I've been messing with the Model T tractor / doodlebug I picked up. My hope is to get some reel mowers for it and let it do something constructive. What little I've run it around the yard it has become clear that high gear is too fast. I can see that trying to run the thing for any significant amount of time holding down on the low speed pedal will get old real quick.
Did any of the doodlebug conversions come with a lever on anything like that to hold it in low?
Todd - is your doodlebug homemade or an actual conversion kit? If it's homemade, how many transmissions do you have in it?
Reason I ask - I have not come across a conversion kit that has lever for low. Normally the size of the bull gear compensates to reduce the speed. But if you have a homemade machine with a second transmission dropped in, you should be able to find a gear combination that puts your "Ford high" at a slow enough speed for the mowers.
My Model A doodlebug and my Model AA doodlebug both have two transmissions (2 three-speed and 2 four speed respectively) and I can lug both down ridiculously slow through various combinations.
Just remembered - you have that fantastic tractor made by a factory night shift in the 40s.
Yeah, it's the "night shift" tractor. It just has the single transmission. Does your tractor have a single transmission or two? I also think that most of the kits have have a greater gear reduction in the wheel ring gear (for lack of any better term coming to mind). I did not think to count the teeth on the wheel ring gear when I had it opened up.
The wheel ring gear is the "bull gear" I refer to above. Mine only has the one transmission - it's reduction comes from the large bull gear.
Bull gear - yep, that's what I mean.