"Reversed" 4020 Makes A Powerful Loader Tractor
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“This loader tractor is a lot easier to handle than a conventional tractor. It handles heavy loads of manure, snow or round bales without slipping,” says Ted Lacey, an inventive South Dakota farmer. Lacey flipped the differential, the rear wheels, and the operator station and mounted his Westendorf loader facing the back of the tractor. The engine, power steering, gear shift and hydraulics all remain the same as a stock 4020.
“The rear wheels carry the weight and have a lot more traction this way,” Lacey says.
Lacey started his project by removing the tractor’s operator seat, the steering wheel and the 3-pt. hitch. He flipped the differential over so the new gearing would allow the tractor to use all of its old forward gears going backwards and its old reverse gears going forward. The rear wheels were flipped side to side so the treads would pull as the tractor went backwards rather than forward. Lacey says the tractor now can travel nearly 20 mph going backward, but only a couple miles an hour going forward.
All of this reconfiguration bears the question “why”? Lacey says he’s always looking for new ways to use machinery and old parts and he’s seen similar rigs made from combines and swathers. He decided to try it with a tractor and is pleased with the results.
Lacey faced the old tractor seat to the rear and mounted it securely to the platform. He extended the steering shaft through a pivot point and mounted the steering wheel on hinges so it folds away when the operator gets off the tractor. He shifts gears with a lever mounted on a pivot block, using the same pattern as the stock 4020. Hydraulics are controlled with the stock levers that are extended to the left side of the operator seat. A 3-spool valve was added so Lacey can use the loader’s grapple fork along with the lift and tilt cylinders.
“This whole idea just came to me one day so I decided to give it a try,” says Lacey. “It took about two months to build, and I like it much better than a loader mounted on the front of a tractor.”
The loader mounts on the existing vertical frames but faces the back of the tractor rather than forward. New lift cylinder mounting points were added to the base of the vertical uprights.
Lacey’s loader tractor has a cab that he salvaged from a 615 IH combine
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ted Lacey, 24064 478th Ave., Trent, S. Dak. 57065 (ph 605 321-9226; thehaymanager@gmail.com).
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Reversed 4020 Makes A Powerful Loader Tractor TRACTORS Conversions “This loader tractor is a lot easier to handle than a conventional tractor It handles heavy loads of manure snow or round bales without slipping ” says Ted Lacey an inventive South Dakota farmer Lacey flipped the differential the rear wheels and the operator station and mounted his Westendorf loader facing the back of the tractor The engine power steering gear shift and hydraulics all remain the same as a stock 4020 “The rear wheels carry the weight and have a lot more traction this way ” Lacey says Lacey started his project by removing the tractor’s operator seat the steering wheel and the 3-pt hitch He flipped the differential over so the new gearing would allow the tractor to use all of its old forward gears going backwards and its old reverse gears going forward The rear wheels were flipped side to side so the treads would pull as the tractor went backwards rather than forward Lacey says the tractor now can travel nearly 20 mph going backward but only a couple miles an hour going forward All of this reconfiguration bears the question “why”? Lacey says he’s always looking for new ways to use machinery and old parts and he’s seen similar rigs made from combines and swathers He decided to try it with a tractor and is pleased with the results Lacey faced the old tractor seat to the rear and mounted it securely to the platform He extended the steering shaft through a pivot point and mounted the steering wheel on hinges so it folds away when the operator gets off the tractor He shifts gears with a lever mounted on a pivot block using the same pattern as the stock 4020 Hydraulics are controlled with the stock levers that are extended to the left side of the operator seat A 3-spool valve was added so Lacey can use the loader’s grapple fork along with the lift and tilt cylinders “This whole idea just came to me one day so I decided to give it a try ” says Lacey “It took about two months to build and I like it much better than a loader mounted on the front of a tractor ” The loader mounts on the existing vertical frames but faces the back of the tractor rather than forward New lift cylinder mounting points were added to the base of the vertical uprights Lacey’s loader tractor has a cab that he salvaged from a 615 IH combine Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Ted Lacey 24064 478th Ave Trent S Dak 57065 ph 605 321-9226; thehaymanager@gmail com
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