by Cub Cadet to Gator Conversion Project
A Craiglist ad was posted for a non-running John Deere Gator just 10 minutes before I jumped on Craigslist and saw the posting. It looked fine from the photos and the $150 price seemed like an amazing deal! I called right away, told the guy I would buy it, and that I would be there in less than 15 minutes.
We quickly got ready and drove the short 5-minute drive across town. Upon arrival, we noticed the Gator had three brand new tires and one bald tire. The seller told us a golfer had been out golfing for the day and took a wrong turn at some point into Lake Michigan. The Gator sat underwater overnight until someone could haul it back out the following day. The water caused the batteries and all of the electronics to fry. The guy said he’s toss in the battery charger that came with it but that it wouldn’t do any good at that point.
The seller also mentioned that he had a 18hp twin cylinder Cub Cadet he was thinking of using to convert the Gator from electric powered to gas but he hadn’t gotten around to doing so. He said he’d make me a good deal if I wanted to have that as well. We took the Gator home and came back the next day to pick up the Cub Cadet. It was exactly my kind of project.
To start, I stripped down the 1811 tractor down to the frame and then measured the wheelbase so I could drive it into the Gator frame with everything still looking normal on the outside. I then needed to shorten and weld back together the remaining body. I then build the adapters for the rear wheels to be widened to the edge of the box. Next, I built up the front lift kit about 6 inches to get everything leveled with the new back axle. I then had to strip out the old batteries and converters for more space.
When that was all finished, I pushed the Cub Cadet inside the John Deere Gator frame so the rear wheels lined up the dump box with the openings. New braces and supports were then welded into place. The dash had to be easily accessible so the controllers were in the middle of the seats, leaving the floor open.
The exhaust system was made so I could relocate the muffler under the rear of the box. Next I relocated the new gas tank behind the engine. Then I used the power steering and hooked it up to the box for a hydraulic dump instead of a manual dump. I built a roll cage and attached the old roof it came with. I added some additional detail with mudflaps, new front and rear bumpers, and some new lights that I built in. I also added some small railings to the sides of the box.
Once all of the main parts were complete, I painted everything John Deere Green to get it back to looking like a regular Gator. I have enjoyed this finished project for about 4 years now. No foot pedals for this Gator. It operates with one lever forward to move ahead, or backward for reverse.
And this is the story of how I rescued this Cub Cadet 18 hp twin hydrostatic drive powered John Deere Gator!
Cub Cadet Powered John Deere Gator Photo Album
YouTube video of my Grandson driving me in the Gator over a small backyard hill
Thanks for your support and inspiration! For more, visit my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsr_1z3YEhQh0JEQt08FdWQ and make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything!
