How to Build a Lawnmower Ramp
The tools and material I used for the job were:
Tools
Pencil
Tape measure
Hand or circular saw
Drill and drill bits
Adjustable wrench
Eye goggles
Materials
A ramp kit that I picked up from my local hardware store. It included everything I needed except for the boards the mower would use to ride on when getting on and off of the truck. Boards as indicated in the ramp kit instructions. I went with slightly wider boards for added safety.
To start the job I first had to decide on my ramp length. I measured the height of the back of my pickup truck hatch when in the down position (29.5 inches in my case) and then multiplied that by 3.9 to determine the length of the ramp board (in inches).
29.5 X 3.9 = 115 inches (rounded number). This is the length of my ramp boards. Now I picked up 10 foot boards so I did not have much waste. It is important to make sure the ramp is the minimum length indicated in the calculation so the boards will be at an angle that is not too steep.
Once I had the board length, I cut both boards with the circular saw.
I then inserted the boards into the manufactured top piece and marked for the bolts that fasten the top piece to the board. The drill made quick and easy holes for the bolts to fit.
I used the bolts that came with the kit to join the top pieces to the boards making sure that the head of the bolt was on the top of the ramp.
Next I followed the kit directions to mark and drill the holes into my truck hatch to allow the pins to hold the ramp in place.
The last step was to coat the boards with non skid paint. I picked up that at the hardware store.
One final note on safety, you never want to drive the lawnmower up the ramp. I don't have a winch so my son and I pushed the mower up into the truck.
Published by Kevin Flynn
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