When life gives you too much juice, make like MacGyver and cut the tractor in half! 
Sound crazy? After learning what Will and Zed from Woodfordia’s mechanical workshop have been up to, it’ll all make sense. 

Woodfordia are proud owners of 2 tractors thanks to generous grants over the years. “Ruth”, our newer, fancier, red tractor, and “Mr Juicy”, our big old orange tractor that leaks a lot. A wearer of many hats, Mr Juicy is the main slasher for the beautiful Woodfordian land (think big lawn mower), the main body for our log splitter and spray tank, a vehicle recoverer for those bogged, and the training vehicle for tractor newbies on site! For many citizens and volunteers of present and past, Mr Juicy would’ve been their first experience in operating a big piece of machinery.  

About a month ago, Mr Juicy became too juicy and was put out of action. As in, its oil leak had turned up a notch and was now getting into parts of the tractor it shouldn’t be. To put a stop to the excessive juice, the team followed the leak from the front diff into the drive shaft tube, then removed said tube in hopes to remove the source. It was then the team discovered that the leak didn’t originate in the drive shaft tube, but from the transmission, which complicated things. 

For those new to tractor business, Mr Juicy is a hydrostatic tractor, and in a hydrostatic tractor, the transmission runs everything.
Buggered transmission = buggered tractor. 

The transmission on a tractor like Mr Juicy is notoriously difficult to access since it can only be reached by completely removing the front part of the tractor. Sadly, a big job like this also meant a big price tag, a price tag we can’t easily afford. Not including parts, the quote was upwards of seven thousand dollars! Mr Juicy had to either be retired or saved another way. 

Though we technically wouldn’t be tractor-less without Mr Juicy thanks to Ruth, Mr Juicy is too valuable to be let go this easy. While Ruth has all the bells and whistles for all professional-tractor-rider needs, it’s way too risky for learners. Woodfordia needs Mr Juicy!  

Luckily, we’ve learned over and over that our best ideas usually arise when we have to make do with what we’ve got and reviving Mr Juicy is no exception. With a bit of creative thinking, planning sketches, team work, and a healthy dash of ambition, Will and his team devised a plan do the repair themselves. 

First, the ballast was removed from the front and then a bespoke frame to support the rear section of the tractor was made. Then, a mounting bracket, complete with bracing for support and legs with wheels for easy moving was made.  

With the front and rear safely supported, it was now time… Mr Juicy was cut in half! Now, the real repairs could begin. 

Getting to the leak was the hard part. Right?  

Mr Juicy’s road to revival isn’t over yet. Keep an eye out for part 2!