The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Anyone know about these?
Looks massive on a Dexta. Can it stand that much weight, or is this kit that caused the skid unit to crack?

I guess the legs take most of the strain. would be a useful tool

Do you suppose it has its own pto driven hydraulic pump?

I have owned 2 similar machines in the past, one was a McConnell and the other larger machine was a Steelfab. Both I used successfully on a Super Dexta (and also on a TE20 albeit with a front loader and front weights fitted to keep the front wheels on the floor).

Both were powered by the internal hydraulics and would dig reasonalbly well unless you hit tree roots or stony ground. I did try a PTO pump and external tank on the Steelfab machine but removed it after one use as although it increased the digging power it made the machine too difficult to control as there was no control over positioning the bucket as the slightest movement of the levers caused the boom to leap uncontrollably. This could have been overcome no doubt with the correct pressure regulaors and flow limiters but to be honest the cost was not really justified as the machine worked perfectly well from the internal hydraulics for the things I used it for and really I was just trying to speed it up slightly because of the volume of work it was doing.

I wish i had never sold either of them as i am currently looking for a replacement but not to do much work so can't justify the money these are currently fetching on ebay.

Gavin wrote:Both were powered by the internal hydraulics and would dig reasonalbly well unless you hit tree roots or stony ground. I did try a PTO pump and external tank on the Steelfab machine but removed it after one use as although it increased the digging power it made the machine too difficult to control as there was no control over positioning the bucket as the slightest movement of the levers caused the boom to leap uncontrollably.

What powered the 'internal hydraulics' if not the pto?

I think I read that the Steelfab one was not a success as the clutch housing tended to crack under the loads?

I wonder whether the few that come up on ebay are used for serious work, or are more antique curiosities?
Many thanks for the info

Just spotted this interesting article:
http://s232909475.websitehome.co.uk/blu ... /dexta.pdf
This Dexta is fitted with a Kubota KMS180 back actor. It's mounted onto the loader frame bracket, not the 3P linkage.
It is powered by a pto driven pump.
Anyone else got one??

Bensdexta wrote: What powered the 'internal hydraulics' if not the pto?

I think I read that the Steelfab one was not a success as the clutch housing tended to crack under the loads?

I wonder whether the few that come up on ebay are used for serious work, or are more antique curiosities?
Many thanks for the info

Hi Ben,
The oil for the back acter's rams was fed from the tractor auxilary service outlet to the spool valves on the machine with the return back to the filler plug on the axle.
The McConnell was mounted on the 3 point linkage as per a normal machine and was dropped to the ground to stand on its feet with just its own weight to hold it in place.
the Steelfab was a much larger machine and could be fun to fit especially if fitting to a different tractor where the height was different. A top link was not used as such but the machine was effectively fitted with a permanent one in a fixed position with bracing bars from the tractor end to the bottom link mounting points (similar to the Fergie stabilser bars). This was fitted to the tractor top link mounting and the lower links then fitted as normal. The result being that the machine was locked to the tractor and the lift arms would not raise or fall. (This was ideal for the Fergie as this enabled the auxillary oil supply for the spool valves). The legs on this machine were hydraulically raised and lowered via the spool valves and this meant that when they were lowered it was possible to lift the back of the tractor off the ground like a conventional JCB giving far more stability when digging and stopping the bucket pulling the tractor into the hole
Hope this makes some sense

Gavin,
So the Dexta external services supply was sufficient to operate both these machines? No need for an external hyd pump?
Thanks for the description.

Yes the dexta ran it all fine.
Incidentally when I purchased the Steelfab machine it was about 40 miles away from me at a farm sale, so to be on the cautious side I borrowed a Ford 4610 from one of the farms I worked on to collect it and I tested the digger on this and didn't really notice any performance difference between the tractors.

Here is another one:
Beaver D200 Seriel 870, said to be compatible with a small tractor such as Fergie/Dexta. PTO driven pump:

Anyone any experience of these? Not quite sure how it mounts

Looks like it may attach to a loader frame from the rear. Too far out to be 3 point I would say. Dandy Dave!

Looks like the cutouts in the frame go under the axle with a foldover clamp to keep it there and the front must attach to the loader frame.
Jerry
Bath
UK