Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Other Brand Skidsteer Forums
GEHL Skidsteer Forum
Hydra Mac 8A (Gehl 2500) restoration... or "Oh No... What have I done?"
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support SkidSteer Forum:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="vinito" data-source="post: 96266" data-attributes="member: 12954"><p>I totally agree that I bought a money pit. The thing is, I knew that before I bought it but I got it anyway because 1) I haven't worked much with these types of machines before and I wanted to learn more so I figured it is tuition 2) I wanted a smaller machine not only because of the intended use once it's finished, but while working on it the space it invades would be much less than a full size machine. It needed more done to it than I thought or hoped - let's face it, the thing was beat to a pulp - but it is coming along and will turn out fine in the end.</p><p>After working on it for so long now and learning it inside & out, I have to disagree that it is junk (in terms of <em>design</em> rather than condition). Sure there are much better, slicker machines out there but not for the price I paid for this one. The short time that I got to use it before taking it apart, it proved to be more powerful than I thought it would be. I think no matter what you have you'll wish you had something bigger, but the hydraulics, while kind of slow, are enough to tear itself up if you kept at it. The drive is hydrostatic which I would prefer over the small Bobcat variable belt drive small machines (for example), plus I discovered that it shares the same Sundstrand hydrostat used in several small John Deer machines (mowers) making used parts pretty easy to find, which was a pleasant surprise. This drive is robust too, evident in the condition of it after 40+ years of probably negligent use and showing only minor, easy-to-recondition wear.</p><p>I have a 1-acre lot and <em>for my purposes</em> a large skidsteer would be under-utilized. I will be doing some amount of moving dirt and digging, but the speed at which I do it is not so important as for a guy using one for profit. It's all just for my own personal use and a lot of that will be just using forks to move heavy stuff from place to place and a tiny skidsteer like this is a <em>great</em> fit.</p><p>So anyway, that's why I've picked this project rather than another. With a bit of luck, I could have possibly spent the same amount and ended up with a more powerful machine. So I think the question is not whether what I'll end up with is less powerful or less valuable than something else, but what arguments could be made where this little thing is preferable to a 763 or the like. No one thing would be enough to be worth the difference, but totaling up the preferable differences, again <em>for my purposes</em>, makes this little Gehl win out over other machines. The simplicity and cost of the much smaller and simpler engine, pump, hydrostats, cylinders, fuel, etc. is appealing to me. Since I won't be using it professionally, keeping the maintenance costs for my machine this low are quite appealing. The weight means I can tow it with my F150 pretty easily. I won't be hauling it that often, but I'm pretty much already "tooled up" to do so when those times come up. The trailer alone heavy enough to haul a big skidsteer costs more than I have into this machine so far. The small size means I can fit it with a bucket into my garage along with my mower in a single bay, and I'm not positive yet but I think the hoe attachment can even be shoehorned in there as well.</p><p>So on to new things. Here's the picture of the installed bracket:</p><p><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/bracket%20p.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/bracket%20p.jpg" alt=" photo bracket p.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p>Since that is complete, I thought it time to turn attention back to getting the hydrostats put back together. I forgot that there were two bearings still needing to be removed for replacement. This is because I needed an internal puller to get them out. I didn't already have one, so I whipped one up and it worked fine.</p><p><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/slotsc.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/slotsc.jpg" alt=" photo slotsc.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/slots.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/slots.jpg" alt=" photo slots.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/pparts.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/pparts.jpg" alt=" photo pparts.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/Puller%20b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/Puller%20b.jpg" alt=" photo Puller b.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p>And then the bearings were out:</p><p><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/voila.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/voila.jpg" alt=" photo voila.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></a></p><p>So that's the update of the day. And by the way, thanks for the compliment. I don't think anyone has ever told me "I got game" hehe. I like it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="vinito, post: 96266, member: 12954"] I totally agree that I bought a money pit. The thing is, I knew that before I bought it but I got it anyway because 1) I haven't worked much with these types of machines before and I wanted to learn more so I figured it is tuition 2) I wanted a smaller machine not only because of the intended use once it's finished, but while working on it the space it invades would be much less than a full size machine. It needed more done to it than I thought or hoped - let's face it, the thing was beat to a pulp - but it is coming along and will turn out fine in the end. After working on it for so long now and learning it inside & out, I have to disagree that it is junk (in terms of [I]design[/I] rather than condition). Sure there are much better, slicker machines out there but not for the price I paid for this one. The short time that I got to use it before taking it apart, it proved to be more powerful than I thought it would be. I think no matter what you have you'll wish you had something bigger, but the hydraulics, while kind of slow, are enough to tear itself up if you kept at it. The drive is hydrostatic which I would prefer over the small Bobcat variable belt drive small machines (for example), plus I discovered that it shares the same Sundstrand hydrostat used in several small John Deer machines (mowers) making used parts pretty easy to find, which was a pleasant surprise. This drive is robust too, evident in the condition of it after 40+ years of probably negligent use and showing only minor, easy-to-recondition wear. I have a 1-acre lot and [I]for my purposes[/I] a large skidsteer would be under-utilized. I will be doing some amount of moving dirt and digging, but the speed at which I do it is not so important as for a guy using one for profit. It's all just for my own personal use and a lot of that will be just using forks to move heavy stuff from place to place and a tiny skidsteer like this is a [I]great[/I] fit. So anyway, that's why I've picked this project rather than another. With a bit of luck, I could have possibly spent the same amount and ended up with a more powerful machine. So I think the question is not whether what I'll end up with is less powerful or less valuable than something else, but what arguments could be made where this little thing is preferable to a 763 or the like. No one thing would be enough to be worth the difference, but totaling up the preferable differences, again [I]for my purposes[/I], makes this little Gehl win out over other machines. The simplicity and cost of the much smaller and simpler engine, pump, hydrostats, cylinders, fuel, etc. is appealing to me. Since I won't be using it professionally, keeping the maintenance costs for my machine this low are quite appealing. The weight means I can tow it with my F150 pretty easily. I won't be hauling it that often, but I'm pretty much already "tooled up" to do so when those times come up. The trailer alone heavy enough to haul a big skidsteer costs more than I have into this machine so far. The small size means I can fit it with a bucket into my garage along with my mower in a single bay, and I'm not positive yet but I think the hoe attachment can even be shoehorned in there as well. So on to new things. Here's the picture of the installed bracket: [URL='http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/bracket%20p.jpg.html'][IMG alt=" photo bracket p.jpg"]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/bracket%20p.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Since that is complete, I thought it time to turn attention back to getting the hydrostats put back together. I forgot that there were two bearings still needing to be removed for replacement. This is because I needed an internal puller to get them out. I didn't already have one, so I whipped one up and it worked fine. [URL='http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/slotsc.jpg.html'][IMG alt=" photo slotsc.jpg"]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/slotsc.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL='http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/slots.jpg.html'][IMG alt=" photo slots.jpg"]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/slots.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL='http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/pparts.jpg.html'][IMG alt=" photo pparts.jpg"]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/pparts.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL='http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/Puller%20b.jpg.html'][IMG alt=" photo Puller b.jpg"]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/Puller%20b.jpg[/IMG][/URL] And then the bearings were out: [URL='http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mikeyphoto/media/voila.jpg.html'][IMG alt=" photo voila.jpg"]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/mikeyphoto/voila.jpg[/IMG][/URL] So that's the update of the day. And by the way, thanks for the compliment. I don't think anyone has ever told me "I got game" hehe. I like it. [/QUOTE]
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Other Brand Skidsteer Forums
GEHL Skidsteer Forum
Hydra Mac 8A (Gehl 2500) restoration... or "Oh No... What have I done?"
Top