I posted about this machine a few years ago, when I first moved here and still had big plans, but I never got it working properly and other priorities took over so it got shoved under some trees (and sometimes a tarpaulin) until I had time for it. Time has passed, and unlike the years it still isn't rolling! This winter I plan to strip it down and completely overhaul/rebuild it.
This thread might well become a project diary but it's mainly intended to be a call for help/advice/input from anybody who has done a rebuild or significant repairs on a walking tractor of that size. Any input is welcome; engine, rotary mechanism, paint, electrics (not that it has much), drivetrain.
For all that they are a good machine and well regarded by their owners, they simply aren't very common in the English speaking world so I've had to start to translate the manual from French (which was still easier than finding one online in the first place), and I'm expecting parts to be hard enough to find so I'll probably end up making some - fortunately my brother is a very practical engineer with a range of machines and materials.
Although I don't know much about engines, I suspect that will be one of the simpler parts of the project as it can be removed, bench-mounted, and even tested without being fully fitted. There's no shortage of farmers and mechanics around here who will understand what's needed, and are always willing to offer some help. I may even outsource that job.
The easiest job will obviously be the stripping down, followed by repainting, but then comes the complicated bit of figuring out why it wasn't working properly in the first place.
Wish me luck!