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"Scoop" Kit Turns Tractor Blade Into Loader
Front-end loaders for Deere garden tractors sell for up to $3,000. But if you already have a blade on front of your tractor, you can convert it to a loader for far less money by using this new "scoop" attachment.
  "It's an economical way to get a loader for dirt, gravel, mulch, and snow," says Keith Weinlader, Superior Tech, Inc., Lancaster, Penn.
  The opening design of the scoop combined with the lift height of the blade assures complete emptying of material.
  The scoop is designed for 54-in. blades on Deere 140, 300, 314, 316, 317, 318, 322, 330, 332, 400, 420, 425, 430, 445, 455 X series, and compact utility tractors. It bolts onto the back of the blade. Installation requires drilling five holes across the top where a hinge bracket bolts on.
  The scoop is made from 11 ga. steel with a 3/8-in. thick cutting edge. It's equipped with a 1/2 by 1-in. steel reinforcement bar near the bottom, which keeps the blade from warping or bending. The bottom back side of the scoop fits tight against the front side of the blade.
  No extra cylinders are required to operate the scoop. It's opened and closed by the cylinder that's normally used to angle the blade. The blade is raised and lowered by another cylinder already on the tractor (the tractor has to be equipped with two sets of remote outlets on front.
  "It isn't designed to do everything a conventional front-end loader does, but it can move lot of material," says Weinlader. "The scoop weighs 108 lbs. and has a load capacity of 200 to 300 lbs. The scoop lifts only as high as the blade, which is about 1 ft., so you can't use it to load a truck. However, it works great for moving manure and landscape materials, etc. One advantage of the low lifting height is that you don't have to worry about tipping the tractor over.
  "We designed the scoop for Deere garden tractors because they're built for heavy duty use, and because they have two remote outlets on front. The front blade that Deere makes for its garden tractors is the second most popular attachment sold for these tractors, after mowers," he notes.
  Sells for $595 plus S&H.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Superior Tech, Inc., Lancaster, Penn. 17601 (ph 717 569-3359; fax 717 569-3245; email: info@superior-tech.com; website: www. superior-tech.com).


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2004 - Volume #28, Issue #3