Tumblebug Sears Roebuck

[Duckman328]

Just picked up a 4' sears roebuck tumblebug to play with. Anyone have any info on these as far as setting up and running? I have a couple pictures I will try and attach here. Thanks

 

[showcrop]

Just watch the U-tube vids.

 

[300guy]

When using it, you trip the hitch lever to tip the blade downward and make it dig. Then when it is full, you trip it again and the blade will be level. From there it will slide and you can dump it by pulling the roll lever. That's about all there is to it. It does not like to dig in hard ground. Soft ground it should dig own it's own. In hard ground, we usually plowed the ground and then used the bug.

 

[Duckman328]

(quoted from post at 16:34:04 03/13/18)
Just watch the U-tube vids.

have. There are none with this model. They operate differently then the ones on YouTube. The sears models have a completely different design on the up front mechanism. Look at it in my picture then compare to the ones on YouTube. The sears model pivots up by the hitch the best I can tell, when the front rope is pulled. I haven't hooked mine up yet because I am rebuilding engine in my tractor. Guess I will just steal the neighbors H and start dragging it around the pasture and see what happens.

 

[Duckman328]

I see! Thank you buddy! Do you know anything about the adjustment on the holes in the hitch or is it just trial an error until it works best? Didnt know if frame should be level, tilt back, tilt forward etc?? Thanks again

 

[300guy]

I don't know what they are for. My Dad never changed that but I would guess it is to make the blade level with the hitch when the lever is in that position. We had a special triangular plate we bolted onto the U part of the drawbar. We never hooked it onto anything else but that plate.

 

[Dick B in CA]

Anybody have any information on a Killefer Model 26R Tumblebug? 1930 - 1940 era.
Thanks

 

[Dick B in CA]

Email is open. Sorry

 

[CHUCK CAMBIS]

The lever closest to operator controls depth of cut. Two other ways are height of drawbar and the stop brackets on the bucket. I
would start with the hitch max high. While moving pull the trip once rapidly and release rapidly or the bucket will continue past
the cut. You should be getting light to no cut. The close level only has two positions and should be moved while moving. This will
change the cut to heavy. If the adjustment cut lever doesn't give enough cut lower the drawbar one notch at a time and try. Pull
until the bucket is full and then stop. Back slightly and pull trip to free bucket until in the carry position. Go to dump spot
and pull trip until bucket dumps and stays upside down. This is the traverse position to get back to start. Soil type and hardness
will drastically effect the cut. Start slow and have fun. chuck.

 

[cleddy]

I can't tell about this model but we had one that would be adjusted to cut(better in soft dirt) and when the bucket was full a spring arrangement on the hitch would compress and tip the front up enough to stop digging in & cutting and pull easy to the location where you wanted the dirt an then pull the rope to let it turn over and dump. They do have a cutter bar on them which should cut pretty good if sharp but the weight just isn't there.

It never occurred to me that there are so many different manufactures and sizes of these. Ours is a big 5 foot one if I remember right. Where would any identification be located on them?
cleddy

 

[Duckman328]

(quoted from post at 08:43:25 03/16/18) I can't tell about this model but we had one that would be adjusted to cut(better in soft dirt) and when the bucket was full a spring arrangement on the hitch would compress and tip the front up enough to stop digging in & cutting and pull easy to the location where you wanted the dirt an then pull the rope to let it turn over and dump. They do have a cutter bar on them which should cut pretty good if sharp but the weight just isn't there.

It never occurred to me that there are so many different manufactures and sizes of these. Ours is a big 5 foot one if I remember right. Where would any identification be located on them?
cleddy

Mine actually still has a name and model plate riveted to the channel frame. I believe it is on the right side if I remember correctly.

 

[big a]

thanks for posting the pictures!
I've got the same scraper, but the hitch linkage is missing. Now I know how it's supposed to be.
Use mine for scraping manure out of the lots, and works great.
I can scrap while dad piles with skidloader and cover a lot of ground in a hurry, if conditions are right.

 

[Farmallb]

Dad had one. I think it was a Wards. I have one. Don't know the make. Mine, unlike his has 2 levers. One in the back rolls the bucket where you want it. I put a couple of extra dogs on the sides so that it would roll till the blade was around 4in above the ground, which would let the dirt drop out and the blade act as a grader blade.
The upper lever, near the hitch lets the hitch roll downward with a roller attached to the hitch which rolls in a oblong slot. This raises the blade say 3in above the ground so you aren't digging when you don't want to,.
Where to put the hitch in the holes, is a trial by error method.
1 IF your old, like me, youll want it in the top notch so that you don't have to lift the hitch so high.
2 It might depend on the highth of the tractor drawbar.
3 Myself, im not sure, in the hitch that you have, that it makes much of a difference,