Best wheels for chicken tractor? Where to look?

[NuffSaid]

It works, FINALLY!!! Thank you so much, Notiones, for posting the pictures and information about your wheels.

Years after the original posting, this thread helped me complete the mobile piece of our tractor. After three different types of wood paddles (designs found various places on the internet), some reinforced with steel mending plates, two different locations on the frame, and several different combinations of hardware to attach them to the frame.... the 1/2 inch square steel tube setup similar to what you have pictured has our tractor mobile.

When I initially decided to go with a tractor, I had visions of something light enough that I could move it around on my own without having to depend on my (much stronger) husband to move it for me. He talked me out of PVC framing and into wood, then talked me out of 2x2's in favor of 2x4's, and since we had a couple bundles of asphalt shingles, we might as well give it a "real roof". Granted, it is likely much sturdier, will probably last longer, and the coop portion will be better overall for the chickens... but it weighs a ton! The weight was the key that was preventing all my earlier wheel designs from being successful.

For anyone who may come across this later, if you've built a solid/heavy coop and run, probably larger than ideal for a tractor, don't waste your time with wood paddle type designs for attaching your wheels! Start with the steel tube and place them under the middle of the coop for the best weight distribution! Too far forward and the weight of the coop will raise the run off the ground and make it difficult to move, and too far back will make it extremely hard to pick up the run end and move the tractor.

I will take and upload a few pictures of our finished - finally mobile - tractor when I can. Maybe this thread will continue to be useful to people like me!

 

[whattheduck]

Notiones, Big Olde Dude, and Nuffsaid - thank you for posting! I have found this helpful as I have been searching for info on the best way to add tires to the tractor I'm building.

 

[whattheduck]

It works, FINALLY!!! Thank you so much, Notiones, for posting the pictures and information about your wheels.

Years after the original posting, this thread helped me complete the mobile piece of our tractor. After three different types of wood paddles (designs found various places on the internet), some reinforced with steel mending plates, two different locations on the frame, and several different combinations of hardware to attach them to the frame.... the 1/2 inch square steel tube setup similar to what you have pictured has our tractor mobile.

When I initially decided to go with a tractor, I had visions of something light enough that I could move it around on my own without having to depend on my (much stronger) husband to move it for me. He talked me out of PVC framing and into wood, then talked me out of 2x2's in favor of 2x4's, and since we had a couple bundles of asphalt shingles, we might as well give it a "real roof". Granted, it is likely much sturdier, will probably last longer, and the coop portion will be better overall for the chickens... but it weighs a ton! The weight was the key that was preventing all my earlier wheel designs from being successful.

For anyone who may come across this later, if you've built a solid/heavy coop and run, probably larger than ideal for a tractor, don't waste your time with wood paddle type designs for attaching your wheels! Start with the steel tube and place them under the middle of the coop for the best weight distribution! Too far forward and the weight of the coop will raise the run off the ground and make it difficult to move, and too far back will make it extremely hard to pick up the run end and move the tractor.

I will take and upload a few pictures of our finished - finally mobile - tractor when I can. Maybe this thread will continue to be useful to people like me!

I would LOVE to see pictures. I'm working on my chicken tractor this weekend and am using this thread as a guideline for my wheels.

 

[NuffSaid]

We added the 2x2 support for the wheel handle when it is in the lifted position. Due to the weight, the wheels would bow out and the handle would lean into the wire. Depending on where we were trying to move, the wheels could bow out far enough that it was difficult to move at all, such as trying to turn. We have a smallish somewhat uneven yard that requires the tractor be turned regularly in order to keep them in "fresh grass". Adding the support forces the handle to rest on the wood and prevents the wheel from being able to bow out. Another note on the spacer you can almost see on the bolt that attaches the wheel assembly to the tractor frame, it's a two inch section of electrical conduit. We had a square of 2x4 there thinking that it would double as a spacer and offer support to prevent the bowing. It failed, and the pressure caused it to fall apart after several weeks.

I'm not positive that this will last forever, but it seems to be in the best working order we've had so far : ) Hope that helps!

 

[bigmrg74]

A day late, but here is how the wheels of my chicken tractor are installed. Pretty simple and quite common way to do it, I think.

Wheels not engaged and frame on the ground

Wheels engaged and frame off of the ground

Ohhh...... making a mental note here for my tractor plans! Oh, just so I know, which is the direction of pull for these with the wheels?? I would have to think that one way in pertictular would be idea, with the other way resulting in it flopping back down if you have installed it incorrectly.

 

[NuffSaid]

bigmrg74 - Regarding your question about the direction of pull for the wheels, that all depends on the direction you plan to move your tractor once the wheels are engaged. We have ours the same as it looks like in notiones pictures, our handle rests towards the run end of the tractor when the frame is resting on the ground. Then when putting the wheels in motion position, the handle is pulled up and towards the coop end of the tractor. This makes it so that the wheels are less likely to flop back down when pushing the tractor from the run end rather than pulling it. However, our tractor needs to be able to move in both directions in order to maneuver it where we want it and the wheels have disengaged themselves a couple of times when in a particularly bumpy spot or anything that makes the wheel get stuck when we're trying to pull it. Going over relatively level areas it is not a problem to go either direction. Unless you only plan on going in one direction with the tractor or have an extremely flat surface to travel over, you'll likely face the same possibility.

 

[mclemm]

Have finally completed my tractor, except for the wheels.
Base is made of treated 4X4 and is 6' x 12' covered with hardware cloth.
Nest box is made of 3/4 treated plywood. Obviously this is very heavy and I was thinking I should put a wheel at each corner to make the moving process possible. I have the 10" pneumatic wheels from Harbor Freight. Should I use 1' x1' square tubing or have a piece of 1/2 " flat steel cut to 3 ' for this? Thanks for the help.

 

[FergieChick]

I know this is an old thread but thought I'd share what my clever hubby used for our tractor. He cut up an old snowboard and put skis on it! Works great over grass.

 

[burgerusmc]

I know this is an old thread but thought I'd share what my clever hubby used for our tractor. He cut up an old snowboard and put skis on it! Works great over grass.

Dp you have better pictures of them?

 

[burgerusmc]

Here's a video of the way I did mine. Never loaded a video before so if it doesn't work let me know. Cost me about $30 to do the retractable wheels. Thanks guys