[limebuzz]

Kenny, that was my 1650 at plow day. Lol. She sure will need more weight. And no, she hasn't been out yet,hasn't been above zero here. I'm itching to try out her new plow I picked up on Monday thou. You know, I gotta try it out first,to make sure it works right.

 

[jpswift1]

So it sounds like these big Masseys have some serious grunt to them!

I'm going to continue to fatten the old girl up just to make sure I have ample traction. The 53 lb Wheel Horse wheel weights that I was going to get for $90 for the pair didn't end up fitting on the inside of my 1855 wheel, so I got a pair of 62 lb wheel weights (124 lbs total) for only $75 from a very nice man at a (somewhat) local tractor salvage yard. I think these may be Wheel Horse weights as well (a different style), but I have no idea. Maybe you guys could tell me. I'm going to have 3 different sets now on the rear wheels, Deere weights on the very outsides, Sears Suburbans inside those, and then these 62 lb Wheel Horse (?) ones that I just picked up on the inside of the rim for a total of about 300 lbs including mounting hardware on the rear wheels. I think I'm set for now with weight on the rear, so hopefully traction shouldn't be an issue when I'm pulling a 4 shank ripper or a 5 ft landscape rake on the 3 point hitch.

The only thing I'm slightly concerned about is that the 62lb weights that I'm going to use on the inside of the rim stick out about 1.5" from the edge of the wheel and I don't know if they're going to hit on anything on the frame or 3 point hitch assembly. I know I'm going to have to most likely remove my hubs when I go to install the weights since the center opening isn't as big as the hub itself, but I just don't want to run into any clearance issues. Since my tractor is apart at the minute, would one of you fellow Massey/Snapper owners be able to measure the edge of the rim to the nearest section of tractor frame so I'll know if these will work or not. If not, I'll have to get some Bolens HT wheels or Wheel Horse D series (160, 180, etc) with an extra inch offset. I really don't want to go that route, but we'll see. Here's a shot of another member's machine......it looks like there may be just enough clearance for the weights, but it's hard to tell for sure. Thanks in advance, guys!

 

[ENafziger]

I'll measure tonight when I get home.

Adding weight to these helps alot. And they are really capable tracors...for their size. You just have to remember their size. I probably use mine as hard or harder than any one. I don't abuse them, but I use them hard.

I have a heavy 54" back grader blade that I have done some hard pushing with. I have also bent the lower three point arms as well. One of my other 1855s also has the lower arms bent in a similar manner. I run up against the rear 3 point lift capacity aLOT. From lifting 55 gallon barrels, to snaking trees, etc. I've had my 1855 buried in soft creek mud up to the rear fender pan. Once I was pulling a sizeable log up a bank and had the cable hooked near the top link of the three point...it jerked the end right out of the 3pt hydraulic cylinder. One problem with weighting the back end, is you'll eventually have to start weighting the front end to keep it on the ground. This quickly becomes hard on the steering gear boxes. To the extreme, you'll snap a front spindle. Over the course of 100 hrs, you lock up the steering gear box.

Again, I don't want to discourage you, because these are truly great machines. But don't expect them to perform like a 30 hp tractor that weights 3,000 lbs. I've never tried a rip shank on mine per se, but at least on my clay ground, I'd have a hard time ripping 12" deep with 1 shank...much less ripping 16" with four shanks. Unless the ground was already practically loose.

A few pictures using mine:

Well, nevermind...the pictures show up, but then when I post, it says I'm not allowed to use that image extension. I guess the ways to post pictures have changed. I'll look at it when I have more time.

--Eric

 

[limebuzz]

I just measured mine. I have Tru powers on mine, and I say there is 2"between sidewall and anything that it could hit eg. 3pth mount on axle,deck spring hanger. If you are just shy for clearance,yo can also put washers behind the rim when you bolt your tires on. The hub protrudes the rim @1/4"

 

[jpswift1]

Thank you for the fast replies, gentlemen. I think I will be just fine with those wheel weights. I think the tire probably sticks out about 1/2" farther than the rim and since there is 2" of clearance between the tire sidewall and the closest spot on the frame, my wheel weights that protrude 1-1/2" from the rim shouldn't come within more than 1" of the frame, so I'll have plenty of room. I really appreciate you guys checking that out for me!

I plan on building a 4 shank ripper like this guy did here: http://www.mytractorforum.com/78-lawn-garden-tractor-accessories/178478-sleeve-hitch-ripper-shank-implement-im-building.html

I figure that if he can pull that with a light weight, modern Craftsman tractor, the Massey/Snapper should be able to do it without too much hesitation. Again, I really appreciate everyone's advice and helping to put the capabilities of this machine into perspective for me.

 

[jpswift1]

I may be joining you guys at some plow days now since I just picked up a Brinly PP-1200 plow for $175 for the 1855. I think she'll tug it along alright, but there's only one way to find out for sure. This may have been a bit much to spend for a 3 point implement that I wasn't really after, but I figured it doesn't hurt to have too many toys.

 

[TAHOE]

I may be joining you guys at some plow days now since I just picked up a Brinly PP-1200 plow for $175 for the 1855. I think she'll tug it along alright, but there's only one way to find out for sure. This may have been a bit much to spend for a 3 point implement that I wasn't really after, but I figured it doesn't hurt to have too many toys.

That's not a bad price considering you got the hitch portion also.

 

[ENafziger]

Not a bad price at all! Do you want to buy a 4250 rototiller for your 1855 as well?

 

[limebuzz]

That tractor wouldn't even know it was tilling I bet

 

[jpswift1]

Not a bad price at all! Do you want to buy a 4250 rototiller for your 1855 as well?

I would! But I unfortunately don't have the rear PTO.

How much would you like to get for it? Maybe I can find a PTO setup somewhere.

 

[limebuzz]

I think Bob is parting out a XX55 on ebay. He is a sponsor here. FYI.

 

[adolphsson09]

I would! But I unfortunately don't have the rear PTO.

How much would you like to get for it? Maybe I can find a PTO setup somewhere.

Is that your 1855 you have on another thread that I was looking at it seems to me as though I saw the pto setup in the pictures

 

[adolphsson09]

So it sounds like these big Masseys have some serious grunt to them!

I'm going to continue to fatten the old girl up just to make sure I have ample traction. The 53 lb Wheel Horse wheel weights that I was going to get for $90 for the pair didn't end up fitting on the inside of my 1855 wheel, so I got a pair of 62 lb wheel weights (124 lbs total) for only $75 from a very nice man at a (somewhat) local tractor salvage yard. I think these may be Wheel Horse weights as well (a different style), but I have no idea. Maybe you guys could tell me. I'm going to have 3 different sets now on the rear wheels, Deere weights on the very outsides, Sears Suburbans inside those, and then these 62 lb Wheel Horse (?) ones that I just picked up on the inside of the rim for a total of about 300 lbs including mounting hardware on the rear wheels. I think I'm set for now with weight on the rear, so hopefully traction shouldn't be an issue when I'm pulling a 4 shank ripper or a 5 ft landscape rake on the 3 point hitch.

The only thing I'm slightly concerned about is that the 62lb weights that I'm going to use on the inside of the rim stick out about 1.5" from the edge of the wheel and I don't know if they're going to hit on anything on the frame or 3 point hitch assembly. I know I'm going to have to most likely remove my hubs when I go to install the weights since the center opening isn't as big as the hub itself, but I just don't want to run into any clearance issues. Since my tractor is apart at the minute, would one of you fellow Massey/Snapper owners be able to measure the edge of the rim to the nearest section of tractor frame so I'll know if these will work or not. If not, I'll have to get some Bolens HT wheels or Wheel Horse D series (160, 180, etc) with an extra inch offset. I really don't want to go that route, but we'll see. Here's a shot of another member's machine......it looks like there may be just enough clearance for the weights, but it's hard to tell for sure. Thanks in advance, guys!

Is this the pics I was looking at?

 

[adolphsson09]

The pic above is the tractor i thought you were talking about jpswift1 but I also saw you have pics of another that doesn't have the rear pto

 

[jpswift1]

The pic above is the tractor i thought you were talking about jpswift1 but I also saw you have pics of another that doesn't have the rear pto

Here's a pic of mine from the original Craigslist ad:

It unfortunately doesn't have the PTO.

 

[ENafziger]

I would! But I unfortunately don't have the rear PTO.

How much would you like to get for it? Maybe I can find a PTO setup somewhere.

Come take your pick! I have two of the 4250 tillers...one is a Snapper 4250 and the other is a Massey 4250. Other than the sticker, they're identical. Both at Category 0 three point and designed for the 2,000 rpm rear ptos that the 1855 tractors have.

I'd like to keep one of them, but I'd sell the other. You can pick which one you want. Both of them work very well, and the tines on both are better than 75%...which leads me to believe that neither have been used very much at all. Both of them also have the adjustable slip clutches that show little sign of wear.

I'd like $600 for the one lacking paint. This is the one I commonly use. It does a tremendous job. It has a fresh oil change in the gear box.

The other one that still has its paint I'd like $800 for. It also comes with the smoothing "tail", and with the elusive cover for the chain and slip clutch. They are so frequently broken, that I took it off to make a pattern out of. But I'll include it in the sale of this nicer one, as it is a stellar little unit.

 

[ENafziger]

Actually, make a trip down here with a trailer, and I'll load you up! Come take this chipper/shredder off my hands too. It originally had a little 5 hp engine on it, but I added a heavy duty gear box and made a 3 pt hook up. It works beautifully with the 1855s, and is much more heavy duty than the shiny tin metal jobs you'll find at Home Depot. $350.

Oh...and while you're at it, buy this heavy 6' back blade. Adjustable in several positions. Ugly, but tough! $150

Oh. And if you bring a big enough trailer, I have an 1855 that I'll sell you for parts. It's missing the engine/battery, but I think otherwise it's pretty complete. It has a 3 point hitch and rear pto. $500 if you buy a tiller

And I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting too. So come prepared to haul a load!

 

[jpswift1]

If only you weren't 11 hours away, each way I'd love to wheel and deal (and if I had a rear PTO on my 1855).

I drove to pick up my Brinly pp-1200 plow today and I got it home safely. That's a HEAVY unit and should do some good work in the dirt......I can't wait to see what my 1855 with 300lbs of wheel weights will do.

 

[jpswift1]

OK, I made some more progress on the 1855 today. I got the running boards and rear fender pan and seat slider tracks removed and picked up some paint for it. The rust and years of crappy spray bomb paint made a few of the bolts hard to remove, but none of them broke..............yet (luckily). I thought it was pretty interesting, this is a Snapper 1855, but most of the bolts I removed had "MF" written in the head of them. Maybe they were leftovers from when they were branded as Massey Ferguson tractors or something? They were certainly some good high quality, USA made ones, because I put some torque on them and like I previously stated, none of them snapped or broke off. The screws, nuts, and bolts that are seen on the outer frame rail and side panels will be replaced with stainless steel ones (which I'll polish up a little too) for some "bright" effect, but tasteful. I like adding a few polished stainless steel or aluminum pieces to my projects, but just subtly. I think they'll really pop against the gloss black on the frame rails that I'll be doing. Here's the 1855 wearing a little less sheet metal. I also unscrewed the hydraulic filter to inspect the oil. It was light brown with a hint of some very fine metallic particles. This leads me to believe it hasn't been changed in quite a while and it may be why it isn't achieving top speed as well (thanks for your helpful suggestions on this issue, everyone!). Next up is to get the side panels off and get the bodywork cleaned up, get the few small dents and dings filled, and have them sandblasted to get the many coats of splattered and sprayed on incorrect paint and the rust and imperfections off the metal.

Every time I clean this tractor up and undo all of the townie cob job corner cutting I feel so much better. Looking at the horrible spray bomb paint, things like that bent up steering wheel, the over-spray on the plastic, and careless half-ass fixes on such a beautiful machine sickens me. I'm bringing her back to her former glory though......she'll be looking good again soon, slowly but surely.

 

[limebuzz]

Those bolts aren't Massey Ferguson made bolts. There was a discussion a year or so ago about that. And Olecowhand set us straight on this subject. I forget who he said, but it's a fastner company. Maybe he can chime in and refresh our memory.