DIY Cart Plans for a Lawn Tractor

The Base

• 1

  Measure your tractor along its length and then the width at the back wheels, including the tires; your cart should not exceed these dimensions or it will be difficult to tow.

• 2

  Draw the tractor dimensions on graph paper as a guide. Draw the dimensions of the cart so they’re 2 feet shorter than the tractor and 1 foot smaller in width; this will be the size of the tractor base.

• 3

  Plan to make the base of two of three wooden boards next to each other lengthwise, and held together with three boards -- one at each end, and another in the middle to also support the axle -- going crosswise.

The Sides

• 4

  Draw a sideways elevation of the cart, with side panels 12 inches high -- use 1-inch-by-6-inch boards, one above the other for this.

• 5

  Design the system to hold them in place on the base, using 2-inch-by-2-inch lumber nailed to the long sides of the base, with 2-inch-by-2-inch lumber vertically at each end. The corner of the cart will create a U shape; the boards for the sides will screw to this.

• 6

  Draw an overhead elevation of the cart with the sides and supports in place. Multiply the length of the cart by the width and then by the depth to calculate how many cubic feet of material the car can hold.

Completing The Cart

• 7

  Draw an elevation to show the underside of the cart. Draw two lines along the middle support to show the PVC conduit that will hold the axle.

• 8

  Show three small cross pieces holding the conduit to the support; these will be metal, bent and screwed in place.

• 9

  Select two bicycle wheels for the cart’s wheels; these will be joined by an axle 2 inches longer than the width of the cart, with the axle fed through the PVC conduit.

• 10

  Add a pipe extending straight from the front of the cart for a length of 30 inches; this is what will attach the cart to the tractor. Use PVC pipe, screwed into a flat PNC fitting attached to the cart at one end, and a T fitting at the other end, large enough to slip over the hitch at the back of the tractor.