Tractor Pulling By John Sulzbach, Killingworth CT

Introduction

Having served as the plant manager of Astroseal Products for 10 years, John Sulzbach oversees the manufacture of lightning protection products for the aerospace industry. A resident of Killingworth, CT, John Sulzbach also enjoys hobbies such as garden tractor pulling.

Popular in the United States, Australia, Brazil, and Europe, tractor pulling involves using a tractor to drag a sled on a 330-foot-long track. Victory goes to the driver who pulls the sled the farthest. The pulling of the sled includes a process called weight transfer, by which a weight on the sled transfers to its front section.

Tractor Pulling

This creates resistance, making the sled progressively harder to pull. The tractors modified for this purpose can produce more than 10,000 horsepower.

Garden tractor pulling works the same way but on a smaller scale. The track is shorter—between 150 and 250 feet long—and the sled weighs at least 6,000 pounds. Competition classes are based on weight, horsepower, modifications to the motor, and tire style; there is even a class for children. The size of the winner’s purse depends on the amount that organizers take in entry fees.