Hi folks, I am going to look at a 1985 Ford 6500 loader next week. I was trying to get a little info about them before I visit . I have seen some photos of the 1985 6500 . The mechanic told me it end up in a used car repair shop because some one needed money. They been using it to move cars and other heavy things. Don't really have a full time use for it. He said the brake pedals don't move or frozen. He stops it with emergency brake. do these use hydraulic breaking? Does the emergency brake use the same pads as the normal foot brake pedals? It has no pto or 3point setup. Just the arms for the loader but NO BUCKET! That's the way they got it. He claims it runs good only problem is the foot brake pads are frozen. Any one had any experience with brakes on these? Also not having a bucket. I looked on line I can not seem to see any kind of buckets for it. I know these are a little on the rare side. Is locating a bucket at a reasonable price going to be impossible? Again I looked at photos only but it looks in good shape and price is not very high . I have a JD 450 loader crawler. They seem to be completely different bucket hook up. I attached 3 photos , Can anyone give me some insight about this before I go to see it?I would really greatly appreciate any input. Thaks
That is a rare bird. I think it used the ball-on-a-ramp type wet brakes like the 4500 and 5500. Somebody would have to work to make me think it was made in 1985. The 00 series were were made from about 1965-1975. A 1985 model would be a 655. I am not sure of the letter, maybe a C or D. That sure is a good looking machine for her age, though.
Thanks for your input. I looked on tractorData on a 6500 Industrial tractor 1974-????? they did not know the end of a ball on ramp wet brake? I got 3 JD crawlers and 2 ford farm tractors I never hear of ball on ramp. I find it odd it ended up with no bucket. What are the chances of finding one at a reasonable price? Are these brakes hard to work on. I might be getting over my head.
I should of proof read better. tractorData did not know the end of production. I think my text jumped on me.
It looked like it might be a nice big tractor. But as I talk to the one guy who has been driving it. That when Ifound out the foot brake pedals were frozen. I never owned any equipment that had emergency brake. Before the owner had said there was pto. But the other guy said no. just a flat cover . This is a heavy tractor for 77hp.
What do you have to pay for it. If the brakes are frozen you have a bigger problem. The differential and pinion would be ruined as well. Chances are your problem is in the brake linkage. You could disconnect the linkage from the brake rod and determine whether the problem is internal or external (linkage). If the engine and transmission are good, its cheap and the brake problem is in the external linkage, you can find or modify a bucket for the loader.
I think he meant that the pedals were frozen, they use it the way it is with the emergency brake. So not likely anything wrong with the rear end, but you can check that running it in a figure 8. No idea on the fords, but I'd follow the linkages for the brakes, I'd doubt they use the same pads, but? My other thought is what went on the back of that thing? The bucket got removed because that thing could get stuck loading sawdust on pavement without any extra weight on the back end. Maybe there's a bucket AND backhoe sitting around somewhere waiting for you to reunite them? Otherwise you're looking at a little bit of welding to make a bucket fit, unless you get real lucky or are willing to have a bucket shipped. It would be a shame not to find the original bucket, it doesn't look like that ever saw salt or manure, or much mud for that matter. edit: That is one clean looking machine, if it runs anywhere near as nice as it looks then that's the kiddie pool when it comes to getting in over your head. I'd think you could find a used bucket to fit for $2,000 delivered, $500 or less locally if you wait long enough or don't mind hacking one.
I would look to see if a a bucket off of a 5500, 5550 would fit as they were more common. Wengers salvage in PA has a 6500 they are parting out. I would be very concerned that there is no weights on the rear. I have a skip loader and have to have something heavy on the back or it is worthless.
He asking $3500 for it. The one who owns it runs some kind of business dealing with cars. He knows nothing about it except he got it because some one owed money. He claims no idea about bucket . The guy I talked to operates it just to move things. My understanding is that some one did look for a bucket and could not locate one. There is a tractor/equipment scrap yard near me. I going to call Monday about finding a bucket. The guy who drove said the PEDALS were frozen . he just used the emergency brake. He did mention something that the guy who had it before them just used it to move firewood. So I think the bucket been gone a while. Maybe I should question him again to see if I can contact the previous owner I have a little JD 450 loader and its bucket is pretty heavy .It has a lot of down pressure and can dig pretty good. It has a lot of steel weights on back to keep it balanced. I don't know if this would operate like my crawler if it had a bucket. Would it be able to dig down like the JD 450? I was thinking it would be like a Ford 620 industrial tractor with loader except bigger. But you say it would be unbalanced with just a bucket. Because threes nothing on back. Maybe that's why it was removed .
So he is also off about the age 1985. Your saying its was out of production in 70's. Ok what did you mean doing figure 8's? I have not seen it yet. But would the emergency brakes use the same brake disk? I read it has wet disks for brakes? Is that something like the wet clutches in my 450c dozer? I remember now he said it had 2 pedals like a regular tractor. So yea I guess a wet disk system for each side? If emergency brake uses same system the internal should be ok? If not how would I check the internal system? I thought this might be nice to play with if I found a bucket. We use the other machines to dig ponds and roads on our property. I thought this might be nice to pick up creek gravel and stuff. But now I don't know. if it worth anything if I could not find a bucket.
When I first saw it I thought that's cheap for a big tractor. But now after I hear what you guys say. Its not as simple as a tractor. I see nobody is beating down his door to buy it. He lowered the price from $3,800. to $3,500.
The brake pedals are frozen, to me that means they won't move one bit. If the brake pedals are frozen then you can mess with the linkage and see if any of it moves. It may be that the pedals are rusted tight on their pivot but the internals are fine? That thing looks so nice that it's entirely possible somebody took it apart (bucket/hoe) and let it sit and rust up the brake pedals. Then again, the whole thing may be too good to be true? My guess is the emergency brake is different than the service brakes, but you'll find out soon enough crawling around following the linkages. I meant driving in a circle then turning the other direction and driving in the opposite circle, so you turn both directions, like the shape of an 8. That will make noise if there's anything terribly wrong with the differential etc. not likely. If it runs half as good as it looks, and the brakes, bucket and rear weight are the only issues, I say $3,500 is a fair price. You'll find a bucket eventually, one way or another. A weight box for the back is pretty easy to cobble together, and then it will work fine for loading gravel. Just don't try to back out of a soft pond with a bucket full of muck...
Thanks Delmer I just read and old Ford advertisement for it. Dated 1973 so far I only found 2 years that they were making them 1973 n 1974. I guess they stopped sometime in the 70's. Anyways it stated the loader with out the hoe had four 1000lb weights on the back. It must of had one big bucket.
Not so much a big bucket, as just all that weight added up makes it hard to move if the front wheel gets in any kind of rut or soft spot. On hard dry level ground it will work fine, but the tires will probably last longer with the weight. I know on similar loaders, when I've tried to lift the counterweight with the bucket, it lifted a rear wheel off the ground.
I understand what you saying now. I sent a request to Wengers. They replied they have no buckets for this machine. Where would one look for a bucket. I think this thing would be useless with out one.
I call Wengers this time. they said they had bucket 84" off 555B and 84" off 655A . They did not know if they would fit. How would I find out ?
measure and post: pin/bushing size spread of the lower bucket connectors spread of the cylinder attachment connectors it looks like my ford 555a would fit...its 84 inch bucket
I just realized that this has a 3 speed automatic type transmission. I have no interest attaching a backhoe back on it. I hope to use it as a loader and a tractor. I think this 3 speed auto transmission is set up to move the backhoe. Not as a tractor transmission. I was planning on driving it more distance than the crawler loader. One of the properties is 20 miles away from the other. I also thought I could use a big tractor in slow moving farm mode to pull the JD crawlers on a trailer. Hook a pintail hitch to it and even a trailer brake. And tow it down the country road. I don't know if this idea is practical . But even using it like a real tractor alone it might not hold up. I afraid this rare machine auto transmission may turn out to be a real problem. Being that it not a real tractor and being a rare breed.
yes, there something rare here,,BUT ITS NOT THE TRACTOR!!!
Ok I understand that some of my post seem stupide to you.About using it to move equipment must sound dumb. I was not talking about using state roads. I really would like input and you may be blunt. Please don't leave remarks about something and no explanation. I don't claim to be the most intelligent person in the Tioga county area! And I can take criticism from people . If you want to say something. Just say it jimg984 I did locate another bucket 84 " locally and took measurements. I had not read your first post till later. I thank you for that. Sorry you feel I am stupide for my last post about the reliability of the transmission and moving other equipment. I have not check with the DMV about it yet. Even with out that, Using it as a large tractor verses a backhoe. I would like the ability to pull stumps and trees pulling creek gravel where one can not park a dump truck. Can you answer my question even if to you I am stupide. I am a disabled Vet and know the value of advice from people who are more experienced than me. I also know loyalty duty respect selfless service honor integrity and personal courage. I know my post are not the most intelligent wording and I apologized for that. they are sometimes written 3 or 4 in the morning.I live with chronic pain so sleep is sometimes difficult. And some times not at all. I thought that there was a cross listing like with cars and trucks that salvage yards use. Yes believe it or not I was smart enough to measure the bucket and write down the distance and diameters. so jimg948 what is your opinion on the transmission ? John Brown 1SG, US Army (Ret)
Apparently the transmission gears have a max speed of 4, 7, and 18mph, with the same in reverse (don't use 3 reverse ) That's not a tractor transmission but it is just fine for a loader tractor. I'm assuming this is a torque converter with a standard gear shift transmission behind it, not a dry clutch or powershift. I think it would work OK for towing a trailer that's not too much heavier than the tractor, but that doesn't look like it even has a drawbar. You mention a pintle hitch, that might be a good idea, mount that a little closer to the tractor than the drawbar would stick out so you have less sway from the trailer. With trailer brakes, I wouldn't hesitate at all to drive that at 12mph on FLAT or SLIGHTLY downhill, any slope at all and I'd be going 2mph up or down.
hanks Delmer Yea your right there is no hitch. It was at one time a backhoe. There nothing on the back. No pto no three point. I got up at 7am to head up to see it. I only got 2 hours sleep last night. Got about 40 miles and the transmission in the truck I was driving acted like it was slipping. The fluid was ok. I turned around and went home and parked the truck.A friend of mine is friends with a group a State Troupers . He was going to ask them about what is accepted on county roads pulling with a tractor. It was just an idea and not a good one. I still would want to pull a tandem dump with gravel and a load in the bucket. Around the property. I now have doubts using an automatic. The guy who delivered my 450c dozer up from PA had a Dodge 350 with a hotshot. I sure it was a Cummings Diesel and Alison transmission. My other truck is a ford 350 with a 460. But I know it would not last long pulling anything heavy. If you keep the total truck trailer and load under 26000 lbs you can move it with out a CDL. But if you go over that and they catch you are in big trouble. I am thinking about just bagging the whole thing about this 6500
As far as towing something with your 6500 just attach a couple slow moving vehicle orange triangles on the tractor and trailer and your good to go. Just make sure you don't tow after dark. I run my tractors from my house to other parts of my farm all the time and have never had a problem as long as you have an orange triangle on your tractor and trailer. People will think you are just another farmer moving equipment.
The transmission is a 3x3 powershift. For some reason I want to say it was made by Funk but now can't remember why I believe this. They have a torque converter. I don't think towing would be a good application for this machine. I think you'd overheat as Ford converter transmissions of this era weren't designed for pulling for long periods of time.
Your opinion may be correct Check Break, I guess it would depend on how much weight was being towed and what gear was being used. That 6500 looks identical to my 5500 ford backhoe, my machine also has a 3 x 3 shuttle shift transmission. The torque converter and shuttle part of my transmission were made in England by a company called Brockhouse. I don't know if the 6500 had the same shuttle as mine or not. My machine does have a transmission oil temperature gauge. If the 6500 has a working transmission temp gauge then the operator could tell if he is over working the transmission. After thinking about it though a clutch type transmission would be better for towing really heavy loads, but if all I owned was that 6500 then I would at least give it a try.
I'm going to claim the aluminum pot defense again. My memory of that 3x3 being a Funk has to be wrong. Your transmission is the same as the 6500 and 7500. I don't remember now if it was optional on the 5500 and standard on the 7500. I also don't remember anyone mentioning problems inherent in the powershift. I'd just hate to be faced with a repair.
As I mention before I got this brainstorm when I saw a dodge ram with Cummins tow my 450C 40 miles up from PA. It was using a Gooseneck or 5th wheel hotshot. The truck had a pickup box and I saw the 3500 on it .So it was not the 4500 or 5500. I would guess that trailer bed was 30ft.I sure it had the Allison transmission and dual wheels. I assumed a tractor this large would have enough strength. I looked at the specs of the Top end Ram 2014. With them Cummins turbo and 6 speed Allison . It had 350hp with 660ftlbs torque. This 6500 has 77hp with 220ftlbs torque. Big difference I see now. But this is engine torque not wheel torque. The 3 equations for wheel torque. Engine HP at RPM X the gear ratio X final drive ratio. 2) Engine HP X 5252 X final drive ratio X trans gearing, divided the RPM of the engine. 3)Engine HP X 5252 and divide by the RPM of the tire. Yea right give me a few years to figure out the gearings and gear ratios. But the last equation ends with divide by rear wheel RPMs. I know the truck has tall tires. The 6500 16.9-28 are about 5 feet? Are they really this tall? They look like industrial tires not agriculture? That's also less rubber touching the hard road surface. But I get back to the non tractor transmission of the 6500. Delmer stated the 3 speeds are 4 , 7, 18mph which would mean a lot lower gearing with 5 foot rear tires. Again he also mention there is no hitch on this backhoe with out a hoe. I don't know what's under it for connecting a pintail correctly. Check Break is right about this old time tranny. I have read 2 places where they are having problems with a 6500 shuttle . In the forums here there are different post about other 5500's shuttle problems. I these shuttles design is just for moving the hoe not towing . So carrying a load in bucket and pulling a dump trailer back and fourth not a continued long distance tow. I has no 3point . The ad said it had PTO. The operator was saying it just had the flat not bulging cover where the PTO should be. He was assuming that you could just slide a shaft in and then you got a PTO. I assumed you had to have the modified transmission to have PTO. I never heard of any one adding PTO to a tractor. But I am not an experience operators Like Delmer and Jimg and the rest of you guys. I can just imagine going down a hill and the shuttle blows a seal. Or electric brake controllers decides it break time.
I have a JD 310D with a 4 speed gear transmission and torque converter. I built a dump trailer that carries 6 yards of dirt when heaped over the top. It's surprising how well that JD can handle that trailer but you do have to keep the gears low when going up hills. I've got it hinged so that I dump it with the hoe bucket. There is a latch on the front corner that I release with the bucket tooth and just lift to dump. I have a slow moving sign under the rear just behind the axle.
Wow that's a real nice machine. That is about the same size machine as that 6500. Is that a 4 speed standard shift? I just read for brakes it has differential hydraulic wet disc? yea right compared to the 6500 mechanical wet disc. Both of which I have no idea what one or the other means. What are those cylinder shaped things you are putting in the trailer? They look like septic tanks, I just found out after you post something you can go back and edit it. are those industrial tires agriculture?
4 speed stick shift but there is no clutch pedal. You press a button on the stick shift knob to clutch off the transmission to shift. Wet brakes mean the disk is kept wet with transmission oil. They last much longer than dry brakes. The cylinders are concrete well rings. Trailer tires are 22" truck tires. They come from a transport trailer.
Hey Deon, that is a really cool rig you have there. That set up would be great for picking up tree rounds for firewood. When I cut wood, I like to cut the trees into 16" lengths load them onto my trailer with my loader and then split the wood at home. I can get a lot more wood home in a short amount of time that way. Then I can work on splitting the rounds a little at a time. My knees and back these days determine how many hours I can work on splitting wood. Thanks for the great idea.
Deon, Nice set up. I am curious how the hitch attaches to the backhoe vehicle? (at least with my computer screen I can’t really tell from the pictures)
Just a home made clevis and an old 2" pin from a previous repair on my backhoe. Lots of slack so it won't bind in rough terrain. I push it in from the bottom and slide a bolt through a hole in the top. This way I can remove it by pulling out the bolt and jiggle my dipper to shake the pin loose so it drops to the ground. I slip a clip through the end of the bolt to hold it in.
Can you post a pic of your hitch?
I don't have the trailer close by so I can't send you that photo. The trailer tongue clevis goes over and under the hitch welded to the backhoe. There is about 1" of slack to prevent binding in rough terrain.
OK, cool. now I get it, I was envisioning a clevis that went around the swing pin or something? Temporary (hopefully) stupidity on my part. ointhead Looks like a good idea, wonder why more people don't do that. Wonder why I never did that.
This is my second one. My first dump trailer I towed with a 1981 JD 410. That was a 8 speed standard transmission with shuttle. Had lots of fun with it. Don't have any pics of the old one but here is a few more of the present one.
might help I don't know where you are with your problem, but these pages give some information.