Loader Tractor Built Out Of Combine

Loader Tractor Built Out Of Combine COMBINES Conversions Before Eric Pekarek built a loader tractor out of a self-propelled combine he used a tractor and rear-mounted fork to haul bales      It was a hassle to have to turn around and look behind you to load and unload a bale says the Valparaiso Neb farmer     Starting with a late 1960 s 3496 Moline combine Pekarek and his uncle Adolph Benes removed all the grain cleaning components and bought a salvaged Versatile front end loader for the project     They moved the combine engine and cab back 3 ft and 1 ft down on the chassis to better distribute the weight     The clutch linkage was modified from rod to cable to compensate for the repositioning of the cab and engine     They ve filled the threshing compartment with 1 500 lbs of field stone to counterbalance the weight of 2 000-lb bales     They made a bracket for the loader out of 4 by 6-in 1/2-in wall tubing bolted it onto the combine and mounted the loader on it The loader is powered by a 22 gpm hydraulic pump that s belt-driven off the combine s main driveshaft      We move 125 bales a year and this has worked great It s also ideal for moving snow or dirt which we do constantly Pekarek says     Out-of-pocket expense was about $2 500 including $1 100 for the salvaged loader     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Eric Pekarek Rt 1 Box 193A Valparaiso Neb 68056 ph 402 784-3793

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