• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Just bought a J5 - what do I have here?

uppercanada

New member
I am new here, this is my first post. I took the opportunity to buy a J5 in a public online auction, sight unseen :sad:. I think I did alright at $3500. I had looked at a few machines in in my area and most were butchered and not cheap.

All I know is that is runs and drives, and the blade operates. It seems to have a three point hitch, and a winch. I was told a plow to make firebreaks (forest fire fighting) hooks to the three point, but can you put conventional 3-point implements on it?

Would there be a PTO somewhere in the rear? Is the winch PTO driven?

The grousers look different than others I have seen?

How old would you guess this machine is? I will have to get a letter of orgin from Bombardier for Canada customs so I can bring this back over the border into Canada, that will be interesting.


If anyone has any observations on this J5 please post them, I have much to learn! I don't even have the machine home yet and I cannot wait to paint it. Thanks for looking.
694724_1_big.jpg


694724_2_big.jpg
694724_3_big.jpg
694724_4_big.jpg
 

redragtop

New member
Wait & see if Pixie or boggie come back with some info, pixie has a wealth of knowledge. Being a long holiday weekend state side it will probably be quiet for a bit.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
We have several members with J5's. I think Pixie has 3 of them? Awesome little machines!!! She should be able to help you out with a lot of your questions. There are a few other members who post less frequently who also have them. Unfortunately as we are not yet in the SNOW SEASON many members tend to be less active right now.
 

MNoutdoors RIP

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Well, first, nice buy @ 3500 looks to be the newer style J-5 (3/16" fenders)Tropical version, if you find the serial number the 4 and 5 digit is the year it was made most often but not always, we have seen some that is not true, if the tag is gone onthe front left corner stamped into the bumper it should also be there. I would guess it to be a 70's machine by the style. some of the cleats have been changed on yours some are rubber covered, they should be 16.5" wide
The winch should be PTO from the tranny by drive shaft to the rear,(internal)
then chain. it will either have a 251 Chrysler industrial or it could have a Ford 300. six should be a 4 speed New Process 435

The spacing on the rear 3 point could be changed to fit a modern three point but from the factory it was a fixed special distance.

If you fill out a certificate of origin with the company of manufacture listed you should have no issues. Bombardier is now called Prinoth it is still in Quebec.

But on a machine that old you should have no Issues we have moved dozens of machine into and out of Canada
 

J5 Bombardier

Well-known member
Welcome to the forum ! Nice [ tropical ] J5 and the high fenders must make it one of the more recent ones made. Winch is probably hydraulic [there is a third stick on the control valve] . If the rear arms have an internal cyl to lift them , or the winch is used, Boggie would know about that.
Very nice machine, where abouts in the [Great white North] are you located ?
J5 Bombardier
 

uppercanada

New member
Great replies, I have learned so much already. I am near Ottawa, Ontario. I bought the J5 out of an auction in Indiana. One collector from Colorado had 200 tractors in the sale, and this was one of them. (I'm sure there are lots of J5s in Colorado...) I'm getting happier with my purchase the more I read! :clap:



Thanks boggie for the serial no. info and answering my questions. I'll have the serial number by Wednesday. J5 Bombardier: I have been reading your past posts - absorbing the information. Sharp eye seeing that control valve stick. Did you ever find the manual you were looking for?

Two more things,

1) would that winch and mount be factory items or add ons after the fact?

2) I have been eyeing a disassembled J5 near me, a bare hull with a pile of parts around it. Also there is a tracked trailer (muskeg) sitting next to it and a sw78 I think. I'll take photos of if all and post them. I'll see what is for sale at how much - if I'm not interested I'll pass it over to you guys (and ladies, from posts I read) G
 

aulen2002

Member
Nice. Looks in good shape. couple things I noticed

1) Rear facing rad
2) power angle blade

Been considering making a 3ph for mine.
 

MNoutdoors RIP

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
Great replies, I have learned so much already. I am near Ottawa, Ontario. I bought the J5 out of an auction in Indiana. One collector from Colorado had 200 tractors in the sale, and this was one of them. (I'm sure there are lots of J5s in Colorado...) I'm getting happier with my purchase the more I read! :clap:



Thanks boggie for the serial no. info and answering my questions. I'll have the serial number by Wednesday. J5 Bombardier: I have been reading your past posts - absorbing the information. Sharp eye seeing that control valve stick. Did you ever find the manual you were looking for?

Two more things,

1) would that winch and mount be factory items or add ons after the fact?

2) I have been eyeing a disassembled J5 near me, a bare hull with a pile of parts around it. Also there is a tracked trailer (muskeg) sitting next to it and a sw78 I think. I'll take photos of if all and post them. I'll see what is for sale at how much - if I'm not interested I'll pass it over to you guys (and ladies, from posts I read) G

I think the winch could be original, we had one once that looked quite similar with a three person cab. it was pto driven.

you refer to a SW78 that is a sidewalk plow, year is 1978, it could be a SW48, or 54, or 64 which refers to the width of the machine a SW64 is basiclly a J-5 with 14.5" wide tracks instead of 16.5" other than that they are the same
that is the width of a J-5 64.5"

I think the winch is pto looking at the 3 control levers and the size of the hydraulic tank (standard tank) about 2 gallons usable. it leads me to believe that one lever is for up/down of the blade ,one for angle, and one for the rear arms, the standard hydraulic pump only put out about 6 gallons a minute

we have all parts for the J-5 yet and should have for some time, we are producing some parts now for some of the others like the older Bombi's
 

pixie

Well-known member
SUPER Site Supporter
Welcome to the forum !!!

That looks like a real nice machine !! You will want to get a manual ( from Bogie ) and adjust your steering levers first.....

My J5 that has a PTO; it's off to one side quite far and I haven't figured out how to use it for anything but the winch which it's attached to.

I've never had to do much paperwork to bring them into the US but I know that Canada can be stricter. Still shouldn't be a big deal since it was made there....

I'll be looking forward to some close ups when you get it home :clap:
 

uppercanada

New member
I did get the serial number off the J5 - it is 11A000985. I guess there is no year code to be had in that number. Today I try to get the certificate of origin. Does that serial format seem correct and can you determine anthing from it? Thanks
 

MNoutdoors RIP

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
That is the only number ? sometimes there is two different numbers
otherwise that one does not follow the format.
 

uppercanada

New member
I am going to call the the auction company and have them check again for another serial number. I called Prinoth today for a letter of origin. A nice lady there, Isabelle (in charge of all certificates of origin), told me that it is near impossible to get because they have shelved all their documents for any machines made prior to year 2000. She did say that she would try to locate it, but she will certainly need a proper serial number. Called Canada customs and they said if no origin certificate is available, a letter from Prinoth stating that they could not locate it due to shelved documents would suffice - and they would shoehorn the classification to
"Work Vehicle" as outlined in page 35 of this document:

http://cbsa.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d19/d19-12-1-eng.pdf

I learned today the J5 world is a pretty tight community. I stopped and had a look at that "parts J5" and trailer - turns out you know him Boggie - he's George from near Cornwall Ontario - a helicopter mechanic. I had a great visit with him, he's a great guy. He showed me all his machines. We talked J5 parts prices, availability, fitment, interchangeability, specs, repair etc. I learned alot with my visit. Local J5 guru!! HI GEORGE!
 

ve3otk

New member
When I brought my RangeRunner across the border last summer, a titleless vehicle, the inspectors agreed it was not an ATV and classified it as "miscellaneous" - only charged me the PST/GST to bring it across.
 

newj5owner

New member
Great looking machine i need to get a blade for mine now :( check out my thread i just redid a j5 the spring. It was a rush job the end result was good enough i guess.
 
Top