How to Build Your First Vehicle

Why a tractor first?

Scrap Mechanic veterans almost always recommend a small tractor as your first vehicle. It is cheap, fast to build, easy to repair, and powerful enough to drag wood, metal and crates from any nearby wreck back to the Mechanic Station. Bikes are faster but flip easily on uneven terrain. Hovercraft require components you do not have yet. The humble tractor is the right answer.

Parts you will need

Build the following parts from the Craftbot before you start:

• 1x Driver Seat
• 1x Battery
• 4x Small Wheel
• 4x Wood Block (4-block wide base, 2 blocks deep)

Total: 9 parts. If you have refined metal, substitute the wood blocks with metal for a longer-lasting vehicle.

Build sequence

1. Place 4 wood blocks in a 2x2 pattern on flat ground. This is the chassis.
2. Attach the Driver Seat to the front-left block. Use F to attach, then click the seat to confirm placement.
3. Place the Battery directly behind the Driver Seat, on the same block face.
4. Attach one Small Wheel to each corner. Each wheel needs a 1-block surface to attach to — if your chassis is wood, the wheels attach directly. If it is metal, you may need to add wheel mounts.
5. Sit in the Driver Seat. Your tractor should immediately become drivable.

This takes roughly 5 minutes once you know the steps.

Common problems and fixes

• Wheels spin but the vehicle does not move. You forgot the Battery. Add one between the seat and the rear axle.
• The vehicle flips on slopes. Lower the centre of gravity by moving the Battery underneath the chassis instead of behind the seat.
• The seat does not attach. You are not in placement mode. Hold F and click the wood block.
• Wheels fall off when driving. Use Small Wheels, not Big Wheels, for the first build — they have a tighter tolerance and stay attached at low speeds.

Upgrading the tractor

Once you have the basics down, upgrade in this order:

1. Replace wood blocks with metal blocks for durability.
2. Add a gas engine for higher top speed.
3. Replace Small Wheels with Big Wheels for off-road grip.
4. Add bearings to allow steering.
5. Add a sensor-triggered horn for fun.

Each upgrade unlocks new gameplay — gas engines let you reach warehouses much faster, and bearings unlock vehicle design tricks.

When to move on to a hovercraft or helicopter

Once you have at least 200 refined metal and 100 components, switch to the vehicle design guide for helicopter and hovercraft blueprints. These are the only vehicles that reach the underground entrances reliably.