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Talk about a rare pair -- check these out! I've personally never seen a
front-mounted composter like this one, but it's obviously authentic... Click
each picture for a closer view.
Kent,
Everyone needs a hobby and I guess this is mine. Back in '74 my Dad bought
the 312D used from a local dealer. He was very proud of it, and it became a
great topic of conversation between us. After growing up on a farm and being a
mechanic, he had an eye for machinery that was well made and rugged enough to
do real work.
In the mid eighties, I with a young family and 5 acres to mow and maintain,
decided to look for a similar machine for myself and happened upon a 410S with
a deck and snow plow at a fair price. The Allis's became more of a topic of
conversation, and then I inherited the 312D in '91. Although I've had offers
for both tractors, I'm not sure I could ever sell either one. Parts for
both 300 and 400 series are going to get even more scarce, but with your great
web site, us "old timers" have a "ray of hope" in
keeping these machines running.
The front mounted composter pictured is for the 300 and 400 series, and
handles branches up to 3/4" dia with it's 3 sets of 15" blades. It
operates of the front P.T.O. and the hopper is 7" dia on top and 16"
at the discharge. I've never seen it operate, but it looks like it
should work quite efficiently. The label says "Allis Chalmers Composter -
Milwaukee, Wis", and no other description of another manufacturer is
readily visible. A 15"x15" sales brochure I have show 12 1971 models
with 13 accessories (implements) available, but not the composter. It must
have been manufactured for the 400 series tractors.
My Dad used the composter a few times before his passing and I'd forgotten
about it until this last fall when my Mom called me and said there was yet
another piece of the 314D in one of the sheds. We'll have to try it out this
next summer for sure. Other implements for the 312D include a mowing deck,
snow blade, snow blower, and single bottom plow with disk.
