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Home Built 4WD Skid Steer Loader
"It's a fantastic machine that saves countless hours of work," says Ronald Mandrell, Erhard, Minn., who built his own skid steer loader using an ingenious combination of two identical '57 Oldsmobile car rear ends.
Mandrell says it's important to use two identical rear ends so the gear ratios match. He turned the
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Home Built 4WD Skid Steer Loader GRAIN HANDLING Miscellaneous 10-4-10 "It's a fantastic machine that saves countless hours of work," says Ronald Mandrell, Erhard, Minn., who built his own skid steer loader using an ingenious combination of two identical '57 Oldsmobile car rear ends.
Mandrell says it's important to use two identical rear ends so the gear ratios match. He turned the front one around so it faces the rear unit and connected the two with a driveshaft. Because the wheels and frame are fixed into a straight-ahead position, the loader is steered by power brakes - 2 separate systems hooked up separately to either side of the machine. The operator simply manipulates two steering levers, which control the brakes, to steer.
The loader is powered by a 250 cu. in. Chevrolet engine and transmission salvaged from a wrecked pickup. Power is channeled through a gearbox salvaged from a forage harvester that connects to the driveshaft between the two powering rear ends.
The completed loader - on which the most expensive part cost $150 (the gear reduction gearbox) - has 4 speeds forward and a top speed of 15. Mandrell built the frame of the machine from scratch and mounted a Ford loader on it. The rear pivot point of the loader arms is at the back of the skid steer loader so that, even when handling a big load, the back wheels stay on the ground.
The machine also has a walking rear axle so that each side raises up and down 4 in., enabling the machine to walk over an 8-in, obstacle without lifting either wheel off the ground.
"On a regular tractor loader it's hard to handle a big load. This machine always keeps all four wheels on the ground and driving," says Mandrell, who can easily move 1,500 lb. bales with the machine. He says it's particularly useful for digging rocks out of fields. He uses the highly maneuverable loader to dig them out of the ground, then to carry them to a truck or wagon.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ronald Mandrell, Rt. 1, Erhard, Minn. 56534 (ph 218 736-6482).
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