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Steiner S18 Articulated Steer 4x4 Tractor

10K views 55 replies 13 participants last post by  GRI 
#1 ·
Well I always say that I'm nearly done buying toys, but this is the last one on my wanted list for a while. I sold my Bolens Grounds Keeper and I missed having an articulated steer tractor so I found a great deal on a 1980's Steiner 4x4 articulated steer tractor. It needs some love, but I already have some parts that it needs sitting around here so it should be a somewhat cheap easy project (just what I need, more projects haha). I had 2 brand new Goodyear Rawhide tires on 4 lug rims sitting around as well as a Kohler Command CH18 18HP engine, and I bought a brand new hood off ebay for it, so I have the big things that I need now. It should be a neat little addition to the collection. It's very simple and built very heavy duty. It uses Peerless 2500 series transaxles like my Ford LGT 195 and Massey Ferguson 1855, which is pretty interesting. Here's a few pictures from the Craigslist ad. It's not much to look at, but it has lots of potential and seems like it's pretty decent mechanically.
 

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#3 ·
I've been wondering what one of those would be like! Take lots of pics, especially of the drive system, please!
 
#6 ·
I've been wondering what one of those would be like! Take lots of pics, especially of the drive system, please!
Kenny, you wouldn't believe the simplicity of the drive system. It's a Peerless 2500 out back and in the front it's the same Peerless 2500 series, but it's just tilted on it's back. There are Sunstrand units that drive the Peerless transaxles, a hydraulic cylinder that steers the tractor, one for the front lift (with down pressure) and then an auxiliary valve for controlling blade angle or what have you. I'll be sure to get some more pictures.
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
Sounds good!
I'd say that if someone had some extra Peerless and Sunstrand units, some hydraulic cylinders, and some decent fabrication skills, it wouldn't be too hard to replicate one of these Steiner tractors.

These little Steiner tractors remind me of a Vermeer trencher (without the trencher of course). Do you guys notice the resemblance?

Vermeer-Ride-On-Trencher1.jpg
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
nice score, those are cool tractors.

This one is my favorite Steiner, even though it is green and yellow

 
#12 ·
I pulled all of the previous owner's cob job half a$$ "repairs and retrofits" and I'm feeling a lot better now that all that crap is off this tractor. When the engine was mounted, one of the four lower tabs/feet was cut right off with a hacksaw for some reason! Anything that wasn't factory original was pulled off and will be done correctly now. I found a great deal on a brand new Steiner 415 hood from ebay, so I ordered it and I'm working on mounting it on my S18. It doesn't look like it'll be too difficult to do at all. I think I'm going to do something slightly different as far as paint goes.......I'm going to go for a construction/industrial yellow color instead of the Steiner red.
 

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#14 ·
I like everything about Steiner except the price!
You got that right! I can't believe how expensive these things are, especially the attachments! Even beaten up Steiner tractors are 2-3 thousand dollars, it's INSANE! Luckily this one was very cheap and I found it on Craigslist after it hadn't been posted very long.
 
#16 ·
I picked up some steel from Metal Supermarket from their discount rack ($1 per pound, you can't beat it). I made the components to mount the 415 hood and the hinges and it worked great. Not bad for just using a tape measure, Sharpie marker, and a die grinder. I also found the fender/splash guards in a pile of parts the previous owner gave me with the tractor. Next I will be getting parts sandblasted, working on mounting the Kohler Command, and then finishing up going through the Sundstrand hydrostatic pump.
 
#19 ·
Haha, I'll snap some pics tomorrow guys. It's nothing too interesting right now, but it's still progress. I added some ebay LED headlights (the same ones I used on my Case 224 that I'm putting together. I got the Kohler Command 23HP to fit, and the only real issue was with the fuel pump on the valve cover hitting the hood. I simply unscrewed the plug in the block and I'm adding an NPT fitting to run to a pulse fuel pump rather than a mechanical one on the valve cover. And the issue that I thought was going to be a rather significant one was the leaking Sundstrand hydrostatic pump. It was leaking out of the bottom. I see someone replaced a seal before me at one point, but when I opened the entire unit up, the lower bearing that supports the forward/reverse pin/rod had a crack in the upper part of the race and the needle bearings were lifting out when I tilted the unit. So, a bad bearing makes a seal go bad, and even if someone replaces the seal, the bad bearing will eat the new one and that's just what happened. The internals of the pump, besides the bearing look GREAT otherwise barely any wear. I ordered a seal/o-ring/gasket kit and 2 new Torrington needle bearings (for the top and bottom) of the rod that the forward/reverse lever mounts to. I'll get the entire unit together and cleaned up next and start working on cleaning/degreasing and replacing other wear parts such as Heim joints, bad hyadraulic lines, etc.
 
#20 ·
Here's a few pics of my LED headlights from ebay that I fitted, the hood hinges (All just roughly cut out at this point), and the internals of the Sundstrand pump.
 

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#22 ·
I want to see pics of the powertrain setup! Very curious as to it's layout in the front. Internals look great!
I want to see the setup also PLEASE!!

Going to be a very cool build for sure.
 
#23 ·
Thanks guys. The rear of the Steiner is set up with just like any other tractor with a Peerless 2500 transaxle, but the front is mounted on it's back. The pump is mounted right behind the engine and then lines run to the motors which drive each of the two Peerless transaxles. It's a really simple and stout design. These look to be very well built machines, but I just can't see why they're so expensive and it seems like they never come up for sale cheap. That's why I had to jump on this one. Mine will look like (and perform like) a newer 415 model after I do the "facelift" and the Kohler Command swap, except I'm going to paint it Rustoleum Tuscan Sun yellow to give it an "industrial" look or like a small construction type machine. I'm very excited about this project.

I'll get some pictures of the very greasy driveline for you guys. It's very greasy and dirty because of the leaking pump. Hopefully I have that problem solved with the new bearings, seals, gaskets, and O-rings.
 
#25 ·
So the pump has a separate oil tank, and the oil in each Peerless is simply for oiling it's internals? The pump has a single speed/direction rockshaft in it?
The pump has a single speed/direction rockshaft. Now the other question I cannot answer for certain, but here's what I can tell you about it. This is a 15 series Sundstrand "split system" set up (see pic below). I do know that the pump, motors, lift cylinder, and steering cylinder all share the same fluid, but I don't know whether or not each Peerless transaxle shares it too. On my Massey Ferguson 1855 it does because there's a tube going from the transaxle into the Sundstrand pump/motor assembly, but I don't know if that's the case on the Steiner. I need to look into this more tomorrow and I'll get back to you guys.

series-15-all-types.jpg
 
#26 ·
jpswift1 That's a good looking machine. I just picked up a S-18 a couple weeks ago and am also upgrading the engine. I'm putting a 18 hp diesel in place of the original 18hp gas it had in it. Mine looks a little different than yours though. The throttle lever and gauges are in different places. The lift cylinder and the steering cylinder are on opposite sides. I'm not positive mine is a S-18 though. It was scribed in to the data plate by hand. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished project and bouncing ideas back and forth with you and this group.

Here's a couple pic of my Steiner, Now it's a work in progress to. It's not very easy to get a pic of the drivetrain, So I can't get you guys a pic right now either.
 

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