAD Drawings biatches!#¤#¤&&%/((   - JOKE -

Agree with Redline about rule 1. Since you finnished your Racer doesn't mean we did redz...

Hmm... Rules...

Yeah- we're the ALL-terrain lawn tractor forum. ALL terrain. IMO, this includes asphalt too! Well- it's like this: If you've built several mud machines already and you want to try your hand at a dragster, or a racer, or a mower-limo thing... Why the heck not?

As far as I'm concerned, as long as it's lawn/garden tractor based, it's good... No?

heyyy those were just my ideas for rules, no one has to listen to them!!!! i was just going off the idea of classes before i know they are all mowers and it is ALL terrain and asphalt is included i just think it would be a little difficult to put a monster mower up against a racing mower, or a drag mower, and have them judged equally if you understand what im trying to say?????, but like i said those were my ideas for a the rules

Hey- I understand you completely, and thank you for submitting ideas. In a perfect world, we'd have multiple categories. This would pit racer against racer, mudder against mudder, etc. However- As I suggested earlier, we won't have enough contestants to allow multiple classes, or you'd have guys winning certain classes by default.

Basically what it would come down to (IMHO), is each build being evaluated as a build, not so much for what it is. To explain further: Which was the most creative? Most innovative? Most well executed? Cleanest? Most difficult? Etc. By evaluating a build on it's merits, it then really doesn't matter what was built. This is the way we had to do it on DIYGK and for all the same reasons.

and thunderdivine im not done building racers im picking up another mower this sunday that will be a racer so if the rules do allow for asphalt machines i might even enter that one

also doc i understand completely and thats why i said just a certain type of mower for those reasons but if the competition is judge via the ways you just stated it wouldnt matter what kind of build and id vote towards it being judged that way

Just a quick note, I am going to vote for mower engines only. ATV/motorcycle engines are cool, just not sure if they fit the mower idea.

Okay- so in the name of eliminating problems- define "mower engine". Most are vertical, some are horizontal. Can one use a Briggs horizontal because it originally came on a mower, but not the 420 Predator because it did not? Or do we just say Single or twin OPE (industrial/stationary) engines only?

Thunderdivine wrote:

Goshh, all my parts for my new build won't be here by then, probably  

But it's a good idea if there's enough people doing build's.

By the time you get one part, everyone will have 5 tractors built! lol

Sounds neat. Im for it if you guys can figure it out.