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I had a local farmer/mechanic move a Freeman loader from a Ferguson TEA20 to a slightly longer and considerably heavier Massey Ferguson 35. He said it would be no problem, and then set about cutting lots of pieces of 1/4" plate to make it fit. The loader frame (tube, in my case) is basically in two parts, and can be bolted on however wide, with just a modification to the parts which reach across the tractor. To match the fixed width of the front half of the loader, Don merely twisted the two frame-halves until they lined up with the loader, then welded away. So as not to interfere with the controls, he fabricated a cross-brace to go through forward of the battery, instead of just in front of the operator's knees. The longer wheelbase on the 35 meant that the heavy tube which comes up, bends 180 and goes back down to the frame to hold the pin from the loader (sorry about the lack of vocabulary) was too close to the rear tire for me to get on and off comfortably, so I asked Don to move it forward. He cut and pasted until I had enough room for easy access to the tractor seat. With three new double-acting cylinders, he decided that the frame needed strengthening, so he ran a piece of 2 X 8" 1/4" channel steel across under the tubes-which-support-the-hinges-of-the-bucket as a third suspension point. He assured me that the tractor can still be broken in two in case of clutch repair. Many other gussets and braces got fabricated as he went. New bolts held the frame and the fenders to the back axles. It didn't look to me as if it could possibly fit, but the whole thing works pretty well, though with a slight slant to the left, a legacy of the cropped support tubes, I think. Tire chains went on and served all winter without mishap. The loader frame doesn't interfere with access to the engine or controls, and I can get on the tractor from the left as easily as before. Don billed me 21 hours of labour for the installation. Hope this helps, Rod.
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