85 replies to this topic

[gtcsreg]

Hmmm, well I would've considered it, but "my" three tractors have already seemed to be claimed.  I came around to the back of the house, and all three little curtain crawlers had escaped from the house and found a tractor to play with!  At least they have their priorities right...these are alot more fun than baby dolls and wooden trains 

 

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In fact, Little Man's favorite toy is this tractor!! 

 

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A FEL is one of those things that you don't think you NEED...until you have one.  Then, you find yourself using it for so many things, that you wondered how you made it this far in life without one!

 

I spent most of last weekend re-doing the landscape on the basement side of the house.  I'll get some pictures up soon.  This was what the tractor was doing for fun though in between the real work!

 

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Nice! Very acceptable alternative to my plan.

[gtcsreg]

Southgate-20130823-00921.jpgSouthgate-20130823-00918.jpgHere is my MF 1650 doing a bit of plowing tonight

Can I ask for your rear tire size and brand?

[gtcsreg]

Here is my 1450 as I use it now. It has a MF510 deck on it. It cuts my grass.

 

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It was my first restoration, so I played dress up with it a bit. Different shoes

and bling.

 

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Also, I used it for a while, as a refreshment buggy.

 

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This is my MF1650. It's the work horse. Since this pic,The Boss (1).JPG

I've put some 26" AGs on it.tires.jpg and

weights.

It plows and snowblows, and moves things around with the 3pt hitch. I've done some box blading

with it, and dragging a snowmobile trail groomer around in the summer, to rip roots

out of the trails. I've also had a spike tooth harrow behind it a few times, to scuff up the gravel

yard. I don't think I'll ever part with this one.

 

Oh yeah, I added this brace, to stiffen up the steering column. I like to pull my butt off the seat,

using my hands on the wheel.P1010755.JPG

Referring to the picture with the cooler in it.  Can I ask what size and brand are the rear tires?

[gtcsreg]

Here's the MF1650 I used to have.  I restored it for my nephew, aka member "baumbaum".  I did change the color scheme a bit.

 

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Here's my worker, heavily modified MF1655 diesel repower.  Loader not put back on yet in this pic, so easier to see.

 

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Here's my heavily modified MF1650, now a "2055" as I call it.  20hp Onan.   Loader & loader mounts are now on the 1655 diesel in pic above.

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Can I ask what the size and brand of the rear tires on the 2055 are?

[limebuzz]

Can I ask for your rear tire size and brand?

Theses are the Carlisle Tru Power size 26X12X12 that I had purchased for the 1655 until the engine gave out.

[ENafziger]

 

Here's my worker, heavily modified MF1655 diesel repower. Loader not put back on yet in this pic, so easier to see.

 

What diesel did you use for the repower?  Great looking tractor.

[twostep]

What diesel did you use for the repower?  Great looking tractor.

Since Daniel is so quick to help everyone else I'll help answer this...

 

It's a 3cyl Yanmar I believe. Here is his build thread: http://gardentractor...underway/page-1

[ENafziger]

 

Since Daniel is so quick to help everyone else I'll help answer this...

 

It's a 3cyl Yanmar I believe. Here is his build thread: http://gardentractor...underway/page-1

 

 

Thanks!!! Wow...great read.

[TUDOR]

I got this 1655 on January 2, '82 and have been giving it a well deserved rest since 2006 (at least until I can get the new wheels on it). Currently 2503 hours on the clock, P220 under the hood, and tips the scale at 2000 lb with no wheel weights, nothing on the 3PH, and no operator.

 

About all that's original of the Wright Way loader is the arms. Someone said that loaders are for loading, not digging. Here it is in my driveway excavating about 100 yards of material to a depth of 3'. This was round 2. Round 1 was a few years previous and only 50 yards.

 

 

In this one, I dug out the foundation walls to apply waterproofing. Had to do the last foot or so by hand.

 

 

It also has a 5' back blade, 4850 tiller, logsplitter, 12" wide trenching bucket, light set of forks, and a couple of handy doodads for the loader. The 48" blower hasn't been on for over 20 years.

 

It's not pretty, but you won't find a harder worker! For snow duty, it's more than a match for my MF GC2310.

[ENafziger]

 

It also has a 5' back blade, 4850 tiller, logsplitter, 12" wide trenching bucket, light set of forks, and a couple of handy doodads for the loader. The 48" blower hasn't been on for over 20 years.

 

I'd like to see some pictures of the tiller, logsplitter, trenching bucket, and some of those implements in action!

 

Just curious...what were these tractors selling for back in 1982 when you got yours?

 

--Eric

Edited by ENafziger, October 08, 2013 - 08:48 AM.

[TUDOR]

Back in 1977/78 when this was new, the tractor alone was C $3175, and it was love at first sight. I paid C $6500 incl tx for it with 3PH, tiller, blower, back blade, and a brand new cab. For another $400, I could have added either a mower (a 54" deck is way too big for my yard), or a FEL ( I already had one on my MF12H plus a spare, and a little Danco besides). The first loader cost US $400, used in 1978, and the spare plus the Danco cost a total of US $250 at the same shop in Grande Blanc, MI 6 months later.The spare went on the 1655 in 1984 with all new subframe, posts and braces, and a new 54" homemade bucket.

 

I can show a couple of the implements and the result of using the trenching bucket.

 

 

The trenching bucket. It will dig a 34" deep trench and cut through roots up to 2" in diameter in the process.

 

 

 

 

The splitter runs off the loader hydraulics. The pressure setting is a compromise, too high for the loader and not high enough for the splitter, but it all works well. The tractor had just moved that 12 x 16 shed back about 20' and sideways about 4'. The shed was full of building materials stripped from the renovations on the house with the trench. ALL of the cedar shake siding is inside plus my tools and other stuff.

 

 

Sorry, no real action shots. If i'd known that I was going to be on tractor forums back then, I could have arranged some really great shots and kept them on a thumb drive. The good ones that were taken were lost in a computer crash.

Edited by TUDOR, October 09, 2013 - 02:24 AM.

[ENafziger]

Thanks Bob!!! Wow, what a story.  I bet that tractor has earned its keep many times over!  Thanks for sharing.

 

 

The trenching bucket. It will dig a 34" deep trench and cut through roots up to 2" in diameter in the process.

 

I'm trying to get my head around how that trenching bucket works.  Do you disconnect the front end loader bucket, and install the trenching bucket on the arms of the FEL?  If so, how do you swing the bucket out of the way to empty the dirt?

 

Thanks!  Eric

[TUDOR]

It's a direct substitute for the 54" bucket, just a whole bunch taller and narrower. It dumps the material the same way, except the bottom of the bucket gets a lot closer to the tractor's grill. If you lift too high, it will dump on the hood!

 

The one bad thing about it is that the MF1450/1650 and 1655/1855 have narrow track front axles. You have to be pretty precise with your steering with the edges of the trench only a few inches from the inside edge of the tires. Poorly compacted soil will collapse the sides of the tranch with all that weight so close. Look at the pic of the trench again to see what I mean. The marks closest to the pole are parallel to a telephone trunk cable. I didn't want to tangle with that!!! The gas main is just a few inches from the pole where the electrical conduit sweeps up.

 

I have about 2100 hours on that tractor with the loader installed and it has done everything from 3.5' deep excavations for pier footings for a deck to installing a 29' long triple 2x10 beam over 9.5' above grade in the carport of that little house. The pics of that operation were among the ones lost in the 'puter crash. The tractor had to not only lift the beam 9.5', but also lift the outside edge of the carport roof off its shoring an extra inch at the same time, to its maximum lift height so that the posts could be installed. The roof is 2x8 construction on 16" centers with 5/8" plywood decking plus roof membrane. I figure about 1100-1200 lb load at the outer edge, and with no one in the seat.

 

It will lift more payload at max height than my SCUT can lift off the ground!

Edited by TUDOR, October 10, 2013 - 04:04 AM.

[bigge61]

The lonley 14 is getting the 16hp onan out of the off colored 1655 and possibly getting an extra hood I have for my 1450, making it The Super Mutt!  Other tractors 1450 with 3pt and rear PTO but missing the pulley under the tunnel to drive PTO shaft re-powered with a KT19 series one, 1655 with 3pt and rear PTO(my newest one, going to restore this winter currently not running) and the last one in the line is another 1655 which is getting a Kubota D1105 and loader this winter as well.

[big_willie]

I purchased this MF 1655 new October 1977.  I purchased this shiny 1978 in November 2009. I am currently working on the 78 it is missing lots of parts.  The 77 has never been modified all is just as it came from MF.  I added the loader in the 90's.  I have a 2005 JD 790 that is now my work horse.  I count on 1 hand the probelms I have had out of the 77 model.  Most dealt with mower belts and timimg pulleys.  I have never had to go inside the engine.  I did replace the rectifer, fuel pump, starter, carb, and points.  Mostly this baby just ran like a champ.  I bought parts at the MF dealer until he closed, them Snapper, now I am looking on the wonderful internet.  I am now retired and restoring these two little tractors is one of my hobbies.

Thanks Big Willie

 

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