This guy turned a lawn mower into an insanely fast drifting machine
Published on Aug 30, 2023 at 4:55 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Aug 30, 2023 at 4:56 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A man has turned an iconic John Deere lawn mower into a surprisingly powerful go-kart.
Dave and Jake, two friends from Michigan, bond over a love of custom-made go-karts, regularly posting their passion projects online.
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They recently went viral for Dave’s build where he revamped a classic John Deere lawnmower, transforming it into a racer that can reach speeds of 41mph.
After being given the lawn mower by Jake, Dave got to work on the transformation, swapping out the engine for a 15-hp Briggs and Stratton engine.
He then lowered the hood of the mower and flipped the wheels to get the proportions just right.
Dave laughs when showing his somewhat messy welding work, and he says it’s probably “not the best but it works.”
With the exterior, however, he’s taken great care to get it looking aesthetically pleasing.
After completing his build, Dave repainted the body in that trademark green, refurbished the yellow seat, and installed a pool ball as the head of the clutch.
While the mower has served him well, only needing a few replacement belts in the past two years, he does have plans to upgrade the kart.
“The biggest complaint I have is how heavy the frame is: this thing is an absolute tank,” he said.
“While it might be nice to rebuild the frame and make it lighter I probably won’t do that until I get a bigger engine,” Dave added.
His advice to anyone who wants to try and make their own go-kart?
“First you need the means for maintenance and to work on your project,” he said.
“Second, you need a place to ride it,” he explained.
Since the John Deere build the friends have turned an old-school Simplicity lawn mower into a real-life Mario Kart vehicle too.
They can regularly be seen drifting one of their many homemade go-karts around their lush backyard and the suburban streets of their neighbourhood.
And before you ask, no they don’t still cut grass.
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Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
