King-Size 830 Deere

King Size 830 Deere TRACTORS Conversions 18-6-40 "It handles like a commercial-built 4-WD tractor. It even has articulated steering," says Don Dufner, of Buxton, N. Dak., who hooked two Deere 830 2-cyl. diesel trac¡tors together to make a 180 hp articulated tractor complete with a Sound Gard cab. FARM SHOW asked him to send photos of the tractor after it was featured recently in Green Magazine. "I already had both tractors, but they were worn out. By reworking them and then hooking them together I was able to put together a 180 hp tractor that can pull as much as most new 200 hp tractors and is more fuel efficient," says Dufner. "Two-cylinder tractors are noted for their fuel economy and lugging abilty, and the 830 is probably my favorite 2-cyl. tractor. The double tractor bums no more than 7 gal¡lons of fuel per hour and has two 75-gal. fuel tanks, so I can drive it almost around the clock without having to stop for fuel. I can pull all day at maximum load without damaging the engines. Both tractors have 6-speed transmissions. I use third or fourth gear to do fieldwork." It took Dufner, along with his sons and a neighbor, three winters to put the two tractors together. The first year was spent reworking the two tractors to like-new condition. Every bolt was taken out and the engines, transmissions, and clutches were overhauled. The second year was spent building the articulated frame and mounting the cab. The third year was spent finishing the cab and hooking up controls. The front wheels and axles of both tractors were removed, and the rear axles replaced with heavy duty axles from a pair of Deere 830 industrial scraper tractors. Both axles have dual rear wheels. Dufner used 1 by 6-in. steel to build a frame to support the tractors. The cab - off a Deere 8630 tractor - is welded to vertical steel legs welded to the frame. A pair of 22-in. hydraulic cylinders, one on each side of the front tractor, provides articulated steering. The cylinders are tied together so they push or pull simultaneously. "Getting the throttle, gear shift, and clutch levers to all work across the articulation was the hardest part of the project," says Dufner. "I operate the clutches on both tractors manually using a hand clutch lever mounted next to the seat that's connected by cable to both clutches." The transmissions on both tractors are operated independently by a pair of shift levers mounted on the floor of the cab. The rear tractor can be shifted into neutral on the highway so it's towed by the front tractor. However, Dufner keeps the rear tractor running to make sure the transmission remains properly lubricated. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Don Dufner, 1148 169 Ave. N.E., Buxton, N.D. 58218 (ph 701 942-3102).

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