Austrak and Wildcat tractors are unique pieces of Aussie agricultural technology. Along with a similar product manufactured in Queensland by Toft these machines featured a wide range of implements, skid steer and hydraulic drive. Various methods were used to transmit drive to the four wheels including chains, shaft drive and hydraulic wheel motors.
Similarly the power plants were many and varied. Production ran over a considerable time period and the power plants were changed to sui9t availability and upgraded specifications.
Wildcats can be found with Wankel engines, V4 Wisconsin and (later models) with diesels. Austrak used a variety of engines starting with Italian air cooled diesels in the 40hp range and ending up with larger liquid cooled engines such as the Cummins.
My own Austrak is an older model with chain drive and a 3 cyl Lombardini aircooled diesel.
This site has been put together because of the interest people still display in these machines despite the passing of time:
- Hopefully those of us with working machines will use the blog to share information and solve issues relating to them.
- There are a lot of machines out there that are no longer functional and which could be restored or utilised for parts. The blog could also be a way of putting those owners in touch with others who may be interested in purchasing non functioning machines or parts.
- The site could also be a means of putting would be buyers of functioning machines in touch with would be sellers of them.
- For those people who are just looking…I hope it becomes interesting as things progress
I have to confess to being a web page…blogging idiot really but I thought it was time this ball got rolling. I’m sure that the site will get better as I learn the tricks or convince the offspring to help me get it right.
In the meantime I have placed a five week ad in the tractor section of the Weekly Times inviting people to participate in this blog and hopefully start building a knowledge base and a support mechanism for owners. I will do the same in the Land asap.
cheers
johnarentz
austrakwildcat - email austrakwildcat@gmail.com 
We currently own 2 Wildcats. The first one we bought new in Dec 1973 is chain driven skid steer. We bought it from Warragul, and had it delivered to our property in Kawarren in Victoria. On it’s arrival it was demonstrated over the land slips on our property the photos of which were used in advertisments for some time afterwards.
The other one we bought 2nd hand and is constant 4 wheel drive with a toyota motor and air over hydraulic brakes. the seller omitted to mention that the brakes did not work. This minor detail was discovered whilst hurtling downhill towards a river.
Thatwas in the early 1980’s, and it has remained unused since then because we could not find anyone to fix them and we had no use for it but want to keep it and eventually restore them both and take them to vintage shows with our gery fergy’s. Implements we own are a slasher and a bull blade, we would like to purchase a frontend loader in good working order to use with our first one.
I don’t know what I was thinking but I have mixed two email adressed thgether .My correct address is .. fergy.tractor@gmail.com .I also forgot to say what a great idea it is to have such a web site. I hope it is taken up by a lot of like minded people.
Andrew
alford.a@bigpond.net.au
124.180.195.230
Submitted on 2010/12/31 at 3:53 am
My names Andrew we have a Austrak not sure what model it is ,It has the air cooled VM engine .Its history is my brother inlaw had it to clean up a bush block which he did with seccess and some how I have it now it sat around for some years maybe 5 or 6 I got it going 3 years ago , I had to replace a steering cable but it still does not steer real well I seam to not be able to both sides driving eavenly .I have with few adaptions run our Munro post driver off it ,it handles it easly . I am a IT novis but I am very interested in knowing more about and maybe being able to get it running as it should.We are at Arthurs Creek Vic looking forward to the seccess of this site.
My names Andrew we have a Austrak not sure what model it is ,It has the air cooled VM engine .Its history is my brother inlaw had it to clean up a bush block which he did with seccess and some how I have it now it sat around for some years maybe 5 or 6 I got it going 3 years ago , I had to replace a steering cable but it still does not steer real well I seam to not be able to both sides driving eavenly .I have with few adaptions run our Munro post driver off it ,it handles it easly . I am a IT novis but I am very interested in knowing more about and maybe being able to get it running as it should.We are at Arthurs Creek Vic looking forward to the seccess of this site.
alford.a@bigpond.net.au
Andrew
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