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Fabricating a small dozer and looking for supplies

Jeremy

Hot Rolled
Joined
May 19, 2002
I've wanted a little Struck mini dozer ever since I was a kid and with the machine tools I have now (and the scarcity of the crawlers on the used market), that made the decision to build one from plans an easy one.

The plans I have are of the MD-40 version which looks similar to this:

38394.jpg


The bulk of the tractor is made from 10 gauge plate which I'll have laser or water jet cut from .dwf files, and from common bar stock shafting, pulleys, etc.

The plans are pretty detailed but I'm getting hung up on finding the cast iron sprockets they refer to as "22 tooth #55 agricultural chain cast iron sprocket" and the #55 "track" chains which act as track rails. The plans also list a "heavy duty" chain as being available in the same #55 pitch which I would rather go with than the ligher duty version.

My question is, do you guys know what the current equivalent standard designation is for #55 chain and sprockets, and where I might be able to source them. Googling around turns up a lot of hits to Chinese sites but I'd rather source something locally. The #55 chain used also has tabs on every link that the track shoes bolt to, with holes at 2 inch on center.
 
I am used to working with industrial chain, and I don't recall #55, however my chain catalogues (e.g. Link-Belt, Rexnord) list an agricultural chain with the ISO number "S 55", which is a plain roller chain, no attachment plates. This may be the chain you want, but this is only a suggestion, there are many, many chains out there.

On many chains a "K" attachment is available to give a flat top with holes, and Link-Belt list a "K" attachment for this chain. These have slots .33" wide, not holes, the slot centres are 2.130", but the inner centres of the slots are 2".

The only thing is - in my experience 'K' attachments are very expensive things! So maybe there were other options available for agricultural chains.

I did a Google search on "Link-Belt" 55 agricultural chain and on the first page there was an Oregon supplier offering flame-cut sprockets and chain, I have no idea if they are any good, but they may be able to help:

http://www.dlchain.com/index.html
 
What about using rubber tracks? Especially if you are going to be using it on a paved surface. Whenever I bring my JD 450C out to the house I put down wood on the concrete so I don't scar up the drive any worse than it is with the tracks.

Also there is another little crawler brand called MagnaTrak (maybe they are one and the same) and a friend of mine had one he inherited, it was maybe twice or so the size as the one in your picture. It was old and well used though and he spent more time working on it than using it. When he finally advertised it for sale he had no problem selling it.

tim
 
http://www.baumhydraulics.com/files/catalog/sec-s.pdf

Gaze thru this part of their catalog - chains and sprockets. I didn't see any cast iron sprockets, but I did see what they called "cut teeth" that looked pretty beefy. Look on pages 2 thru 7 of their downloadable catalog. I think pages 6 and 7 have the chain you are looking for. That link above is to that section of their catalog. Baum is great.

Another place= www.martinsprocket.com I didn't see any mention of #55 stuff in their selection, and they are big.
 
#55 detachable steel links can be found at http://www.temcoparts.com/ Click chain then detachable steel links.

There are many styles available. They are used in manure spreaders, corn pickers, round balers, etc.

The sprockets sound like wheel sprockets for a manure spreader.

If you are planning to actually do any work with this machine, a more economical alternative is an old 420 or 440 Deere or a small skid steer. You will spend less money and have a more versatile machine. From time to time I see the mini-dozers in trade books. They are nearly worthless to re-sell.

http://lifehacker.com/5066163/farm-show-magazine-encyclopedia-chock-full-of-diy-inspiration is a link to a magazine that my retired Dad takes. Hundreds of ideas, plans, stories about ingenious farmer inventions. No doubt there are several mini-dozer plans in the archives.

SCOTTIE
 
Jeremy, what you are looking for is called steel detachable chain among other things. It is often used in pairs with crossbars connecting the two chains for bulk material moving. The floor (apron) of a manure spreader is one application.

Here is an ag supplier with an extensive listing.

http://www.shoupparts.com/catalog/list.cfm?fldID=96645

This is a formed steel chain that is detached by crimping the chain back on itself and hammering the link out sideways. It predates roller chain by decades. It is definitely a low speed chain, and is why roller chain is sometimes referred to as high speed chain.

On edit: I see Scottie types a lot faster than I do.
 
"Farm Show" magazine has a lot of home built crawlers. And anything else. Like a 6 cylinder generator hooked up to over 200 microwave ovens so the guy could cut the alfalfa and bale it at the same time.

Agricat, later Agritrac had a good design. Stuck to Agricat is like riding lawnmower to garden tractor.
 
You should take a walk through a combine salvage yard. Lots of combines used 550 or 557 chain in the feeder throat from the header to the machine. Those feeder chains would have about 5 times the strength of 55 detachable chain. The same sprockets. There would be attachment links every few inches to attach track shoes to. The 550 557 chain are built more like a roller chain. Sprockets from a combine may work, too.
 
I'm certainly not going to use this as a commercial tractor, it's mostly for fun and to use around the place. I alread have a JD 40C crawler for the bigger stuff. The "track" chain in the specs I have is definitely pinned together and not the detachable steel chain.

It looks like this:

struck_crawler_track.jpg
 
I'm certainly not going to use this as a commercial tractor, it's mostly for fun and to use around the place. I alread have a JD 40C crawler for the bigger stuff. The "track" chain in the specs I have is definitely pinned together and not the detachable steel chain.

I disagree. I think the chain in your photo IS detachable steel links. You need to visit an AG store. Since this is going to be a novelty machine you could buy a small sprocket made to drive #55, use it for a tooth profile pattern, and have bull wheels burnt from a blank.

On edit, I didn't mean to sound smart alec. Maybe you have the capacity to zoom tighter than I can. From my view this looks just like #55 flat chain that I knocked on and off manure spreaders and corn pickers when I was a kid and Daddy made me farm. The links are available with many different "ears" for attachments.



SCOTTIE
 
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An illustration I found has the tracks looking like this:

MD40_track.jpg


Definitely a regular pinned-type track.

Update:
We found a winner! An exact match for the "tracks" on the dozer:

ca550hd-k19.jpg
 
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