Front-end Loader Plans
Front-end Loader Plans
Turn an ordinary tractor into a portable loader
A SOLID PLAN and some ingenuity can save you thousands of dollars, simplify long-term maintenance, and transform a “dated” piece of equipment into a go-to solution for landscaping and maintenance done on your property. P.F. Engineering’s Front-end Loader Plans have enabled hundreds of customers to upgrade their ordinary tractors.
Front-end Loader Plans from P.F. Engineering demystify construction of a loader attachment for your tractor. They break the project down into doable steps that can be carried out by you or someone you employ. Equipped with our experience and detailed information, you control your project’s budget and schedule. And, you know what maintenance and repairs will cost in the years to come.
Take a look at this video that one father-and-son team made after building a front-end loader from our plans. Pride for their weather-tested Cub Cadet 1650 and its new capabilities are evident.
Front-end Loader Plans include:
- Complete build instructions
- Schematics for hydraulics
- 3D line-drawings
- A materials list for all steel, hydraulics and hardware
- A list of online suppliers
P.F. Engineering’s founder, Paul, still uses the original loader attachment that he built more than 20 years ago. The loader originally girded a 1974 Cub Cadet 149, which was a large-frame garden tractor that weighed 750 pounds. Eventually, he swapped tractors, but kept the loader.
Paul’s loader now outfits a 1986 Ford 1110 compact tractor, which is a 4-wheel drive, diesel model that weighs 1,400 pounds.
Regarding the swap, he said, “It fit right on, only needing adjustments to the subframe mounting points.”
Even the larger tractor’s on-board hydraulics connected.
Paul’s former Cub Cadet 149 with front-end loader attachment.
Paul’s Ford 1110 with outfitted with his original front-end loader
Here are some specs:
| Imperial | Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall weight: | 325 pounds | 148 kg |
| Lift capacity: | well over 500 pounds | well over 226 kg |
| Lift height to level bucket: | 73 inches | 1854 mm |
| Bucket width: | 42 to 54 inches | 1067 to 1372 mm |
| Bucket capacity: | 0.21 to 0.27 cubic yards (yd³) | 161 to 206 liters (L) |
| Bucket roll down: | 50 degrees at maximum lift | 50 degrees at maximum lift |
| Built-in oil reservoir | ||
| Spin on oil strainer element | ||
| Joystick control option | ||
| Estimated cost to build: | $1200 |
See photos of a tractor like yours
Search our photo gallery for your tractor’s particular make and model. With hundreds of tagged photos submitted by our customers, you’ll likely find images of a finished project that is similar to the one you’re considering.
