Project Bullwinkle

A drifting lawnmower built from a John Deere GT262.

A woman riding a green and yellow John Deere GT262 lawn tractor on a well-maintained grassy lawn, with plants and bushes in the background.

The John Deere GT262

The GT262 was manufactured and mass-produced in the early 90’s. It has a 48” deck, a 6-speed transmission, and a whopping 17hp engine.

Any parts that I’ve had to replace on this guy have been extremely easy to find and install.

I’m convinced this machine could run on Legos, deer piss, and the stubborn will to survive. It’s an absolute unit.l

An open magazine showing an article about John Deere GT Series lawn tractors. The left page displays a picture of a green John Deere GT235 tractor with a cart attached, surrounded by a garden. The right page shows a woman weeds in her garden, a boy riding a small tractor, and an image of a small engine and a hydrostatic transmission system with descriptive text.

Why is it called “Bullwinkle”?

There’s a rare disease that enlarges the snout of a deer. Hunters call it “Bullwinkle”.

It’s weird and no one knows what causes it which is similar to how the general public feels about building racing lawnmowers as a hobby.

More Bullwinkle

If you want to read more about our experience building Bullwinkle so far, check out the latest update.