Crazy idea - 770/880 utility 4wd

I own a small horse farm, in rural Michigan. I've got two Super 55's. I love my ollies, but
they are just too small. I need a loader tractor for hay, snow removal, etc.

I'm finding the S55's are just too small / low HP to do the job, and they get stuck a lot with our bad mud around here.

I know there were 1550/1600/1650 utility tractors, but they are just too big to get into the barns. The perfect size would be a White 2-60 or one of the fiat equivalents, but then I have headaches getting parts and the 4WD models are just unobtainium around here and cost mega bux when you do find one.

So my idea was to take a garden variety 770 or 880, since they are MUCH more common around here, and put something like a 16.9x30 rear tire on it, or even 28s off a combine, and take off the standard row crop front end and adapt a Dana 44 off a 4x4 truck. The axle would have a 1/2" plate truss welded on the top kinda like the Super 55 mount, with a center pivot at the front of the tub, and stay arms like the S55. That would drop the tractor down quite a bit for easy entry / exit. I would adapt a hydraulic motor to the Dana, and a shuttle valve on the cockpit to FWD/REV the flow as needed, only pulling it in when going gets tough.

The other part is that the 770 or 880 would take a cab a lot easier than a 55 would. Better placement of sheet metal. I would end up with a much beefier drivetrain, better access to the PTO clutches, and more power from the 6cylinder. As far as I can tell, the only thing I would be giving up is the draft sensing 3pt hitch, which I don't use much cause I don't plow much.

Am I crazy, or does this sound very buildable? Good running 770's can be had for like 1200 around here. Add some parts and I think you're done for 2K.

Thoughts?

How about a diesel 4x4 1255, 1265...they are not unobtainable and everyone who has one of those diesels loves them. I have seen a few about for sale. There was one only a week or so ago in NY State on Craig's List with factory loader for $5,000, a 1265 I think.
I just got a 4x4 1255 in SC for under $3,500. They are TONS of Fiat Olivers for sale in Quebec, Canada if you check out a few ag sites or kijiji (like Craig's List).
Let me know when you buy one. I will deliver it for ya :wink:

try this: http://www.agdealer.com/

If you get good at it,build one for me too. The later Iseki built Whites might be more what you're looking for instead of the Fiat builts.
Hoffernerts in Bannister had one a few years back that I'm wishing I'd have bought. I'm trying to think who else had one advertised here in Michigan recently. I believe it was in a dealer ad in The Farmers Advance or the Farm Trader.

I didn't see it,but I was at a show a few years ago and somebody said that Ollie Schaefer was on his way with what I think was an 880 FWA if memory serves me right. Seems like he'd used parts from a 1600 to build that one. Sherry could tell you if I'm right or wrong about that.

Hey, there was some nice ones on that site. For $9-10G's. Too pricy. I'm not going to be able to justify that to the wife.

That site is all dealers so, I agree, most are priced at the upper end (or more!), but if you find the local ads for them (kijiji) they are half the price. That was just to give you some ideas of what is out there.

I posted a photo of Ollie's 880 on the tractor photos section.

Dad"s 880 FWA was built using 1650 parts. They had to change the gears in the transmission and do a little drilling and grinding on the frame but other than that, it bolted right up and works great.

If you do that, and it's going to be a loader, you better go with a kingpin dana 60. The 44 will be too light.

Even better, I have a Dana 50 sitting in the shop with no use for it. Same ends as a 60.

I couldn't find it. I searched for 880, 880 FWA and FWA.

its on the first page as 8880 oliver

thanks Gordey, my trick finger put in an extra 8

There we go. That's pretty slick looking.
I didn't realize those front hubs were so huge though. I'm hoping for smaller front tires.

Do it!! I would love to see that! I think a 60 would be more then adequate in front since I doubt you would lift more a ton.

What kind of hydraulic motor are you looking at to run this? Also how are you going to match the speed so the front tires dont work against the rears? What kind of valve were you looking at? Could these be adapted to utilize a power beyond somehow?

Good luck and please post pics and info!

You can control the speed of a hydraulic motor by controlling the flow rate. My idea was just a hydraulic pump flowing through a variable flow valve, so I just pull the lever until the fronts just seem to turn a bit faster than the rears. It would be variable, so I could do interesting things like drift the front sideways or whatever to get out of the mud. I"m thinking very seriously of building one of these instead of hunting down a 2-60. I don"t think a power beyond port would work. It would be very similar to the HFWA tractors, with the variable lever on the side of the cowl. I suppose if I wanted to work out the gearing, I could figure out a power take off from the brake shaft and drive the front that way. Might be easier and cheaper with the right gearing.