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.

 

[art]

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.

I'd look at the clutch design on the gears drives to see which would take the most abuse from constant engagement. The one with the blower should not be in the equasion if you plan on using it for that, the time frame to change attachments could be huge. The case is actually a hydraulic drive not a hydro which is a plus for you to plug into to operate the loader. The problem is they don't hold back and you'd need to be sure the brakes work. Chances are the engines could be changed from chassis to chassis with little work as they all were using a simular bolt pattern at that time.

I did sell a few back years ago, they seemed to work ok but they were limited. I know they are still working today or they were last year and every now and then another one pops up. I will say they were over rated for what they could do although they did beat a shovel and wheel barrow.

 

[sandman2234]

I laughed when I read the comments about the reality check on 10 hp. I had a friend who was trying to clear a city lot with a snapper 12 hp. I offered to bring my 13 hp Ford up there (we're both Chevy guys). He said not to waste my gas, but I told him I was coming anyway. It took me 3 hours to do what he had tried to do and failed at, and with a 13 hp Ford no less. The only reason I went to a larger tractor is simply time. The little Ford would do anything my John Deere would do, it just took more time and sometimes a little thought on the right way to do it. Plus I didn't tear up near as much stuff on the Ford as I did with the JD due to the excess HP.
David from jax

 

[Mith]

I'll put my vote down for the WheelHorse. Its a strong design, the Unidrive rear axle is reputed to be one of the strongest. I have a loader on a 312, which is a similar machine. No problems so far.

I havent had experience with any of the others, except a Ford, which seemed to be falling apart.

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

My tractor is 12HP. If there is one thing that it doesnt lack its power.

 

[LBrown59]

IMO,
it's the gears and axles on the rear that take the stress
from pushing into the pile.

Tell Me About It!
I've twisted the rear axle off in my Bolens 850 3 times while using the front blade.
Of course this all took place over a period of 41 years which hain't bad I suppose.

 

[Jason B]

Hi

I would go with a Simplicity SunStar( Also sold as an Agco Allis 1920H, Duetz Ultima 1920/1918H, MF 2918H, 2920H). These are a very well built and tough tractor. I have a Agco 1920H( In addition to a Deere 455) and the 1920H definately has the guts for pulling, not to mention the ablity to mount a loader on it as well. The loader for them are run off the Front PTO with a pump. You would need the diff Lock( avalible on all early Sunstars), Ag tires, and rear weights. But they are a tough cobination. I use my Agco 1920H, for blowing snow, and pushing heavy snow and she works perfectly. I know one guy has a Sunstar and he pulls gravity wagons around. Also moves his header wagon around, for the 25F flexhead for his combine. Tractor handles it with out problems. I would look at one of these beauties. Not to mention the 20hp in the 1920H is much more powerful for the loader then a 10hp.

If You need a Diesel, look at a Duetz 5215 that has 4WD( I belive) and is much heavier then the 1920. Has plenty of power for running a loader.

By the way the Sunstars were built from 1987 to 1997. The later Sunstars had the Kohler Commands while early ones had the Kohler Magnams. The early ones had diff Lock, but the later models( I think around 96,97) did not have the diff lock. I have been very surprised at how my Agco 1920H handles a 2 stage blower with out diff. Lock driving into deep snow banks. Today, The 455 Diesel does all my grass cutting, but my 1920H is set up for cutting on the side of the hills, plus it runs my leaf collection system in the fall and Blower in the winter. While I now have the 455, The 1920H still has a place and I won't give her up any time soon.

If you would like opnions on the 455 Diesel, I would be glad to tell you about them too.

Take Care Jason B