Anyone have thoughts on putting tractor tires on a front tine 6.5 HP Craftsman tiller to use as a walking tractor. Would the pulley size ratio need to be modified? I need something to till weeds in the middles then throw dirt to the row to hill up corn, beans, etc. Might not need the tires at all, the tiller might work fine. But, with the tires I could use for other things such as making seed furrows.
Don't see why it wouldn't work. My dad had an old 2 wheeled Bradley that was a beast with a plow. That thing did everything it was tasked with. Show some pics of your finished product.
If your Craftsman is one of the chain drive models changing the ratios is a nightmare without fabrication. Keep it stock. Walking tractors such as Bradley, Simplicity, Bolens and a dozen others are all over the place. Still cheap as well as for the attachments but prices ARE going up as all the yuppies buy them as "yard art" to get their back to the lander jollies. But you'll have something easier to set up thru pullys, tire changes, or attachments. I sold my horse and bronco troybilts and now just use my two Simplicitys. Once you figure out the walk behind tractor deal the front tine tiller will mostly just sit out behind the shed.
Check the tine speed. Having had an old Toro front tine tiller and a couple Troybilts, my bet is putting tires on in place of the tines will result in a way too high of ground speed and then you’ll be trying to figure out how to slow it down. Apply the time and money you’d spend on this experiment and work some overtime or a second job instead and just buy a used Troybilt horse.
Ground speed was going to be too fast. They do make plow attachments for front tine tillers. Purchased one but I have some welding to do on it.
