This is my 1974 Michigan 125B tractor shovel. Here's how it looked like when I imported it from Montreal, Canada.
And here's how it has been restored like new with OEM parts. Restoration costs reached $10,000 USD. Engine is Detroit Diesel 6V-71N65.
More pics...
Nice job! Just being nosy, what were the shipping charges?
$3,000 USD. The restoration price wasn't included in the 10k budget.
They were good loaders in their day and very strong. I knew a guy that had a 175B and said you couldn't hurt it.
So true. When I was a kid, there was a pile of BIG blocks of rocks near my house. And they were on a very inclined slope. It seemed impossible, but one Clark 125B carried each of those blocks and deposited them on big trucks. Each block was as big as a car. The front tires almost touched the ground and I thought they're going to blow up. The uphill pull by the tractor shovel was effortless. The rigidity of the chassis coupled with the Clark torque converter + engine/transmission were simply unmatchable by any other tractor shovel. I want to buy a 175B or 275B but I'm looking to chose Michigan rather than Clark despite the fact that both share the same shape and components.
Rolitto, What are you going to use this machine for, I'm guessing it's not just a toy to play with in your back yard! My first experience with a Michigan was with the 475 IIIA at the quarry I worked at starting in June of 1968. Not sure if it was due to Michigans designs or just the general technology of the day but failed orings and or hoses were very common. One of the gravel beds the company ran did have a 125 B with the Detroit 6V-71. Can't recall exactly what it was but something about the belts on the engine were a major struggle to replace. Seems like it was the belt that drove the alternator.
Believe me, my career's path is far from that to use a tractor shovel but I love Michigans and it was like love at first sight - their design is typical tractor shovel. And the passion to love them more is growing inside of me, especially now that I'm able enough to buy and restore some models of Michigan tractor shovels and carry an archive library of Clark - Michigan at home. I plan on buying and restoring another (hopefully). As for the defective parts on Michigans, I spoke with an old heavy equipment mechanic, he told me that most Michigans fitted with Detroit Diesel leak oil and have a common problem with hoses too.
Very nice job you have done on the loader. Are you into scale models of Michigan loaders also?
Thought Michigan was a name Clark used for their loaders. The 175B I knew had the Cummins engine and the owner figured it was the best engine made. He had Cummins in all his trucks too. He also had a 75B and it was good loader too but not as tough as the 175B but according to his brother, who had excavators and dug pipeline, this may be because he tried to do the same work of the 175B with the 75B. I think the 4 plate loader boom was a great idea.
Thanks. Yes I thought to have a realistic scale model of a Michigan tractor shovel. I was confused on whether to ask a craftsman to hand-build for me a one-off 1:24 scale model from resin or build myself a 3D CAD file based on factory blueprints and realistic dimensions (phase one) to be used for moulding and creating plastic scale model kits like Tamiya, AMT, Revell, etc... (phase two). With that being said, I already built the 3D CAD files for the Clark 75B, Michigan 75B, and Clark 55B tractor shovels, so phase one is already achieved. Next step is to make a deal with a scale model manufacturer that will achieve phase two. It costs a lot though, around $50,000 USD for 1,000 units, and need the rights' permission in written from Volvo so that has become a bit complicated at the time being.
Michigan is a brand that Clark used when they acquired and purchased the Michigan Power Shovel Co., then they opted to name Clark their whole products' range. The 175B had either Cummins NT-855-C or Detroit Diesel 8V-71N65 on it. Both are good, but Detroit Diesel have more torque. Cummins are bigger in displacement. To tell you the truth, I've known hundreds of Clark and Michigan tractor shovels near my place, from 45B to 275B. They're all robust and so tough, each up to the expectations the model is built for.
Very nice. I want to do this to my 55b and 275b one day. If you're in the market for a 275 to restore I can provide you with several. All of them in current running condition. Obviously needing tlc
Great to hear Ryan. Your models are Clark or Michigan? I'm asking cause I feel the Michigan livery (nameplate, blue wheel hubs, etc...) give a more retro (antique) look of what a typical tractor shovel looks like.
Both mine are Clarks but my 275b has the michigan name plate in the rear grill. Two of the 275a models are michigan and one 275b is a clark
Ryan, note these hints: If the model has the MICHIGAN nameplate in the middle of the grille (in between the red stop lights), then it's a MICHIGAN branded model. Else if the model has the CLARK nameplate on top of the engine hood (in between the white backup lamps), then it's a CLARK branded model. Moreover, the machine model and serial number plate that is bolted behind the operator's compartment also indicates if it's MICHIGAN or CLARK. These hints apply on all Clark and Michigan models. Now some owners have painted their machines over the years and pasted MICHIGAN decals on a CLARK branded model, that doesn't make it a Michigan. And vice versa. I'd be glad to see your machine from the back.
All models 275A are MICHIGAN branded. Clark Equipment decided to market their machines with the Clark brand beginning with Series B and afterwards. All machines before then were MICHIGAN branded models.
VERY NICE resto.. They do have a tendency to leak oil tho.. They are COMMONLY referred to as "drip-troits".. Lol
Here are rear-end pictures of both: Clark 75B and Michigan 75B. Spot the difference.
True. They leak quite a lot! LOL.
We had a couple of 75s and 4 125s and even a pre Volvo L90. I must say that I prefer a new machine. Comfort, quiet and a lot easier on fuel. Even the jump from the L90 Michigan to the L90F is a far one
Two things that will help reduce the drips. #1 Use the correct oil! Straight 30 weight oil with the sulfated ash of 1.00 percent maximum #2 Make it work, don't let it run at low load conditions for extended periods of time. I don't care what the water temperature gauge says if it's not working close to 75% of full load it is too cold where it counts
I was always told to drive a Detroit like you hate it, cause if you baby it she'll give you grief
Yeah my 275b is a michigan then. Ita painted that way as well. I'll upload a picture
Yes the newer machines are easier to operate, more comfy, and more efficient on fuel but the durability and power seen on old machines are simply unmatchable. My friend owns a Volvo L90x and a Michigan 55. He told me that despite the size of the L90x which is comparable to model 75B, the Michigan 55 beats the L90x by far and in all working conditions.
Ryan, I really loved your Michigan. It's a pretty neat machine that you have there. I wish I had a 275B like this, I would have restored it like new. Such a pretty machine. Even the grille is still almost intact and believe me, it's hard to see Michigans still in good shape (hood, grille, lights, nameplate not stolen, etc...). By the ways, your machine seems to be among the very early models of 275B as its Cummins engine is not after-cooled. That means it's Cummins NT-855-C and not NTA-855-C. You can check if you want...
It is aftercooler just a different style. Its got the nt a 855 c380 2500 rpm max speed. This loader really is in great shape. I've done a bunch of work. I intend to restore this one as well as my 55b one day. For now they will work and make me money. Center pins are tight however it needs some machine work on the rest of it. Let me know if you are interested in this 275. I'm not opposed to selling it to someone who will not just beat it to crap and then scrap it.
That's just nostalgia. Up until the G series, our Volvo loaders reliability has surpassed any of our Cat, Case, or Deere loaders. Maintainance vs cost is at an all time low, and production is at least 3 times what it was in the 1970s. I plow snow near a contractor that purchased our 75 Michigan. I can complete several lots of comparable size before he is half done. It's nice to remember how things were, and I agree that competition between manufacturers causes quality issues, but if you want to stay competitive as a larger company, you can't go backwards. I have a 53 Ferguson Tea 20 tractor, and it is fun to drive, but I would never buy a new one if they were still offered. Our road building season will be starting in a month. We have almost 7 million dollars work ahead of us so far, but we have lost at least 5 million to a company with deeper pockets, and a newer fleet. Our asphalt plant is from the 50s. It was well made, simple to work on, fairly reliable. Our main competition, based over 200 miles away has 2 New portable plants, new spreaders, new rollers new graders. They come in, bang out in 3 weeks, a job that would take us 6 weeks to do. Sometimes I think they bid a few jobs high just to leave a few crumbs for us. Gotta go forward, not back. Always nice to see the old stuff though
Yes true however your competitor is turning more dollars he does more work but trust me he's spending more money too
Yes rule was for truck drivers "Slam you finger in the door when you get in the truck in the morning to get yourself in the right mood to drive the truck!"
We don't have super old stuff. We have some early 2000s and newer stuff. We have companies that straight can't compete with us because of how we bid jobs
I'll be glad to buy it from you IF you want to sell it one day and I'll restore it like I did with my 125B. The Michigan brand is way harder to find than Clark's. Here's a Clark 275B still in original livery that I visited recently. The owner doesn't seem to easily give up on it because he told me he used it to carry big granite rocks that no other loaders of the same size could accomplish the task. It's assembled in the Strasbourg-Meinau plant in France, not in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. Anyways yours is much more pretty and typical tractor shovel.
This was when I was changing the coolant lines to the aftercooler.
All these pictures of Michigans makes me need to post the only picture I have of the first one I ever saw or worked on. It is a scan of a very old and damaged picture. But if you look close you can see some details like the chrome plated ladder and the chrome exhaust stacks! Forget the exact year but the story was this was the display model the factory used at a expo in Las Vegas. I know it was working in the quarry when I stated in summer of 1968.
Like I said I'm not opposed to selling it. I can't give it away but a reasonable price could be met. With what I do I could run a newer machine. I can obviously provide tons of pictures and videos of it and go into extreme detail of what all has been done to it so you can get a good feel for what this machine is as far a condition. But in short I would have no problem running it everyday 8 plus hours a day she's in good shape.
Bet that was a nice 475
Yeah yours seems to be after-cooled in a different way, I was looking at my Cummins reference book.
Okay we'll keep in touch when time comes.
Nice picture you got there. It's a Michigan branded 475IIIA.
Spend money to make money. Fuel consumption can be a big issue. The summer before last brought us over 7 hundred thousand in savings because of the lower price of gas, fuel, and liquid asphalt. We just spent 50 thousand to switch our plant over to natural gas because of the savings. Sorry to highjack your thread Rolitto, I do appreciate a fondness for old equipment. But I have fought to stay competitive in an industry that still operates at prices that are 15 years old with increasing operating costs. While I can see smaller operations clinging on to older machines for the simplicity of repairs, I can't argue with the numbers on paper when it comes to fuel savings and production. I'll admit that our 2 G series Volvos cause some grief compared to the Fs, but overall Strongo provides good service and support, and I still think new is the way to go.
So basically you're not ready?
Spent many hours working on that machine back in the day! It was my first time working on a diesel engine when we rebuilt that Cummins. Don't recall if it was a 1710 or a older version with a little less displacement. One thing I do recall was you could not pull the pistons out without removing the cylinder liners, big end of the connecting rods were too big to pass through the bore. Had to make a horseshoe shaped tool to slip over the rod to push up on the bottom of the liner and force it out as an assembly.
I hate it when they do that! 14 liter series 60 engines are the same way
You're referring to me buying the machine now you mean?
Take the best loader you've got and let's see if it earns you money like you think and serves you 40-50 years like Michigans do.
That's why we got rid of the Michigans because they were too slow. An L70F would feed the asphalt plant faster and for less fuel than the 125. I don't care how many years the machine will last. Trading every 5 or 6 years is cheaper than 40 years of fuel guzzling. A 940 Volvo grader will do the work of a 740 Champion for less fuel, so it's a no brainier.
Firstly, you're measuring fuel efficiency by which standards? Secondly, you're comparing a modern machine (fitted with many sophisticated devices-onboard computers that cost half the price of the loader) to a bare classic machine that costs 1/10th the price while lasting 10 times more? What would be the resale value of your machine when you want to sell it after 6 years of punishment with half of its electronic devices aged-out? And if you opted not to sell it, will it last more and stay productive? Will the so-called fuel efficiency compensate the loss you're going to sustain in order to pay in return for a new machine? I don't find any beneficial issue here.
Oh and I forgot to say: Michigans are slow? Not in my books. Not if they are fitted with the proper engine/transmission. Care to provide what models were yours and what engine were they fitted on them?
I think they were all B models, Detroit power. I was just a kid when they were new. I will have to look into it. Used machine prices are crazy. Our stuff is well looked after, and normally fetches a good price. The little L45G will 53kph. The 150E will do 45 kph, the L90s and L70s will do 48kph. I'll get some numbers in the morning.
Yes. Obviously only if you were interested.
New machines for a modern operation can be better for customers appeal. However an older 10 to 15 year old machine especially now days with all the dpf and Regan issues can have some serious advantages. Your fuel economy story is a line of crap though. My 55b burns 3.6gph very similar if not less than modern machines it size. I will say if clark was still around providing reliable and fast parts for my machines I would likely never upgrade. We run several l220e loaders and all of them are just about done in. Only have 18000 hours on them too. The old 475 Clarks wouldn't shake a leaf at 45k hours in shot. So yeah older and simpler is better in a lot of ways but if you can't get parts its an issue. Plus image is a thing in construction I won't argue that. Me personally I like mid 80s to early 2000s machines. Anything 2008 and up Just blows chunks. To many wires and bullcrap for me
That is around the same consumption as our 950H. An L90 runs about 2.2, that's quite a bit less a year for a larger machine than a 55, especially running 6 or 7 of them. Unless they give fuel away where you buy it. I'm not dissing the quality of older machines, and while I am obviously a big fan of Volvo, I do believe I said I am pretty disenchanted with the latest production run, and I also stated quality of workmanship in all machines is at an all time low. However, I don't care how well a machine is built, they all cost money because they wear. I am sad to see Volvo's difficulty with the Regen systems as we have not spent as much on repairs on 6 L90Fs as we have on 2 950 cats. I believe when repair costs start to build, get rid of machine or truck or whatever.
I'm personally not a fan of volvo. I'm my experience volvo machines do good for the first 8000 hours after that it's down hill.
I'm interested in buying your machine Ryan but there are a couple of matters that worry me: 1) I'm currently low on cash at the time being, and 2) Shipping it overseas might be a risk, unless I want to transport it to Canada. This is why... however we can exchange our contact numbers so that when things get sorted out and if I'm the lucky owner, I'll buy it. How does that sound?
I'm only Clark - Michigan fan but I couldn't agree more with you lol.
A lot of factors play into fuel consumtion. I promise you I run my 55b harder than most people run a loader. I'm feeding my screen plant with it and literally non stop foot on the floor
That sounds good. Have you got a Facebook? I'm on the clark Michigan group on there.
I used to have an account on Facebook long time ago but I'm not much into social networking so I shut it down. But we could contact each others by phone (438)228-0465 and e-mail ( [email protected] ).
When I was a kid, I didn't recognize what were the models or series on the Michigan tractor shovels. But I do remember hearing pretty well that buzzing sound on SOME Michigan tractor shovels (not all), so does anyone know what exactly is it? Note: I know the engine is a Detroit Diesel 6V-71N and my Michigan 125B has the same engine but doesn't emit that buzzing sound (like electricity).
That sounds like air getting released.
Ryan, I'd like to get your contact numbers please. If you'd like, you can send them privately to my cell phone.
Sent you a text just now
I confirmed back.
Not sure if you're getting my texts did you get my email address I sent you?
Last years snow pushers at work had a big Michigan, twin chrome stacks and v8 detroit, sounded awesome! I think that 'buzzing' sound is that the air compressor is stuck on and its the relief valve on the air tank blowing off some pressure.
Thats what I was thinking too
Yep the 2nd time I did. Thanks.
You may think I'm crazy but I actually like that buzzing sound idea and was thinking if there was a way to make my machine emit it because I don't know how lol. Thinking of it twice, I asked myself: if that relief valve is blowing off the excess of compressed air, then by repeatedly doing it MANY TIMES, doesn't it end up fully emptying the air compressor tank?
Not sure about this buzzing, is it in the video of the loader running? I did not hear it. But to answer the question about emptying the air tank, no it would not or at least not until the valve was worn out from over use! It is a simple valve that opens when pressure exceeds a set point and when pressure drops back down the spring can overcome the air pressure and force the valve closed. But as this valve is not designed to operate full time the seat or the spring will soon wear out and then you will loose all pressure. So if in fact it was the safety relief valve making this noise you really need to check the air governor and unloader valves in the compressor!
Yes not only that but it's really hard on your air compressor because it's likely getting up to around 200 psi lol
Yes Kshansen, it's in the video if you watch it. There are also other Michigans on YouTube that had that sound too.