"Made It Myself" Loader Tractor

"Made It Myself" Loader Tractor TRACTORS Loaders 31-3-16 When Steve Povlis needs a front-end loader, he just heads out to the shop and makes one. He built his current machine eight years ago and says it works great, according to his son Gary. "Dad is 85 now. I helped with a lot of the welding on this loader but it was his project," says Gary. "He pulls together parts from all over and then starts building." An old 6-WD Army truck frame and running gear provided the base. Gary says it was cut down in length and one axle cut away to shorten it for a better turning radius. It's powered by a 1969 Chevy 350 with a 400 Turbo automatic transmission. "We took a gear box off a VW rear axle and used it to reverse the engine output," says Gary. "We have three speeds forward and one reverse, even though the direction of the truck was reversed." A factory-installed transfer case on the Army truck was kept in the new drive train. It provides low and high range in all four gears, 2-WD and 4-WD. Chopping the frame resulted in short drive shafts running at steep angles, but Gary notes they still worked fine. "With the automatic transmission, we can creep up on things or roll down the highway at 35 miles an hour," he says. To provide stability and eliminate sway, springs over the rear axle were stripped away, and the axle was attached directly to the frame. To ensure traction, the rear axle was locked. Hub covers were pulled off, and a cover was made to enclose the spider gears. Molten aluminum was poured in to lock them in place. "Without locking the axle, the wheel with the least amount of weight would spin free," explains Gary. "Locking them gives it tremendous pulling power in the mud." Hydraulic power is provided by a live pump mounted to the Chevy engine crankshaft. It provides 2,000 psi and enough lift to pick a full size car off a truck and set it on the ground. The simple driver's compartment has gauges for temperature and oil pressure with idiot lights for charging and overheating. A sheet of Plexiglas is hinged to the cab roof and drops down in cold weather to serve as a windbreak. Driver comfort in cold weather is provided by a small heater mounted under the seat. A bypass with a shut-off valve circulates hot engine coolant under the driver's feet. When the weather is warm, the operator simply shuts off the valve. The loader arms were fabricated from an old truck frame. Lift cylinders and reach cylinders to tilt the bucket were recycled from an old utility line truck with a bucket arm. The bucket can be raised 13 to 14 ft. off the ground. A large battery from a semi is mounted on the rear turning axle along with railroad tie bars to counter balance the loader. Two additional batteries are mounted over the drive axle. Lots of battery power ensures quick starts even on the coldest winter day. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gary Povlis, 1120 Sill Rd., Ashtabula, Ohio 44004 (ph 440 998-4834; garyleaddog@msn.com).

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