3-Pt. Attachments Made For Vintage Ford Tractor

3-Pt. Attachments Made For Vintage Ford Tractor Retired Minnesota dairy farmer Allen Durst says, “When a guy quits milking, he just can’t sit around and do nothing, so among other things, I made two custom attachments for my 1955 model 960 Ford tractor.” Although the 960 was never intended to have a front 3-pt. hitch, Durst built one to carry a snowblower. His design includes two lift arms and a horizontal stabilizing bar bolted to the tractor frame. Hydraulic cylinders raise and lower the arms simultaneously, lifting his 800-lb single-auger, double-stage Renegade blower. He says it’s just the right size for his 50-hp vintage tractor, which spent many productive years on their dairy farm. To power the blower, Durst ran an extended PTO shaft from the back of the tractor to the blower’s gearbox. Because the gearbox was designed to mount the blower on the rear of a tractor, he had to reverse the gears for his front-mounted application. He did so by installing four bevel gears in the gearbox and connecting them with #80 roller chain. Engaging the tractor’s PTO runs the blower and auger in the correct direction. “The blower had an adjustable spout I didn’t want to turn by hand,” Durst says. “So I bought a small battery-powered pump with a self-contained 2-quart reservoir for about $150. Now I can rotate the head from side to side right from the tractor seat.” Durst also used his creative skills to build a carry cart that mounts to the 3-pt. hitch on the rear of his tractor. “For the frame, I used an old double-wide cab from a Kubota commercial mower that I bought for $100,” Durst says. “I tore the frame apart, and my neighbor, who owns a body shop, used parts from old car bumpers to build a new roof. It’s probably the only roof in the country made out of car bumpers!” Durst also installed a new floor and built new sides and a rear wall. The custom-reupholstered bench is wide enough for two people. “The only comfort feature is the original cab fan, which runs with power from the tractor battery,” he says. “It’s a great little parade vehicle and a lot easier for my wife to get into than a carriage or buggy. I just lower the 3-pt. so the floor is nearly ground level. She gets in, I raise it up, and off we go! It’s a popular parade attraction because she throws candy to kids along the route.” Durst says he’s seen similar ideas written up in FARM SHOW, but he says his is probably different because it’s made from an old mower cab and uses car bumpers for a roof. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Allen Durst, 25896 565th St., Mantorville, Minn. 55955.

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