How To Build A Loader For A Garden Tractor Cost

Do It Yourself plans: backhoes, loaders & log splitters

Front-end Loader Plans

Turn an ordinary tractor into a portable loader

A SOLID PLAN and some ingenuity can save you thousands of dollars, simplify long-term maintenance, and transform a "dated" piece of equipment into a go-to solution for landscaping and maintenance done on your property. P.F. Engineering's Front-end Loader Plans have enabled hundreds of customers to upgrade their ordinary tractors.

Front-end Loader Plans from P.F. Engineering demystify construction of a loader attachment for your tractor. They break the project down into doable steps that can be carried out by you or someone you employ. Equipped with our experience and detailed information, you control your project's budget and schedule. And, you know what maintenance and repairs will cost in the years to come.

Click to watch

Take a look at this video that one father-and-son team made after building a front-end loader from our plans. Pride for their weather-tested Cub Cadet 1650 and its new capabilities are evident.

Front-end Loader Plans include:

Complete build instructions
Schematics for hydraulics
3D line-drawings
A materials list for all steel, hydraulics and hardware
A list of online suppliers

P.F. Engineering's founder, Paul, still uses the original loader attachment that he built more than 20 years ago. The loader originally girded a 1974 Cub Cadet 149, which was a large-frame garden tractor that weighed 750 pounds. Eventually, he swapped tractors, but kept the loader.

Paul's loader now outfits a 1986 Ford 1110 compact tractor, which is a 4-wheel drive, diesel model that weighs 1,400 pounds.

Regarding the swap, he said, "It fit right on, only needing adjustments to the subframe mounting points."

Even the larger tractor's on-board hydraulics connected.

Paul’s Cub Cadet 149 with front-end loader attachment.

Paul's former Cub Cadet 149 with front-end loader attachment.

Paul’s Ford 1110 with outfitted with his original front-end loader

Paul's Ford 1110 with outfitted with his original front-end loader

Here are some specs:

	Imperial	Metric
Overall weight:	325 pounds	148 kg
Lift capacity:	well over 500 pounds	well over 226 kg
Lift height to level bucket:	73 inches	1854 mm
Bucket width:	42 to 54 inches	1067 to 1372 mm
Bucket capacity:	0.21 to 0.27 cubic yards (yd³)	161 to 206 liters (L)
Bucket roll down:	50 degrees at maximum lift	50 degrees at maximum lift
Built-in oil reservoir
Spin on oil strainer element
Joystick control option
Estimated cost to build:	$1200

See photos of a tractor like yours

Search our photo gallery for your tractor's particular make and model. With hundreds of tagged photos submitted by our customers, you'll likely find images of a finished project that is similar to the one you're considering.

What Next?

View Photos

Head over to our picture gallery where we have 942 images of our customers' machines on display. Use the search box at the top of that page to locate a particular make or model tractor that you are interested in seeing with a loader or backhoe attachment.
View Videos

On our videos page, see customers operating their DIY loaders, backhoes and log splitters — all build using our plans.
Order Plans

Go to our orders page and find out how to order one or more of our products, such as plans for a front-end loader or a backhoe. There are ordering links for shipping plans within the U.S. and internationally.

Contact Us

Perhaps you have questions about hydraulics, a particular tractor application, or something else. Ask the original designer and builder about your project before you purchase plans. Feel free to contact Paul by email at , or call the office at 413-256-4960. You can also call Paul's cell at 413-835-5801.
Read More

The FAQ page contains some of the most commonly asked questions we hear about building loaders and backhoes. Your question may be answered there, if not please feel free to contact us by email or phone.

Questions? Contact Paul at , or call the office at 413-256-4960. You can also reach Paul on his cell at 413-835-5801.