Howdy!
I've known for quite a while that I needed to get a tractor to be able to work more efficiently and less painfully while clearing land and cutting lumber! I paid off my car late last year and I am now in the position where I can buy a tractor. I am buying a 1988 Ford 3910, 50HP with two 60" rotary cutters (one a Bush-hog brand) a substancial 72" box blade, a 72" disc harrow and a rear-facing hay lift for round bales. Unfortunately it does not come with a Front-End Loader, but they are available for that tractor and I may be able to afford one in the future. In any case, having a tractor is 100% better than having NO tractor! I'm buying it from the original owner and it's in great shape, although the paint is a bit faded! I'll post pics when I get home from work tonight...
Congrats for sure on getting the "new" tractor. :)
life changing event there ole sport 8)
Good for you 8)
And here are the pics!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/29738/IMG_1699.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/29738/IMG_1700.JPG)
Like them Fords. ;D
Now you have to fix at the bottom of your post, have a tractor :D :D 8)
Thank you Pete! Forgot about that. I don't have the tractor yet, but it's a done deal. I guess I'll change it now just so I don't forget about it!
Good looking machine 8) 8)
One great thing about those 3910's, they were a very very common model, so parts are easy to come by. You might say the 3910 was the 8N of its day.
Congratulations on the new tractor and the upcoming wedding. :) :) ;)
Nice!
I have the same tractor.
Quote from: Firewoodking on April 24, 2013, 01:03:21 AM
I have the same tractor.
Cool. What do you use it for mostly and how does it work for you. It's a bit too late to ask, but what the heck... ;)
Good investment ! That is is the perfect size for a woodlot operation. When you start looking for a loader try to find the stock one ford put on that model it will hold its value the best. Happy for you!
Been looking for a Ford loader...an 887A. They are few and far between. Won't want to drive more than a hundred miles to pick one up. Closest one I found is in Ohio... about 700 miles...
One can never have too many tractors. I have bought two "new" lawn tractors in the past couple of weeks. I now have 4 of the 300 series Allis Chalmers. They would be about 1970 vintage, back when they were making them rugged. I have a 310, 2 - 312s and a 314. If I see another one I'll buy it, too. Those things will outlast anything you buy new today.
Well, the tractor is now safely residing at my home after a nail-biting 160-mile round trip to pick it up. I've already started gathering quotes for front-end loaders which is very depressing. I'm finding that the dealers/manufacturer are all wanting about $5800 - $6200 for one that fits my tractor! I bought the tractor and 5 implements for $8600!
I think I've mentioned on the forum in places that I'm a design engineer with a machinist background. I think I'm going to have to take a shot at designing and building my own. I've done 3D solid modeling of custom machines and tooling for my last 5 employers since 1987. I think I can probably do a pretty decent job with the design, even make a loader that was just perfect for my tractor.
My problem would come with cutting parts from sheet/plate stock and welding. I've done some welding in my years, but nothing super-critical. I do know some excellent welders, but between paying to have the parts cut and paying to have them welded, I think that would end up becoming expensive enough to consider buying the new unit.
I've looked for a few hours on the web for used loaders, but I have not found anthing that I know would work. The stock Ford unit is and 776B and they certainly are not a dime a dozen. I've found a few in Ohio and Michigan (I'm in Alabama) and they are between $3K and $3.5K and did not come off the same tractor as mine, so bracket fabrication would probably still be required.
I'm just at a loss for what I should do. I DO have a twin-boom hay lift for the 3-pt. hitch for lifting large, round bales. I could probably modify it to make it a single-boom for skidding logs. Maybe I could even modify it to pick up logs with the two booms and load them on to the mill. I was really looking forward to being able to lift logs hydraulically. For the short-term, maybe I can accomplish what I intend by replacing the 3-pt. top link with a hydraulic cylinder and using the hay lift with both booms in place.
I'm a little bummed about the cost of a new unit and even if I could afford it, I don't know if purchasing a loader for a 25 year-old tractor is a wise choice. Y'all have any wisdom to share regarding this?
Bummer
Maybe look for a used unit with the loader on it. Sell this tractor, keep the attachments, and have everything you need... likely at less cost than what a FEL is going to run you.
check out cad plans for loaders. thanks
Good little workhorse, Congrats. Have fun with it, but be safe.
Jim
As whitman mentioned, check out CadPlans loader designs (http://www.cadplans.com/loaders.htm). Even though it sounds as though you may have the design end of things covered, this might give you some good ideas.
They also sell kits of some of their models, which might help on at least the cutting end of things.
Don't hold yourself to just the ford loader. There are plenty of other loader manufactures out there that make loaders, in fact many ford/jd/case/etc loaders are built by other companies and repainted/rebadged. I've had great success with koyker, leon, and westendorf personally and there more out there than just those.
Find a loader for sale then contact the manufacture to see if they offer brackets for your tractor. If not they can be built as long as the loader frame is the correct size for your tractor.
I've picked up loaders cheap in the past with mounting brackets for some other tractor that I don't own. Few hours/days with a torch and welder and they will fit just about anything.
Woods makes some good loaders as well. When I bought my New Holland TC33D tractor new back around 2002, I intentionally bought it without the NH loader, since I liked the design of the Woods loader better (a bit higher lift capacity, which is nice, but the real selling point for me was the larger dump and rollback angles). Since that time, NH has redesigned their loaders in this size range... I'd probably go for one of theirs now.
chevytaHOE is right, there are lots of options out there. You may find one used that will fit, or that you can buy a fit kit for to adapt it to your tractor.
Allied/Buhler/Farm-King also make good loaders.
JD loaders used to be Westendorf loaders with green paint and JD stickers. Not sure if they still are ???
I checked in to a Westdorf for my tractor... the want about $6300 for the complete loader and hydraulics package. I only paid $8600 for the tractor, two bush hogs, a disc, a box blade and a hay lift. I just can't justify it. That's why I'm looking for a used loader, but they aren't easy to come by...
Another option is to take a welding class at the local Junior College. Just takes a bit of practice and you are up and going. :)
Don't need a class, just practice. I've done quite a bit of welding before but nothing that really had to be all that structurally sound.
Since I started using my tractor last wednesday I've managed to break a PTO shaft while bush mowing (twice - first repair parts order was $103, new shaft was $385), brush dislodged a valve stem on one of my tires giving me a flat and broke the diagonal back brace on my brush cutter, had to tear down a rear tire to fix the valve stem (cheap but really a pain), had to buy some chain and fittings to replace the mower back brace ($30), had to buy 5 gal. hydraulic oil ($55), replace an intake pre-cleaner and buy an operators manual ($65).
This is starting to feel like I own a boat, not a tractor!
Ahhh, the real world of a tractor and attachments. Just enjoy the ride and all the things you can do with the new-found toy equipment. 8)
Replacing the brace with chain is a good idea.
Be sure the PTO shaft is the right length and that you are protected with either a shear pin or a working clutch.
Quote from: grweldon on May 06, 2013, 04:17:06 PM
I'm a little bummed about the cost of a new unit and even if I could afford it, I don't know if purchasing a loader for a 25 year-old tractor is a wise choice. Y'all have any wisdom to share regarding this?
Yes, putting a loader on that tractor may not be your best option. Those tractors and their predecessors the 8N are pretty light in the front end for a loader. The tires are not wide enough to carry the loads, the axles are not strong enough to withstand running over bumps without breaking, and the power steering may not be good enough under loads. Plus with a loader you are either going to need tire chains, fluid in the tires, wheel weights or all of the above in the rear end.
And even though I have done machine design previously, I would not even attempt to build a loader from scratch. Trying to get all the geometry and linkages just right would be a real pain. Now if you don't care if the bucket does not empty very well, or if it dumps all over the driver when raised up all the way, or if you dont care if you fold the bucket cylinders over a few times then go for it.
Yes, I know all too well that good loader tractors are scarce as hens teeth unless you are willing to pay waay too much, but it would be better to look for something like an old backhoe and remove the hoe. The loaders on those things are stout and now that you have a tractor with a PTO and a drawbar, you can look for a more suitable loader machine.
Oh, and from hard experience, if you ever have reason to take a tire off again, be prepared with some short 2" threaded pipe stubs and weld them over the valve stem hole and then screw a 2" pipe cap over the valve stem. Those valve stem protectors should be standard on every tractor/loader rim. Nothing is more frustrating than some little stick that cleans off the valve stem and watching your fluid spraying out all over the place.
Sounds like your finding out that "brush" mowers and tractors aren't really suited for mowing down brush. It is hard on gearboxes, PTO parts, clutches, tires, steering, etc etc.
Quote from: grweldon on May 13, 2013, 04:22:52 PM
Since I started using my tractor last wednesday I've managed to break a PTO shaft while bush mowing (twice - first repair parts order was $103, new shaft was $385), brush dislodged a valve stem on one of my tires giving me a flat and broke the diagonal back brace on my brush cutter, had to tear down a rear tire to fix the valve stem (cheap but really a pain), had to buy some chain and fittings to replace the mower back brace ($30), had to buy 5 gal. hydraulic oil ($55), replace an intake pre-cleaner and buy an operators manual ($65).
This is starting to feel like I own a boat, not a tractor!
Just remember, you bought a tractor, not a tank!
Herb
I read this at work but I won't post from a company computor .
I took the liberty of looking for a loader on Craigs list and found one in Ohio for 1200 bucks .John -Deere which probabley could be adapted.
You could not build the frame work,buy the hydraulics and fabricate one that cheaply . It would take some junk yard dawg intuition though to make it work .
Quote from: Gary_C on May 13, 2013, 06:13:10 PM
And even though I have done machine design previously, I would not even attempt to build a loader from scratch. Trying to get all the geometry and linkages just right would be a real pain. Now if you don't care if the bucket does not empty very well, or if it dumps all over the driver when raised up all the way, or if you dont care if you fold the bucket cylinders over a few times then go for it.
Gary, I use 3D modeling software and one of the benefits of 3D design is that you can simulate movement. I have zero doubts that I could get the geometry exactly like it needs to be, in fact, I wasn't worried about the design aspect at all, it is the construction aspect and my welding skills that I was questioning.
As far as buying an old backhoe, if I did, I wouldn't remove the hoe! I have tons of uses for a backhoe! Now if I could find one cheap (no such thing) where the hoe didn't work, that's another story!
Thanks for the useful advice Gary...
Quote from: PC-Urban-Sawyer on May 13, 2013, 07:53:25 PMJust remember, you bought a tractor, not a tank!
Yeah, I probably expect too much from it, but I'm still learning. I've already learned a bunch when it comes to what NOT to do!
Watch your tires too!!!! I work my in the woods. I try to cut any small tree real low to the ground.I don't need a 1 inch stump to punch a hole in my rear tire.
gr, google "loader super center" .They likely have one that will just bolt on to your tractor. I have one of their loaders on an M series kubota. Neighbor has 2 of them. Bunches cheaper than the dealer. Removes with no tools. Put the bucket on the ground, flip 2 levers and back up. I took the bucket off (4 pins) and installed forks.
I can tell you a couple bone yards if you want to call them. Roberts farm equipment,Morning Sun Ohio .Anderson tractor ,Bluffton Ohio which is about 15 miles from me .You can Google both of them .
I've been to both yards and they always have loaders sitting around .Again 700 miles away ,road trip .
Quote from: pineywoods on May 14, 2013, 09:40:15 AM
gr, google "loader super center" .They likely have one that will just bolt on to your tractor. I have one of their loaders on an M series kubota. Neighbor has 2 of them. Bunches cheaper than the dealer. Removes with no tools. Put the bucket on the ground, flip 2 levers and back up. I took the bucket off (4 pins) and installed forks.
Thanks Piney, but I'm really not interested in driving to Oklahoma either! A couple of hundred mile radius of Montgomery would extend in to Georgia, Mississippi and Florida, Might even get just inside Tennessee. Don't think I'd even get to your place in Louisiana...
Okra makes that kind of road trip. Try searching craig's list using Search Tempest.