Adding a loader

[dobiedisco]

Has anyone added a loader to a tractor that wasn't already plumbed for one? I've reached the point where I need a loader. Have a 4x4 Ford 1900 that I love, so I bought a little Yanmar YM2000 with an after market loader that I do not love, lol. Seller lied and I'm in a pickle. The 1900 would be perfect with a loader.

 

[Sean in PA]

The 1900 had a loader available as a factory option or as a dealer add on. Part of the mounting kit was an additional valve for the hydraulics. Unfortunately none of that is available new any longer, so you would need to find a used 1900 that already has a loader, or find one at a salvage yard and swap all of the parts over. There are after market loaders as well. Koyker used to have a tractor model search on their site and would tell you which specific model of loader would fit your tractor and which mounting kit you needed, but I don't see that on their web site any longer.They do have a "Find a Dealer" search on their web site, so you might see if there's one in your area and contact them.

 

[dobiedisco]

That's my luck, thanks for the information. I really don't want to sell it to buy one with a loader, can't afford to buy one without selling it and my Kubota BX2200.

 

[Texasmark]

If I were doing what you propose, if the 2200 series offers a loader I would be inclined to go that route. Today's tractors are designed for loaders with bracing that doesn't block your access to the engine area and smaller diameter, wider foot print dimensions that support steering with heavy loads on the front axle...the old Fords don't have that capability and Ford has been my mainstay for over 40 years.....I currently have a 25 and 65 HP tractor (out of 7 with 3 being Fords....without loaders), newer models with the features mentioned.

 

[dobiedisco]

The Yanmar loader blocks the hood from being opened, it has to be removed and that's a problem, because I reinjured a shoulder that has screws put in it ~20 years ago. It's tightly wedged in there and I used a boom pole the other day to remove it.

Would a loader be too much for my 1900's front axle?

 

[Texasmark]

The Yanmar loader blocks the hood from being opened, it has to be removed and that's a problem, because I reinjured a shoulder that has screws put in it ~20 years ago. It's tightly wedged in there and I used a boom pole the other day to remove it.

Would a loader be too much for my 1900's front axle?

Depends on the load, weight, terrain, shape, tires and condition of the front axle and steering. Iterating, what I said earlier, loaders on those older Fords block your accessibility to your engine compartment besides the smaller tractors just weren't beefy enough for loaders doing any kind of real work. BTDT and it isn't fun to say the least. I bought a scrapped out '63 Ford (4 cylinder) tractor with a loader and I'll admit the loader itself was heavy for my first attempt for a loader....that junker was junk and didn't last very long. The front tires had an unusual slant to them. Investigating revealed that the front axle had been broken, welded on the bottom where the casting cracked and then the axle was returned to the tractor upside down.

Sounds like you need to explore a different alternative. After that experience I tried something else. I made a 3 pt "Jin-pole" for lifting things and bought a TSC 3 pt. dumpable scoop whereby you could back into something, lift it and drive off and pull a lever and dump it somewhere else, or run the tractor over the to be scooped material and catch it as the scoop arrived at whatever I was trying to move then when I got to the destination pulled a lever and it dumped it. Worked ok since that's all I had and I didn't have any money at the time for anything better. Had a Ford 3000 Diesel for a tractor at that time, only one, and it got the job done. To tell you what kind of shape that pice of dung was, the salesman had to shoot the air intake with Ether "in April, in Texas" to get it to start. My first diesel and I had zero experience with them....had I had experience I would have known that the rings were shot as it couldn't build up enough compression to light of the diesel mist from the injectors to get it to start.....That was in the '80's, I did an inflame on the engine, lots of ruined parts and had the head worked over. Still have it and it still works fine for me....starts in the dead of winter with no starting assist......now.

 

[dobiedisco]

Your '63 Ford sounds like the Yanmar. I think the prior owners were more concerned with keeping it looking good instead of what's under the hood. The white smoke has me especially concerned.

I actually have a boom pole, dirt scoop, box blade and angle blade that I've used over the years cleaning the 30x40 poor girls barn and corral, pushing fallen limbs to burn piles (a lot of trees around the front of the property) maintaining the driveway, etc. With my shoulder and now a torn meniscus in my knee, I wanted a loader to unload and move feed and do the cleanup. I was actually going to buy one of those little gas Chinese mini loaders and kinda regret getting the Yanmar instead.

I'm so far behind in property maintenance right now and have just been tossing things around in my head to help without digging myself any deeper than I already am. Now I have 2 nonfunctioning tractors.