Tractors

Background

Allis Chalmers B12

Sleeve Hitch

Types of Small Tractors

The B12 had a hydraulic front bucket that was very handy.  Think of it as a powered wheelbarrow.  With care it could go through 4' gates in the fence.
I call it "bucket" because there are "front scoops" that can not lift the load up high, like the bucket on the B12, but I never used it to load material into a pickup truck. I just scooped from a big pile left by a dump truck and moved the stuff where I wanted it.  So the "front scoop" would meet my needs.

So today (may 2018)  I'm looking at the difference between various home tractors (YouTube: LT-YT-GT, LT v. GT, LT v. GT):
Lawn Tractors: small light weight, just for mowing lawns, 20" tires, no lug nuts, vertical shaft engine - lowest price, typically K46 transmission - model typically looks like: LTxxxxx (around $1,000)
Home Depot: Cub Cadet XT1 Enduro LT42 - $1560, John Deere E140 - $2,100; Poulan Pro  P19A42 -$1,300

Yard Tractors: are between Lawn and Garden tractors. looks like: YTxxxxx (around $1,500)
Searching Home Depot for "Yard Tractor" returns 224 results, but none of them are for a "yard tractor".

Garden Tractors: heavier, bigger than lawn tractors, designed for attachments and ground engagement, 23" tires, K66 transmission, electronic locking differential (ELD), 4-1/2 gal gas tank, arm rests, sleeve hitch, use Tufftorq K66 transmission-differential assembly, has lug nuts, Sleeve hitch    - model typically looks like: GTxxxx (around $2,500)
As of May 2018 I can NOT find any Garden Tractors for sale in California because they do NOT meet CARB requirements.
Home depot web page lists, but not available in California: Cub Cadet XT1 GT 50, LT50, LT46, LT42,

CARB Compliant Garden Tractors
John Deere X570 - $6,000 - Accy: 40-in. (102-cm) Tractor Shovel - LP63767 w/electric actuation -
Kubota GR2020 (gas) - GR2120 (Diesel) - $10,000 all wheel drive, shaft wheel drive, shaft PTO drive, 16" front, 23" rear tires

Sub Compact Tractor - These are the next step up from Garden Tractors and cost about $25,000 with useful implements.  See Kubota below.  John Deere and other also make them, but Kubota seems to have the highest quality/price ratio below twenty some horsepower. 3-point hitch

Tufftorq - Integrated Hydrostatic Transaxles (IHT) - K66 spec sheet.pdf - Manual locking differential system (optional)
There does not seem to be any under $3,000 Garden Tractors in California with locking differentials.

Craftsman Dozer Blade (heaver duty than snow plow) Model: 486 244142

Brinley - Ground Engaging - all non powered pull behind implements

Front Scoop

Agri-Fab®, Inc. - Huskee Front Scoop - 45-0440 - $252.62 Free Shipping (one review said 500 parts).
Craftsman - Item # 07124847000P Model # 24847- Assembly Parts 1 to 9 are assembling the scoop.  Part 9 also starts with the tractor brackets.
Single mower suspension bracket (center of front axle) then part 10
Dual suspension brackets (each side of front axle) then part 11
Dual suspension brackets on each side of frame) then part 12
Husqvarna 36" Front Scoop - Model 531 30 71-88 (from YouTube video)

42" Johnny Products Bucket Jr and Johnny Plow Jr for Craftsman Dixon Husqvarna and many others (click your tractor start here)  Garden Tractors - uses the same mounting scheme as the Agri-Fab scoop, but adds electric actuators. Just under $1500.
List of tractor models.
In order for this scoop to work the tractor needs to have the 13" width of the frame and have the proper bolt pattern to accept one of the 3 mounting brackets provided.

Ag tires and wheel weights are needed if climbing hills and to counter balance a scoop.  Locking differential is a big plus, but seems to only be available on Garden Tractors.

Sleeve Hitch

The B12 had a sleeve hitch.  It's called that because there was a sleeve (a tube with maybe a 3/4"? ID) that was hinged on its bottom end and tilted up and down as controlled by the long lever.  That lever has a button that allows locking the sleeve in the up position.  The implement at the rear, like a rototiller, has a rod that slips into the sleeve and a pin to hold it there.

The 3-point hitch (Wiki) is used on Sub Compact and larger tractors and they come in Category 0 (<= 20 HP) to 4  (>180 HP) (Wiki).  I don't know if any Garden Tractors have 3-point hitches.

YouTube: Sleeve Hitch Adapter For Your Garden Tractor Review, And Why You Might Want One -
Johnny Products - Screw Jack for Sleeve Hitch - $675
Sears Part #: 40571 $370

Front Loader

LittleBuck Loader - <$2000, as of May 2018 only works on John Deere tractors with 4 quick connect hydraulic outlets (Sub Compact Tractors):  655, 755, 855, 2210 & 2305*; x700 series; x575, x585, x595;  x465, x475, x485, x495; 400**, 420**, 425, 430**, 445, 455; 314, 316, 317, 318, 322, 332; and h-2 h-3 140.

Kubota

BX 23 Manuals BX23 LA210 Loader BT600 Backhoe Operator's Service Parts Flat Rate Schedule

BX22

Small Excavators

In Japan I saw a few Kubota compact excavators and in all cases the operator was an artisan.  They typically carried the excavator in a pickup or small flat bed truck.

These have the same 10.3 HP diesel engine.  The K008-3 (2015) does not have emission controls.  They both have Variable Width Undercarriage allowing them to fit through narrow doors/gates.  The U model when rotating in azimuth the tail end stays inside the tracks, which have been made larger for this to work.  The K008 (with the undercarriage narrow) is 31" wide, i.e. it will fit through a 32" door, and the U10-5 is an inch narrower at 30" OA width!!  The U10 is much more forgiving of new users.

The left and right ends of the blade can be folded back to allow clear passage when the undercarriage is in the narrow position.

Either of these could be carried on a Single Axle Tilt trailer (PJ Trailers T1).  A RAM 2500 pickup truck has a payload capacity of 4,010# and a towing capacity of 15,040#, BUT . . . the box cargo length is only 98.3"whereas the U10 is 117" long.  Does anyone make a full length pickup bed? No, but you can get a commercial truck like the:
Ram Chassis Cab 4500 4x4, Tradesman; Trim, 108" Cab to Axle, Dual Rear Wheels, Regular Cab Shown with Gooseneck Body Upfit - $52,750. 
Knapheide Gooseneck Flatbed PGTB bodies -

Maybe a small pickup truck can be had with a single seat and regular length bed that could carry a 1 Ton excavator?

The first generation machines had all the controls in front of the operator directly connected to the hydraulic valve manifold.
The second generation machines use servos (pilot controls) to move some of the controls so they are on either side of the seat.  This way the operator does not need to lean forward to use the common controls.  These typically hinge up to allow easier access to the seat.

Some mini diggers have the main boom fixed to the frame so the cab needs to be turned to swing the boom.  More advanced machines (& the HF backhoe) have a hydraulic ram that swings the boom relative to the cab.

Extension tracks allow changing the track width (and blade width) allow you to transverse narrow paths/gates/doors &Etc.

Comparison Table

	Kubota K008	Kubota U10	Bobcat E10	Yanmar Vio12	Nuoman NM-E08	Nuoman NM-E10	Agrotk H12 eBay	Harbor Freight Backhoe kit	UHI UME12P
OA Len.	9' 0"	9' 9"	9' 2"			2876mm
OA Ht.	7' 4"	7' 5"	7' 3"
OA Width	2' 10" / 2' 7" (31")	3' 3" / 2' 6" (30")	2' 4" (28")			850mm
Min Gnd Clr	5.9"	5.5"
Crawler Len	4' 0"	4' 5"
Bkt Brk Force	2205#	2337#	1865
Arm Brk Force	1012#	1214#
Blade Width	2' 4"	3' 3"
Op Wt	2315#	2646#	2593	2790	720kg	900kg
YouTube:		vs E10,	OV,			Buying, Nick	Buying Testing	Strong 4years Outrigger Mods
Price	$13k to $23k used	$26k to $30k used	$25k to $30k used	$23k used	$4k Alibaba	$4k Alibaba	<$8k	$3.5k	$13k
Controls							CAT ISO		New Model,
Engine									Kubota D902 16 HP

Alibaba.com:
(Nuoman NM-E10) <$4000
(1 Ton excavator) many brands - there is no US supplier who's been in business more than 1 year selling compact excavators.
Everyday with me, Nick: Excavator - Chinese Mini Digger - WSPoweronline: Machine Options at a Glance: 25mm accessories for 0.8, 1 & 1.2 Ton machines.

YouTube: Best 1 Ton Mini Excavator in 2022, 4:13 -Takeuchi TB210R, Kubota K008-5; U10-5, Bobcat E10, Caterpillar 300.9D, Yanmar SV08-1D

Excavator Comparison Charts: 1 Ton, 2 Ton, 3 Ton.

YouTube: Mini Excavator Making Trails, 20:22 - for motorcycles, hiking, ATVs - using a John Deere 17G,  excavator: looks like the ideal tool for making trails. $22k to $37k used.
YouTube: Upgrading the hydraulic pump on a Harbor Freight towable backhoe trencher, 10:01 - "

HSC: Bolt SAE AA Mounting Flange, 1/2 St. Keyed x 1.06 long SAE AA Shaft, SAE -8 Side Inlet, SAE -6 Side Outlet, CW Rotation -

YouTube: Watch this before you buy a hydraulic pump or control for your Harbor Freight Towable Backhoe, 14:33 - rather than swap the inlet and outlet on the valve, it would be better to take the valve apart and clean it.
YouTube: Harbor Freight 65162 trencher speed upgrade, 10:54 - Salami Pompa mod# 614470242 is a good match at 4.1 - Uncreating part 1, Part 2, Harbor Freight 65162 Trencher pivot pin failure,
Harbor Freight trencher 65162 cylinder ram failure, Harbor Freight 65162 trencher quick tip control improvement (after higher capacity pump), Harbor freight trencher with new hydraulic PSI gauge (0 - 3000 PSI), Harbor Freight trencher 2/2014 update (larger hoses), Hydraulic hose change the quest for more speed (Hose #6 Pump to valve: increase from 1/4" to 5/16", body should pass 10 GPM)
The grease tip for the flush fittings may be NAPA Part #: BK 7151211, or Alamite Z737.
YouTube: How I Lubricate My Harbor Freight #62365 Trencher, 8:28 -

Husqvarna

Cat D8

My son restored a Cat D8 that had been sitting in a field for who knows how many decades.

Cat D8 as found

Cat D8 running after restoration

Videos:

Starting caterpillar d8 tractor bulldozer - first the phony (small gas engine is started, the at the end the main diesel engine is started
Starting the D8
D8 Running
D8 Revving Engine
Driving caterpillar d8 tractor bulldozer

Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club - My First Caterpillar

Ventrac

Designed to work on slopes up to 30 degrees (58% grade).  Much better than any other wheeled option for slopes.  Tracks are great on slopes when going up or down, but not along contour lines.
6425452 Control system for all-wheel drive vehicle, Glenn M. Steiner, Roy I. Steiner, Venture Products Inc, 2002-07-30 (Expires in 2020) - for articulated vehicle.

Polaris Ranger EV - See my Electric Ranger

2020 November: Looking at this since the M-360 fat trike has next to zero ability to climb hills, let alone pull any load up a hill.
The Electric version of the Ranger has great hill climbing capability, even better than the gas version of the Ranger according to a friend who has one.

It can be fitted with a 2" trailer receiver.
Kolpin sells the Dirtworks 3-point attachment that fits into a 2" receiver, so maybe the Ranger EV can be used as a tractor?

It would make the basis for a nice fire fighting apparatus.  See Home Fire Protection.; ATV Fire Truck.
The Ranger EV box capacity is 500 pounds.  Payload capacity is 1000 pounds (does this include box or is in addition?).  Fresh water weighs 8.3 pounds per gallon, so if all water in bed then 60 gallons.  But that's for a classical "skid" type tank and pump system.

A better approach for my conditions, i.e. plenty of fire hydrants and plenty of pressure at my house, but some neighbors have low pressure.  So a vehicle carrying a lot of hose and a booster pump makes more sense.

Note that most of the "skids" for fire fighting consist of a tank and pump.  The idea is that you have a source of water that's not pressurized, like a lake, pool, &Etc or that the fire is some distance away from a source of pressurized water.  But if you have water under pressure then the tank and pump just wastes money, weight and capability.
Boise First Strike UTV - 100 Gal tank, 100' 3/4" hose. Based on the Mahindra UTV.

Honda Water Pumps

Suitable for use on the Ranger EV.  They are all single stage and so low pressure.

Model	NPT Size	GPM	Wt #	PSI	$
WX10	1"	32	13	52	460
WX15	1-1/2"	74	20	52	560
WB20	2"	164	44	45	550
WH15	1-1/2"	98	49	57	740
WH20 Home Fire Protection	2"	119	64	64	800

The GPM on the WH20 is 4X what my water meter provides, but the pressure of 64 PSI is short of the 100+ PSI that comes from my water meter or the local hydrant.
If the input water pressure is say 30 PSI then the output pressure may be 30 + 64 or 94 PSI, which is close enough to 100 PSI to get optimum performance from most Nozzles.
There are versions of the WH20 with suffix of X or X plus other letters.

Fire Skid for the Ranger EV

Honda WH20 pump and plumbing for various hose sizes on the input and output.
Carry a number of 50' hoses and fittings to allow adapting to various hose sizes/threads.
1-1/2" NH wildland hose offers excellent movement of water with minimal losses at these pressures and volumes. 
But 1" NPSH hose is lighter and more can be carried for the same weight.
A combination where the initial run would be 1-1/2" NH feeding a Wye with a couple of 1" NPSH outlets or . . . some thought to a workable setup.
Part of that is figuring out a number of scenarios.
One of these is a fire up in a tree.  So getting a long throw would be important.  This would also allow hitting a small fire that was say 50 from where you are standing.
Good to have inlet and outlet pressure gauges.
YouTube:  One Person Wild Land Hose Lay - 3ea 50' x 1-1/2" hose, wildland combo nozzle & hose clamp.
Hose Packs are a way to store fire hose that a person can carry.
In a fire truck hose is stored in bins simply by running the hose back and forth.  The top of the hose can then easily be pulled out.

Waterax Pumps:  VERSAX™ Fire Pump - much higher pressure than Honda pump.  Uses Honda engine.  Multistage pump for more pressure.
Knowing the PSI and orifice diameter allows calculation of the GPM, see Home Fire Protection, Hose Nozzles.
Waterax Models

Model	NPSH size	GPM	Wt #	PSI	$
Mk 3	2" in/1-1/2" out	100	42	380
BB-4 gas	2" in/1-1/2" out	104	172	440
B2X Gas	3" in / 2-1/2" out	300	157	190
Striker	2" in/1-1/2" out	105	127	230
Mini-Striker	1-1/2"	80	19	85
Versax 6HP
Versax 9HP	2" In 1-1/2", 1" & 1" Out	105	84	150	2500

XCP Control panel and electric start option for the 9 HP version (VS2-9EV).

YouTube: Fire-fighting #PolarisRANGER with WATERAX pump - flex hose on input, direct hose connections for output.

Two Wheel Tractor

I think two wheel tractors (Wiki) are the most common type world wide. 
Earth Tools - has wide assortment of imported tractors & implements.
YouTube: Walk Behind This Great Gravely Garden Tractor!, 5:28 -
AliExpress: Synbon two wheel tractor -

	1207539 Motor-plow, Benjamin F Gravely Jr, 1916-12-05, - Gravely - Then & Now: Two-Wheeled Tractor Production - Wiki: Gravely Tractor - Product History -
	1288888 Traction-machine, Rex Parker Hicks, Beeman Garden Tractor Co, 1918-12-24, -
	2535614 Garden tractor, Carl Van Ausdall, 1950-12-26, - 2535615 Garden tractor, Carl Van Ausdall, 1950-12-26, -
	3580351 Self-propelled garden tractor vehicle, Ignatius J Mollen, Ariens Co, 1971-05-25, -

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