A motorized dog made from something you made yourself. Homemade motorized towing vehicle “motodog”

To pull drags, it is easier to purchase a ready-made mini snowmobile, motorized towing vehicle or pusher than to make it yourself. However, as practice shows, factory models have many disadvantages, starting with Low quality details and ending with design flaws. These motorized dogs don’t want to pull drags. It is not surprising that in the instructions for motorized towing vehicles you can see a warning not to drive further than a kilometer from home without being accompanied by another driver. Do you agree, getting stuck in the snow far from home? not a very encouraging prospect.

In Chinese motorized dogs, the carburetor constantly breaks down, the clutch gets upset, the caterpillar weakens, or something else breaks. Therefore, to avoid such troubles, it is best to make your own motorized dog or pusher completely from scratch, or remake the factory version. The main disadvantage? This is a labor-intensive process that requires time and skill to manufacture the frame and fit the parts.

Why homemade motorized towing vehicles are preferable

What shortcomings can be avoided by developing your own model? Due to improper design, the tracks of towing vehicles can become clogged with snow. In another case, a motorized dog rears up and buries itself in deep snow, throwing it onto the rider and the drag. Homemade motorized towing vehicles with a front engine, unlike most factory ones, where it is located in the rear, are much preferable. Road traction is much better, which allows you to save fuel and pull the drags faster. In addition, additional compartments for supplies and gear can be provided in a tow or pusher for fishing and work.

In addition, the towing vehicle’s grip on the road directly depends on the installed track. The Buran track has good traction, which, unfortunately, is not installed on all modern towing vehicles. To improve traction, you can add studs to the tracks if desired.

Well, the main advantage? for the price of the cheapest Chinese towbar, you can make a more durable homemade towbar or pusher. For the same money we get an excellent engine, a powerful track and better parts.

Using a snowmobile attachment for motor cultivators

If you are the owner of walk-behind tractors: Salyut, Neva, Cascade, Tselina, MB-2, Luch? or “Favorite?”, then you can purchase a two-track snowmobile attachment. So far this The best way make a towing vehicle or pusher from a walk-behind tractor. Previous models of such consoles were criticized by users. However, these are strikingly different from their predecessors. Unlike a chain drive, like conventional motorized dogs, two plastic sprockets are mounted on the axle of the walk-behind tractor, onto which the tracks are mounted. There are special slots in each track for these drive sprockets.

Using a walk-behind tractor to pull the drags is very convenient. The design can be quickly disassembled, allowing it to be placed in passenger car. However, the disadvantage of the walk-behind tractor is that the engine installed in it has a power of 6 or 7 hp. With. A motorized towing vehicle made from a walk-behind tractor and a drag will move at speeds of up to 15 or 20 km/h, and the average speed may be even lower. Such a towing vehicle can hardly pull some drags, not to mention the others.

How to make a motorized towing vehicle with your own hands

To collect homemade model, some spare parts are better to buy ready-made. The caterpillar and rollers can be taken from Buran. Can the engine also be purchased separately? Today there is a huge selection of them on the Internet. Among the many Chinese, it is better to give preference to a 9-13 liter engine from Honda. With. For the carburetor to work well, pay attention to the presence of the Design in Japan inscription. Such a carburetor will give you less problems when servicing. This carburetor is better tuned and adjustable.

For the manufacture of a mini-snowmobile, towing vehicle or pusher, an engine from a chainsaw? Ural? is unlikely to be suitable, since it will pull the drags in best case scenario at walking speed. Chainsaw power? Ural? 5 l. pp., and this is not enough for a full-fledged motorized dog. Chainsaw motor? Ural? Only suitable for installation on a children's or adult snow scooter. Instead, you can use a moped or motorcycle engine. Most likely, it will be more powerful than that of the Ural chainsaw, but do not overdo it, since the motor is too heavy? this is also bad.

Unlike other parts, the towing vehicle needs to make the frame itself. For this, you can use metal square pipes 20 x 40 x 120. Mountings for the gearbox, engine and track need to be welded onto the finished frame. Like the frame, control arms need to be made from 120 metal pipes. However, for this it is better to take a pipe round section. Two pipes are fastened with jumpers, and the clutch and gas are placed on one of them.

The housing to protect the engine of a motorized towing vehicle is made of tin, but in some cases you can do without it. If the engine is installed in the front, then the housing is not so necessary. If the engine is at the rear, then protection from snow dust will definitely be needed. In any case, whether to make a body or not is up to you. You can also use the body from an old motorized towing vehicle.

So, you don’t need much to create a homemade motorized dog. The main thing is the ability to work with welding machine to weld the frame, and some understanding of mechanics. How about adjusting the carburetor, adjusting the clutch or tightening the track? it's all a matter of practice.

And so, you decided that you need a motorized towing vehicle for hunting, fishing, transporting goods, or just for driving, but you want a more powerful engine, larger standard headlights, heating, and a special color. But in the product catalog there is no such individual model, just for your taste. But it’s not scary, today you can assemble high-quality DIY motorized towing vehicle. You just need to have a little experience in locksmith work, a set of tools and a desire to get unique technique. The assembly process can be divided into several technological stages:

  1. Choosing the configuration of a future motorized towing vehicle: at the first stage, you need to decide what kind of motorized towing vehicle you want, write down its description and specifications: determine the load capacity, engine power, type of start (manual or electric starter), select the type of transmission, sled (drag) and frame color. And also decide which additional equipment you want to equip a motorized towing vehicle for manual assembly: for example, with a winch, protective casing, circuit protection, additional headlights, etc.
  2. Once you have decided on the package, you need to select the necessary parts on our website. You can buy separately the motor, electrics, base for the motorized dog (chassis and body) and other necessary spare parts.
  3. Order all the parts for self-assembly. All components will be packaged and shipped. The necessary instructions will be attached to the main components.
  4. After receiving all the spare parts, you will need to familiarize yourself with the parts and their descriptions. Be sure to check the package.
  5. Assembly is the most important point in independently designing a motorized towing vehicle. It is necessary to install all the components on the base, connect everything according to the attached instructions. If you have any questions, you can call and get advice.
  6. Test it. Now you need to make sure that you have assembled everything correctly, check the reliability of all components and connections for your safety.


That's it, ready. This way you get exactly the equipment you want at a cost regular model, and sometimes even cheaper. And it will be a self-assembled motorized towing vehicle, which is doubly nice. But still before self-assembly It’s worth studying the catalog carefully, maybe you can find the model you need.

By making a motorized dog ourselves, we are not responsible for the final product; all work is performed entirely under your responsibility.

If you are making a motorized towing vehicle with your own hands, then you need to take into account the design features of this device before starting work. As experienced craftsmen note, manufacturing this equipment will not be too difficult for anyone. If you do not want to use the help of specialists, then you need to familiarize yourself with the technology of doing the work. The high popularity of the described motorized towing vehicle, which is also called a motorized dog, is due to the fact that it has small dimensions and good maneuverability. Such equipment is unpretentious in operation, and in the process consumes very little fuel.

Design features

If you are making a motorized towing vehicle with your own hands, then before starting these manipulations you must understand all design features, as well as learn more about the assembly process. Considering this equipment, it can be noted that it is a motorized tracked unit small sizes which is used for towing different loads, having small sizes.

Selection and installation of the motor

If you decide to make a motorized towing vehicle with your own hands, you need to think about an important component of the homemade product - the engine. A common moped engine is used in the manufacture of such models, which is known under the brand name Ш-58. He - Russian production. The main advantage of this device is that it is designed to use exclusively a manual box switch. It should be noted that motorized dogs can use foreign-made engines. If you want to create a motorized towing vehicle with your own hands that will last longer long time, then it is best to use engines that are produced under the Yamaha and Honda brands. In the role main feature These motors are universal, since such equipment can be used to create both a motorized towing vehicle and any other device that requires the presence of an engine. Among the latter, oversized power plants can be distinguished.

We take the issue of choosing an engine seriously

A homemade motorized towing vehicle requires a high-quality engine. It is necessary to choose its characteristics correctly. The master must think about the number of engine cycles. It is preferable to use a two-stroke variety, which has impressive size and weight compared to a four-stroke. But as for the power characteristics, they remain almost at the same level.

The important part is the controls

For operation, a homemade motorized towing vehicle must have control elements; this should in no case be forgotten before starting the manipulation. Experienced craftsmen It is recommended to use a steering wheel with built-in controls. The design will have a switch, as well as a gas and clutch handle, which can be borrowed from used equipment.

Motor dog assembly technology

Before making a motorized towing vehicle, it is necessary to prepare a design diagram that will allow you to avoid errors. You only need to assemble them after you have prepared the bushings for them. As load-bearing structure a welded frame must be used. It will contain tubes different diameters, in order to give these elements the required form, they must be filled with dry sand. Now the master seals both ends with plugs, which you can make yourself from wood. The workpiece is placed in a vice, and then slowly bent using hot air should be applied to the required place. It is important to ensure maximum bending, for this it is recommended to use a reference template. You can make this workpiece yourself using a plywood sheet.

Work methodology

After the variator for the motorized towing vehicle has been selected, you can check whether all elements have required form. The components are fixed to each other, and welding clamps must be used. These works are carried out so that if defects occur during assembly, they can be easily eliminated. After all errors have been eliminated, the frame is well secured by welding. The drawings of the motorized towing vehicle, of course, can be borrowed from the article, but for carrying out the work you can prepare them without the help of professionals. In order to install the motor on the frame, you can use blanks that are pre-made from sheet metal. They must be made of fairly thick cardboard. It should be equal in size to the frame. The workpieces are well secured to the engine, only after that the structure is fixed in the frame system using the same welding clamps. Now the craftsman disconnects the engine from the workpiece to finally attach it to the frame system.

Manipulations with collapsible shafts

A motorized towing vehicle, the technical characteristics of which will depend on the elements used in the work process, can be made independently, but before starting manipulations it is necessary to think through every step. In the tracked unit, it is recommended to use collapsible shafts made of bearings and bushings. The latter are carefully turned for the former, and the wall thickness should not exceed 5 millimeters. The motorized dog will experience the heaviest loads on the rear axle. She should be the leader. For this purpose, a drive sprocket is attached to the rear shaft, which must be connected to the gearbox. This is done through a chain transmission. You can make a sled for a motorized towing vehicle yourself using wooden runners and a lumber-based frame. In addition to composite shafts, the structure must have composite wheels. Each of them consists of cheeks, the dimensions of which are 3 millimeters. In addition, several dozen hooks are used; they are necessary for adhesion to the soil. They are made using metal pipes. In order to dampen vibration of the wheels, rubber bushings are installed on the hooks, and specifically at their ends.

Information about propulsors

If you are thinking about making a motorized dog, then it is important to decide how the tracks will be made. Here we consider an example that involves the use of a conveyor belt.

The width is set to 220 millimeters. Tracks for motorized dogs are made of smooth canvas slats; their length should be 1260 millimeters. In order to provide reinforcement to the tracks, metal ridges should be used, which are installed on bars during the assembly process. The track components are fastened using bolts; you need to choose those with M6 threads.

Finally

If before starting assembly you thought that controlling a motorized dog might seem unnecessarily complicated, this belief is false. Driving such a structure is no more difficult than driving a moped. On the right handle of the steering wheel there will be a gas handle, but on the other there will be a lever used to shift the gearbox. The clutch handle is also located here. The steering wheel is fixed to the frame using two tubes, which are fixed by welding using a U-shaped fork. The latter is fixed on the rear axle, and for this you need to use metal washers.

Due to the fact that the motor is located inside the track, it will not be possible to use it using a kickstarter. It should be somewhat modernized. What is used for is a piece of pipe in which a hole will need to be made, the size of the latter will be sufficient to drive the lever. The pipe and the kickstarter lever are secured together by welding. A sled for a motorized towing vehicle can be made from scrap materials, for example, thick rubber is often used for this.

A motorized dog is popular name motorized towing vehicle, such a compact model. In the northern regions, this type of equipment is quite popular and is in high demand among car enthusiasts. Browsing conversion sites on the Internet, you will definitely come across a video of a motorized dog that some craftsman designed and posted on the Internet.

A motorized towing vehicle or motorized dog is primarily suitable for residents of regions where longer time There is snow all year and vehicles are unusable. A motorized dog is a small-sized piece of equipment that does not take up much space and can be transported even in a passenger car. Light weight and low specific pressure on the ground makes the motorized dog an all-terrain vehicle that can cope with any skids. On the Internet you can find videos of motorized dogs in deep snow, where you can clearly see that this technique copes well even with a very difficult task.

Factory motorized towing vehicles

Factory motorized towing vehicles go along with homemade motorized dogs. Videos of tests conducted by fans of such equipment allow you to appreciate all the advantages of using motorized towing vehicles. Among the factory units we can note Honda, Subaru and our St. Petersburg motorized dog “Bars”. Video reports posted on the Internet show that our motorized towing vehicles are in no way inferior to foreign ones.

Today, factories are also trying to occupy this technical niche, although this was not always the case. Motorized dogs appeared as an alternative to snowmobiles, and the first such machines were assembled by folk craftsmen. WITH light hand Some northern joker called this technique a motorized dog, because dog sleds are the main means of transportation in the north.

When factories began producing motorized dogs, the name was slightly reshaped and this is how motorized towing vehicles appeared, which in principle reflects the very essence of this unit.

Making a motorized dog yourself is not that difficult and can be done by anyone who is familiar with the technique and knows how to hold a tool in their hands. Drawings of homemade motorized dogs can be downloaded from the Internet, but of course, if you have the necessary skills, you can design them yourself. Drawings of motorized dogs are not particularly difficult, and even a beginner can figure them out.

Engine and controls for a homemade motorized dog

Most important element a homemade motorized dog is the engine. Typically, moped or small car engines are used for these purposes.

Internal combustion engines produced by foreign concerns are in particular demand - Honda and Yamaha due to their economical fuel consumption. By the way, it is worth noting that these engines are very popular due to their versatility and are suitable for creating motorized towing equipment, walk-behind tractors, or even mini power plants.

For a homemade motorized dog, it is better to choose two-stroke engines. As opposed to four-stroke engines, they have less weight and small dimensions, which is important, but they have approximately the same number of horses.

You can choose different controls for a motorized dog, but a steering system with already built-in gas, clutch and gearbox handles from old motorized vehicles is best suited. A good and quite simple motorized dog can be made from a walk-behind tractor.

Caterpillars for motorized dogs

If you have ever wondered how to make a motorized dog with your own hands, you were faced with the question of folding the tracks, because motorized dogs are designed for driving in the snow and wheels are not suitable here.

One option is to take a transport tape and make homemade tracks from smooth wooden slats. To strengthen the tracks, it is recommended to use steel ridges that are attached to wooden blocks. The entire prefabricated track structure can be secured using carved bolts. Detailed photos motorcycle dogs during the entire assembly process can be found on alteration sites

Controlling a motorized dog

The process of driving a motorized towing vehicle is similar to driving a motorcycle or moped. Just like on a moped or motorcycle, the throttle, clutch and gearbox switch are located on the handle. The handlebars are usually attached to the belt using two pipes welded to the fork.

Blueprints

1-front driven wheels; 2-track lugs (birch slats 35×75-1260 mm); 3-threaded rods M8x170 mm with nuts; 4-upper part of the frame ( steel pipe 30×2 mm); 5-front engine mount (steel strip 2.5 mm thick); 6-comb (steel strip 3 mm thick); 7-reinforcing element (steel sheet 2.5 mm thick); 8-post (steel pipe 30×2 mm); 9-plug (steel pipe dia. 22×2.5 mm); 10-fuel tank (2.5 l polyethylene canister); 11-control elements of the tracked unit (on the left: clutch handle and gearbox switch, on the right - pelvis handle); 12-steering wheel (from any brand of moped); 13- fuel tank support (steel strip 2 mm thick); 14-fuel tap with sump (from any moped); 15-fuel line; 16-drive shaft bushing; 17- hook; 18-sleeve (segment rubber hose); 19-outer cheek of the wheel (duralumin sheet 3 mm thick); 20-washer; 21-fork washers; 22-pin; 23-drive shaft (steel pipe diameter 30×2.5 mm); 24-flange (steel sheet 3 mm thick); 25-pin (steel bar dia. 10 mm); 26-inner cheek of the wheel (duralumin sheet 3 mm thick); 27-rear drive wheel; 28 control system cables; 29-track drive chain; 30-rear engine mount (steel sheet 2.5 mm thick); 31-engine type B-50; 32-muffler (thin-walled steel cylindrical container 0130 mm with holes 20 mm in diameter); 33-lower part of the frame (steel pipe 30×2 mm); 34-front driven shaft bushing; 35-bolts M8x55 mm with nuts; 36,40 - bushings; 37-bearing; 38-adapter; 39-bushing; 41-bushing; 42-drive chain sprocket; 43- rubber-fabric tape

The general design is not complicated and anyone who knows how to hold a tool in their hands can make a motorized dog with their own hands (see the end of the article for drawings and explanations).

The great popularity of light motorized towing vehicles is due to the fact that, coupled with a fairly compact size, they have excellent maneuverability, are unpretentious in maintenance and consume little fuel.

Let's try to figure out what a motorized dog is? Essentially, it is a small motorized crawler unit that is designed to tow small loads.

Engine selection and installation

The most important element of a homemade product is the engine. In our case, we chose the fairly common domestic moped motor Sh-58, the main advantage of which is that it is designed to use a manual gearbox switch.

Homemade motorized dog

It is also worth noting that foreign-made engines can be successfully used in homemade motorized dogs. Especially, small-displacement engines from Yamaha and Honda are in demand.

The main feature of these internal combustion engines is their versatility; they are perfect not only for creating a homemade motorized towing vehicle, but also for large quantity other devices, ranging from small power plants to homemade walk-behind tractors.

As for the number of strokes, two-stroke engines are best suited for this, since compared to their four-stroke counterparts they have smaller dimensions and weight, while their power characteristics are approximately the same.

Don’t forget about the motorized dog controls. Here, a steering wheel with built-in controls is best suited, that is, with a gearshift switch, gas and clutch handles from old motorcycles.

Before starting to assemble the chassis, it is necessary to select support bearings, after which bushings are machined under these bearings. A welded frame consisting of water pipes various diameters. To give the pipes the desired shape, they are first filled with dry sand and tightly sealed with plugs.

Consumption no more than 2 liters per 100 km

The workpiece is then placed in a vice and slowly, using blowtorch, bends in the right places. In order for the bend to be even, a reference template made of plywood is used.

After all the frame elements have acquired the desired shape, they are fastened together using welding clamps.

This is done specifically so that if defects occur during the assembly stage, they can be easily corrected. After all defects have been eliminated, the frame is finally fastened together by welding.

Sheet steel blanks are ideal for installing the engine on the frame. Such blanks are made using cardboard templates pre-fitted to the frame. First of all, the blanks are fixed to the engine, after which the resulting structure is attached to the frame with welding points. The engine is then disconnected from the workpiece and finally welded to the frame.

Our tracked unit will use collapsible shafts made of bushings, bearings and the shaft itself. As mentioned earlier, bushings are specially machined for bearings, and the thickness of the bushing walls should not exceed 5 mm. Due to the fact that the greatest loads in a homemade motorized dog fall on the rear axle, we make it the leading axle. To do this, a drive sprocket is welded to the rear shaft, which is connected to the gearbox via a chain drive.

In addition to composite shafts, motorized dogs also use composite wheels. Each of these wheels consists of two cheeks 3 mm thick and several dozen lugs made of small steel pipes. In order for the wheels to better dampen vibration, rubber bushings are inserted into the ends of the lugs.

Mover

For the manufacture of tracks, a conveyor belt with a width of at least 220 mm is best suited. The tracks for our walk-behind tractor are made of smooth birch slats 1260 mm long. To strengthen the structure of the tracks, you can use steel ridges that are attached to birch bars. The track parts are fastened with M6 threaded bolts.

Homemade caterpillar

The process of controlling a homemade motorized dog is practically no different from driving a moped. On the right handle of the steering wheel there is a gas handle, and on the left there is a clutch handle and a gearshift lever. By the way, the steering wheel is attached to the frame using two pipes, which in turn are welded to a U-shaped fork. The fork itself is attached to the rear axle of the walk-behind tractor using steel washers welded into it.

Due to the fact that the motor of our motorized towing vehicle is located inside the caterpillar, it cannot be started using a standard kickstarter, so it had to be slightly modernized. To do this, you need a fairly long piece of pipe, at the end of which we make a slot of such a size that the lever drive can easily fit into it. Then, using conventional welding, we fasten the pipe and the kickstarter lever.

Drawing of a motorized dog

Explanations for the drawing: 1-front driven wheels; 2-track lugs (birch slats 35×75-1260 mm); 3-threaded rods M8x170 mm with nuts; 4-upper part of the frame (steel pipe 30×2 mm); 5-front engine mount (steel strip 2.5 mm thick); 6-comb (steel strip 3 mm thick); 7-reinforcing element (steel sheet 2.5 mm thick); 8-post (steel pipe 30×2 mm); 9-plug (steel pipe dia. 22×2.5 mm); 10-fuel tank (2.5 l polyethylene canister); 11-control elements of the tracked unit (on the left: clutch handle and gearbox switch, on the right - pelvis handle); 12-steering wheel (from any brand of moped); 13- fuel tank support (steel strip 2 mm thick); 14-fuel tap with sump (from any moped); 15-fuel line; 16-drive shaft bushing; 17- hook; 18-sleeve (piece of rubber hose); 19-outer cheek of the wheel (duralumin sheet 3 mm thick); 20-washer; 21-fork washers; 22-pin; 23-drive shaft (steel pipe diameter 30×2.5 mm); 24-flange (steel sheet 3 mm thick); 25-pin (steel bar dia. 10 mm); 26-inner cheek of the wheel (duralumin sheet 3 mm thick); 27-rear drive wheel; 28 control system cables; 29-track drive chain; 30-rear engine mount (steel sheet 2.5 mm thick); 31-engine type B-50; 32-muffler (thin-walled steel cylindrical container 0130 mm with holes 20 mm in diameter); 33-lower part of the frame (steel pipe 30×2 mm); 34-front driven shaft bushing; 35-bolts M8x55 mm with nuts; 36,40 - bushings; 37-bearing; 38-adapter; 39-bushing; 41-bushing; 42-drive chain sprocket; 43-rubber-fabric tape (thickness 6 mm, width 220 mm).