What a funny, weird, wonderful thread for a climbing site! My main connection with tractors was the 2007 Gibsonburg,Ohio, classic tractor show. I was cycling solo cross country and stumbled into it at the end of the Labor Day weekend. It was cool to see all that old hardware. Some photos here.
Part of a young buck's passage to manhood; learning to tractor. My nephew, on my 1974 JD1530
Credit: Tobia
Neighbor on Kubota, a newer tractor.
Credit: Tobia
Other tractors (of sort).
Another nephew, another tractor, Mack Ch613. (1995)
Credit: Tobia
Credit: Tobia
younger nephew
Credit: Tobia
They loved the air horns.
Biggest "tractor" I ever handled, a Lorain 50 Ton "Moto" Crane. I went to the factory and drove it home ( to a local construction company). The paint was still wet (literally) when I left the lot in Tenn. (1979)
210' hydraulic boom with jig installed.
Tobia, what a monster that crane is, seeing one of those things always reminds me of that killer chase scene in the 3rd Terminator movie.
so here's some shots of those mucking tactors in action
he loves the slop
Credit: little Z
his father was a mudder...
Credit: little Z
his muther was a mudder...
Credit: little Z
these tractors mash everything in their path including lots of little critters and so there are always birds around coming to snag a moist, mashed, morsel (in this case the birds are Great, Snowy, and Cattle Egrets, Little Blue Herons, and Great-tailed Grackles).
Eric that looks like an old frieghtliner or International, I can't tell with the door open. Early 60's, cab-over type. Cab-overs were popular during late sixties through late eighties; but conventional type rigs came back due to safety, noise and other problems. Driving one is a strange ordeal; especially if you are usually in a conventional.
I think cab-overs are a thing of the past now; like a lot of the tractors on this thread.
My first cab-over experience that I can remember: talking the YPCC truck drivers into letting me jockey their trucks around the YPCC warehouse. I had to show them my CDL before making a bet that I could dock it, drop and hook to another trailer.
Sweet additions.
Little z's mudder rigs look like steamship paddlewheels.
I like the b/w Ford in Fletcher's pic - running on tubes?
In BAd's link, looks like a Minnie? and the third grill showing below might be another Cockshutt?
Anyone here with experience on the Kubota L2550? Is this a tractor or a big toy? I will be using mainly the loader but the back hoe will be very good also. 27 horse. Grading and footings in sand. No 12 bottom plowing or any plowing for that matter. Might want to rig a grading blade. Thinking in sand a little urban machine is about right.
Jstan, I have used that tractor and it's an excellent machine. Absolutely not a toy. The Kubotas tend to be a bit lighter for the size and HP, but that's not really an issue if you aren't plowing or cultivating.
Probably if I'd found one of these or similar at a decent price I'd have bought one. Getting a backhoe with it is a real bonus.
Do you know the weight capacity of the loader?
You may wish to consider a box scraper as much or instead of a blade.
I get a lot of google-delivered ad content on the Taco. I have not disabled banner ads, as I like to see them. I am always interested in how what I type into and view on Supertopo translates into paid advertisements.
So of course today I noted that once again the Tractor Pushers are coming for me!
Yeah, Tobia, I'm not an expert on cab-overs, but my brother's were, so they are on my radar (one of those brothers is in that photo). Back in the 70's they were totally into tractor trailers. This was also in the era or CW McCall's "Convoy." I think that played a role in this. Anyhow, they took a trip from Massachusetts by car to New Orleans with my Mom. Their car "game" was to count and identify (pretty specifically) all the trucks they saw.
A mathemagician friend once insisted to me that there's no such thing as an "odd" number. He said that some numbers simply have more interesting properties than others. As he had a doctorate in math, I was willing to take his word for it.
Lawyers, when wanting to make such a reference, say "numbers not evenly divisible by two".
I used this B2100 Kubota on an geological dig. There wasn't much it couldn't do; it just took a little longer to get it done. I moved tons of overburden, shale and dug a decent trench with it in some hard clay. Kubotas are good machines.
My 1974 JDeere was built in West Germany. JDeere took over-stocked major components of other models and designed a tractor to utilize them.
It's a 3 cylinder 43 h.p. agricultural tractor. It wasn't in production for long. They made a 830; following the same formula.
I hate to hear that about Kubota moving to China. I wonder if they have been bought out, going after cheap labor or just trying to increase output. They make fine machines and have been for the past 25 years. The price is right; especially on parts. J Deere parts are ridiculously priced! Although my tractor is well built, things wear out.
Worst part is it is only 2 wheel drive; whereas modern tractors are 4 wheel drive.
I had a 1974 JDeere 310 backhoe that was a well built machine also.
I am going to my neighbor's house to take some pics of his antique truck and tractor collection. My favorites: 1948 Ford dump body and a 1961 B-Model Mack. He has restored them from the ground up.
I really love the diversity in the old tractor brands, but sadly, as with cars, consolidation is the name of the game.
From Wikipedia, regarding Case:
"Jerome Increase Case founded the J.I. Case Company in 1844 and it prospered with threshers, steamers and farm equipment.
Case and International Harvester merged in 1984 to become CaseIH
The Case Corporation was the company banner from 1968 until 1999, with a separate branch called Case CE for construction equipment.
Since 2000 Case, International Harvester and New Holland have all merged into one company called CNH Global."
I didn't know New Holland merged with anyone; other than Ford.
Ford and New Holland were good farm tractors. A lot 1960's-90's models are still at it. Who knows how many 8-N's are still running (pre-1960). There are 3 within 2 miles of my place.
Zephyr still around? They aren't big in the south; but I used to run one for a herbicide company. It seemed like a decent tractor.
I can't find where Kubota moved production to China; but I did discover Kubota has two factories in GA for assembling tractors and manufacturing ATV's and other yard machines.
Let us know!