Took my old 4501 Gafner Iron Mule out this evening and packed out some wood that was cut by the power company cleaning the line on a friends place. He will be set for a bit for firewood and picked out a load of pulp wood also.
No they are built from massey ferguson tractors. this is one of the first ones built.
MEK is correct on mine. They built them using both Ford and Massey Fergerson chassis. This one is Ford. Not sure what model tractor. It has the 4 cyclinder, 192 CI Ford Diesel with a 4 speed with a two speed selector. 8 forward and 2 reverse gears. Some say the Fords have stronger rear end housings. I do not know although I looked at a Massey one setting for sale in Oregon a few years back and it had both rear end castings welded where the differentual housing transitions to the axle. This one lives in a shed and has a pretty easy life.
i did not know that they used fords also I have only seen pictures of them on masseys. I have one brouchure of them.
I think the Fords came later in the life of the Gafner company. Wisconsin and the UP has quite a number of these Ford based Iron Mules around yet. I notice the canopy is much heavier construction on mine than on the Massey. That normally points to newer as the rules and ideals change. That old Massey looks good though. They didn't change the chassis much. Do you know if the Massey's had pedal operated differential locks?
no idea right now never operated one just seen them but it is very possible to go look at the machine again it is not far from where I live.
I am pretty sure after gafner owned them that valmet bought them. there very early forwarders look a lot alike and if I remember right I believe I seen a photo of a red iron mule that said valmet at one point in time.
I recognized the Ford dash on the original pictures.