Wow, I see my tractor pictured.
Yes, I built the frame from scratch with various sizes of angle iron. Yep, it would have been a lot easier to use an existing tractor frame, but I wanted a challenge and wanted to make something that could look old. The other parts where from people selling bits and pieces on ebay. I didn't harm any cubs in its construction. It has a fully functioning hydraulic cub style lift in the back.
The front axle is from a Case garden tractor.
The rear wheels are from a JD plow.
The rear transaxle is a peerless 4 speed from a Gilson tractor.
The steering wheel is a new Ford tractor wheel.
The steering tie rods and drag link is from an Alice Chalmers garden tractor.
The steering box and shaft is from a JD (same as cubs). The hydraulic ram and controls are from a cub.
The gas "tank" below the mixer is a carb bowl from an McCormick Deering 15-45 (or bigger), so I can climb hills and maintain the proper mix at all times. The rear tank was a scrap McCormick Deering 10-20 tank that I repaired.
I have used it to plow, disk, grade (dirt, snow, gravel), etc.
It has a surprising amount of power as the engine has 17.5 ft/lb of torque so it feels like it has 10hp of power. The engine is a throttle governed 2hp dishpan Fairbanks Morse Z. I've put in new bearings, reringed it, put in a new intake valve, put in a new governor bracket and had the magneto rebuilt. I am not afraid to use it hard, which I do on many occasions.
The frame has never bent even though I have bend and snapped (unintentionally) tillage equipment while busting roots and such. I would like to run it in a tractor pull to see how well it would do.
It is a fun tractor to use and drive.