Help, which tractor is strongest?

[stanz]

Here's the deal, I do maintenance/grounds work at my church. I have a lawn tractor for mowing but I need to decide which tractor I should use for a work horse. (pulling, FEL, etc.) I have picked up a few choices with horse trades, ebay deals, and scrapyard finds.

I need objective, factual information please, not "If it's green it's mean" opinions.

These are all OLDER models, nothing newer than the 1980s, most are from the 60s and 70s. All either run, or can be made to run with a little work.

Case 155 with 10HP Kohler, Hydro tranny. Looks like one of the stronger tractors in the bunch, just needs carb work and new rubber.

Ford LGT 100 with dead Kohler 10HP, to be replace with 14HP Kohler shortly. This one came with a 54" Snow Blower. I'm keeping this one for the blower. Nice strong tubular frame.

Massey Furgeson MF10 Another strong tractor with standard tranny but it has a 10 HP Tecumseh, not my favorite engine. Needs carb and some rubber. These have a weird combination of three speed tranny with a lever that says P,1,2,3 the lever is a variable speed belt drive.

Wheel Horse C111 with 11HP Briggs three speed and dual range rear end. Best running tractor of the group but the frame doesn't look as strong as the Ford.

I also have an old 1986 Snapper with a great running Briggs 11HP with electric PTO. This tractor will be scrapped for the engine and other parts if I need them. This is a STRONG lawn tractor, not up to an FEL but it pulled the Ford off my trailer with a flat tire and the snow blower struck in the down position. (I put the rearend in low range and pulled it in first.)

Please, just the facts man.

 

[art]

No fel's for these!

 

[stanz]

I don't understand your reply Art. FELs are available for all of those tractors. Some were sold by the manufacturers themselves, some were available in the after market.

Do you mean that you don't have a recommendation, or that you are not aware of any fels for these tractors? I can point you to several sites showing FELs on these tractors.

My question was which one was the best candidate of those listed. All I'm looking for is an answer to that.

If you're saying that you have a larger tractor and can't recommend putting an fel on any of those tractors, that's exactly the answer I asked be avoided. One of these tractors will be getting an FEL. I have no room or need for anything larger.

Thanks,

Stan

 

[KentT]

1. Which one has the strongest front end (axle and spindles)?

2. Which one has the strongest frame?

3. Which one will be the easiest to build a subframe for, to mount the FEL on?

There's your answer...

I'd vote for the Ford or the Massey...

You might find this topic interesting on another board interesting -- an MF-10 with homebuilt loader and power steering added:
Simplicity & Allis-Chalmers Garden Tractor Club, Inc.

 

[Bill Barrett]

The old Case/ Ingersol hydro tractors are great, I have one that has been beat over the back for 25 years And I got it used. Some do have FELs.
Check this out.

http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/casegardentractors/photos/view/8ea2?b=3

casegardentractors : CASE- COLT- INGERSOLL GARDEN TRACTORS

 

[crbr]

Some do offer a FEL. I would be very hesitant to expect much work power from 10 - 11 HP.

Fact as you ask ==> Reality check: 10HP.

Find a machine that will do the job and be done with it. You'll get out of your work what you provide for which the job is to be done.

 

[KentT]

Some do offer a FEL. I would be very hesitant to expect much work power from 10 - 11 HP.

Fact as you ask ==> Reality check: 10HP.

Find a machine that will do the job and be done with it. You'll get out of your work what you provide for which the job is to be done.

You can do a lot of work with these little machines. Here's a 12HP garden tractor that I had and the pile of dirt it moved... Not as fast as a bigger machine would, but it did the job...

There really were capable small machines prior to Kubotas...

 

[art]

I don't think you will find but a used one at best without buying the tractor with it. They are not the most productive to say the least and will require a cast iron rear to be strong enough for added weight to balance and stabilize the tractor. I believe all the tractors you mentioned had wheel bearings on the front and that is a must.

I do feel I'm quite lucky with my options of tractors!

 

[KentT]

I don't think you will find but a used one at best without buying the tractor with it. They are not the most productive to say the least and will require a cast iron rear to be strong enough for added weight to balance and stabilize the tractor. I believe all the tractors you mentioned had wheel bearings on the front and that is a must.

I do feel I'm quite lucky with my options of tractors!

Art, I think all he mentioned have cast-iron rears also. IMO, it's the gears and axles on the rear that take the stress, from pushing into the pile. On the front, it's the spindles and bearings from carrying the weight...

These garden tractors typically had FELs with 350lb or so lift, and you put about 300 lb in the ballast box. A few, like the Quickway and Johnson Workhorse FELs, had 500lbs of lift -- similar to the Kubota BX.

 

[stanz]

I should have mentioned that I will be building the FEL based on plans found on various websites. It doesn't matter what frame design they have, just looking for information on these tractors.

They all have bearings in the front axles, they all have cast iron front axles, they all have a history of FEL installations on the same family of tractors. I think they all have cast iron transmissions as well. They all have the same basic wheel/tires sizes.