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University of Wyoming

Ag ed tractor wins international competition awards

   Several factors made the Cowboy State Pullers’ entry in the eighth 1/4-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition unique in the field – none of them more unique than the design team itself and the ultimate purpose of the machine they created from raw materials.

   Alone in a field of engineers, UW’s team members came from the College of Education’s agricultural education program and built their entry with teaching and learning in mind, a distinction that drew the attention and public praise of event organizers.

   More than 30 universities from the U.S. and Malaysia entered student-built, 1/4-scale tractors for this year’s competition, sponsored by the American Society for Agricultural Engineers, in June. The UW team received the “Outstanding Teamwork” and “Outstanding Craftsmanship” awards at the culminating banquet.

   Four team members and faculty sponsor Carl Reynolds made the trip to Moline, Ill.: Billy McKim, Laramie; Travis Grubb, Buffalo; Sally Cannon, Torrington; and JD. Flitner, Mountain View.

    UW’s design team built the tractor as a teaching tool to be shared with high school students around the state. Agricultural education teachers will be invited to borrow the tractor – and lesson plans developed by team members – to demonstrate a range of systems and components commonly found on farm and ranch machinery.

   “We have principal systems, but they have somewhat complex components,” McKim says. The tractor offers significantly greater access to those components than would be possible on a typical working vehicle.”

   Because it’s a teaching tool, the pint-sized machine packs more into a smaller space than its full-sized counterparts.

   “It’s not very common to see airbags on a tractor, but we felt that was important,” McKim says. “Most heavy trucks and semis use airbag systems.”

The competition included two field trials, pulling and maneuverability. For the former, the UW team chose a low and wide base. A low profile would be problematic for the latter competition, so the crew added an on-board air compressor system to raise and narrow the chassis.

   Designing and building MAML (Mobile Agricultural Mechanics Laboratory) offered lessons beyond hydraulics, though.

   “This project taught us a lot about how to build stuff, but it also taught us a lot about public relations skills,” McKim says, referring to ongoing efforts to identify sponsors and round up the resources needed to bring the project to completion.

   Persuasiveness, and a lot of ingenuity, made the dream a reality, according to McKim. The team received an engine and four tires from event sponsors. Obtaining the remaining materials for their designs was a team responsibility, made easier by several generous local and national donors who provided cash or in-kind support.

   “It’s been a matter of finding what we can get at a reasonable price, and building our own components,” he says. “We’ve incorporated as many of our own components as possible – probably three-quarters of this, we built ourselves.”