The TerraGator is one of the cooler pieces of farm machinery out there. Developed in the 1960s and hitting the market in the early 1970s the massive three wheeled machines are known as some of the most capable in the world at spraying fields with liquids or applying dry products via a massive hopper and spreader. We have never seen one of these behemoths outfitted with a classic truck body but the one starring in this video sure has been. The telltale IH stickers and the shape of the cab doors tell us that this is an old International pickup truck body. The fact that is has been so nicely mounted on a chassis that normally contains a big tractor cab and other stuff means that the builder really took some time and care to get it right.
So what is powering this thing? Well if it is stock (and we say that because of the Cummins sticker on it) there is a 598ci, inline seven cylinder engine providing the umph. The turbo diesel makes some 452hp at full song and creates a ground pounding 1,416 lb-feet of torque at 1,500 rpm. You will see and hear this thing get loaded down as the weight box comes forward on the sled and it sounds great when it is working. The transmission (again, if stock) is a massive CVT and we think that unit is still present because of how linear the power application is here. No shifting gears, no surging engine, just a mill that is in the power the whole way down.
The best part of this video for us is the end when the three wheeled machine digs in and pulls a couple of static wheelies after the sled has ground the whole works to a halt. If this doesn’t make you smile you are lacking a soul!
