Narrow front end 720 lawn tractor

I brought up the idea of installing a narrow front end on an Allis Chalmers 720 a few weeks ago. My mechanic friend who can do almost anything call it another of my "Nightmares".  Well we tackled it and it is near completion.  I took it out Tuesday for a run and it steers great...I like it.  I usually seek out narrow front end tractors so this goes with that train of thinking. I still have 3 with the wide front end still on them and this one is totally reversible as the front end is bolted on...not welded.  Here's some of the progress in pictures.

This first picture is where we made a bracket to accept the mule drive for belly mounted equipment.  We are going to be able to run all the belly mowers as before.  We are using a left over frame from a salvaged tractor to mock this up on and then transfer it to the real tractor.



Here Kerry is lining up the narrow front end to continue fabing up the front end.



Here is the front end with it's first bolting to the front end.  The pulley on the top of the shell was to help line up the belt to the mule drive.  We did not need it as we will keep the original body of the mule drive as is but have to remove the tension-er.



Now with the steering connected.  You can see some of the additional front end bracing that we added.



Here's the front end attached to the subject tractor.


Got the engine remounted



And now a series of pictures of the finished product. 





This one with the mule drive installed



Next step is to repaint the entire machine.  While the paint in the pictures looks good...up close or in person it is in pretty sad shape.  Once painted, I'll put the sickle mower on it and be ready for spring mowing and also for this years shows.  Thanks for looking.  Den

Luke,
If you could see what is under there you would most likely change your mind.  Kerry overdoes things like this and I would not be afraid to take that machine anywhere.  It is of course like any narrow front end machine...I have heard of people braking the front end off a WD.  Abuse can do make a mess of the best engineering.  Den

I agree on the size of the wheels, but it looks like it's pretty close to that bracket already and if you would have used larger wheels/tires, it would have to be mounted further out for clearance and probably wouldn't look right.    Would have looked out of place like a Case SC? narrow front

Al and Chuck...Larger wheels would have eliminated the use of the mule drive or as was said, moved the wheels forward.  If we moved the wheels forward, the hood would not be able to be opened or would have had to been altered.  One priority in this project was to keep the usage of the belly mounted equipment.  And no...did not want it to look like one of the old  "chicken roost" case front ends.
This is the 720 that I got from Dale Garver at Ava, Illinois.  Yes, rear ag tires will go on with the sickle mower.
Keep the comments coming...Den
 

Not too shabby.... I was kind of surprised to see this project actually happening!  Glad someone here has more ambition than me this winter, LOL!  Though I think larger wheels would look better, I understand the logistics of it.  Good work, keep us posted.  

Besides putting a narrow front end on this tractor...the main thing was to keep it in use.  We have all seen other narrow front ends on garden tractors but in most (if not all cases) cases the use of front and belly equipment was lost.  As far as this one...could not (or want to) put the loader on it.  Not sure about the front blade and also doubt that the snow blower would be able to be used.  Den

den/southern illinoi wrote: Oh, what's next....still want a snap coupler 720.  It will happen if I live long enough (like another 20 or 30 years?).  Den

Actually, if you already have one with a 3pt, a snap coupler wouldn't be much of a task besides maybe getting the bell receiver to function properly. I think there are single bottom snap coupler plows out there, or at least a two that you could remove the  second from. Or, you got a mechanic to build ya one. I challenge you to the Task!!! LOL

Den, That's just plain cool! The front end looks like it's built to take the weight of a blade. GOOD JOB!!!!

Joe, front spindle is from a "G" front end that I could not get ride of...cut in two, shortened and put back together.  There are parts of the 720, "G:, C, and fender brackets from a D 17 involved in the front end.  
The slow down in snap coupler on the 720 is that I'd like to do it more to scale and then there's converting equipment to snap coupler.  It may happen.  Den

Nice Den!