Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the 2020 All-Terrain Lawn Tractor Forum Build-Off Competition!Participants will be given 9 months to cobble together the roughest, toughest, nastiest, sexiest, highfalutin-est mean machine they can, for the title of “2020 Build-Off Champion”!!!
Read on to learn the rules and how to enter!
**THE RULES HAVE UPDATED for 2020**ATLTF 7th Annual Build-Off Competition Rules- Qualifying Builds -1.) Must be a small, personal-transportation type vehicle, capable of carrying operator, and not more than one additional passenger.
2.) Must be self-propelled.
3.) Must be powered by an OPE (Outdoor Power Equipment) type engine. Generally: one or two cylinders, 2 or 4 stroke, gasoline or diesel, air cooled, horizontal or vertical crankshaft, and derived from: lawn mowers, leaf blowers, lawn/yard/garden tractors, pressure washers, portable generators, tillers, cement mixers, weed-eaters, leaf mulchers/ vacuums, water/ trash pumps, etc. Additionally, more than one qualifying engine may be used.
...3.1) Liquid-cooled OPE engines, such as offerings from Honda and Kawasaki, are permitted but are limited to two cylinders per-engine maximum.
...3.2) Electric powered machines will be considered by-basis, so long it complies with all other rules.
4.) No automobile, truck, SUV, etc. chassis allowed. No ATV chassis, or "Compact Tractor" chassis from larger homestead+ tractors allowed. Passable examples are: Lawn tractor, yard tractor, garden tractor and mini chassis’, stock or modified. Custom-built chassis are allowed provided the end result will be resemblant of a lawn or garden tractor chassis in appearance. Specifically, ladder, tunnel, or pan-style. No space frames, or frames made primarily from tubing that are resemblant to go karts, rock crawlers/ bouncers, etc.
5.) Must run on any number of wheels, tracks, skis, or any combination of these, limited by the following constraint: A minimum of 3 points of contact must be made with the ground, a minimum of two if vehicle is "tracked". Points of contact are defined as wheels, tracks, or skis. Wheels cannot be configured in an inline pattern similar to a "cycle".
6.) Must be "complete" by deadline date. For our purposes, "complete" means: Starts, runs and drives under its own power. Throttle must be installed and operable remotely (without operator touching engine). Kill switch must be installed and operable without operator touching engine. Engine must start with a switch of some type, or be pull-start. Braking system must be installed and functional. Steering system must be installed and functional. The purpose of this rule is not only to define completeness for the contest, but to help ensure safety. Paint and related aesthetic touches are not mandatory to qualify as "complete" but may affect voting. For clarification, "Remote" specifically means "The ability to operate without touching engine".
7.) Sheet-metal and bodywork is open, however the end result must be resemblant of a tractor in some aspect. Micro-cars, cycles, rock crawlers/ bouncers, space bodies, etc. are not permitted.
8.) Must NOT be more than 50% completed prior to the official start date. Previously completed builds can be used as long as the new build
radically changes the build.
Ex: A rally build from a utility build requiring more than 50% of the work to be re-done. (These builds will be closely monitored) Lightly modified builds for the contest will not qualify. As part of qualification, contest entrants will post a picture of the major parts source(s), including a sign showing the commencement date and code word. Completeness will be defined by your write-up of what is to be done and by seeing your parts in photos.
9.) Entry must be
built by the entrant. A team of more than one can enter and build a machine. Those instances, the team would have to share or split winnings should they win. No contracting
"hiring out" parts of the entry to be "built" by someone else. It is OK, to purchase "over the counter parts" for your entry.
Entries and finalized builds are screened by the administration and we reserve the right to decline entries/ finalized builds if we feel they are not observant or compliant to the rules as stated above.
- Entrants -1.) Must hold a valid ATLTF membership in good standing.
2.) May Join ATLTF in order to qualify for contest entry.
3.) Must maintain their ATLTF membership status in good standing for the entire duration of the contest.
4.) May enter more than one project for the competition.
- Competition Details -The Build-Off commences February 1st. You may NOT start building until the official start announcement on that date, but you MAY plan and collect parts until that time. The official start announcement will contain a
PASSWORD. Entrants
MUST start a build thread in the [
Build-Off Entries] forum, and: Post a photo of their main parts pile that contains a sign bearing "ATLTF 2019 Build-Off", your username, the date, and the password, all printed on a sign and in the same photo. The sign can be written or printed, but the
password MUST BE HAND WRITTEN. Also, make sure the sign is clear and readable in your photo. The entry period runs from February 1 to October 31st. The Build-Off ends November 30th at 11:59PM. Any project that is NOT completed or compliant to the rules stated above upon the official finish announcement on that date will not qualify for judging and subsequently winning (
see official contest rule #6 for definition of "complete"). Builder should post as many details of build as possible, including parts sources/origin, costs, design elements and difficulties, specifications, gear ratios, etc.
Builds that have not updated since creation, or several months no update will go into a "
Build Probation" folder for not following the rules.
Entrants MUST update their thread at least monthly detailing progress, with either write-ups, videos and/or photos.
Criteria for Probation:
1 Month no update by "Entrant"- Asked to Update
2 Months no update by "Entrant - Warning given
3 Months no update by "Entrant - Moved to Probation
Builds still in this folder at the end of the build-off will automatically be deemed "Disqualified!" To have your build removed from Probation, you will need to petition the Admin Team to have it taken back out no later than
November 30. Contact link is on the bottom of any ATLTF.COM page.
Upon completion, builder MUST post a video of completed build, consisting of a walk-around and operation to demonstrate function and capabilities. The video must be hosted on a site that will allow the video to be shared in your post, such as YouTube. Builders should also make a post saying that build is completed or risk build not qualifying.
If for some reason you are not able to shoot or post this video, you MUST contact a forum administrator to closely scrutinize your build to determine eligibility BEFORE the competition closes.
In the event of a tie, winner will be determined by a panel of judges. There was indeed a tie for 2nd in 2015, in which the admin staff voted.
- Competition Specifications -Start date: February 1stEnd date: December 31 ***UPDATED ***Entry start date: February 1stEntry close date: October 31 Probation close date: November 30 ***UPDATED***Voting will begin promptly after reviewing entrants for completeness.Terms:
Space Frame: Consisting of mainly tubes or small diameter materials.
Space Body: Consisting of mainly tubes or small diameter materials, with no supporting sheetmetal.
Remote: Device that activates objects without direct contact.
- Voting -Any ATLTF member may vote for their favorite build in full confidentiality.
We will be repeating what we did in the past couple years where new accounts will be temporarily suspended from being approved to prevent account bolstering. So, if you plan on participating in voting, pull up a chair and join us here. Converse
Subject: 
December 21st 2019, 11:35 am
