My first tractor and first post. =)

[Bob77064]

Welcome congrats

[vwnotrunning]

Welcome

It looks like you have a great starting point there. Be sure to post pics of any builds and mods.

[GrizzyDan]

Thanks guys! My plans for this tractor are compounding daily, with a little luck, some extra iron, and lots of good time in the shop, I'll eventually have all the addons I want and need. First on my list is/was a box blade and land plane, but now I'm thinking about the FEL and it's lack of ability to cut back the hillside. Some ripper teeth up front really sounds like the ticket there! I want to cut the hillside back a bit sharper, more vertical, but I'm starting to get into much harder decomposed granite and the best I can do is slope it. I'm not into gunning the tractor and hitting the hillside like I've seen people do, I just put-put around at 1000 rpm or so. Some rippers would help me finish cutting this road in to the back of my house as well



Now I'm contemplating loader forks and a thumb for my bucket thanks to Artisan, yet it's all going to be hand built. And of course there will be lots of pics =) If not the best quality pics.. My cell phone is all I have to take them with.

[GrizzyDan]

Oh, and someone is going to notice sooner or later, yes there's a big case in the background of one of those pics that has been sitting there for over 15 years.. It's a big boy, 580 c if I remember right. It has a few problems, one being the f/n/r selector which you have to split the case for.. The other problem is that it is my grandfathers, and if I get it running he will sell it the moment he finds out lol.. So it sits until he's gone. Not a good investment.. for now. I'm sure by then my little IH will be all I need, might even have a little backhoe off the 3ph

[Hollow]

If I were you the first thing I would build is a ROPS.

[flusher]

Hi, there. Welcome to TBN.
Nice tractor. I like tractors with fat rear tires. Here's mine--a 1964 Massey Ferguson 135 diesel

[MasseyWV]

If I were you the first thing I would build is a ROPS.

X2 - And don't forget the seatbelt.

[k0ua]

Hey that is a cool looking old Massey. I was going to chime in about the ROPS build too, and the loaded tires are a good idea. and maybe 1000 lbs on the 3 point too. It will be like day and night, the ability to work the dirt and move it around with the FEL.. of course the toothbar sounds good too. I am going to get one for my little Kubota soon I think. I have 750 lbs on the rear of mine when doing dirt work and also have the RV antifreeze in mine. Expensive but works. Rimguard seems to be the preffered fill if you can find a dealer near you, I could not. So I did the RV anti-freeze myself. A lot of the guys use the low freezing point windshield washer fluid for less expense too. The big fat tires on that Massey look great and if filled would make a lot of difference. Keep us posted on the builds and repairs. Good Luck

James K0UA

[GrizzyDan]

Roll over protection was one of the first thoughts I had for this rig yet I was mostly thinking about a canopy. I have to figure out some way of bringing it up behind the fenders and attaching to the loader arm pillars somehow. It has to be seriously stout if it's to help in a rollover situation.. Where I live there is not much slight grade.. it's either flat or goat territory.

I love that Massey, looks like a hotrod =) and as far as weight for the rear goes cheap is better. I read up somewhere around here where someone had built a box and filled it with concrete and pvc pipe so you can carry your shovels, rakes, chainsaw, etc. It's a great idea, yet somehow I can't justify building a single purpose attachment for the rear.. If I'm going to have weight back there, it will have to be on top of a box blade.

k0ua, how many gallons roughly did you put in your tires? I suppose I can break out my hydraulic book and get a rough estimate.. RV antifreeze here is around $5 a gallon.. $2 a gal for windshield washer fluid, or a 5 gallon pail of concentrate for $60 that makes 160 gallons.. I think I've found the winner xD

[k0ua]

Roll over protection was one of the first thoughts I had for this rig yet I was mostly thinking about a canopy. I have to figure out some way of bringing it up behind the fenders and attaching to the loader arm pillars somehow. It has to be seriously stout if it's to help in a rollover situation.. Where I live there is not much slight grade.. it's either flat or goat territory.

I love that Massey, looks like a hotrod =) and as far as weight for the rear goes cheap is better. I read up somewhere around here where someone had built a box and filled it with concrete and pvc pipe so you can carry your shovels, rakes, chainsaw, etc. It's a great idea, yet somehow I can't justify building a single purpose attachment for the rear.. If I'm going to have weight back there, it will have to be on top of a box blade.

k0ua, how many gallons roughly did you put in your tires? I suppose I can break out my hydraulic book and get a rough estimate.. RV antifreeze here is around $5 a gallon.. $2 a gal for windshield washer fluid, or a 5 gallon pail of concentrate for $60 that makes 160 gallons.. I think I've found the winner xD

25 gallons in each tire, but I think your tires a lot bigger. On the concentrate it better be pure methanol, depending on how cold it gets where you live. gotta figure out what the freeze point would be for this concentrate.. as you know the bottled windshield washer fluid comes in several freeze points, usually marked on the bottle. There is 32deg which is summer blend, so it freezes the same as water, and has no methanol, and 0 which has some methanol and -25F which has more.

Here is a tire chart:

Liquid Tire Ballast

There are many more on the web. There are also charts to figure how to mix pure methanol with water to achieve the freeze point you need at maximum economy.. You would be suprised how little water it takes to raise the freeze point a lot. as in 35percent by volume looks to be about -25C or -13F so be careful.. here is a chart:

http://www.methanol.org/Technical-In...Solutions.aspx

Good Luck

James K0UA