I found a real antique, a 1937 Cat 11 with the d6600 3 cylinder

[OzDozer]

Ooops, I only just realised one copy of the brochure is for the gas model, the other copy is for the diesel model - thus the difference in operating weight.
I'm quite surprised to see that the tandem drive is offered with a differential or rigid rear axle, but the single drive is only rigid rear axle drive. I wonder how many were built with a differential?

 

[Old Doug]

Dad had one. One thing i remember was it had a rope start on the pony motor and it was between the back of the engine and cab back?

 

[skyking1]

If it followed me home I would do an electric start conversion on it, since the pony is completely AWOL.
Right now DW is vetoing it. I tell her the road needs done to sell this place and she is not hearing it. " hire it done"
I hate it when she is right.

 

[DMiller]

Met that DW, nice Gal, reminded me of my own. NAG NAG NAG!!! Yet still love em!

 

[skyking1]

The move probably equals the price. I could look closer for a better machine at twice the price.

 

[crane operator]

Your wife is right.

I could look closer for a better machine at twice the price.

Yes- look for a better machine that's newer.

I could really use a skid loader to fix my driveway up, occasionally.

I can buy a mid 80's to mid 90's grader for same or less money than a skid loader. (20k). I haven't bought either, because I can rent a skid whenever I need it, and haul it myself.

You have a house to build, and I can think of about 5 different things you could use building that house, that would be more useful than a grader.

A good backhoe with a set of loader forks would be a handy item for your house build. Or a telehandler with a bucket and forks. Skid or track loader with forks and bucket.

But I understand- the heart wants what the heart wants. Listen to the wife.

 

[skyking1]

A telehandler would rock. I will rent a nice one. Pete and I need to put brakes on Luigi, and then it can go up there to do basic unloading. He gets around pretty good, he has big rubber. $500
Might need a torque converter, maybe just a tune up.

 

[crane operator]

Unless the terra firma up there is heavy on the "firma", I can see issues in your future with luigi. But I've hooked a chain on more than one forklift.

At least its got the bigger tires, I can't believe the people that buy smooth tired warehouse lifts with 2" of ground clearance, and can't figure out why they get stuck in their yard.

I just bought a little newer 5k cat for my other shop, and I felt fortunate to get it bought for $3,500 (its not in the best shape). There's been nothing by me in the last year or so in the sub $1,000 range. A lift just like yours in my area, seems to now be a $5-7,000 item.

 

[crane operator]

We used to have a old hyster with flathead continental. I buried that thing more times than I want to think about. Of course I took it into places it had no place going, being big heavy and generally not suited for offroad areas.

That Cat will sure be handy, much better than doing it all by hand.

 

[OzDozer]

You're going to need paved areas everywhere you drive with Luigi, or you'll be doing a lot of towing! They'll get bogged on anything that's not heavily compacted.

At least you got a good ol' Towmotor, they're bullet-proof!
Cat couldn't be bothered with designing and building their own fork trucks in the 60's, so they just bought out the best fork truck builder they could find!

It's interesting how they kept Towmotor in the branding for years after they bought the company.
I've got a V60B that needs a lot more work to get operational, the F-227 is still in a 100 pieces, but I've got all I need to put it back together.

 

[skyking1]

Note that he is sitting on a lawn. He gets around our place all over, but it is bony ground under a thin skin of topsoil. I have only pulled him out one time, I got the steers into some deeper loam. It is always the steers that are the problem.
This is no pampered pavement forklift.
it starts and runs, but brake fluid just rains out of the slaves if you pour it in the master.
It does not go very well. You need to cob it to get it started moving. I may send the converter out for a rebuild.
The siamese side shift hose is ruptured, that is about a $350 paired hose on a reel.
As long as I remember to leave that lever alone and I work it on the flatter part of the yard, it serves a function. One thing it has going for it is the mid lift tower. I can run the forks up about 4' without reducing overhead clearance, so it is functional in an 8' tall shop.

 

[OzDozer]

I've got a buddy with a farm and he runs his forklifts around unpaved areas without counterweights.
He says once the weight is off the steers they'll go anywhere a 2WD pickup will go.
He claims the counterweight is only necessary when you're lifting something real heavy.
I've never tried it, my style of luck is, everything I need to lift, IS real heavy!

 

[skyking1]

I had not considered that. I wonder how much it derates with the weight off.

 

[DMiller]

As I remember bits and pieces of a Clarklift training class; Counterweight is to ‘counter’ max load capacity, reduces by at least 2/3 the weight of the ballast unit your lifting capacity.

 

[oarwhat]

I would never remove a counterweight . I've had to many forklifts back wheel off the ground with the weights on.

 

[OzDozer]

I'd agree with that. The other problem associated with removing the counterweight is that you're losing a lot of weight that assists with sideways stability as well.
I'd have to opine it'd be a lot easier to tip a forklift over without a counterweight. This guy with the farm is not exactly known for doing everything legal - or safe.
Paved area and careful driving, with no counterweight - maybe O.K. But unpaved and an unseen small pothole, and you could be in a world of hurt.

 

[skyking1]

You just need to re-flash your butt-dyno to get in calibration.
I was thinking an active counterweight on a little cylinder and slide. make it about 50% and then put it on a rail system. It could be down low to help with CG.