Grandpa's dump truck

[john112deere]

This undoubtedly belongs in one of the other forums, but I'm not positive which one...

This is the last in a line of dump trucks my grandfather owned. I remember it, but I don't know much about it. Anybody able to give me some more info on it?



What I do know is that he bought it from a co-worker who tried to restore it and gave up after the easy part (taking it apart) sometime in the '70s, and rebuilt it in his spare time. This picture, judging by the ages of my cousins, was probably taken in around 1984 or so. I'm pretty sure Grandpa said the truck was a '53...but I'm no longer positive on that.

*The real tragedy of this truck is that Grandpa traded it (at Grandma's insistence) for an outboard motor. Which he promptly dropped off the boat and never saw again. In fairness to Grandma...the truck hadn't been registered in several years, Grandpa had no plans to ever have it legal again, and the lived on less than half an acre. And I was still too young to have shown an interest in it.

 

[O'Rattlecan]

Either way that's a really cool truck.

Ryan

 

[rambler]

I sure could use that around here. I would be working that thing, like it should be worked..

Nice!

 

[john112deere]

I would be working that thing, like it should be worked..

He built it with the intention of working it, and did for many years. He and Grandma retired to a small lakefront house on not much land, though, so once he finished the house and got the yard to where he wanted it, there just wasn't that much left he couldn't do with his Trooper and utility trailer.

One of the things it used to pull was this:


Grandpa's homebuilt saw rig/wood splitter.

It's a little hard to see in that picture, but the splitting cylinder is mounted on an I-beam that pivots at the front and rests in a cradle at the back. One time, Grandpa was pulling the splitter with that truck, and the bolt securing the arm into the cradle broke, and the arm hopped out of the cradle, and swung out into the oncoming lane...

 

[TexasRho83]

One of the things it used to pull was this:


Grandpa's homebuilt saw rig/wood splitter.

That is one of the coolest little things I've ever seen

 

[john112deere]

That is one of the coolest little things I've ever seen

Here's a few more pics of it. The engine is a Wisconsin V-4; this one, I believe, was from a municipal generator, so hardly used at all when he bought it. Hydraulic pump is from a dump truck, splitting cylinder from a Cat bulldozer.





Have to swap the belts over to run the saw; honestly, it's seldom worth the effort versus just cutting everything to length with a chainsaw...but this will cut a lot of wood in a hurry if you can get it sharpened right.

 

[TexasRho83]

Youtube video of it working?

 

[john112deere]

Uh...I'll see what I can do.

 

[john112deere]

There's it splitting. I'm not aware of any video of the cordwood saw...certainly none in digital format.

 

[TexasRho83]

that saw would look sick in motion lol

Great video Small 4 cyl diesel motor?

 

[89frankenford]

that thing is badass!!!!