Loader Tractor Built Out Of Chevy Blazer

Loader Tractor Built Out Of Chevy blazer TRACTORS Loaders 21-5-7 "It works great for general loader work and also for hauling round bales," says Steve Rasmussen, Bloomer, Wis., about the loader tractor he built primarily out of an old 4-WD Chevrolet Blazer. Rasmussen already owned the 1974 Blazer which was equipped with a 327 cu. in. engine and automatic transmission. He stripped it down to the main chassis and used 2 by 8 and 4-in. channel iron to build a new frame that supports a used Deere 4700 loader. The loader cylinders are operated by a hydraulic pump (off an old Ford combine) that's belt-driven off the engine. He reversed the controls and replaced the car's original bench seat with a bucket seat out of a Toyota, mounting it backward. He used angle iron and solid steel pipe to build a rollbar that extends all the way to the back of the machine. A pair of old car hoods were used to fashion a hood. "I call it my æChevier' because it's a cross between a Chevy and a Deere. A lot of people who drive by stop to check it out," says Rasmussen, who built the rig last winter. "I use it to move dirt and plow snow, to pick up cars around my yard, and to drag tree tops out of the woods. By replacing the bucket with a bale spear I can also use it to load round bales onto a semi trailer. The loader has a lift capacity of up to two tons. "I built it because I couldn't justify spending $13,000 to $20,000 for a new skidsteer loader. I paid $400 for the loader which was my biggest expense. My total cost was about $600. It has a longer wheelbase than a conventional skidsteer loader which helps with traction because the front and rear wheels don't drive in the same tracks, resulting in a better chance of getting onto hard ground. It still has the Blazer's original 15-in. tires. "It goes faster than a skidsteer loader. To go forward I actually drive in reverse, which has a top speed of 35 mph. If I want I can turn the seat around to drive the other way and go even faster. The reversed seat sets about 2 ft. back so I can still operate the controls. A heavy-duty winch mounts between the loader arms and under the custom-made gas tank, which mounts under the seat. "The loader didn't have cylinders on it when I bought it so I added 3-ft. long cylinders and built brackets for them. To steer I simply move a lever back and forth. I use a two-way spool valve to operate the loader and bucket. The hydraulic pump off an old Deere combine provides power steering. The pump originally was connected to cables that con-trolled the combine's steering system. I connected the cables to the Blazer's steering system." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steve Rasmussen, 17046 191st Ave., Bloomer, Wis. 54724 (ph 715 288-6127).

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