Garden Tractor Puller - Geo - Modified John Deere 140

This garden tractor puller, nicknamed Geo, started with a John Deere 140 garden tractor and a trip to the salvage yard for a Geo Metro 3 cylinder car engine with only 4000 miles on it We removed the engine in the John Deere 140 garden tractor and the Geo engine was mounted ahead of the hydrostatic transmission. A gas peddle was installed so it could be driven just like a car. We converted the engine from fuel injection to a 4 barrel carburetor. Three single pipes were installed for the exhaust system so it could breath better. The engine ran about 6000 RPM.

We used this tractor for garden tractor pulling. Needless to say, when running this tractor down the blacktop in a tractor pull the tires would be squealing the entire way.

A clipart was made for us to use as our logo from a professional photograph taken of the Geo while it was still in use as a garden tractor puller.

Later the GEO engine was also installed in a John Deere 317 garden tractor and used as a garden tractor puller.

I have been trying to find an actual picture of the Geo but the only pictures we had were in the shop and got lost in the shop fire.

Click this link for a video clip of the John Deere 317 version of the Geo on YouTube This video was taken in 1992

This is another video of the John Deere 317 "Geo" taken about a month later.

Our shop is located in Hastings, MN

If you would like to read more about John Deere 140 garden tractors and their history we have an article about them on our web log.

If you would like to talk about building a garden tractor puller of your own or would like us to work on yours, call: 1-800-618-8738 or e-mail jim@jimsrepairjimstractors.com Jim loves to talk about tractor pulling.

Geo Garden Tractor Puller Questions and Answers:

Q: Jim, did you use the tractor as a puller? If so did you have what
might be referred to as transmission slippage? (I guess that would be
at the pump?) I was just curious what you used as driveshaft parts.

I may need to rework the front axle if I do this. The V-4's weigh
about 320 pounds.

A: Yes we used both the 317 and 140 for pulling. The transmissions on both these tractors are very tough and I didn't have any problems with that. I made the driveshaft, it's kind of hard to explain. I got some parts from CATCO (truck PTO parts), had some here, some I have machined special for whatever I'm doing. Of course each engine install needs something different.

I think your front axle could take the weight but might be in the way.