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steve(ill) 
Orange Level Access
Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
Points: 88053
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 Topic: Question on Loaders for Tractors
Posted: 21 Sep 2025 at 9:57am |
Looking for something around 30 HP to use forks and maybe a bucket to push snow. Every tractor is see ( 1950- 1980) has the bucket 3-4 feet in front of the front wheels ?? Why so far out ? Much better design if closer to the wheels.. Is this because they use one loader size to fit several tractors ? ........ Looking at skid steers and the bucket is less than 1 foot in front of the tires ..... Newer tractor / loaders seem to be a little better in this area, but i dont have $10- 15K in mind.
WE have a CASE 530 industrial backhoe / loader tractor.. Looking for something a little smaller and no hoe.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 24710
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Posted: 21 Sep 2025 at 10:38am |
One possible reason is 'reach' ? The longer the loader arms are , the HIGHER the load can go ( say 2nd floor of a barn ). Skid steers loader pivots at the back,unlike a tractor, so can just dump into a dump truck, more or less. Also tractor loaders are designed to easily come off.
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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Leadoff
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Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Location: Calgary
Points: 289
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Posted: 21 Sep 2025 at 11:28am |
Steve(ill)
Our 1957 D17 Series I Freeman Loader extended several feet in front of the wheels which allowed dumping manure into the manure spreader. In our area (Eastern Ontario) farmers would clean the stable daily using a stable cleaner and load the manure spreader, then unload at a manure pile on the farm when the snow got too deep in December. The manure pile would be reloaded and then spread on the field sometime from spring to fall.
The front end loader on the D17 would make quick work of the pile
As technology improved, larger/longer barn cleaner chutes were available in the late sixties and more piles moved to beside the barn, and eventually manure pits and pumps and backhoes became the manure removal tools of today
There are numerous Allis Chalmers sales brochures from the fifties/sixties for front end loaders with pics of the various manure piles etc and the AC tractor/loader in action
If I had a dollar (CDN) for every bucket full of manure I loaded into the manure spreader with the D17 back in the day.............
PS our D17 did not have power steering - good arm/shoulder muscle development
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1963 D17D Series III. 1965 D15 Series II. 1965 D17 Series IV. 1975 185. 1978 716H. 1979 716H. 1965 780 Harvester/1R&DC. 1957 Model 73 SC 4 Furrow Plow
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Tbone95
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Joined: 31 Aug 2012
Location: Michigan
Points: 12208
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Posted: 21 Sep 2025 at 12:18pm |
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Maybe a good design for some applications and reasoning, but I’ve operated several different loader/ tractor combinations and I love the ones with some reach. Very useful in a lot of ways, can’t think of a way it has hindered me. Maybe in very tight spaces?
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
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Posted: 21 Sep 2025 at 6:55pm |
Yes... im looking for a dedicated fork type front end to get into smaller areas.. Maybe pickup pallet out of a semi ... set on a shelf 6-7 ft tall, etc.. Dont plan on reaching 10 ft and loading Manure !! .  ...I had not considered THAT application as a reason for the long front end.................Just something smaller and quicker than getting out the backhoe..
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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jvin248
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Joined: 17 Jan 2022
Location: Detroit
Points: 464
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Posted: 21 Sep 2025 at 8:01pm |
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Three point forks? Won't load a truck but can move around.
For snow plowing, I keep looking at FBMP/Craigslist listings for landscaper pickup snow blades that are cheap then weld up under belly arms to bolt to rear axles of my MF35. Then a remote cylinder to lift/drop the blade.
I have a rear three point blade that works fine but a front blade would be an upgrade. Just more complicated.
My brother rescued an AC-B that came with a front blade. It has bad compression and no power, so it's still a project. But look for one of those builds. His looks scratch built by one of many previous owners.
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acken
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Joined: 02 Jan 2014
Location: Minnesota
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Posted: 21 Sep 2025 at 9:16pm |
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I have a Compact Utility Tractor w/loader, 2007 vintage. Unfortunately not orange, but the reach is definitely useful when reaching into pickup box to load, or unload a pallet. I think biggest benefit is being able to lift something, and being able to get off the side of tractor versus trying to get out the front of a skid loader.
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Tbone95
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Joined: 31 Aug 2012
Location: Michigan
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Posted: Yesterday at 6:06am |
 steve(ill) wrote:
Yes... im looking for a dedicated fork type front end to get into smaller areas.. Maybe pickup pallet out of a semi ... set on a shelf 6-7 ft tall, etc.. Dont plan on reaching 10 ft and loading Manure !! . ...I had not considered THAT application as a reason for the long front end.................Just something smaller and quicker than getting out the backhoe.. |
Unloading from a semi you would actually like that horizontal reach. Maybe just me….When I’m trimming and hauling brush, I often haul it on a hay wagon, keep a lot of it pretty long. Of my two loader tractors now, one will push it all the way off from one side, the other won’t! Definitely like the reach!
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DrAllis
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
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Posted: Yesterday at 6:33am |
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Some loaders had to be designed with more reach, because the tractor they were designing it for was available in 2WD and 4WD. The 4WD/FWA needs more room for those larger front tires to miss the loader arms.
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AC7060IL
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Joined: 19 Aug 2012
Location: central IL
Points: 3556
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Posted: 4 hours 59 minutes ago at 4:44pm |
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Steve(Ill), guess a guy could modify an Good older loader like you’re describing. Honestly sounds like a skid steer is what you’re describing as your preference though?
A 2wd tractor / loader is an ok setup, but requires a rear ballast. And then there’s the lighter 2wd front axle & tires thing. FWA would be better traction for snow blading besides beefier front axle/tires.
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
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Posted: 4 hours 4 minutes ago at 5:39pm |
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yea, thats where im stuck.... tractor with loader is better for snow with the extra ground clearance.... skid steer makes a better fork truck in smaller areas.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Dirt Farmer
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Joined: 15 Sep 2020
Location: Illinois
Points: 441
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Posted: 3 hours 27 minutes ago at 6:16pm |
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I have both a fwd loader tractor and few years ago got a skid steer on tracks. Both machines have their place, skid steer is great for clearing brush, mowing edges of fields and anything with a bucket. Not ideal for moving pro boxes cause you can't see over or around the box. I can unload a trailer load of seed in a fraction or the time with the loader tractor cause I can see where I'm going but you do need more room for turning around, and it doesn't make a mess out of the rocks in the driveway. You do have to hang something off the back of the tractor to handle the weight of a full pro box and it takes a bigger skid steer to handle them as well.
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