Old WC Turned Into Super Skidder For Logging

Old WC Turned Into Super Skidder For Logging WOODLOT EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 24-3-30 Over the years, Terry Emmerton has been able to solve most of his equipment problems in his shop. So when he decided he needed a skidder to drag logs in from the woods, he figured he could make one himself. Sons Brad and Matt helped. They started with a 1947 Allis Chalmers WC tractor. The engine block was cracked, and they needed more power anyway, so they repowered it with a bigger engine and also equipped it with a set of half tracks to handle logs in rough terrain. After some searching, a set of Arps half-tracks were chosen. These tracks run around the rear tractor tires and a set of idlers mounted to the frame about halfway to the front wheels. Mounting the idlers was a fairly simple task, as the WC frame is made from heavy channel iron. The second step was to install a Chevy 305 V-8 engine together with a 4-speed GM truck transmission that bolts up to the rear axle. Since the splines on the GM transmission are the same as the Allis Chalmers transmission, the stock coupler could be used. Along with these changes, other minor modifications had to be made. With the half-tracks installed, the fenders need to be removed to provide adequate clearance. The gas tank had to be moved back a few inches in order to make room for the bigger engine, and an electric fuel pump was installed to satisfy the demands of the V8 engine. The WC's pully drive and pto were eliminated during the conversion. Since the truck transmission is geared almost identically to the WC transmission, no major changes were needed. However, since the new engine runs at much higher rpm's, Terry put a block on the throttle linkage to keep it from opening up all the way. "In second gear, it's perfect for skidding logs in the bush, and third gear is just fine for skidding logs along trails. The hand brakes also make it convenient to steer in the bush," says son Brad. Emmerton uses the tractor to skid logs out of his own and customers' woodlots. He cuts hardwood trees for firewood and pine, spruce and hemlock trees for lumber. He uses a pto-powered sawmill to provide rough-cut dimension lumber for local residents who use it for barns and sheds where graded lumber isn't required. In the summer, the half-tracks are removed and the old WC is used for chores around the farm and sawmill. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Terry Emmerton, R.R. 2, Harriston, Ontario, Canada N0G 1ZO (ph 519 335-3814).

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