County 1124 Drainage Machine

We’ve had a really interesting email from a Swedish gentleman about his County 1124 tractor.  It has been converted to 6 wheel drive and is used for drainage work.  Here is what Alf has to say about the story of his County.

photo by permission of Alf Werner, Sweden

Hi Steve!
This is my County 1124, or mabe 1126!!!  It was purchased to be used to plough snow in the winter ( hence the front end loader) and to pull my drainage machine in the summmer. But whith the third axel the turningradius went from bad to worse.

Reversing with towed equipment is not fun when you hardly can get forward, if you are a farmer you will know what I mean!
So when I was told about a scrapped Ukko-Mara drainer I got an idea. The Ukko-Mara is a Finnish built drainer mounted on a Ford 5000, I took the rear to a local workshop with a stack of drawings, and out came this.  The trainer itself (the red parts) was earlier built in GB under the name of Bruff BT 2. After the remake there is no problems in reversing in boggy fields, or crossing or go astride an open ditch. The tractor has of corse a reduction-box from Howard.
The cab and orbitrol steering comes from varous scrapyards but gives me a plane floor.

Greetings

Alf Werner, Sweden

Alf also adds that

“Barth once produced a trencher based on a rubber-weeled county. The track-type was labelled K-140.”

Ed.

Now for some more pictures.  The front loader comes in useful to carry 2 extra coils of drainage pipe.  We can also see from the photos how the pipe carrier lowers down between the rear axles so that a new coil can be loaded.  The arm then raises back into the working position.

This County conversion by Alf looks perfectly suited to the trenching application.  The 6 wheel drive will give traction and low ground pressure when working on wet soils, yet when Alf has completed a field he can just raise the trencher and drive off down the road to the next job – no need for low loaders that you would need with a tracked machine.

If you look at track laying trenchers such as the Mastenbroek, you will notice that they have long tracks.  This keeps the machine level and evens out any undulations or bumps in the ground.  Alf’s 3 axle tractor will help to even out the bumps and keep the bottom of the trench as even as possible.

Well done Alf!  What an achievement to undertake your own conversion and customise it to the application.  Great photos and thanks for sharing the story of your tractor.

Got your own tractor story?  Send us details and we can add it to the website for everyone to read.

by permission of Alf Werner, Sweden

photo by permission of Alf Werner, Swedenphoto by permission of Alf Werner, Sweden

photo by permission of Alf Werner, Sweden

photo by permission of Alf Werner, Sweden

photo by permission of Alf Werner, Sweden

photo by permission of Alf Werner, Sweden

photo by permission of Alf Werner, Sweden

photo by permission of Alf Werner, Sweden

And if you want to take a look at the tractor with dual wheels fitted then click the link.  Alf was draining a particularly wet field and needed to fit the extra tyres in order to work.

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