First, Hello to all, new to the forum, but have been reading it for years, some really great information and knowledgeable posters on here. In the process of buying a really decent late SN D7F for use on the farm. I need a ripper and it has a winch and a unit for running scrapers instead. Old and obsolete, none of the usual attachment sellers have one sitting around. Going to Alaskan equipment to see what they have, since they don't know. So what do I need to know to locate a ripper that would fit? I understand a D7 E, F, and G all fit the same, what about 6's or 8's? I don't have the machine in front of me to measure the bolt holes, does anyone have that dimension on the top of their heads? Or with enough time and enough oxy acetylene can I make any non high horse ripper fit? And more importantly, does anyone locally know where I might find one? There must be enough of these machines retired by now that the demand for attachments is about nil, but they must still be sitting around somewhere?
Shooting from the hip but I think a 7F and G back end will be the same. The older E machine may have holes in different locations because frame is a little different.
If it has a double drum cable control unit, why not look for a towed ripper? The D7E and F mount the same hyster winch so I think it's safe to say the rear bolting is the same.
I'm apparently too young, I've never even heard of a towed ripper. I suppose before hydraulics, that would have been the only option, I often wondered how they ripped frost with the old dozers with cable lift, never seen a mounted ripper on one.
My grandpa has two of the pull rippers. Someone has borrowed them but he's pulling them with a D7E. I've never used them but they are pretty neat to watch someone who knows what they are doing.