Made a deal on this today. This will help move timbers around.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/16191/Johnsforklift1.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/16191/Johnsforklift3.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/16191/Johnsforklift2.jpg)
It's a John's Mfg. forklift conversion of a Farmall BN. I think it was in the 60's or thru the 80's they did these conversions. Farmall BN's are hard to find because they bought so many up for conversion. John's Mfg was in Grand Rapids, Mi, and most of these forklifts went to orchards or vegetable farmers in Mi. These days they come up for sale very rarely. A year and a half ago I was looking for a forklift for my TF stuff and couldn't find one of these. I ended up buying a '73 Warner Swasey 8000lb lift capacity machine, which is more machine than I needed, but has a 27ft lift height. It will handle timber or logs.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/16191/Warnerfirst.jpg)
I'm going to use both for a while before I determine what I will keep.
Gonna fix it up?
Brad,
If you keep this up, you are going to run out of excuse not to build something!!
Rooster
P.S. I bleed McCormick Deering "Red" also!
Beenthere - Not right away. Everything seems to work pretty good. I'm sure I'll find some small stuff. I'm fixing up the yellow one right now. Down the road I will likely do some resto on the new toy. I've done frame off show cars, so I only know how to restore one way- all the way. I did completely restore my 55 Ford 960 mowing tractor, Including replated hardware, bodyworked rims and sheet metal etc.
Rooster- I debated posting this as I knew you'd give me a hard time!
A very nice looking unit. I like them conversions.
I love old iron this "toy" looks great,sure would like to see it restored.
Have fun and a great day.
They guy I bought it from just put his other two up on ebay, though I'm not sure how much of a log it could handle. I'm guessing it has about a 2000 lb capacity at 24 inches from the mast. It has about an 8ft lift height, enough for lifting beams off a stack. It will handle beams and lumber or slabs off a mill. It will handle a lot of logs, but probably not the big ones or the heavy oaks.
Just search ebay for "Farmall forklift" if you are interested. These are pretty rare machines.
Great looking piece of old iron. :)
If you mind you are trying to lift more than you should and your rear wheels are lifting, you can always get Rooster to come sit on the back. :)
Quote from: Jeff on March 31, 2013, 10:27:29 AM
you can always get Rooster to come sit on the back. :)
That I would like to see.......
More like I'd have to sit on back and Rooster drive - I've got a few pounds on him! :D
Jim, do you use a forklift in your lumber yard? What one?
I have a 580 Case tractor with a three point hitch.
The tractor has an attachment which is a front bucket. And an attachment which is a Kelley Model 30 back hoe.
I added a set of forks to the front bucket that attach by hooks wielded to the top of the bucket
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10095/2617/a-forklift.jpg)
it's nice that you don't have to get off the driver's seat to attach them, but as they hang out so far my lift limit is 1000 lbs.
Jim Rogers
Quote from: Jim_Rogers on March 31, 2013, 10:41:45 AM
Quote from: Jeff on March 31, 2013, 10:27:29 AM
you can always get Rooster to come sit on the back. :)
That I would like to see.......
Sounds like another "how
not to" video!
Maybe I can get one of those big Logrite cant hooks and hang off the back!
Rooster
The first mill we worked at, we had a case fork truck conversion that was used for everything. Very similar to Brad's new toy, only yellow and a case. Basically a backwards tractor. There was a lot of times we would have to put a couple guys on the back of it to get a bundle of long hardwood moved out of the building. At one point there was even an old 100 hp electric motor bolted to the back. People always wondered what it ran. :D
These conversions seem to have been quite popular although safety on some was questionable. One former employer had one built on a late 40's Ford truck chassis, it was a piece of junk. The boss would not let anyone else run it and we were happy with that. That old flattie took a lot of abuse. :D
John's mfg went out of business due to a lawsuit I hear. The story goes that someone was mis-using a machine and rolled it. Sued John's. Finally they just said screw it, it wasn't worth it. They quit, filed bankruptcy etc. If the machines are used normally, as intended no problem, but we know that it's common for a few consumers in every sector to mis-use a product. As hard as a mfg tries, you cannot completely idiot proof a product. Someone will mis-use and they try to sue you for their own irresponsibility and recklessness. That is an unfortunate fact in our society today. It's unfortunate because it discourages new businesses, and drives good businesses under. One example is the Blitz company, who made the plastic gas cans. 42 lawsuits were files against the company by people who pour gas directly on a fire and surprise surprise, fire crawled up the stream back at them and you know where it goes from there. They can have all the warnings in the world and people will still do it and then sue the maker of the gas can.
http://www.ibtimes.com/blitz-usa-shuts-down-lawsuit-abuse-hammers-hometown-734478 (http://www.ibtimes.com/blitz-usa-shuts-down-lawsuit-abuse-hammers-hometown-734478)
Are the John's forklifts dangerous? No, no more than the tractor they were built on. You can take one out, drive it up a steep hill, and get it to roll off the side of the hill. Is that the products fault? I don't think so. But they still had to pay tons of money to lawyers to fight it, and in the end a settlement is cheaper than continuing to fight. That stinks. Our system that allows this stinks.
I never thought the case we used was dangerous. We did so some dangerous things with it, like the guys on the back.
I never saw a Farmall forklift. I have seen a Ford maybe a 9n,in that era, done with a forklift. That was 20 years ago. Was for sale at a dealer. I stopped and took pictures on a Sunday. Pictures might be in the old farm house,I have no idea.Takes alot of work on the steering to make it work.
I thought I had the worlds ugliest forklift.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20370/2601/September_2010_025.JPG)
At least that's what the guy said when I picked it up. Found it on E-bay. It's old and needs some work occasionally but it's worked very well for what I need it for. Mine's similar it's a Massey Furgason 204 workbull turned around backwards with the forklift conversion. I don't know exactly what it will lift. It's always lifted everything I've tried to lift with it.
Quote from: Carpenter on April 02, 2013, 10:42:23 PM
I thought I had the worlds ugliest forklift.
Hey!!! I resemble that comment! Actually I think they are both pretty good lookin'. But then, I am also envisioning them restored.
Great find. I would love to get my hands on a old Farmall like that.
I have a international 404 with a boom pole for moving logs around. Its pain in the neck trying to position logs with a boom pole.