[AT] Need advice on 3pt Tractor

[Mike Sloane]

There are many small crawlers with three point hitches - JD 400 series,
Allis Chalmers HG's, IH 340T, and so on. Unfortunately, they tend to be
expensive to buy if the undercarriage and steering clutches are good and 
expensive to fix if they aren't. And even average crawlers tend to cost 
more than comparable wheel tractors. They also tend to be relatively 
heavier than a comparable wheel tractor.

But the bigger problem for your application is that, while light on
their feet, a crawler will tear up lawns very quickly, not matter how
careful you are.

In my opinion, the best machine for grading driveways would be a
"maintainer" - a scaled down version of a road grader. But you would
have a center mounted blade with all the weight of the machine on top of
it, plus the ability to see what you are doing without twisting your
neck into a painful crick. (been there, done that) Unfortunately, such
machines are hard to find in good working condition, and are not easy to
haul. I have seen small ones being used by driveway paving companies
around here.

Mike

Rick Weaver wrote:
> Just curious, are there crawlers with 3pt hitches you could put a
> blade behind?  If you're grading in the wet season, you'll just end
> up making puddles deeper (at least that's how it works with me).
> 
> I would think a crawler with less pounds/square inch ground pressure 
> would do a better job grading.  Or better yet, a small dozer?
> 
> Just some thoughts.
> 
> Rick Weaver
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>  [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Francis 
> Robinson Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 6:52 AM To: Antique tractor
> email discussion group Subject: Re: [AT] Need advice on 3pt Tractor
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "toma" <toma at risingnet.net> To:
> "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 2:38
> AM Subject: [AT] Need advice on 3pt Tractor
> 
> 
> 
>> All of my tractors are Caterpillars. I have never owned a wheel
> 
> tractor. I
> 
>> want to look for a wheel tractor with a 3 point hitch that I can
>> set
> 
> up
> 
>> with a grader blade. I worked on a ranch for a while that had an
>> old Massey Furgusen that I think was about a 50 hp tractor. I got
>> to be  pretty good at grading roads with it. Last year I rented a 4wd Ford that I 
> think was about 30 hp, it did and OK job too.
>> 
>> I want to get a tractor that I can easily move on a trailer behind
>> a 3/4 ton pickup. In our area most of the houses are on 5 acre parcels so
>> 
>