Free Ford 1210

[etpm]

My daily tractor is a 42 year old Yanmar YM2310 with an aftermarket FEL. It has 23 HP at the PTO. So not a big tractor. It is classed as a CUT, or Compact Utility Tractor. It runs great and most parts are available for it. Even though it is 42 years old I am not looking for a newer machine. It will outlast me. I have a post hole digger and a 5 foot tiller that I run off of the PTO. Though I live on 10 or 12 acres I only have about 1.5 acres cleared and my tractor gets tons of use. I don't know anything about Ventrac machines and so can't talk about them. But if you buy an implement for your tractor why won't it work on a Ventrac? Since you don't need power for it to run, but only for starting, why not fix the fuel in the oil problem and use the damn thing for a while? It will sell for a lot more if that problem is fixed. Look for a used set of 3PH forks or whatever so you can lift those totes with the 3PH. I know there is some sort setup for lifting things with the 3PH. Don't agonize about the free thing, use it.
Eric

 

[Hexa Fox]

My daily tractor is a 42 year old Yanmar YM2310 with an aftermarket FEL. It has 23 HP at the PTO. So not a big tractor. It is classed as a CUT, or Compact Utility Tractor. It runs great and most parts are available for it. Even though it is 42 years old I am not looking for a newer machine. It will outlast me. I have a post hole digger and a 5 foot tiller that I run off of the PTO. Though I live on 10 or 12 acres I only have about 1.5 acres cleared and my tractor gets tons of use. I don't know anything about Ventrac machines and so can't talk about them. But if you buy an implement for your tractor why won't it work on a Ventrac? Since you don't need power for it to run, but only for starting, why not fix the fuel in the oil problem and use the damn thing for a while? It will sell for a lot more if that problem is fixed. Look for a used set of 3PH forks or whatever so you can lift those totes with the 3PH. I know there is some sort setup for lifting things with the 3PH. Don't agonize about the free thing, use it.
Eric

Thank you. I personally still think even the 3 point hitch is going to have trouble lifting these totes. Each one holds a 275 gallon bladder (for those not familiar) and almost exactly a face cord (1/3 cord) when neatly stacked. They can easily weigh a literal ton from my experience. Right now they have large pieces of Ash in them. However, as I said, I am not familiar with tractors whatsoever. It would be awesome if this little tractor could even get them a few inches off the ground to move about. The one in the picture is actually mine on my property and about ten feet away from the Ford 1210 ironically lol.

So a Ventrac is a special piece of equipment. They are super cool pieces of equipment that are only meant to outdo a tractor in a very niche market. For instance, they are marketed as machines that can operate on steep hills. The thing to know about them is implements are very expensive and can only be used on other Ventrac or Steiner equipment. I know what I am talking about when it comes to Ventracs lol. Bobcat is now getting into this type of market as well. The implements are front mounted but use a pulley and belt system rather than a pto or hydraulics.

Also I am looking into the fuel problem now. I was reading that the most common place for them to leak is from the injectors. So the best way to determine that is to put some die in your system and use the blacklight.

 

[sandman2234]

I wondered back in...
I have an old Steiner 525, (one of the largest models) out back, which was the predecessor to Ventrac. Parts for it were not cheap, which was why it got parked.A FEL on them are very, very limited, and I would not consider a Ventrac unless I was doing commercial work mowing. Never for FEL work.
A Ford 1210 is rated at 881 pounds of lift at the end of the 3 point links. Add forks extends that measurement so decreases that capacity. There are ways to adapt the totes to be able to move them, but no way is a Ford 1210 going to pick up a tote that weighs more than the tractor itself, with the stronger 3pt or the weaker FEL . Making a system to hydraulically raise the tote and just use the tractor to pull it is very doable.
I will refer the fuel in the oil to smarter people, but if it is an injection pump, I would be shaking in my boots, worried about getting parts and the cost of rebuilding it!
It is a small tractor, with limited capabilities, but I used mine for many years and adapted it to many things beyond its initial capabilities and it survived me!
I am still interested in it, btw.
Keep asking, we will try to help!
David from jax

 

[sandman2234]

BTW, I still have a bunch of Steiner implements if you decide to go with Ventrac. A couple 72 mowing decks, a blower, a 10KW generator, weights and weight bar, trailer hitch(I think), spare rims, etc. Might be some trading material if you decide to go with Ventrac and let go of the l210.
David from jax

 

[Hexa Fox]

BTW, I still have a bunch of Steiner implements if you decide to go with Ventrac. A couple 72 mowing decks, a blower, a 10KW generator, weights and weight bar, trailer hitch(I think), spare rims, etc. Might be some trading material if you decide to go with Ventrac and let go of the l210.
David from jax

Yeah I may be interested. A Ventrac is something I have wanted to invest in for awhile. I knew without a doubt that the Ventrac did not have a chance of lifting these IBC totes. I have been doing research for a really long time. If you cut the totes in half, leave the bottom half alone, then screw the top half to a pallet, you can then move them with much smaller tractors. I have seen larger tractors struggle to get these totes a couple inches off the ground. I do not mean like an 60 HP tractor but talking about models in the sub compact range. All the John Deere 2xxx series tractors fail to lift them all together and I think the 3xxx tractors really struggle.

 

[sandman2234]

I replaced my Ford 1100 with a John Deere, 2555 and built a 3 point set of forks. It would probably pick up a tote full of dry wood. I destroyed a bunch of my implements when I went from something that fit the little Ford to the 70 horsepower of the Deere.
David from jax

 

[Hexa Fox]

I replaced my Ford 1100 with a John Deere, 2555 and built a 3 point set of forks. It would probably pick up a tote full of dry wood. I destroyed a bunch of my implements when I went from something that fit the little Ford to the 70 horsepower of the Deere.
David from jax

This is exactly what I am afraid of. So my bucket list on equipment is to have something solely to mow with, like the Ferris I have now, then a Ventrac and finally a slightly larger tractor to pickup where the Ventrac falls short. This puts me in a conundrum to say the least. Because if I am buying smaller implements and decide to go with a Ventrac those implements are going to turn nearly useless for me. Especially if I get a tractor that is so much larger running smaller implements is either dangerous to the implement or not economical for the size of the tractor.

So I get called a lot for stick or brush removals. The Ventrac has an amazing scope and grapple on the front. The downside is that you cannot lift loads very high at all. Not even high enough to put onto a trailer. So I thought if I had a tractor that is a little larger with a FEL I could put those "Bucketeer" forks on it that I see advertised and easily lift piles of brush.

I do love discussing these things. Having that said it is hell at the same time. Because anytime I talk about moving up to a larger tractor you start looking at the weight, then the towing capacity of your truck and the axle capacity of the trailer lol. I think even some of the "larger" tractors I am looking at will be fine on a tandem axle trailer. However, you are always looking at something bigger. "Well if I got this one I would have a standard cab, be able to easily pull people out of ditches in the Winter etc". So it is a never ending mental battle.

 

[Hexa Fox]

So I got to talk to the neighbor today and he said if he recalls correctly the tractor was leaking at the injector seals. So that may be the most likely culprit at this point. How do you go about diagnosing exactly what is wrong? From what I have seen everyone uses dye and a blacklight.

 

[Jstpssng]

So I got to talk to the neighbor today and he said if he recalls correctly the tractor was leaking at the injector seals. So that may be the most likely culprit at this point. How do you go about diagnosing exactly what is wrong? From what I have seen everyone uses dye and a blacklight.

I believe that your answer still lies in this post...

If it’s still putting fuel in the oil, I can take care of that for you..
An experienced set of hands and the proper parts will go a long way in keeping that engine from eating itself..
Keep me in mind..

 

[Hexa Fox]

I believe that your answer still lies in this post...

I will still consider that and have already spoken with him. I would like to diagnose what is going on with it first. He offered to rebuild the injection pump, which is expensive and I also understand. I will have to think about it more but right now I am against putting that type of money into it.

If it is something simpler I may mess around with it to get a little experience if nothing else.