Construction/Industrial tractors

Hello all, I m new to the group but I wish to seek your collective wisdom.

I want to buy an "industrial" style tractor, because I m building a new place and have lots of dirt work to do, but I m priced out of skid steers (not to mention the attachments are expensive). Anyway, I ve been doing some lookig and really like the JOHN DEERE 401C & D but they seem to be tough to find.

So my question to you all, what was a popular older(70 s) industrial tractor (extra hinge for the bucket cylinder, heavier front axles) that still have a PTO and 3-point hitch?

Ideally I want the 3 point and PTO due to availability of attachments and usefulness. But modern skip loaders or backhoes have neither.

Thank you

I don't know what you mean by,,,lots of dirt work,,, but I've got a JD 1025r with bucket. It has pto and 3-p0int. After I loaded the rear tires that will do more then the small skid
steer it replaced.

Find you a 35/40 hp four wheel drive Kubota that is 10 years old or so. You will love it do
everything you want to do and will be able to sell it any time you want.

"By lots of dirt work" I mean grading, backfilling, and spreading gravel. Obviously a blade and/or box blade will be needed too with a hydraulic top link.

To your question, "What was a popular..."

The answer is NONE OF THE ABOVE. Industrial tractors were not popular in the way farm tractors would be considered popular. No company ever sold 100,000+ of a given model.

International industrial models for example shared many common parts with their farm tractor counterparts, but not all. The main divergence is in the transmission, where if you need parts you'll be pretty much out of luck. Reverser/shuttle and torque converter type transmissions are ones I'd recommend avoiding unless you get the tractor cheap and it's working good when you buy it.

Three point and PTO were optional on most all industrial tractors so they could come with it.

Rather than trying to look for one particular model, go shopping. Look at what's out there actually for sale. If it meets your requirements go look at it. Could be an IH, Deere, Massey, Allis...

That would explain why I m having a hard time searching for them, beings they weren t popular. I was just hoping to get some model numbers to help me search.

So far I have JD 401, and Ford 555.

I m just having issues searching because if you enter "skip loader" they don t show up. You get 500 JD 210 s, but if you search for "industrial tractor" you get zero hits.

I only say 70 s-80 s models because that s what my budget will afford. So I m not SPECIFICALLY looking for a 401 (etc..) that s just the style, size, and budget.

Buy yourself an old backhoe with a bucket on the front
and your set.

I ve thought about that, but I d like to keep the machine around a while and with a backhoe it s kind of a "one trick pony". I d really like to have a 3 pt. And a PTO for the various attachments. Ya know?

My thought process is "when you need a backhoe, only a backhoe will work. But you only need a back hoe for one job every xx years". A 3 point and a PTO you could use all of the time.

Industrial backhoes and front end loaders are usually sturdily mounted to the tractor frame, not a 3 point hitch or a quick attach frame. Removing or attaching an industrial backhoe or an industrial loader can be an all day job rather than ten minutes for similar quick attach farm equipment.

Case industrial loader backhoe tractors were popular in the 1970s era.

tractordata.com does list industrials by different manufacturers. https://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/tractor-brands/ford/ford-tractors-industrial.html

once you isolate a few models of interest check for them on tractorhouse.com

Far as I am concerned a loader tractor is a lot more
handier or convenient than a 3 point tractor. Sounds like
u need 2 tractors. You asked about a construction
tractor. That is not a pto or 3 point unit. So best is two
different tractors. U can buy 2 tractors way cheaper than
any good skid steer , they dont have pto or 3 point
either. A skid steer is 100k and an old backhoe and small
tractor can be bought for less than 20k. Then when done
sell one.

I bet few people under the age of 85 know what a "skip loader" is and most people just see a "yellow tractor."

If only searches could read your mind, am I right? It's frustrating when people don't use the same terminology as you do.

(quoted from post at 21:53:09 11/21/23) A skid steer is 100k and an old backhoe and small
tractor can be bought for less than 20k. Then when done
sell one.

Click to expand...

You can buy a lot of older skid loader for under 20k. Case 1845 would be a good one to look at.
AaronSEIA

There are others in the JD line besides the 401 series. There are Fords as have been mentioned, Case 480 and 580, and Massey Ferguson 20, 30 40, and 50 series industrials. MF doesn't build industrials anymore but they still have the parts books and some parts are available for their industrials. You likely will want to stay away from International industrials as they can be hard to get parts for due to being orphans.

The thing is you are going to have to look at each tractor as the 3 point and PTO were options on every model, so no one can say just look for this model to get those options. You will see the tractors with the loader for sale, only to find a backhoe was removed so there is no 3 point or PTO.

Would you describe what you mean by ''extra hinge for the bucket cylinder''. Or a picture.

The "ag" bucket the cylinders are connected directly to the bucket, whereas most "industrial" tractors have an extra "hinge" of some fashion to take a bit of the abuse off the cylinders and distribute that force to an extra bushing. Well, that s what I THINK that is for anyway.

If you can go years between jobs for a backhoe, most people will hire the job out and get a skilled operator along with the machine or rent a machine for each job. That saves the cost of owning, maintaining and storing an extra machine that is rarely used. Older machines often need repair when you want to use them, especially if they are stored outside.

Different designs of linkage. It may be to increase breakout force, increased roll angles, aiding self-level some, etc., not necessarily to take a load of the bucket cylinders. Many, with direct to the bucket cylinders, have operated for years with no issues. If you only want a loader with the ''extra hinge'' you may pass up some good machines.

If you are going to do a lot of dirt work I would recommend the tractor be 4wd. Digging with 2wd the rear tires seem to slip a lot digging holes in the ground.

That extra hinge you are referring to on industrial models was only used on certain brands or models of a brand. It s just how they designed their loader frames
Very few of Fords industrial models had that hinge design
My Ford 4500 was their most popular backhoe loader tractor at that time and it has cylinders lined directly to the attachment



I have heard the term skip loader but have no idea what it means, but I m only 67 years old.
A popular name for the type of tractor I think you are looking for is the Utility model, my brother had a Ford 3400 Utility with the heavier front axle and loader. The Ford 340 and 540 are popular utility models, I am a Ford owner and not familiar with other brands models but I do know JD and other brands had utility models, I am not recommending any particular model or brand

Be aware that industrial utility tractors where built in a number of configurations, they came with and without loaders, manual and torque converter transmissions, most torque converter models did not have pto, with and without 3 point lift, with and without pto, so you can t punch in a certain model number and it automatically have the lift and pto you want

Final note is 2wd tractors with loaders are very traction limited unless you have a good amount of weight on the back
If you can work it in your budget look at an older 4x4 Kubota with loader, I think you will be much happier with that

This post was edited by Destroked 450 on 11/22/2023 at 07:09 am.