Published: July 19, 2008 08:28 pm         

Unique mower

Lucerne native builds “xtreme machine” lawn mower

LUCERNE — Wayne Hardy was told he could never build the “extreme” lawn mower he got an idea from through a Web site devoted to the hobby that’s becoming popular nationwide.

On the Internet, several YouTube videos are devoted to extreme lawn mowers, along with a Web site, www.xtrememowermayhem.com.

“I saw these lawn tractors jacked up with truck-size tires and thought, ‘Wow!’” Hardy said. “I began to do some more research and tossed around the idea of what it would take to build one myself.”

Hardy, who lives in Lucerne, said he got interested in antique lawn mowers from his brother in-law, Ronny Beebout. The two men have been attending antique lawn mower shows for three years. Beebout works on old mowers that no one wants — mowers that people think can’t be fixed.

One day, after looking at “extreme mowers” people had built in Wisconsin, Hardy decided he wanted to build one.

He then enlisted Beebout to help him. The Twelve Mile native was reluctant at first.

“Ronny said, ‘You probably wouldn’t get it done, and it would cost you too much,’” Hardy said.

But Hardy was determined.

Beebout had several old lawn mowers sitting in his backyard, and Hardy picked out a 1986 Ranch King. He started building the mower in March 2006.

Hardy spent the next couple of months cleaning it up and stripping it down, which was about the time Beebout started to get positive about the project.

“It seemed like it would never get much further, but Ronny stepped up and said ‘Wayne, I think we can do this,’” Hardy said.

Hardy then began designing the front axle and had it welded.

By the summer of 2007, the extensions were welded and rear axle and tires were mounted. Hardy tried to build an engine for the machine, but the first one didn’t work out. He ended up using a Briggs 15-horse motor.

Problems began to surface, though.

“I started having problems with the valves and thought, ‘Man, this thing is never going to run,’” Hardy said.

Over the next year, the men continued to work on the project. Hardy put 26-inch ATV tires on it, converting what had been an ordinary tractor to an “extreme” version. The tractor’s seat is 4 1/2 feet above ground. Before the work was done, it was 2 1/2 feet above ground.

By June, the front steering was put on using rack-and-pinion steering.

The men continued to work on it more quickly over the next couple of weeks to get it ready for the Fourth of July Twelve Mile parade, where it would be displayed in public for the first time.

On June 28, Hardy got the ride he had been waiting two years for when he took it for a drive for the first time.

“I didn’t have high hopes of it working, but I thought, ‘Well, I’ll try it,’” Hardy said. “To my amazement, it worked. You have to imagine the shock and the look in our eyes when it rolled out of the garage for the first time.”

Hardy says his goal is to take the “xtreme machine” to area tractor shows and parades.

He recently displayed it at the Tip Wa Antique Tractor and Engine Club show in Walton.

On Friday and Saturday, he showed it at the “Power from the Past” show in Winamac. He will also take it to the “Hoosier Heritage Fest” in Peru on Aug. 22.

Hardy said he ended up spending 30 hours a week over the last two years building the mower. It ended up costing $2,600 despite many of the parts being donated by Beebout, who also helped come up with ideas for the mower.

But it was all worth it in the end, Hardy says.

“A lot of people say, ‘Wow, that’s cool. I’ve never seen that before,’” Hardy said. “They all think it’s pretty wild looking. ... Everyone asks me, ‘What did you build it for?’ I built it just to be able to say, ‘I built that.’”

He said the biggest challenge in the project was finding parts that would fit.

According to Hardy, the sport is picking up in Wisconsin right now.

He said he hopes people see what he did and get inspired to build their own “extreme” lawn mowers.

“Maybe it will grow into a business or a hobby for other people,” he said. “I just want to see where this will take me. Who knows?”

Melissa Soria may be reached at (574) 732-5143 or via e-mail at melissa.soria@pharostribune.com