With sweat on their foreheads and cuts and bruises on their knuckles, the team must push ahead to finish what was started. They call themselves the X-team, and they take their work seriously.

The X-team will represent Ohio State as one of 40 teams to compete in the sixth annual Quarter Scale Tractor competition in Quad City, Iowa, Thursday to June 2.

“Something you build is put to test out on the track, and you think it’s the best because you built it,” said Adam Clark, a senior in agricultural engineering. This is his third year on the team.

The competition, held by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, teaches students about the tractor industry.

“The reason this competition is held is to have the students educate the tractor industry on how to maximize horsepower through new designs and modifications, mainly with the transmission and weight transfer,” said Dennis Albery, ACSM adviser at Ohio State.

During the competition the judges go over every aspect of the tractor to see if it’s safe – checking for engine modifications and other problems that could cause disqualification.

The final event is weight pulling, in which teams pull a weight behind the tractor and are judged on distance.

“The pull is the excitement behind the competition. It’s great to see the crowd get into the competition and to have them cheer for a tractor your team built,” Clark said.

Carl Cooper, the machine shop specialist, makes specialty parts when needed. Cooper made aluminum hubs that were placed on the back wheels for lighter weight.

“Students don’t have all the skill necessary, so someone has to teach them how to make the specialty parts,” Cooper said.

Isaac Schroeder, a sophomore in agricultural engineering, is working with the X-team for the first time.

“You get a lot of hands on experience with the team, and the competition is a great way to market yourself to the companies that will be there,” Schroeder said.

The team won $300 last year for most improved tractor, and the winnings went into this year’s fund. Information packets are sent out to the department alumni, companies and manufacturers asking for donations.

Brad Harris, a senior in agricultural engineering, has been on the team four years and is responsible for handling the money.

“I have always been interested in the financial aspect of the team and competition,” Harris said.

The team will use the tractor from last year for the underclassmen and the less experienced team members, and the new tractor will be used by the upperclassmen for the overall competition.

This is the second year for 4-wheel drive. It adds difficulty to the design but gives the team more options.

“When you add a drive wheel up front it is harder to steer and has a smaller turning ratio, but with 4-wheel drive you can add more torque and traction, which is used in the weight-pulling event,” said Matthew Sullivan, an Ohio State Precision Agriculture specialist.

With the competition approaching and the X-team preparing to take home first place, some final adjustments are still being to made to the tractor. Among the adjustments will be stripes added to the gray semi-truck cab to resemble an OSU football helmet and a Woody Hayes bobblehead hood ornament.