A SOS tranny rebuilder....

[Kaliburz]

Any one hear anything about this place?

Arthurs Tractors -- Ford Tractor Restoration

Not sure how long the website has been up, I know I didn't run across it last year Googling SOS trannies....

Figure I'd ask about it....

 

[Soundguy]

I've bought a few things from him.. I see he advertises in many ford specific publications. Can't tell you about his sos work as I don't have any SOS trannied tractors...

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Forgot to add.. if you can still get in ouch with Ralph alexander ( he used to advertise in many old tractor magazines ).. you might ask him about AT/SOS trannies see if he knows anything about their tranny work.

Gues you could also call AT and ask for a person or two's contact info that they have done SOS work on..??

Soundguy

 

[Kaliburz]

Thanks Soundguy. Figured I'd ask here..... see if anyone has heard of them.

I might shoot an email off.... just for the sake of asking info. I'm sure they've handled SOS's out of grape harvesters similar (if not identical) to mine. They are located in PA, and I know the Tri state area was where these old beasts were manufactured. I'm wondering if they 'repair' worn input shafts like the local guy does or have a stash..... (curious)

Granted, I did get my old SOS rebuilt (sitting in the barn) by the same folks I bought the 'rebuilt' tranny that is in the machine right now. The one in it runs perfect.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Do you have a grape harvester or are you just referring to them? The only ones I can think of that might have SOS trannies would have been the Chisholm Ryders and if memory serves me right they were made in Niagra Falls, NY. There use to be a lot of them around here but now Korvan and Gregorie are replacing them on farms. All the old harvesters are either being sold to small farms or parked in the barn as a backup. My friend kept his to work the double curtains so he didn't have to adjust the Korvan depending on where he is picking.

If you do own a grape harvester, where are you located and do you own a vineyard or do you just collect different machines.

I had a Ford 4000 with the SOS tranny and I enjoyed it. The tractor needed a ton of work though to get up to working condition and I was not in the mood to sink that much into it so I traded it for the TN. It started up on the first turn of the engine every time and the tranny never gave me any trouble. But the hydraulics left a lot to be desired.

If you do need a SOS tranny rebuilt do make sure you talk to a few recent customers of the shop you take it to.

 

[Kaliburz]

Robert_in_NY,

I have a Chisholm Ryder and pick grapes (not much, prob. 150 acres total- I do custom harvesting too). It's actually one of the first ones brought to Washington state, from what I've been told. I'm guessing it was one of the first 5 machines here. It's a 1968/1969 model year based on the SOS ID numbers. And it's been picking grapes ever since then..... I'm the 3rd owner- well 4th if you count the guy the original owner had to repo it from.

And her top end has been completely rebuilt. I posted here last year on the saga of changing an engine up top. The old 3000 diesel was worn, compression was WAY below spec- and upon inspection of the engine, a wrist pin had come loose also- left a nice scratch in the bore (or maybe in the past and someone just let it go- not sure). Any how, she has a Ford/NH 4630 engine in it right now (so should be about 50-55HP at the PTO) and a fresh rebuilt SOS (the old one had input shaft wear and it turns out, the PTO clutches were going bad- they found out when they took her apart).

The place I got the tranny rebuilt has a great reputation. The gentleman that owns/runs the place was a former Ford tech (mechanic) back in the early 1970's. As he says, he was sent to school by Ford to work on the Select-O-Speeds. Here's his website: Home
They 'always' have a SOS tranny instock....for those times during harvest when a picker goes TU. Last year, I ended up buying their tranny before the season started (so they were w/out). The machine came w/ a spare (suppose to have been rebuilt), but after getting it install w/ the new engine.... somethign went wrong. Turns out someone forgot a small part in the bellhousing, so that's why the small oil line came out...forgot the retainer of all things! The other thing was, the PTO clutches on that spare went were bad. Who ever fixed it before only looked at what was broken...didn't inspect the whole tranny.

Ask your friend if he's done any business with DW's Motor Machine- Located in Grandview, WA. From what I've heard, people from all over the country seem to call on him for parts.

Oh, also, would you mind asking your friend if he's ever had any lower axle issue with his Chisholm Ryder. From what I have heard, some machines always have an issue w/ breaking axles, while others have not. I broke my first this year... but the last owner, I know of it breaking at least 2 other times (once while they were harvesting at my place a few years back). I'm just wondering what folks in your area are doing for parts or if there is anyone else besides DW selling parts (lower/upper axles I'm wondering). Those axles are all custom built now..... Better to have lots of options.

Too bad no one from California frequents this section. I'm wondering if anyone does stuff for these old beasts there......

(I know of two other Chisholm Ryders for sale here....one has the International Hydro tractor on top and the other is a Ford unit. But overall, there are TONS of Chisholms here still. Some are still being brought up from California to replace worn out machines- I say abused machines.)

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I will ask but I am fairly certain the dealers here stock a lot of parts for these old machines since there were so many at one time. Now the Korvans are taking over and if I recall I think they are coming from your way. Funny how things turn around.

If I recall right my friends old machine has the Ford motor for a power unit but not like yours. It is just the motor mounted in a cage. My other neighbor use to have one with the Ford mounted on top like yours but that machine had seen better days I think he still has it but I don't talk with him very often. The last International mounted unit that I knew of was traded in on a Korvan but it might be in the Westfield area of WNY somewhere.

I like these old Chisholm's but if you ever get a chance to run a Korvan it is like night and day. My daughter rode along this year and was scared a little as she is only 3 and I had her stand at the front glass of the cab (it leans out) and tried to get her to lean forward to see the grapes go under the machine. She lost her nerve so she sat back down.

I at one time tried to find out how many different brands of grape harvesters were made and back in the 70's there were a lot of different brands. Over here we have Mecca, Pic-Ryte, Chisholm Ryder, Braud, Gregorie and Korvan now. There might be one or two brands I have forgot but in Michigan there were quite a few different brands then what we had here.

Anyway, I will ask about the Chishoms in this area and see if I can help you with your questions any. Have fun.

 

[Kaliburz]

I did some online searching and the Pic-Ryte seems to pop up as a harvester made here in WA state. Wish I could get a picture to pull up, but the website didn't load right.

I know of two models of Chisholm Ryders. One was the original model that had a tractor mounted on top and had chains driving the wheels (either a Ford or an International). The second model was called the 800 and it had an engine mounted on the left side right over the rear wheel. It was 100% hydrostatic drive. I was told that originally, the diesel they put was an air cooled Dutz (spelling) engine. It's entirely possible that when the engine died, they put a Ford in (or any other diesel they could muster in there). From the few I've seen, they are the cat's meow and I'd love to get one.

There was another harvester I know of, but I'm not sure what the name is. Another farmer up the road has one and it was the oddest thing I've ever seen. It is another local built machine (from the early 70's I think)- the front axle 'spindle' is the single front axle unit from a large John Deere tractor!

Oh, I'm sure you also have Upright grape harvesters. They were either blue and yellow or all yellow in color. Can't miss those..... discharge belt is in the VERY front.

Funny thing about the Korvans. Some time ago, when I was in college (I'm a young pup), one of the classes I took actually toured the Korvan factory in 1998 (or might have been fall of 97...can't recall which). Any how, I was able to see their prototype harvester and I can tell you that their early ones were no where like the one they had. Korvan builds blueberry, raspberry, etc harvesters. Their main picking head is similar to those hairbrushes that are cylindercal in shape and has bristles all the way around them. The 'head' vibrates up and down to pick the blueberrys. Any how, the first prototype or two used this head. I looked at it and shook my head, told a few class mates they were trying to redo the wheel.....and that would NEVER work. And what did they end up with...a similar system that was designed back in the 1960s. I'd love a Korvan.... but I don't have enough acerage to justify something that expensive.... I'm good at keeping equipment running. It maybe old, but it's nothing that can't be kept going....

I uploaded a pic of my old beast. The other pic is what the input shaft looked like after we got the engine out last year. This might be hard to believe, but the original owner's grandson and I know each other and we calculated that old girl probably has somewhere between 15,000-20,000 hours on it. Yes, THOUSANDs. His late grandfather told him it use to run w/ two crews- about 20 hours a day all season in the early years. Only time it was turned off was to fuel it and to change the engine oil weekly.

(Another farmer I know wants to sell an IH powered Chisholm....retiring. Wants $4K for it....another one wants to sell their for powered one...but not sure what they want for it.)

If ya can ask, see if anyone knows of a Chisholm Ryder grape harvester "junk yard". I wouldn't mind picking up an extra item or two. (There's prob. a few in CA, but since they originated in the NY, maybe there might be some there....)

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Here is a pic of the International version of the C-R. I am also adding a pic of the Gregorie G120sw for fun. If I find my pics of the other harvesters I will post them for you. I have them as they are my friends machines but I can't find them in this maze of about 15k digitial pictures

I have seen the other Korvan harvesters on their website. There are a lot of amazing harvesters out there and Oxbo seems to be trying to buy them all up. There is a local farmer who builds onion harvesters up north of here using the same JD harvester cabs as Korvan. I think Oxbo bought Korvan also or are partners with them as my friends Korvan has Oxbo on it also.

Most of the farmers who have grape harvesters that are no longer useful just park them in the weeds behind their barns in case they have a project in the future. I have never seen a grape harvester junkyard here in NY or even heard of one but when I talk to my friends I will ask them about it.

Oh yeah, here is a pic of my friends Korvan harvesting our small vineyard we just aquired. This vineyard has been neglected for a lot of years as the farmer tried to squeak every last dime out of it he could. The worse part is trying to get the weeds under control as I don't ever recall the weeds being sprayed before. Hopefully this year we can keep the weeds down now that we can get an early start on the farm. Last year it seemed like we were running behind from the get go (well, actually we were because the deal wasn't finalized until late).

 

[Kaliburz]

Nice pics!

Mainly the newer machines are being bought by wineries around here. Most of the time, you have to be REALLY big or have LOTS of tons to pick before a small guy gets a machine...... Recently, a 98 Korvan went up for sale here, along w/ the entire harvesting operation. All equipment was new as of 98 (except the semi trailers).