I was ready to start on the underframe but I never really finished the design. I was still nervous about the old pumps I was planning on using. They worked but I didn't know for how long. And they were such a specific shape, I couldn't replace them easily with something else. I looked for spare parts but they seemed to be non-existent. I was trying to not spend a lot of money on this but they I decided, what the hell; I should make this thing to last forever. So I decided to sell the pumps on ebay. To my surprise, not only did I make enough money to pay them off (only paid $100 for the whole mower), I made enough to buy brand new Parker brand hydrostatic pumps and wheel motors. It was a kit from the Surplus Center. The were separate pumps and motors (instead of being integrated like the last ones) and they were standard SAE mounts so if they failed, I could replace with White or Hydrogear pumps.
They came with hoses and fittings as well. I was pretty excited to finish up the design now.
This is where my dozer is going to start to differ from an actual Model Twenty Two. I went with rubber tracks so they would be a little easier on my driveway and yard. So my underframe is significantly different as well.
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| Final Frame Weldment |
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| Track Frame Complete |
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| Underframe Complete |
So I bought some more steel, bearings, pulleys and other parts.
The only parts that I didn't make in my own garage where the sprockets and the front idler wheels. I probably could have but it would have taken a lot of time. And with a new born, I didn't have a lot. So I designed them in CAD and sent them off to my brother in law's brother in law. He owns a metal fab shop and has a hi-def CNC plasma table. That thing cuts real nice.
