Last year I bought a good running but ugly broom tractor from the county. its all hydraulic. The name plates are all gone and its around 90 HP diesel Ford tractor motor in it. I cant figure if its an old Rosco or what. I only gave 500 for it and have used it on a few little jobs but not much sweeping goin on. I had it for sale one time but 2 contractors thought 1500 was a bit too high. The motor and the hydraulics will part for around 3000. Anyway I ve been thinking about using the hydrostat and the motor to repower an old Shop built sheepsfoot tractor I found. The brush is about 8 feet wide and reversible. And the lines are all smaller like half inch. If the motor comes back to be within my GPM on my skid steer I may take off the broom and put on a quick tach. I think it would be more hany on the skid steer than a whole seperate unit. This thing like it is now is a b*&*tch to load because the back axle the right side is offset to allow it to set on thepavement so the drive wheels are on the hard ground and the broom has extra clearance. It takes 2 folks to load this even on my wide ramp trailer. Plus the whole tractor is hard to operate kinda goofy sitting up high over the broom and its har to maneuver. Does anyone here use a broom much and how handy are they?
I have been out of the contracting business about 10 yrs when I had my N/H 's had a broom augers rock hounds blades brush hogs, forks etc. This was during the boom in the NE but I had no problem marketing myself, The broom was a plus to contractors who would be getting heat about mud on the roads or Site supervisors on residential developments who had building going on and homeowners who would complain. If it doesn't have a dust suppression you need to fab up something or you will die from the dust. What size machine do you have.
I have 2 1840 Case Uniloaders. Ones a 96 and the other is a 2000. Bopth have 14/15 GPM auxhilaries. I make most of my own attachments a little cheaper that way plus I have a machine/ welding shop I run in the winter. Mostly want with the sweeper is around the lake the driveays get coated with damp leaves this time of year. I get hired to remove the raked up piles but I was thinking if I did a weekly sweeping I could gather them alot quicker with out having to wait on homeowners to have the leaves piled up. To save dumping fees I usually haul the leaves home and put them in compost piles. I ont really wanna cannibalize the sweeper but Its a bear to haul around. I may un bolt the broom and mount it on the SSL and try it a few times. Im wanting to use the Motor and Hystat to run a homebuilt sheepsfoot tractor or maybe building a selfpropelled compost windrow turner. We have a a water truck for wetting shoulders. I could put a 100 gallon tank on the broom and make a dust suppresser. Not many folks here use skid steers? They dont like the cost of the tools, and say they arent as versatile as a tractor. They would rather ride a tractor all day dragging a yard landscaping. I build most of my tools and have a general idea how to get the most from them. You mentioned you had blades what type. I have an old front mount tractor blade I thought of making into a skid steer blade, and also a trencher 6 way blade from a salvaged Vermeer.