How to Build Wooden Loading Ramps for Garden Tractors

Loading ramps are invaluable when it comes to getting garden tractors in and out of sheds or on and off a trailer. You'll soon find that a ramp may also be used for a number of other purposes, too. Building a loading ramp for up to a 1-foot rise is a fairly simple task and is accomplished with a few carpentry tools, a few pieces of pressure-treated lumber and a few screws.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• 3/4-inch plywood, pressure-treated
• 4-by-4 inch board, pressure-treated
• Circular saw
• 2-inch wood screws

Instructions

1. Determine the length the ramp needs to be. Measure the height of the surface the tractor will be loaded onto. For every 3 inches of height, add 1 foot of length onto the ramp.

2. Cut four sections of 4-by-4 inch board extending the entire length of the ramp. Next, lean all four sections up against the loading surface representing the actual ramp. Position the tops of the boards halfway below the loading surface. Angle and cut the ends sitting on the ground so the tops of the 4-by-4 inch boards are level with the ground. Notch and cut the other end of each 4-by-4 inch board to get the surface of them as close to the loading surface as possible.

3. Cut out a section of plywood, using a width of 4 foot and the length determined in Step 1.

4. Place two 4-by-4 inch boards parallel to each other, equally spaced 4-foot apart from the outer edges. Equally space the other two 4-by-4 inch boards between them. Make sure the angled edges off all pieces face downward.

5. Lay the top of the ramp over the 4-by-4 inch boards and line it up. Drive screws down through the top of the ramp, along all four support beams.

Tips & Warnings

• Be cautious when using power tools.