Got Tractor?

[peakbagger]

They stripped the accessories which made it a much different beast.

419 is probably one of the heavier 406 variations built by Mercedes. Its a very short wheelbase. With the loader and the backhoe, Its a handful over 35 mph on anything less than a perfect flat road. Add in typical road crown and it wants to head to the ditch which requires constant correction. Add in any sort of bump across the pavement and it starts to pitch front to back. I think they intentionally put in a lot of slack in the steering to reduce kickback on rough roads. They used tall MIchelin tires designed for traction not handling. I went with the military replacements for the Michelins that are slightly more on road tires and it handled better but 30 MPH is about it for me.

 

[Vigo]

I didn't rewatch the episode before posting but from what i remember they said 45-50 was tops AFTER dropping like 8k lbs off the ends of it!

 

[peakbagger]

Even if it did have the power it runs out of gears. The motor is substantially derated for military use to get longevity. Its set up for low end torque. There are "fast axles that can raise top speed but unlike later models like my 1300, its just not safe driving a 419 much faster. My 1300 is also gear limited to about 55 MPH. The other issue is that most tires that will fit Unimogs with the sufficient load rating are typically rated for 100 KPH (62 MPH). The Germans license them as road going tractors.

 

[Vigo]

I'm all for not driving something faster than what is safe. In the vein of 'dirt every day', most on-road vehicles you modify to massively increase their off-road ability, also become borderline unsafe at 'normal' speeds they were previously fine with.

But regardless, with the loader and backhoe still attached, the tendency to pitch fore/aft violently SHOULD dissuade someone from trying anything crazy. Even my regular FEL/loader tractors with loaded buckets become some mix of unsafe and fragile, when travelling quickly over imperfect surfaces.

Enough to make me interested in DIYing a defeatable hydraulic accumulator into the loader and 3pt circuits as a form of 'suspension'. I am a speed demon at heart.

 

[SilverbackMP]

Here are a few when I was doing some firewood. The flat bed is 1300 Unimog (ex German military).


View attachment 98263View attachment 98264

Much like SMAs I missed the boat when these were being sold off cheaply. One thing that concerns me is parts. The other thing that concerns me is reports of mice and the dash wires. Just spent $6k fixing mice damage to a BMW 535 (and there are still a few things not right). I have since layed down a shit ton of rat poison.

That all being said, those little SOBs can dig fighting positions in a hurry and I’ve wanted one for 25 or so years (first one I saw in action was in 97).

 

[peakbagger]

Been there done that with rat damage. The Red River Army Depot in Texas is prime habitat for rat that likes to nest behind the dash. A rat nesting right in the middle of the harness behind the dash. Mine lived in Texas for awhile and came with 42 completely severed black wires (Mercedes did not use color coded wires). A wiring diagram was not available at the time (now it is) and it took a while to get them reconnected. Many parts are available but not all come from Mercedes. Case still supports the backhoe and the loader is supported by Schmidt (through US rep). There are some weird us sourced stuff but the running gear frame and body are all available from Euro Sources.

Some folks did get real deals at the auctions but for essentially zero hours equipment the current real prices are still quite good for the capacity of the equipment. Lots of folks ask a high price on ebay but most sell for around $17K.

 

[SilverbackMP]

Lots of folks ask a high price on ebay but most sell for around $17K.

Lot cheaper than the Kubota KX057 which is what I want but absolutely cannot justify.

I also was thinking that one could perhaps attach a thumb to the backhoe and plug it in to those hydraulic tool ports on the side along with an electric over hydraulic valve.

 

[justgary]

Lot cheaper than the Kubota KX057 which is what I want but absolutely cannot justify.

I also was thinking that one could perhaps attach a thumb to the backhoe and plug it in to those hydraulic tool ports on the side along with an electric over hydraulic valve.

Don't stop there; you might as well add a hydraulic grapple to the bucket while you are at it.

 

[MrThisIsME]

I have an older Case 580SL backhoe. Nice to have on a larger property. Problem is it is too easy to tear up stuff which creates a lot of handwork.
Still have areas I tore up in need of a lot of handwork.

 

[SilverbackMP]

Don't stop there; you might as well add a hydraulic grapple to the bucket while you are at it.

I have a root grapple that I use mostly for brush on a Kubota MX. IMHO best suited for a skid loader. Tractors just aren’t armored enough for that kinda work.

Unfortunately I can’t justify a skid loader either. I did almost pull the trigger on a used Kubota SVC-75 about a month ago. If I didn’t have so many tractor attachments, I would have (and gotten a hydraulic brush mower).

 

[Vigo]

I have a tiny skid steer from the 70s that i love when it works, but it's still sitting where it broke down about 8 months ago. Now granted.. if i didn't have 2 kubota loader tractors that will probably never break, i wouldve fixed that skid steer by now!! Much like my solar production, having more than you need makes me lazy in other areas. ?

 

[zzrider]

Yep. After we bought our 10 acres of raw AG land in south Florida, the first thing we did was buy a Kubota L3901 with brush hog, grader/scraper, and post hole auger. Has been absolutely indispensable, wouldn't want the land if I couldn't have a tractor.

 

[nycamper62]

I like the classic ones, like this one:

View attachment 81502

That is a fine looking machine.
I have a David Brown 885 with a Case loader helping out on 50 acres when I need it. I use it alot to help move bucked firewood as it's almost guaranteed to have a tree or two down from the winter. The bucket also comes in handy to help move / get gear & materials out to small food plots, help maintain trails etc. I thought of rigging it for a back-up generator, but something like a pto unit are expensive and way beyond what I need at camp. Cheers.

 

[G00SE]

First thing we did when we bought our 40ac was drive to Oklahoma and pick up this Branson.
It has proven invaluable

 

[Grakat]

I have a Kubota BX25D with a 60" Mid mount mower. Machine has been awesome and worked well for us. Only issue was a rod connecting the HST pedals to the HST came loose, and it is in an awful location to refit the locking nut.

I call it my diesel Swiss Army knife. Only costs me diesel and time now.

 

[NCislander]

2022 Massey Ferguson 1840M. Great Tractor.

 

[SeaGal]

I have a Kubota BX25D with a 60" Mid mount mower. Machine has been awesome and worked well for us. Only issue was a rod connecting the HST pedals to the HST came loose, and it is in an awful location to refit the locking nut.

I call it my diesel Swiss Army knife. Only costs me diesel and time now.

Love my Kubota with 60" mid-mount too ?‍??

 

[Supervstech]

First thing I bought when I got my spot...
I got a Kubota m1735 ANCIENT beast...
But it never fails to start, 8Gears, and came with turf tires full of CC. It goes anywhere.

In COLD country, look for old MF tractors... they put the fuel tank on top of the engines... block heater keeps fuel warm.

I forgot to mention I have a 72" finish mower belly deck on mine...

 

[pollenface]

I only live on 1036m² but i still want a little tractor

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Butchering a 500 lb pig.... I couldn't live without my tractor. Thought about buying a second one just in case the first one breaks down.

late reply... @MurphyGuy if you got pigs like that how come you have no GTG at your spread? seems to me like you could