2024 ATLTF Build-Off RULES!

#Buildoff2024

What is the ATLTF Build-off?  It is a fun competition for the members of ATLTF to modify a garden tractor, a lawn tractor or a riding mower into a rough, tough, sexy mow-chine in 11 months or less.  Then the members get to vote for their favorite!  We do have a base set of rules to keep the playing field level and fair for all the members of any skill set to have fun!  Reminder, we have members 13 and older.  We would like to keep it fun for all!

Read on to learn the rules and how to enter!  
**THE RULES HAVE UPDATED for 2024**

- Qualifying Builds -

1.) Must be a small, personal-transportation type vehicle, capable of carrying operator, and not more than one additional passenger. Resemblant of a lawn or garden tractor.

2.) Must be self-propelled.

3.) Must be powered by a small "OPE" (Outdoor Power Equipment) type engine. Generally:
One to three cylinders, 2 or 4 stroke gasoline or diesel.

• Air cooled; water cooled (some OPE's have water cooled engines)
  
• Horizontal or vertical crankshaft
  
• 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. *Additionally, more than one qualifying engine may be used. 
  

...3.1) Electric powered machines will be considered by-basis, so long it complies with all other rules.

4.) Framing requirements.

• No automobile, truck, SUV, etc. chassis
  
• No full ATV chassis 
  
• No "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.  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. Chassis made of tubes are allowed. See examples below. 
  
  EXAMPLES of custom tube style frames ALLOWED!
  
   
  
  
  
• Tube skeletons for bracing and exoskeletons are permitted upon approval.  Must "wrap" a portion of the tractor or strengthen the lawn tractor frame. Not replace a portion of the tractor. With one exception, it can replace a missing hood in name of safety. 
  
  An OK example is like @diddie 's Beast:
  
  
  
  
• Scabbing in framing parts of an ATV frame not allowed.  Using parts such as suspension components is approved as long as it does not take away from the tractor frame/appearance.  Example, welding the front of an ATV frame to a tractor frame is not allowed.  Fabricating and attaching independent suspension pieces from an ATV is OK. 
  

5.) Must run on any number of wheels, tracks, skis, or any combination of these, limited by the following constraint: A minimum of 4 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.) Sheet-metal and bodywork is open; however, the end result MUST be resemblant of a tractor in some aspect. Micro-cars, cycles, trikes, rock crawlers/ bouncers,  etc. are not permitted.


7.) Must be "complete" by deadline date. 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". For our purposes, "complete" means:

• Starts,
  
  
• Runs
  
  
• 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.
  

8.) Must NOT be more than 50% complete prior to the official start date.   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 physical sign showing the commencement date and password. 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 any potential 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.

- Competition Details -

The Build-Off commences January 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 physical sign bearing "ATLTF 2024 Build-Off", your username, the date, and the password for the build-off in the same photo.  The sign can be hand 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 January 1 to October 31st.  The Build-Off ends November 30th at 6PM Central. 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 "7" for definition of "complete").  Bad time management by the entrant does not grant an extension.  Should an emergency happen, (provable) we may extend not more than a week.  Beyond that unfortunately DNF will have to be taken. Builder should post as many details of build as possible, including parts sources/origin, design elements and difficulties, specifications, etc.

- 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.

- Completion -

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 -

Competition Start date: January 1
Competition End date: November 30 @ 6PM Central Time


Entry start date: January 1
New Entry close date: October 31

Voting will begin promptly after reviewing entrants for completeness. (No more than 1 week)

Terms:

Space Frame/body: Consisting of mainly tubes or small diameter materials. Like an ATF or buggy  with or without hung sheet metal.

• Space frame/body example:
  
  
  
  
  

Remote: Device or controller that activates objects without direct contact.  Examples would be a starter switch/button, kill switch, dash throttle, etc.

- 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.



PLEASE NOTE:  This is the 10th year for the Build-Off.  The Build-Off will more than likely go on HIATUS after this year for a little while to regroup.  So if you want to join the fun.  This is the year to do it!

@MightyRaze so there's no rule against having a mower deck  I wonder if my lifted all terrain farm mower Chubb Cadet would qualify???

When would the build off start?

Crazy_Carl wrote:

@MightyRaze so there's no rule against having a mower deck  I wonder if my lifted all terrain farm mower Chubb Cadet would qualify???

When would the build off start?

You know.... there never has been?  
I don't see why not.  I would consider it a utility build unless lifted a lot then maybe a lifted build.

Jan 1.

[mod]Keep it on topic people![/mod]

This is a thread is for discussing the 2024 Build Off rules, please keep all other non-related discussion in the appropriate thread.

I've moved some posts over to the Off Topic 2023 thread starting HERE so you can carry on with your conversation, thanks for understanding.

I've also started the 2024 Build Off Talk About Thread to give us somewhere to jibber jabber about it!

[adm]Please keep this topic about rules.  If you want to discuss other build-off things.  Take that over HERE.  Thanks![/adm]

I have a question: can i build a frame out of square steel tubing (3-5mm thick) ?
The frame i'll build is gonna be bolted under the stock frame, to stiffen it up and so i can mount wheels for the tracks.(im building a tracked mower with suspension). The stock transaxle is gonna be kept, to drive the whole machine when finished.

@MoTiJo You can reinforce your existing frame all day long without issue!

I snagged a couple of pix from the facebook group Offroad Mudmowers.

These are examples THAT WOULD NOT QUALIFY.

 

Please note the ones up in the rules still look like lawn and garden tractors.


NOTE: Remember Rear Engine Riders are allowed as well.

Those jerks! Look at what they did to that poor MTD squarebody! Lol.

Isn't there some looks like them in another post  them is plum fugly in my book .and my sure want look like them my will be mostly stock ecpet the underneath an the out side

@MightyRaze
Okay, thanks for tellng me!
I just asked the same guy i bought my murray from if he has other tractors for sale, he has 3 for sale, gonna look at them and see which one i'll buy!

@Brianator
Okay, I will have to do that. but first: buy a mower for the buildoff

Brianator wrote:

Those jerks! Look at what they did to that poor MTD squarebody! Lol.

I'm not crying lol
That build doesn't look terrible lol

I didn't say they look terrible either, pretty inventive and pretty technical builds. The one on the right up there from Travis S. is a great build, but I would have to say it crosses the line into a space frame. The other is just a go-kart/cross-kart with a mower body. Easily not qualified.