The Allis Chalmers Speed Patrol was produced on the WC frame from somewhere near 1940 to 1950. They were all originally hand wheel operated with no hydraulics. The blade adjustment is not simple either as it is bolted in place, requiring a bit of creativity to reposition it for use. The moldboard is 10 1/2 feet in length and cuts a pretty wide swath up the driveway taking quite a lot of physical effort to raise and lower under load while moving forward.
Most of the time while in use, the operator would stand to give himself the needed leverage to operate the hand wheels and also for visibility, but some are comfortable to operate from the sitting position. To ensure smooth operation of the clutch it was fitted with two pedals connected to one clutch linkage....one for use while operating from the seat or sitting during transport, and the other for use in the standing position while actually moving product. At the same time, these rigs were fitted with individual hand brakes, to be used in either position, sitting or standing. No need to lock the brakes, the operator would just drop the blade to hold the tractor in place if he had to leave the platform for one reason or the other.
Its not a picnic to operate one of these machines but it sure is fun....as long as you're not doing it for a living. I spent a mere three hours on the Speed Patrol for this grading session and I guarantee the Son In Law on his Kubota L3301 with HST transmission, power steering and hydraulic blade control was much the better for wear by the time we finished !!
The motor definitely needs some attention. It needs a valve job and probably new set of rings would be good as well..at the minimum. But when I pull it down it will probably receive new liners and jugs as well. Either that or a good running WD45 motor will be installed. That would solve the rebuild issue and give it more power at the same time. Oh yeah, the gas tank has to be boiled out and properly sealed with a good sealant as well.
The Kubota L3301 needs no description....its smooth and ease of operation speaks volumes without words. It is a pleasure to use and for sure is quicker to turn around. For these duties, HST is the way to go. Backdragging with the bucket is a bonus while grading a half mile of roadway. The Son in Law normally has an 800 pound steel and concrete counterweight, so the tractor handled like normal with the heavy blade. The old blade is an early Danuser, but it is made to cut so well by the addition of the 300 to 400 pound solid steel bar across the rear. That was a loading dock counterweight I picked up one time while on an A/C service call in a commercial building. I saw a couple maintenance guys trying to muscle it into the dumpster so I offered to let them slip it in the back of my much lower service truck. Win-win for both parties !!
So here you got to see a combination of old technology and new technology interacting to achieve a common goal: a smooth roadbed. Though this was in no way a competition, the Allis is definitely a winner in the 'cool' category, but is limited to the duties seen in the video. The Kubota however is the winner overall simply because it literally has hundreds of additional functions that make it the much more desirable machine to a homeowner living in the woods. So If I had to choose between one or the other...I would still choose the Speed Patrol because I can borrow the SIL's Kubota anytime.... and HE buys the fuel.