# Tool Box



## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

One thing that has always iiritated me was the lack of a tool box on my 1715. A place to keep lynch pins, screwdrivers and a couple of wrenches to make those field adjustments.

Well I ran across one that had potential in the Valu-bilt tractor parts catalog....Painted Ford blue and for universal applications. It measures 15'L x 4-1/2"H x 4-3/4"W...relatively small, but also pretty large when trying to find a spot to work it in on my tractor.....Finally found a spot behind the seat, but high enough so the 3PH lift arms didn't hit it...Rigged it up so it's removable (so I can add hydraulic oil) by using the tapered mounting bracket for a SMV triangle The lift arms top out just a 1/4" from smacking it so it appears I found a great spot for it.

Pictures to follow.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Pictures , Pictures we want Pictures:lmao:


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

Ya come on wheres the pictures Randy???  

  


I need to rig something up on my N also. ALWAYS got something to carryaround, wether it be a lenght of chain, a hammer, a pin something. Almost have to wonder why a compartment of some kind was not built into the tractor to start with.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

*Pictures , Pictures we want Pictures*

Here ya go


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

*More pictures*

Here's one with it off...only takes a second to remove it:thumbsup:

You can see the mounting bracket for theSMV triangle.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

*And even more*

Here is one of the adapter I made up for the back of the toolbox.


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Looks good almost like it was made for it.:thumbsup: 

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=66623>


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

After looking at a lot of different boxes and finally deciding to get this one, I still had trouble figuring out where to put it...then I was looking over the area behind the seat and :idea: it hit me.


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

Argee, I never realized the 1715 was not equipped with a tool box from the git go.......but you got the spot right, as thats where the 1720 has their mounted, which IMHO pretty small as its long but very shallow and narrow.....I really like your box better......

I noticed your fender seams are also rusted.......Why in the world did Ford ever make these fenders 2 piece is beyond me......as soft as the metal is in the fenders it would not have been a problem to stamp em in one piece......You can wash it all you want and never egt dust etc out of these seams, and eventually it rusts through or gets a bulger from the rust buildup in between the pieces. I solved my problem on mine permanent. I applid a chemical cleaner for rust and allowed it to soak for a few days in these seams, then applied a fray coat of aerospace fuel cell sealant inside and outside and flush with the metals thickness. Then I really laid on a couple of coats of rubber like undercoating on the inner fender wells....No more pockets to trap debri or moisture and its working geat for years.........and most times my tractor is not housed.....

Are those decals original? Mines been gone long ago, especially when I repainted the fenders after getting rid of the rust. I have seen a lot of the 15 and 17xx series of tractors with fenders all rusted out at these seams. As much as I like the style of the fenders, I wish they were more like those on a 2000 or 3000 ford, and the tops of the tires were more exposed. When bush hogging and I get into vines if one gets up and over the top of a rear wheel, its a guaranteed sure thing of a wrinkle in the fender edges, and bush hogging here is a job with all the vines that the south has, so its a constant problem you have to be aware of.....


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Chippy,

I'd like to see a picture of your toobox...is it mounted the same way?

As for the fender rust, I have some Ospho, just haven't gotten around to applying it yet...maybe I'll dribble some on and let it work over the course of the winter... there are a few other spots that I need to treat too.

Yes the decals are original.


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

The ROPS on the 1720 mount a bit different. They come up between the ear wheel and fender right tight against the inner fender well. The fender actually sets on a plate welded to the top of the bottom steel tube of the ROPS. Then the upper section of the ROPS is through bolted through its upper mount plate, the fender and through the plate on the lower section, so the fender is sandwhiched between the ROPS mounts. This leaves a wide area between the inner sides of the fenders behind the seat. The 1720 box is mountyed in between this width fender well to fender well. The cross tube you have that I believe your SMV triangle mounts to, and to which I believe you mounted your tool box is also used for mounting the 1720 box......The bottom of the 1720 box has a lip that extends forward towards the seat and is also part of the tool box bottom. Bolts go through this lip into the steel tube to secure the tool box, and also a pair of bolts in each end through the tool box ends and fenders. Its really very secure but kind of narrow and shallow, but it works..

You can see the inner lower ROPS supports in the image attached.......they are pretty substantial. full solid 1 1/4" x 4" steel bar stock welded to a piece of 1/4 x 5" flat that fits snug against fenderwell.


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

Here is an image of whn I stripped the machine down and sandblasted 99% of the frame an wheels, sheetmetal, and tranny and other parts. About all that was not stripped and repainted was the engine. I got fed up with the fenders one day and one thing lead to another and this was the end result...I got carried away but it was a good way to pass the winter months and get acquainted.......Lots of my paint literally came off in sheets, even though I washed the machine very good after putting out a lot of fertilizer with a spin type spreader for a few years in a row for me and a lot of others......now its 99.9% rust free except for my front bumper / brush guard which I did not get around to painting yet when I made it abaout a year or so ago......


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

Here is a view of one fender....If you look close you can see two rows of rivets in the sloped front side. This edge was always getting wrinkled from the vines etc. I swear it has to be made of cream cheese its so soft of a piece of metal, and they never even reinforced the edges with a lip or roll........What I did was cut a piece of 1/4" 2024 aluminum plate of T3 hardness to fit the profile of this section, basically from the front point to the black end. Roll formed it to fit the curvature of front edge and the little bottom flat, mixed up some aerospace sealant / adhesive, smeared the plate and the inner side of fender with it, and shot it with some rivets. Been over lots of vines since and no more bends...........You can't really see where the sealant is applied to the upper / lower fender seam, as its blended in pretty darn good. The black in the inner fender wells is the rubberized spray on undercoating I applied. I also removed any lights off the fenders themselves and mounted all strictly on the ROPS brackety originally used for the flashing amaber lights which I g ot rid of as I really had no need for them and they were a pain when using at night always flashing and shinning so brightly..........My tractor never leaves the property except for in another field somewhere never on the road so I felt they could go. ONly light on the fender now is a woprk lamp, but I am planning o remounting it to the bottom portion of the top of the ROPS when I finish up my roof for the tractor someday.


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## Chipmaker (Sep 16, 2003)

*Re: And even more*



> _Originally posted by Argee _
> *Here is one of the adapter I made up for the back of the toolbox. *


It appears the bar you have between the fenders is identical to mine. But where your seat belts are attached to it, is where the factory tool box mounts.........My seatbelts mount on a piece on the floor boards thats attached to a piece of steel welded on the bottom edge of that same tube, and fits up under the floor panels.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

*Re: Re: And even more*



> _Originally posted by Chipmaker _
> *It appears the bar you have between the fenders is identical to mine. But where your seat belts are attached to it, is where the factory tool box mounts.........My seatbelts mount on a piece on the floor boards thats attached to a piece of steel welded on the bottom edge of that same tube, and fits up under the floor panels. *


Could you get a little more of a closeup of your toolbox and its mount.


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## CatDaddy (May 30, 2004)

I like the "quick connect" aspect of that slip in mount! Simple, direct, no additional hardware to lose, held in place by gravity - what a great modification!

-=A=-


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

Argee,
Nice install, and it looks like it belongs, not cobbled together. :thumbsup:


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Thanks for the compliments...


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