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Crawlers, Dozers, Loaders & Backhoes Discussion Forum

modified mini-excavator, mfg unknown

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Kathleen M Sche

04-08-2005 19:03:25




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I recently acquired something that resembles a mini-excavator. Everything to the rear of the engine housing looks original. But whats up front has really been modified. The only name on the machine, located on both the backhoe boom and the plate between the tracks is "TRACKMASTER". It also was on the engine housing, but painted over. Whoever modified the front end removed ??something?? and folded over the front and welded a 4" dia. pipe at the top. Looks like maybe it could be used to push something. There are 2 unused hydraulic servers and 2 slots in the engine cover that are empty. It still has the push blade up front, like a mini excavator, but whatever was above it is the part that has been modified. One of the former owners swapped out the original engine. The last owner put in a 20hp Kohler Command gas engine. He thought that it originally had an large Wisconsin engine in it. Although he thought that the Wisconsin engine was big it had small cc displacement. There sure is a lot of unused space where the old engine was mounted. The hydraulics are all GRESEN and the backhoe bank of levers are VICKERS. It is a simple machine in that all the hydraulics run off a belt driven vane pump. The only other name I have found other than those mentioned is on the ignition key. It says CASE, but who knows, a lot keys have almost no cut to them and could be used interchangeably.
I can send pictures to anyone who wants to help me find the origin of this oddball machine. I would really like to know who manufacturered it, when it was made and what it originally looked like. I would consider returning it to its former self if parts can be found or fabricated and it doesn't cost too much.
Thanks

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Walt-CA

04-09-2005 23:32:43




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 Re: modified mini-excavator, mfg unknown in reply to Kathleen M Scheirer, 04-08-2005 19:03:25  
Trackmaster series of equipment was built by Freuhauf Corp during the middle 1960"s. The line included a mini-excavator, crawler backhoe and crawler trencher. The ones I have seen were powered by Wisconsin engines and used Vickers hydraulics. Most also had a back fill blade on the other end. Freuhauf bought out AgraTrac in 1966, moved all the tooling to their shop in Fresno, CA and quietly made it disappear. Trackmasters lasted a few years longer.

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Kathleen M Scheirer

04-10-2005 05:25:49




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 Re: modified mini-excavator, mfg unknown in reply to Walt-CA, 04-09-2005 23:32:43  
Hi Walt-Ca,
I think you have solved my mystery. All the things you said seem consistent with the machine"s makeup. Altough the machine is functional and badly in need of a paint job, most of the "working" are in good shape, even the hoses which is surprising for an almost 40 yr old machine.
Since the engine block is missing, do you know of a place on the chassis where there was or is an identification plate?
Can you direct me to any site or publication that may have pictures?
Thanks a lot. At least now I have a place to start to see if I can find out more information.
Do you know if there are still a lot of the Trackmaster series in circulation? Would it be a good machine to try to restore?
Anyway, sorry to ask so many additional question, but it is almost an obsession with me to find out informaiton on old tools, and machines of all natures from our past.
Thanks a lot. KM

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Walt-CA

04-11-2005 20:43:34




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 Re: modified mini-excavator, mfg unknown in reply to Kathleen M Scheirer, 04-10-2005 05:25:49  
Sorry, since I saw my last Trackmaster in 1969, contacts have been sketchy. I did a google search for "Freuhauf Trackmaster" and "Defab Trackmaster" and found some posts to this board from 2001 that may produce further info. One fellow's uncle was restoring a Trackmaster at that time and sounded like he had plenty of details.

Walt



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Dale olson

04-09-2005 21:28:43




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 Re: modified mini-excavator, mfg unknown in reply to Kathleen M Scheirer, 04-08-2005 19:03:25  
I wonder if this might be connected.

http://www.trackmaster2000.com/



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Kathleen M Scheirer

04-09-2005 21:43:49




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 Re: modified mini-excavator, mfg unknown in reply to Dale olson, 04-09-2005 21:28:43  
No. I sent that company a message requesting any information on old models. They never responded back. But there machine is very much smaller and the backhoe is located on the front of the machine and is an attachment to the multifunctional plateform. My machine looks to be almost twice the size of that tiny thing. That was the first search results I came up with too. Thanks for your response and interest.

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jhill

04-09-2005 20:26:15




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 Re: modified mini-excavator, mfg unknown in reply to Kathleen M Scheirer, 04-08-2005 19:03:25  
Are you sure its not an old trencher with the chain removed?



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Kathleen M Scheirer

04-09-2005 21:36:30




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 Re: modified mini-excavator, mfg unknown in reply to jhill, 04-09-2005 20:26:15  
It could be, I suppose. I have no way of knowing what exactly was there originally. However, the pushblade configuration looks original. It was originally designed to be adjustable. There are several holes on the rods attached to the blade. The rods fit into sleeves (has 1 hole) that are then connected to a bar which in turn is attached to the hydraulic piston which move the blade up and down. By manually removing 2 bolts, 1 from each rod and sliding the rods back into the sleeves you were able to shorten the distance between the machine and the blade. However, somewhere in this machine's life one of the sleeve/pipes broke off and now the right rod is welded diretly to the cross bar and you can not make any adjustments. I think if the removed 'mystery' peice was a chain, it would have had to pass between the 2 rods and the space between them is only about 24". This plus the fact that originally the nose of the excavator was longer makes me think a chain would not have had enough space to fit. Anyway, have you heard of a trencher that went by the make/model name "Trackmaster"? I know there is a Koren company that makes a new multifunctional mini-thing that they call Trackmaster. But my machine is definately not related to it. Thanks for the input. I hope you understood my explaination. I'd be happy to send you pictures so you might get a better idea of what I mean.

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