Hi - new here, new to Oliver/Cletrac, wondering...

Hi folks. So, I recently bought an OC3 with a Ware 3-HI front end loader (Yes, 3-HI not 3-WI). I only read the stamp on the engine block so far, and I *think* it's a 1956. I'll read the data plate on the bellhousing soon. I'm hoping it wasn't a mistake; I don't have money to play with so I need it to work for what I have to do. I also am uncertain about weights. I've seen the figure 3,800 and change for the crawler alone, then upwards of 6,000 for the crawler with a "3-WI" loader. At any rate, the gentleman I purchased it from said he figured it was 5,000lbs. On my trailer behind my truck, it didn't really feel like more than 5,000lbs. I know factually that I've had that trailer heavier than it was with this machine on it locally. That said, I own a small property 100 miles from my home, and need to be able to transport it to and from that location, but my trailer is a 20 foot, 7,000lb rated trailer. I'm currently uncertain as to whether I want to try going 100 miles one way with it if it's too heavy. That brings me to my second wondering. I know a dozer blade would be more ideal for cutting a road - but I bought this because it was relatively cheap. There are a lot of large rocks on my property, and I need to get those out of the way so I can set up my campsite and have the access I need. Is this thing going to be up to that task or did I flush my cash down the drain?

From my point of view, I can only say try it a find out.

I had a HG for several years that is the predesesor to the OC3. They are pretty much the same machine. The wieght of the crawler itself
would depend on which width variation you have. Mine was a 68 which is the widest they came. I am assuming narrower track center
machines would be lighter. I took mine to steam show were they had decent scales and what I recall it only wieghed around 3000 pounds.(
google kind of confirms this) I also had a Ware loader for mine , but never did install it. Not sure what model I had, but I cant see
the whole thing bucket and all wieghing over 1500 pounds. As far as moving your rocks, it depends what you call large? These crawlers
were built more for ag use as a tractor. Lot of them used close to here in what we call the Holland Marsh for working in the vegatable
growing operations as they would go were a wheel tractor wouldnt. As far as dozer work they are pretty limited, not only are they too
light, but they only have a 3 speed trans, and 1st is pretty quick for heavy work. There are folks who have added an auxillary trans.
but I have not seen one. Maybe you should just hire someone to come in with a big dozer to roughly make your trail or whatever and then
use the OC3 to tidy it up, haul things back and forth to your camp or whatever.

here is the one I had. I kind of regret selling it.

Mine is narrow, with enough room to get your boots inside the tracks. Some of the rocks down there are much more than rocks, and I know I won't be moving those. All of the rock is glacier deposits, so some are bigger than my truck. I'm guessing on the small end, some should be around 100lbs, but on the bigger end of what I need to move, closer to 1000lbs. Part of the problem is, I did hire a guy to do it - and he did - most of it. The property is landlocked with a deeded right of way. He stopped about 50 feet short of my property line and I never heard from him again. I'll see if I can post pics of what I have to do, and the machine. I may be too new here to do it, I know some forums are that way, but we'll see. I also noticed - there's a crawler section, and I didn't notice that before, so if this is in the wrong place, I apologize. https://ibb.co/R3JYBmw This is on the trailer coming home - don't kill me for using straps, it's all I had at the time, and it was also secured with the 12,000lb winch cable. It wasn't a long drive either. This next one will be where the work stopped. I intend to go in through the right side of what is seen here. https://ibb.co/hFDrNWs

That's a pretty impressive looking little machine. I think it'll do more than any of us were giving it
credit for. If the trailer in the picture is the one you're going to haul it with, I think you'll be
OK. I'll give you a tip though, it makes a huge difference where you have it on the trailer and how
much weight is on the truck. Experiment with it and see where it feels right as far as ride and power.

I've got a tri axle gooseneck and wanted something lighter to haul a small tractor to a show 120 miles
away, so I borrowed my brother's tandem bumper pull. I didn't have it balanced right and it pulled
unbelievably hard. My gooseneck would have pulled easier. Coming home, I moved it about a foot and it
was a whole different ball game.

I did move it forward about a foot at that stop before getting back on the road. The tow vehicle didn't care, and not that it's the best thing on the planet, but it's a 4x4 V-10 Ford Excursion, which when I last weighed it "as I use it" came in at just over 8,000lbs. It was a stable ride home.

I'd figure 3500 for the tractor, 4000 lbs. to be conservative given it's probably full of crusty dirt and whatever add-ons it has, not inclusive of the loader. The loader adds 1500-1600 lbs. I believe, then another 750 lbs. if the tractor was fitted with the recommended ballast. All told, I'd bank on 6250-6500 lbs.

So, there are literally no add-ons, it's just the machine, loader and ballast box. Now, the ballast box will actually be empty for transport - mainly because I have plenty of usable ballast at the destination. When I towed the 1979 F-150 I inherited, it was actually loaded up with shop chemicals, a lathe, some 8x8s, 2x4s and 4x4s and has a high-top fiberglass cap/topper. It was absolutely heavy, although I didn't cross the scales with it, the truck alone is about 4,200lbs, I'd say that early 80s cap is another 200, then everything in it - probably about 6,500lbs overall. It started raining on that trip and I couldn't get traction from a stop light going up hill and had to use 4 wheel drive. This machine was notably lighter than the F-150 was.