By
PWL216
About a year ago I bought a C-121 auto with the intention of using it as my go-to mower. Shortly thereafter I got a great deal on a low hour 314-8. It ran perfect and had several attachments - it became my new go-to mower. So, I decided to repurpose the 121 to be a front end loader. After purchasing the build plans from P.F Engineering (which are excellent), I realized I couldn’t build it for less than $2k in material. I decided to look for a used one and found a Thompson TC10 local to me, mounted on an “end of life” 1077, for $1,000. The loader swap itself was pretty straight forward. The only modifications needed were drilling a couple of mounting holes in the tractor frame, grinding away a little of the loader top frame so the hood opened/closed and welding in a new hydraulic pump mount. I have a few things to button up still and the bucket itself needs attention but it’s fully functional. I also bought a pair of clamp-on pallet forks.
I also did a “refresh” of the 121. The total project cost is shown below. Roughly $2,300, with just the FEL itself being around $1,300.
Tractor
C-121 Auto $500
Solid engine mounts $50
Front End Loader
Johnson 10TC $1,000
Hydraulic fluid $35
Spare hydraulic hose $40
Ignition
Battery $35
Battery cables $20
Points & Condenser $20
Fuel
Carb & Gasket $65
Electric fuel pump $60 (later removed)
Air filter $10
Fuel filter $15
Fuel line $10
Spark plug $5
Decals and Paint
Decals $115
Paint $30
Lights
Headlight Lens $45
LED Headlights $25
Rear lights $25
Misc $200
By loudtractor
By Donavon
By RJ Hamner