Tractor Rigged To Fight Fires

2014 - Volume #38, Issue #2, Page #27

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Allen Kimball is ready to fight grass and brush fires thanks to his specially outfitted Deere 430. The 3-pt. hitch-mounted, 55-gal. barrel can be filled and emptied by the side-mount water pump.
  “I’ve put out several fires with it, including a big one that I had already called the fire department for,” says Kimball. “I just drove alongside knocking it down and then came back and put it out completely.”
  The side-mount water pump has a 4 hp gas engine. Pump and engine are mounted in a carrier Kimball made. It bolts on the tractor frame sidewalls for easy removal. The pump has three ports, allowing it to be used with a 2-in. dia. hose to pull water from ponds or streams to fill the 55-gal. barrel. Reversing the pump and switching a valve pumps water out through the garden hose Kimball uses to fight fires. The firefighting hose is mounted on a reel above the water barrel. Normally, Kimball fights fires from the tractor seat. Should he need to get into trees to fight a brush fire, Kimball can dismount and use the full length of the hose.
  “The large feeder hose wraps around the tractor,” explains Kimball. “I can drive alongside a water source and fill the barrel in 2 to 3 min. from the time I start the engine.”
  The only change made to the tractor was adding a wide front end that Kimball fabricated. He also added power steering for ease of control.
  “The wheels and spindles came from the steering axle of an old Deere combine,” says Kimball. “I used angle iron to make the axle tube. The original single front wheel was mounted off center, so I had to be careful to mount the pivot points the same amount to the side.”
  A splitter lets him pull fluid from the original tractor hydraulic pump to operate a cylinder from an old Allis Chalmers tractor. He mounted the cylinder to the axle tube and the left front tie rod. The splitter and controls tied to the steering wheel are mounted beneath the hood.
  Kimball acknowledges that using a newer tractor with fully independent pto would allow him to forego the gas engine. However, that would also require he keep the engine at full speed to maintain pump rpm’s.
  “With the gas engine running the pump at full rpm’s, I can idle the tractor along as slow as needed,” says Kimball. “I can use plenty of water on a hot spot to stop the flames.”
  Kimball says he has competed with his “fire tractor” at a national meet against tractors from as far away as Alaska, California and Florida.
  “I won second place 3 times,” he says.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Allen Kimball, 236 Linker Mountain Rd., Dover, Ark. 72837 (ph 479 968-1236; kim2rc3gwr@centurytel.net).

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Tractor Rigged To Fight Fires SECURITY/SAFETY Fire Allen Kimball is ready to fight grass and brush fires thanks to his specially outfitted Deere 430 The 3-pt hitch-mounted 55-gal barrel can be filled and emptied by the side-mount water pump “I’ve put out several fires with it including a big one that I had already called the fire department for ” says Kimball “I just drove alongside knocking it down and then came back and put it out completely ” The side-mount water pump has a 4 hp gas engine Pump and engine are mounted in a carrier Kimball made It bolts on the tractor frame sidewalls for easy removal The pump has three ports allowing it to be used with a 2-in dia hose to pull water from ponds or streams to fill the 55-gal barrel Reversing the pump and switching a valve pumps water out through the garden hose Kimball uses to fight fires The firefighting hose is mounted on a reel above the water barrel Normally Kimball fights fires from the tractor seat Should he need to get into trees to fight a brush fire Kimball can dismount and use the full length of the hose “The large feeder hose wraps around the tractor ” explains Kimball “I can drive alongside a water source and fill the barrel in 2 to 3 min from the time I start the engine ” The only change made to the tractor was adding a wide front end that Kimball fabricated He also added power steering for ease of control “The wheels and spindles came from the steering axle of an old Deere combine ” says Kimball “I used angle iron to make the axle tube The original single front wheel was mounted off center so I had to be careful to mount the pivot points the same amount to the side ” A splitter lets him pull fluid from the original tractor hydraulic pump to operate a cylinder from an old Allis Chalmers tractor He mounted the cylinder to the axle tube and the left front tie rod The splitter and controls tied to the steering wheel are mounted beneath the hood Kimball acknowledges that using a newer tractor with fully independent pto would allow him to forego the gas engine However that would also require he keep the engine at full speed to maintain pump rpm’s “With the gas engine running the pump at full rpm’s I can idle the tractor along as slow as needed ” says Kimball “I can use plenty of water on a hot spot to stop the flames ” Kimball says he has competed with his “fire tractor” at a national meet against tractors from as far away as Alaska California and Florida “I won second place 3 times ” he says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Allen Kimball 236 Linker Mountain Rd Dover Ark 72837 ph 479 968-1236; kim2rc3gwr@centurytel net

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