Convert a backhole into a tractor?

[Iplayfarmer]

If you're near any kind of agriculture, I bet you have some competition on the bidding. That machine is useful as-is if a guy can get it running (worst case scenario, drop in a working engine). That tractor will load a lot of hay, move a lot of manure, or pull a lot of disc just as it sits. Keep that in mind as others are bidding against you. You have to figure the time and parts to convert it. They are only figuring the time to fix the engine.

 

[Taylortractornut]

The backhoe sub frame mounts by 6 or 8 bolts to the rear frame. Thats a unitized TLB like the newer ones. It probably dosent have a rear pto provision but some of them have had it in the unitized frame versions I know of 2 Fords and 4 MF like that. They were set up for the down pressure 3 point hitches. The 50 had a landscape loader version to. Look at Machinery trader.com under skip loaders there will be some pics. I know of a Case LL480 skip loader that the owner put a hydraulic pto pn from Surplus Center.

 

[fencepost]

If it can be converted I can do it I just need some direction. If I could see how somone done theirs I beleive I could make it work. I had in mind that it might have the plate and all I had to do is come up with the PTO parts and a 3 pnt hitch. I never thought about it but I could build a perch and mount an external PTO box I guess. But how to build the hitch or does somone make one. Theres not a terrible amount of ag around here but there are a hoard of people who if they knew I could make it work would buy it and just let it set behind there barn and say their going to convert that it some day and just use it to move stuff every now and then. I really don't think there's much keeping it from running. If I can get the hitch and pto figured out I'll find out more about it and place an offer. Any places where this has been done (with pics and part numbers)

 

[MarkV]

If you talked to someone who has used it for 23 years it sure looks in better condition than I expected. As far as converting it, well there are a lot of tractors out there that will cost less than the conversion in my opinion.

MarkV

 

[Taylortractornut]

I forgot to add that Gannon made the majority of the of the 3 points. They had a power up and down float, power sidelink and hydraulic top link. I do know they made the majority of the blades that went on them. That unit here would fetch around 4 to 6000 in running order. I bet it just needs a service job and it will be ready. A salvage yard for tractors would buy the backhoe subframe and controls. You cant go wrong with the MF. Dad had several before my time and I know of 2 of them that are still working daily. You would like the industrial 3 point if you went that way. That why so many of them are out there with down pressure you can do some mighty fine grade work.

 

[fencepost]

I forgot to add that Gannon made the majority of the of the 3 points. They had a power up and down float, power sidelink and hydraulic top link. I do know they made the majority of the blades that went on them. That unit here would fetch around 4 to 6000 in running order. I bet it just needs a service job and it will be ready. A salvage yard for tractors would buy the backhoe subframe and controls. You cant go wrong with the MF. Dad had several before my time and I know of 2 of them that are still working daily. You would like the industrial 3 point if you went that way. That why so many of them are out there with down pressure you can do some mighty fine grade work.

Got any leeds on where to start?

 

[markct]

looks like a nice machine, but that said i think if ya want a tractor with 3pt then you would be time and money ahead to go buy one realy. but if ya just wanna put a weight on the back and a hitch it could be very usefull as a heavy duty loader tractor. or maybe modify or build a backhoe to fit, ya have half the work of a homemade backhoe already done!

 

[6011Artist]

My FIL bought an International Industrial broom tractor for 1500.00, no PTO, no lower arms for the 3ph, but the upper arms were there. He drove it home 4 miles and discovered oil running out of the exhaust. Engine needed rebuilding, said he knew that when he bought it. The broom worked but he has no need for the broom.

He rebuilt the motor in his shop for 500.00 plus parts, hired a buddy mechanic to do the work.

I installed the lower arms, chains, leveling box links, got the 3ph working great. Parts were 175.00 about 5 yrs ago. We looked at several salvage yards to get the PTO parts and IF he could find them on the internet in some other salvage yard, they were going to cost 4500.00 for used parts. When I asked about new, he said we didn't even want to hear that price. FIL said he wasn't investing 4500.00 in parts.

His main use for a tractor is for bush hogging and driveway maintenance. He has about 3500.00 total out of pocket spent on a tractor that has no PTO. He could have bought a good used Ferguson To 35 or a MF 135 for about that price range and it would have done everything he needed to do. He didn't research it properly before he invested in it by buying the project.

The cheapest way is not necessarily the cheapest way. Farm type tractor parts usually are NOT intercangeable with Industrial type tractors according to my salvage yard dealer. Finding another tractor that will interchange with his sitting somewhere will be almost impossible.

Now for the icing on the cake. 2 weeks ago his grandson was pulling up stumps and brush with a sub soiler attached by the 3ph. He spun a bearing on the crankshaft, (they think). Anyway, lots of money spent, no tractor to do the work.

Call a salvage yard and price the parts to convert it BEFORE you start bidding. Or buy it with the idea of fixing it and trading it off to someone needing a loader tractor. In my opinion, converting will be way too expensive.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Try Midsouth salvage in Decatur AL they had a Landscape loader with Gannon 3 pt not too long ago. My old Ford TLB has a quick hitch sub frame and had 2 options the 3 point could go on the tractor or the Industrial 3 point on the subframe. I have a caounter weight there for loader work when I have the BH off of it. I thought about using the hoe supply lines to run a surplus center hydraulic 1 3/8 motor to use my bush hog on it.

 

[jenkinsph]

Hard to know just looking at the pics but you may be better off rebuilding it as a hoe. That is how it was designed and depending on the costs you may be better off going that route. Consider that you can duplicate the missing hoe if you can't find one to replace it, that might be your best option. I think it would be easier than converting to a tractor with 3pt and pto.

The Chinese copy stuff and duplicate it all the time, I would give this some consideration since the vast majority of what you need is already in place. Have to buy it cheap to come out though.