# Building a homemade Prowler sled



## Marat (Oct 15, 2009)

I'd like to own a Prowler 2. Here is some additional information on it from Dave Tate: The Prowler. However, I don't particularly want to spend $500 on one. I feel like one can be built for a lesser cost.

I did a little bit of searching around the internet and I found some ideas in this thread.

Here's also a picture from another person that made one: 









Anyone have any ideas or fabrication tips?


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## suprfast (Oct 15, 2009)

That looks like 50.00 worth of parts, nothing more.  I dont know what is on the bottom so the price could fluctuate some.  She be an easy build if you can work a chop saw, or have a friend that can work one.  

Draw a diagram out and take the dimensions to home depot/lowes and they can even cut the pieces for you and you just assemble when you get home.  
Most important part should be recessing the bolt heads on the bottom so it will slide


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## tucker01 (Oct 15, 2009)

Looks pretty basic

4x4s for the sled rails

2x 6's for the support.

1" thick plywood for the box

and some plumbing supplies for the Rails.

Everything at Home Depot.


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## suprfast (Oct 15, 2009)

not to sound like a newb, but what is the purpose of the sled?  What workouts can be done with it, and how is it beneficial.  Take it easy on me


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## Marat (Oct 15, 2009)

suprfast said:


> not to sound like a newb, but what is the purpose of the sled?  What workouts can be done with it, and how is it beneficial.  Take it easy on me



Asking questions is a good thing.

It's fantastic for GPP (general physical preparation) and cardio/metabolic work. 


Here's Joe DeFranco talking about it for a minute:





YouTube Video











Check out some of the other videos on YouTube about it. 

Here's also a short writeup from Dave Tate:
The Prowler


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## Marat (Oct 15, 2009)

IainDaniel said:


> Looks pretty basic
> 
> 4x4s for the sled rails
> 
> ...



Good stuff, thank you. I was thinking about what to put on the bottom of the sled rails. I'm assuming that the wood would scrape off on its own, and metal plates would probably be too loud against pavement. Perhaps some sort of plastic like material?


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## tucker01 (Oct 15, 2009)

Metal won't be that noisy.  The wood would deaden the sound from it.

U could just leave it as wood, would provide more resistance.  Either way I figure just a 4 x 4 would be easier to replace and keep then figuring out how to attach the steel plate. and replacing of it.


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## tucker01 (Oct 15, 2009)

Oh and everything will have to be bolted together... no screws. And I would use nylock nuts.


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## Marat (Oct 15, 2009)

Thanks, that all sounds good. I have limited fabrication experience, so any of these little tips are fantastic.


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## maniclion (Oct 15, 2009)

This one looks better and a bit cheaper...






Plus it has those high density plastic slides on the base so you could use it on cement....looks like he cut 2 cutting boards and stacked them to get thickness


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## suprfast (Oct 15, 2009)

I would assume you can use a thick plastic cutting board for the bottom
kris


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## Marat (Oct 15, 2009)

maniclion, I saw that one. I'm actually thinking it's looking better than the one I originally posted.


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## Marat (Oct 15, 2009)

This is a pretty good looking one. I think I may try to make one similar to this but perhaps change the 'feet' to wooden/plastic ones.






YouTube Video


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## suprfast (Oct 15, 2009)

Why do i have a feeling my neighbors wouldnt like me pushing this down the street.

I think im going to build one anyways.


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## Marat (Oct 15, 2009)

suprfast said:


> I think im going to build one anyways.



No first hand experience with one yet, but people seem to love them.


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## Marat (Oct 18, 2009)

I think that building an homemade econo prowler might be a bit easier.


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## Marat (Oct 20, 2009)

Started fabrication of the econo prowler today, I'll put up pictures when it's completed


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## The Monkey Man (Oct 20, 2009)

What does Pskunk use at his gym?


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## danzik17 (Oct 20, 2009)

m11 said:


> Started fabrication of the econo prowler today, I'll put up pictures when it's completed



Definitely.  Please do a review of how well it works too, I'd love to have my own Prowler (but don't want to drop 500$ on it).


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## Marat (Oct 20, 2009)

danzik17 said:


> Definitely.  Please do a review of how well it works too, I'd love to have my own Prowler (but don't want to drop 500$ on it).



Sure thing. It probably won't be pretty and my fabricating skills leave something to be desired, but it'll probably cost a total of about $100.


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## Hoglander (Oct 20, 2009)

I've got this wheelbarrow with a flat tire that I've been filling with sod as I expand my perennials. The compost pile is a good 150 yards away. I was going to pump up the tire but that would be to easy. Plus, it's like a free $500. Maybe $700 because of the upper body work.

SWEET!


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## John2009 (Nov 29, 2009)

Anyone use a cutting board or something similar on the wood runners to help from chopping up the wood?  I found a source on-line for 1 inch thick cutting boards called the Cutting Board Factory (I'm a new forum member and the system would not let me post a link).  Look around their site for the workhorse series.


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## TodayFitness (Jan 23, 2010)

*Trex Decking for the runners?*

Great ideas all... I'm thinking that some composite decking scraps (Trex) would be a better option than cutting boards.  I'm looking forward to making one of these bad boys... Thanks!


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## DaMayor (Jan 23, 2010)

When we had horses, I used to push the Round Bales (of Hay) around. This is inexpensive, and as time goes on the bales get rained on, thereby becoming heavier, so you're always increasing your load.


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## maniclion (Jan 23, 2010)

Hoglander said:


> I've got this wheelbarrow with a flat tire that I've been filling with sod as I expand my perennials. The compost pile is a good 150 yards away. I was going to pump up the tire but that would be to easy. Plus, it's like a free $500. Maybe $700 because of the upper body work.
> 
> SWEET!


Actually that sounds like a much smarter method of building one of these, put wheels on it and adjust resistive loads by decreasing tire pressure, plus you don't have to worry about tear up the yard or leaving white streaks of plastic on the street.....


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## Marat (Jan 23, 2010)

Here it is.


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## maniclion (Jan 24, 2010)

You put lateral strains on those bolts they're going to bend and maybe snap if of inferior quality....


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## Doublebase (Jan 24, 2010)

maniclion said:


> You put lateral strains on those bolts they're going to bend and maybe snap if of inferior quality....



Noticed that as well.  Maybe they are forged steel?


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## maniclion (Jan 24, 2010)

Doublebase said:


> Noticed that as well.  Maybe they are forged steel?


Cold-forged most likely, as most bolts are.  It's just not good design practice to leave the fastening parts open like that, he's going to put a lot of strain on the bolt and the wood.


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## Marat (Jan 24, 2010)

It's holding up for now, but I wouldn't be surprised if it falls apart at any moment. 

No manufacturing experience for me --- I just slapped it together.


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## Doublebase (Jan 25, 2010)

m11 said:


> It's holding up for now, but I wouldn't be surprised if it falls apart at any moment.
> 
> No manufacturing experience for me --- I just slapped it together.



Just call it version 1


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## MARKHALL (Mar 16, 2010)

I want to see the prowler pics


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## MARKHALL (Mar 16, 2010)

i want to see the prowler pics


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## MARKHALL (Mar 16, 2010)

i m new to the site and want to see the prowler pics


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## MARKHALL (Mar 16, 2010)

new to the site
mark


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## jpmac22 (Mar 20, 2010)

Hi, not an engineer but I would think the wood would be better against concrete; what ever comes off due to friction would wash away in the rain. Plastic on the bottom might/would melt off, stink or be toxic and might take longer to wash away. I'm thinking of trying both anyway. 
I have kindorf (the stuff you attach light fixtures to) lying around, I'll use that for something to push/handles.


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## John2009 (Mar 21, 2010)

jpmac22 said:


> Hi, not an engineer but I would think the wood would be better against concrete; what ever comes off due to friction would wash away in the rain. Plastic on the bottom might/would melt off, stink or be toxic and might take longer to wash away. I'm thinking of trying both anyway.
> I have kindorf (the stuff you attach light fixtures to) lying around, I'll use that for something to push/handles.



I built one using cutting board material, it doesn't appear to scrape off excessively.


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## njstrongman32 (Mar 27, 2010)

*easy, cheap prowler*

hey guys, i saw all of your ideas and went out and bought everything and built my prowler in about an hour and a half with my dad. total costs were a little over 40$ and works great! ill be posting a video on youtube so everyone can take a look


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## njstrongman32 (Mar 27, 2010)

the video is on my youtube channel, njstrongman32... check it out! i think it will really help anyone trying to make a very versatile and cheap prowler


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## Thermulus (Jun 6, 2010)

*Homemade Prowler*

I've been wanting one of these bad boys for a while. I might have gone with the asking price ($350 or so) but the added $175 for shipping did me in. Decided to try to build my own. I am real lucky because I have a buddy that is a design engineer and also has access to some really good welders. I never could find any real good specs on the original *prowler* so we just guessed and also added a couple of extras just to be different. Of course I could paint it myself for cheap but will probably have it powder coated just because. I've got about $100 of materials and PC will be around $150, still way less than $525 or so for the original. I believe the original *Prowler* weighs in at around 75 lbs and our weighs just over 100 lbs. I wanted it to be beefy but that is stout. Half the fun was doing it ourselves but it does take longer and has some extra hassle involved. Anyway I am about to get my son who is going into his senior year of football introduced to the "Homemade" *Prowler* Flu  ... lol!!!
I will try to include some pics and maybe some more after it gets painted.


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## Doublebase (Jun 6, 2010)

Thermulus said:


> I've been wanting one of these bad boys for a while. I might have gone with the asking price ($350 or so) but the added $175 for shipping did me in. Decided to try to build my own. I am real lucky because I have a buddy that is a design engineer and also has access to some really good welders. I never could find any real good specs on the original *prowler* so we just guessed and also added a couple of extras just to be different. Of course I could paint it myself for cheap but will probably have it powder coated just because. I've got about $100 of materials and PC will be around $150, still way less than $525 or so for the original. I believe the original *Prowler* weighs in at around 75 lbs and our weighs just over 100 lbs. I wanted it to be beefy but that is stout. Half the fun was doing it ourselves but it does take longer and has some extra hassle involved. Anyway I am about to get my son who is going into his senior year of football introduced to the "Homemade" *Prowler* Flu  ... lol!!!
> I will try to include some pics and maybe some more after it gets painted.



Looks awesome.  Now have fun puking after you use it


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## Thermulus (Jun 6, 2010)

Doublebase said:


> Looks awesome. Now have fun puking after you use it


 
Not me Bro, it's for my son and a few of his brave/crazy friends on the team. We've also got a 410 lb tire he can flip between sets of Prowler pushes. That should give em something to do this summer along with the normal weight training, speed/agility conditioning and 7 on 7 ...


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## Doublebase (Jun 6, 2010)

Now he just needs some of these:


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## Thermulus (Jun 6, 2010)

Gosh dang that sucker is huge!! Looks like you better have it where you want it because it ain't going far. I could hear my wife telling me to get it out of the driveway and put up ... lol


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## Thermulus (Jun 11, 2010)

Here are some pics of the finished homemade Prowler. It cost extra but I am really happy with the way the powder coating turned out.


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## sledder (Aug 28, 2010)

*prowler  construction suggestions*

I'm new to the site and only found your prowler threads while searching for my own way to own a prowler.  May I suggest that you visit a local metal shop where they might have some galvanized steel scraps.  If you go with your sled runner dimensions, they might cut a piece of scrap to size and place drill holes where you need them.  Not too expensive an investment when you consider having to constantly replacing cutting boards and Trex decking that will shred. Some flat head bolts may be a possibility as well.   I started pushing a prowler at age 57 as cardio-prehab.  Lost 75#s so far and am one of *very few* women in my gym that will go near a prowler.  A love/hate relationship fer sure!


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## blastandcruise (Jan 1, 2011)

Thermulus... I tried to PM you but it wont let me due to to low of posts.  Im going to build a prowler and yours is one of the best I've seen.  Do you happen to have any plans/ blueprints you used that you could give me or the dimesions?  any suggestions or changes you wish you had made?

Thanks


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## cdn63 (Mar 5, 2011)

made my prowler the other day....love it!! $80 in material and 3 hours labour and shes all done. Weight is a little on the light side at around 50lbs but that shouldnt be an issue once it gets weighted


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## BlueLineFish (Mar 12, 2011)

Real nice job thermulus.


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## Sleech (Jun 7, 2011)

This forum convinced me to make my own. I had all the wood, just had to go out and buy all the piping. Probably gonna put some cutting board on the bottom to help protect it, so far so good though


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## hbk80rice (Jun 8, 2011)

Big chain


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## tropical2011 (Jun 8, 2011)

Excellent exercise.  This will wear you out! Burn Calories and increase your strenght!


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## BioHazard (Oct 19, 2011)

*My Home Made Sled*

Here is my version of the power sled... My boy (High School Football) said I need to give it a name and sell them, so it is called "THE BOSS" in fact I'm having decals made for it now.
Anyway I decided to redesign the ones I've seen, (it's the Mechanical Engineer in me, cant leave thing alone, always room for improvement).
I have added a third upright so MORE weight can be added and distributed to front skid, also added handles to lift into pickup.
The thing is awesome, everyone that pushes it gets their A** kicked by it and comes back for more.

Here are a few pics of it.


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## NcTo (Oct 19, 2011)

prowler ftw!


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## rju103 (Nov 23, 2011)

BioHazard said:


> Here is my version of the power sled... My boy (High School Football) said I need to give it a name and sell them, so it is called "THE BOSS" in fact I'm having decals made for it now.
> Anyway I decided to redesign the ones I've seen, (it's the Mechanical Engineer in me, cant leave thing alone, always room for improvement).
> I have added a third upright so MORE weight can be added and distributed to front skid, also added handles to lift into pickup.
> The thing is awesome, everyone that pushes it gets their A** kicked by it and comes back for more.
> ...


 
Hey, I'm new to the forum, but am looking to have a local steel welder/fabricator make a prowler for me.  Are you willing to show any schematics/shop drawings with dimensions, steel gauging, etc., that I could provide to him so he could build it?

Thanks a lot...your design is badass.


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