Something...'different'.

[953 nut 56,165]

Would this be a Forklift? 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Yeah those last pictures cleared it all up for me!  <grin>

 

I prefer to seem knowledgeable here but I'm actually still completely clueless!

 

But I still love it!

[HorseFixer 2,012]

[aHorseofCourse 261]

I don't get it either.  Love the fabrication tho!  Is that an oil pan off an automotive engine?  Maybe something to move hay bales seeing he's a farmer.  

[Texas Todd 1,025]

Log Splitter! Interesting!

[farmer 1,075]

On 05/04/2017 at 4:37 AM, oliver2-44 said:

A backwards driving tractor maybe a forklift

 

On 06/04/2017 at 0:42 AM, JPWH said:

It could be the makings of a rear steering tractor.

 

On 06/04/2017 at 1:19 AM, roadapples said:

One thing for sure...It`s going to be longer and taller...

 

12 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

It's going to be going backwards the hood emblem is pointing the way. We are old and have a short attention span we may forget about this build, better tell us quick.

 

 

I did take the emblem off and turn it around as a clue, so yes this is a rear wheel steer. Looks like horsefixer is gonna blow, so no more teasing. My wacky races build is a wheel horse  loading shovel or some might call it an industrial loader..

The last pictures show one of the lifting cylinders, the hydraulic tank, bosses for some of the pivots  a 'cat one pin, cat two sleeve that I used at the pivot points and a couple of hose clamps for the pressure/return hydraulic lines. 

 

Tonight I'll try to explain why I built a loading shovel not just a FEL.  

Edited April 7, 2017 by farmer

[AMC RULES 37,141]

   

   

[farmer 1,075]

For some time now I've been on the lookout for a loader for one of my tractors, I'm in the UK and they just aren't available over here. So awhile back I gave up looking and decided to build one. 

I have driven a lot of different loading machines down the years from skid steers through two wheel drive tractors to rear wheel handlers, four wheel steer, pivot steer, crab steer... you get the picture. 

So if I had to build one, why not go try to make a purpose built loader. The trouble with FEL's especially on two wheel drive tractors is that it's a compromise. 

When you put the bucket under the material and start lifting and crowding the bucket, all that weight goes down onto two little relatively weak wheels/tyres spindles, and the steering gets stressed.

Meanwhile the weight comes off the driving wheels, you lose traction and the whole outfit becomes unbalanced, you can counter some of this with ballast, wheel weights or a weight block to the rear, but that's all just dead weight that has to be lugged around. 

So by trying to copy a loading shovel, when you push in and lift the weight get transferred to the driving wheels, traction is much better and the steering axle at the rear remains light, a much better balance. 

My  loading shovel has no extra weight, no water filled wheels, wheel weights or large counter weight. 

I have put it through some 'trials' before stripping it down, it pushes like a little tank  when loading, I had over 200 kg in the bucket and the back wheels were still planted on the ground, and there was no one in the drivers seat!

So there you go, I'm going to start my build thread from the first mock ups tomorrow, it will be mostly pictures but I'm happy to share as we go along. 

Edited April 7, 2017 by farmer

[953 nut 56,165]

19 minutes ago, farmer said:

it will be mostly pictures but I'm happy to share as we go along.

    lots of    

[JPWH 6,147]

Cool build. Can't wait to see it.

[HorseFixer 2,012]

WoW pretty Cool! I SALUTE!       

[AMC RULES 37,141]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDtepG8EvHE

 

[dclarke 4,046]

This will be interesting to follow along, good work, Farmer. 

[farmer 1,075]

Thanks everyone, definitely more to come but I'll try to condense it as much as pos.  

Funny thing is Craig when thinking of a thread title I nearly used that, us Brit's, what are we like? Classic stuff. 

[farmer 1,075]

Everyone sitting comfy here we go, in the beginning there was darkness,.... hang on wrong story. About two years ago, might be six, I bought a 1973 Auto12 because I wanted a '70's wheel horse which was a hydro. Well I already had three tractors so after a while this one just sat in the corner, l know that's not against the law and positively encouraged on RS, but I really wanted a purpose for it. Then came the idea for a loader and this tractor seemed to fit the bill as a donor. I put it up on the workshop bench and the head scratching began. 

First mock ups using 4x2's because the steel I planned to use was going to be

200x50x5mm 'box'. 

 

 

 

From now on I'm going to call them the driving wheels, the steering axle, and forward means pushing to load the bucket.  

So l wanted to mount the loader towers behind the driving wheels to  keep the weight over the axle, l needed to keep them close because the further back they went the longer the wheelbase would be of the machine and l would be losing reach with the booms. 

Of course right where I was looking to build there's the hydro pump on one side and it's filter on the other, also the main engine to pump drive belt is in there too. 

The pictures show l couldn't work out any kind of ark for the booms to travel in, plus where the heck to place lifting cylinders where they wouldn't foul on the pump, filter or wheels. This is how it sat for quite a while.

After doing some research on hydraulic rams, stroke length etc, I came up with a plan and bought some of the steels I'd need. First the subframe, clamp mounted up to the driving axle (more detail on this later) from there l could position the towers, spot weld them on, then start working out how high they would have to be to give a decent angle for the booms and of course make sure the booms would be long enough for reach. (beyond the driving wheels. 

 

 

 

more tomorrow.  

 

 

 

[AMC RULES 37,141]

 

I'm digging your idea.  

 

 

 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

My! My!  Steering?  Pedal control!  Where does my butt go?  Oh I'm all turned around...

[Texas Todd 1,025]

2 hours ago, DennisThornton said:

My! My!  Steering?  Pedal control!  Where does my butt go?  Oh I'm all turned around...

Would that be the purpose in extending the frame on the steering axle end perhaps?

I am certainly intrigued!

Edited April 9, 2017 by Texas Todd

[953 nut 56,165]

2 hours ago, Texas Todd said:

Would that be the purpose in extending the frame on the steering axle end

Probably for weights to keep the steering wheel on the ground when the lift is loaded

[diesel cowboy 263]

That's a cool idea.  I saw one like that years ago at a Farmall museum that was made out of a Farmall Super A.  It was called a Honey Bee.  If you Google Honey Bee loader there's a bunch of pictures of the Super A setup and a few other makes that were done the same way.  I'll look tonight and see if I can find the pictures I took of it.  Looks like you've got a plan on where to go with the build but they might give you some other ideas on how to do things.                                              Stewart

[Texas Todd 1,025]

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

Probably for weights to keep the steering wheel on the ground when the lift is loaded

Hence Dennis' butt? 

Edited April 9, 2017 by Texas Todd
proper attribution

[bmsgaffer 2,046]

Definitely subscribing to this! Awesome idea!

[farmer 1,075]

Righty O,

firstly I'd like to put Texas Todd out of his misery, that small orangey part on the bench, you know that bugged you, yeah that's nothing to do with the project.....sorrreey

And that bit of extra frame behind the steering axle, well the drivers got to sit somewhere.  

Stewart thanks for the 'honey bee' reference, wacky looking but I'm sure they served a useful purpose in their day.... One day someone will say the same of my LS. 

More exciting loader stuff now, first a image from the rear showing the subframe, not sure what length I'd need so make sure there was plenty. 

 

 

As I mentioned earlier I used standard cat 1 pins and cat1 to cat 2 sleeves as bushings, nice simple and strong. Drilled out the boom end and welded in the bushes. At the same time drilling the bushes for grease nipples. 

 

 

Two hydraulic rams 60x30x300x500mm turned up so I could make and tack weld the lower mounts. 

 

 

The holes in the ram ends matched my cat 2 sleeves, so I was laughing. 

 

 

I had decided on 790mm for the height of the towers so I cut them to length cut caps and welded them on. 

 

 

Next came making plates for the tower tops for the boom to pivot on, and on the boom to receive the ram ends. Lots of clamping and checking, when happy I spotted them on.

 

 

starting to to look like a loader...stay tuned for more.  

[953 nut 56,165]

1 hour ago, farmer said:

wacky looking but I'm sure they served a useful purpose

You mean like this?

[DennisThornton 4,769]

26 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

You mean like this?

 

Wow!  Where does my butt go?