Sled history March 11, 2026 05:26AM
The Breaking Barriers interview with Ed Hart talked a bit about sled development. Hart mentioned a guy named Billy Watkins, a patent, and lawsuit.

Was Watkins design the same basic principle as modern sleds, or was it a specific sled different from what we see today?

They also mentioned Landoll sleds. I am vaguely familiar with these. Did this type fall out of use because it didn't perform as well? Is anyone on here old enough to have hooked to a Landoll-type sled?
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Re: Sled history March 11, 2026 09:45AM
Here is a link to some pictures of tractors pulling a Landoll sled.

There was a sled pan that the Landoll sled was hooked to.

A heavy tractor was put on the trailer, and as it went down the track, the wheels on the sled went forward.

[www.redpowermagazine.com]
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Re: Sled history March 11, 2026 01:43PM
On a Landoll the wheels on the trailer moved to the rear which transferred the weight to the pan. After the run a winch returned the wheels into a position to the front of the trailer almost touching the rear of the pan. Larger and heavier tractors were loaded onto the trailer to increase the weight for the heavier/more powerful classes.
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Re: Sled history March 12, 2026 01:01AM
There's quite a bit of footage on dylans yt channel of landoll being used
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Re: Sled history March 12, 2026 08:29AM
You are correct, my head was running backward when I posted. Beer
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Re: Sled history March 11, 2026 12:30PM
I have never hooked to a Landoll sled but I got to see several in use in the 1970's.
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Re: Sled history March 13, 2026 01:53AM
Interesting post, I've said for years that the modern sled is far and away the biggest development in the sport. They make or break the show, they let each class get good ground speed going down the track and then they stop them around the 320 foot mark. The tremendous HP that they are able to control is amazing. Couple that with their reliability and appearance it certainly is one of the biggest part of any pulling event. Hat's off to sled builder's and operator's.


Dick Morgan

www.PULLOFF.com
Independent Pulling News
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Re: Sled history March 13, 2026 06:08AM
Anyone remember what the royalty fee was ??
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Re: Sled history March 13, 2026 01:50AM
Watkins sled was a Ford cabover semi truck with a kingpin on the bottom of the front axle that went into a fifth wheel on the pan. To return to the start, the fifth wheel was unhooked, he backed the sled to the starting line pulling the pan with chains attached to the truck. The weight box was mounted behind the cab and moved forward to weight the pan.
At least that's the way I remember it. Saw it a couple of times when I was a kid.
Every sled operator paid Watkins a royalty for the length of the patent.
I've pulled a Landoll style sled quite a few times, Glenn Orr's, then Darrel Ruffcorn's Golden Goose. Could get pretty hairy with the high center of gravity from having a tractor sitting on the trailer.
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Re: Sled history March 13, 2026 04:46AM
Sled guys that could prove they had a sled that advanced the weight by ground drive before the Watkins lawsuit didn't have to pay the royalty.
Stan Burton never had to pay because he had proof his sled had been built before the lawsuit.
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Re: Sled history March 13, 2026 07:34AM
You'd think that if ANYONE could prove they were doing it before him then it would have been considered prior art and NO ONE would have to pay.
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Re: Sled history March 13, 2026 04:02PM
I agree.
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Re: Sled history March 17, 2026 03:24AM
Would that be Stan Burton of the old Goshen Ruritan Club ?
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Re: Sled history March 17, 2026 07:47AM
Nope.
Stan Burton from Iowa.
Stan's Steel Mule.
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