Hydro hunter

[thehorse 221]

Hi all. Just picked up a really nice 2 stage. Now I need a hydro to lift it! Other than the obvious 520, what do you recommend for the job? For $1000 what shape and hours should I expect to get?

Edited September 19, 2014 by thehorse

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,497]

From what I have read I would stick with the hydro lift. That darn thing is heavy. if you had a nice single stage you could have went the manual lift route, opened yourself up to more choices. I think you have been around long enough to figure what a grand will buy you. From junk to a jewel, it all depends on the timing and who is selling what for how much. These comments are my thoughts from my short time owning my red ponies. Best of luck and keep us posted.

Glenn

[boovuc 1,090]

A 314-H with the Eaton 1100. A 416-H with the Eaton 1100. A 417A with an Eaton 1100. These are cheaper than the 520-H but you are giving up the heavy-duty front spindles/wheels and the gear-reduction steering which you would really miss with the two stage on your front end. I think that weighs more than my FEL's front. The 314 would also be taxed by the two-stage and running the hydro verses and 8-Speed.

On Craigslist for one grand, your looking at pre-forward-swept axle models or newer ones but with high hours and needing some repairs. If you come to terms with our Redsquare brethren, you can get what you want, (1991 or newer), for close to that. On Ebay......forget about it!!!!!!

[thehorse 221]

What about an older c series?

[boovuc 1,090]

I might open a can of worms here but.............I have a C-175 8 Speed. I love it and that has my single stage blower on board. An Automatic would be great on it but.... the early C-175-Auto's had the Sundstrand hydro's and some had the "new" Eaton. I shy away from the Sundstrand hydro's for workers. No one supports them but a hand full of shops in North America and you could finance a good surgeon to redo your knee for the price those shops want for a rebuild plus you have to pay to ship your transmission to them and back.

 

For the Automatic Sundstrand hydro's to power the two stage, you would be looking at a 16 horse C series and of course, the C-175.

The GT1800, GT1848, the later C-165 and C-145 had the Eaton but they are a minority as the vast majority of the C's were Sundstrand.

Now you could always go with a front-mount winch but you would be doing a mod though I think it is feasible. There are electric lifts still sold including one just recently on Redsquare but I don't honestly know if they have the "kimmies" to lift the two-stage blower. As a matter of fact, any winch lifting that beast would need to be a decent quality one.

Keep in mind you wouldn't have the heavy-duty front spindles unless the tractor had an FEL and the kit that came with it and no gear reduction steering.

 

Make sense?   

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

Depends on which C's you are talking about. The blackhoods (C-xx5) only had the Sundstrands for one year, 1980 (and even then there were eatons available that year). The only thing available for a C series Hydro/auto post 1980 was the eaton.

 

(You can double check me in the manuals section. The part numbers contain an "E" for the eaton models [01-14KE01] and an "S" for the sundstrands [01-14KS01])

 

Any early C series "red hoods" (C-xx0, prior to 1980) only were available with the Sundstrands.

 

EDIT: on a side note, I would recommend a 520 to run the two stage if you get any reasonable amount of snow in a year from what I have heard. You need those extra horses to fling that snow.

Edited September 20, 2014 by bmsgaffer

[baerpath 517]

If you adjust the lift spring it's no harder to lift than a single stage. Don't bull it let the spring do the work. My wife runs it sometimes and doesn't complain about the weight. It is harder to steer and that's what her complaint is. I'd stay 16hp and above.   I am selling the 520 it's on with 223hrs on it. Just don't want to waste that much gas

[Shuboxlover 478]

I have a 2-stage on my 520 and even with gear reduction steering, it still makes it work...I couldn't imagine a 2-stage on a c-series or similar.

[Forest Road 594]

I run a 314h w my two stage. It needs more power!!! For $1k you shouldn't have a problem finding 16hp or larger tractor. Try to be patient and find a keeper.

You can lift that with a manual. The assist spring make a huge difference.

[c-series don 8,650]

I run a 417-A with a 2 stage and if the moisture content of the snow is right I can throw it to the phone wires !!