I was reading an old homesteading book of mine which triggered a question:

Has anyone heard of a tractor/contraption called a Quadractor? From the books description, it is powered by a 8hp Briggs & Stratton engine, has 4 - four wheel vertical shaft drive( one per tire), has 31" of carriage clearance, and can climb a 42 degree grade. It was sold by a company somewhere in the Northeast called Traction,Inc. (I think). Had snowblade attachments and was reported to kick butt over a $25,000 Kubota tractor. The price at the time was $2500.00 (1981 dollars). I have been lurking here and on the Countryside boards and haven't seen any reference to any tractor fitting this description.

I'm not in the market or anything like that. . . just wanted to know if it still exists. Any help out there?

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

Answers

j.r. check out this site. Betcha they have your answer there.....Kirk

http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/orphans/wwwboard5.html

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

I think it was reviewed in an OLD TMEN. Of course they had rave reviews on it and it looked ok to me. Anyone out there with a TMEN index to get issue #?

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2001

Thanks Kirk

Found the information I was looking for on the suggested site. Seems to be out of business (Traction, Inc. Vermont). Judging by some of the questions on the site, it seemed to be 'kinda complicated' to use, but then many contraptions are sorta complicated 'till you get used to them.

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2001

John:

I think you're right; the book I was refering to mentioned that the MEN issue #79 had the review; sorry, I shoulda mentioned that in my query. Some other things about this tractor I could have also wrote from that same book was that the tractor weighs only 2,000 lbs, but pulls eight times it's own weight. Engine is air cooled and can ford streams. The cost was not $2500.00; it was $3,400.00 1981 dollars. The photograph of the tractor, for lack of words, looks like a BIG radio flyer metal wagon body, engine set right next to you at your right hand in the front, with cargo space behind you. It's weird looking folks!

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2001

Yes it is a rather strange looking vehicle but it will do a lot of work for you. It takes a while for you to get used to the machine, and there is a fair amount of maintainance on a Quadractor, but I do not have any plans to sell mine any time soon. I love it.I am well aware of the article that appeared in TMEN a number of years ago and I feel that the article made some boasts about the Quad that it would have a hard time living up to. Suffice it to say that the Quad does an exceptional job at skidding smaller logs and firewood, and it does it all with minimal damage to the surrounding areas. I wish these tractors were still being produced, but until that happens I will just continue to fix my old unit as best I can. God Bless & 73's Arnold

-- Anonymous, June 14, 2001