He Built A Loader For His Deere Garden Tractor

He Built A Loader For His Deere Garden Tractor TRACTORS Loaders 27-2-32 "I wanted to add a front-end loader to my Deere 318 garden tractor but Deere no longer makes loaders for this tractor and used loaders sell for $1,500 or more, if you can find one. I decided to build my own," says Greg Lenz, Dubuque, Iowa. He created a wish list before starting construction: It had to attach easily to the tractor; it had to operate while the deck was on the tractor; it had to be able to lift at least 400 lbs; it had to work with the tractor's on-board hydraulics; and it had to raise at least 6 ft. high. "I'm not an engineer so figuring out how to make all this happen took more research than I care to think about," says Lenz. "My biggest fear was starting construction and spending a lot of money, only to find out that I couldn't complete the project." Lenz had never done any metal crafting before so building the loader was a learn-as-you-go proposition. "I had to learn how to weld, so I borrowed tools such as welders and chop saws. I wanted to stay within a certain budget, but I discovered that the hydraulic components I needed cost more than I expected. Fortunately I have a good friend who works for a supply house and he was able to get me a lot of stuff at cost or just above." In the end, Lenz says the loader worked even better than expected. "It has more capacity than the loader that Deere sells today for its 400 series tractors. I was able to build the entire loader for less than $800." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Greg Lenz, 16922 Northern Hills Dr., Dubuque, Iowa 52002 (ph 563 588-3398).

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