Bidirectional Loader Tractor

Bidirectional Loader Tractor TRACTORS Made-It-Myself 14-6-6 When Ronald Schultz, Truman, Minn., needed a high capacity loader tractor for moving dirt and gravel and clearing land, he decided to fashion his own "industrial strength" bidirectional loader tractor. Schultz mounted an Arts-Way 6000 loader equipped with a 9-ft. bucket on the rear of an International 4100 4-WD, 4-wheel steer industrial tractor. He added an extra steering wheel and set of clutch and brake pedals which he connected by cable to the original pedals. An extra hydraulic motor and hydraulic control valve lets him direct oil from one steering wheel to the other. He added an extra frame for the seat backrest so that by removing two pins he can reposition the backrest on the opposite side of the seat. "It works great and has twice as much strength and capacity as most farm tractor front-end loaders," says Schultz, who started using the bidirectional tractor six years ago. "I've used it to fill in several old ditches and to haul dirt from ditches that had been cleaned out. The loader works great for pushing trees over and rooting them up. I didn't want the loader up front because it would've been too far out ahead to see well, and the loader uprights would've been mounted directly above the front axle where they'd block my view. Also, the dealer told me I'd need two tons of weight on back just to hold the tractor's rear end down." The tractor's 4-speed transmission is equipped with high-low range. Forward control is on one lever and high, low, and reverse controls are on another. Both transmission levers are on one side of the seat while the hydraulic control lever is Dn the other side. "Whenever I reverse directions I use my opposite hands to operate the controls," notes Schultz. "Reverse works only in low range so I have four speeds for doing loader work. The only time I use high range is on the highway." Schultz bolted the loader's quick-tach vertical uprights directly to the tractor's frame. He bolted a length of channel iron to the rear of the operator platform and mounted the extra steering wheel on it. He installed a hydraulic motor under the extra steering wheel and mounted a hydraulic control valve on the hydraulic steering line to divert oil from one steer¡ing wheel to the other. The tractor's rear tires were worn smooth so Schultz retreaded them. He bought the loader new for $5,000 and the tractor used for $5,500. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ron Schultz, Rt. 2, Box 217, Truman, Minn. 56088-9625 (ph 507 776-3766).

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