Homemade Loader Idea

[Pepper]

I am in need of a loader for my greenhouse operation, and the need is becoming more urgent. As of now, I can't find one in the tri-state area, and can't really drive anywhere far off for the next month or two. I was excited to find a 1000 loader at JP Salvage, but called them and it was sold last week. Although I'm pretty sure I couldn't have paid the $2200 for it that they asked.

Anyway, to the point of the post. I came up with a Plan B. Since all I'll be moving is compost, manure and some pea gravel, I don't need a lot of lifting capacity. I just need to move big amounts of relatively light material. So my plan is to take the blade off my 54 Blade assembly and replace it with a home made bucket. I have the angle iron, and will go with either duct work sheet metal or 1/4 inch plywood for the bottom & sides (with some flat bar reinforcing).

Since the hydraulics only go up and down, I bought a small 12v portable winch that I'll weld to a plate to bolt to the side mounting brackets. Until I do a generator to alternator conversion, I'm going to bungee the 12v battery from my lawn mower next to my 6v battery and just connect the winch directly to that. That should allow me to tip the bucket back and forth.

Now I realize that this won't lift very high, but that shouldn't matter. All I'm trying to do is save my back from all those wheelbarrow loads of compost and horse manure. I plan on making the bucket 6' wide, 15" high and 18" deep. I calculated that this volume of pea gravel (the heaviest thing I'll be lifting) should only weigh about 400-500 pounds. It may take a lot of trips, but it will be fewer than the wheelbarrow.

Does anyone forsee any problems with this setup? (other than the fact that the last time I welded was 17 years ago in college) Any tips or better ideas?

Thanks,

Pepper...

[Bob Perry]

Well, coming from somebody who has done quite a lot of inventions with the welder, some projects came out great and others ended up back in the scrap pile. Which is sad, because with the price of steel, things that don't work out can be pretty expensive gambles.

As far as the winch/battery goes, that does not scare me. I also have a winch and battery, it attaches into any 2" trailer-hitch receiver, so I can mount it to multiple tractors, trucks, trailers. Each of my trucks has a socket for it, front bumper, rear hitch, and front of bed. A 12-volt battery lasts a long time and charging's easy.

The design of the loader frame and bucket can be tricky. Sometimes us do-it-yourself guys over-do things and things end up too heavy. Or too much stress twists or breaks something. But experience and intelligence has no limits. Light sheet metal and plywood are fine if properly re-enforced with steel. It just needs to be done smartly.

Lastly, you need to keep thinking safety. What are the consequences of something snapping under load. Just keep thinking about your body and others and consider and re-consider the risks.

I think the sky's the limit with this stuff. I guy with a brain and a welder can do a lot. And the finished product can bring a lot of satisfaction and dollar savings, too. So I did not directly answer your question, because the answer lies within you and your abilities, to which I don't know much.

[Chris D]

I think it would be hard to construct something from p,wood and expect it tom last much. I guess if time if running low it's worth a shot though. Also I would be careful and limit the weight as much as possible. You get too heavy and your frame work for the blade will start to bend along with the other associated lift arms and such. If it were me in a tight fix I would rig a small scoop to the back of the tractor. I believe you would have more lifting power and less damage in the end... Just my .02 cents.

[Pepper]

It never occurred to me to put it on the back. I could use the rear toolbar from my cultivator setup, and still use the winch if need be. This might be a better solution. Thanks.

[Eugene]

Just running some numbers. 400 lbs pea gravel plus weight of the scoop, grader frame and leverage. That's a pretty heavy load to be putting on the Cub's front end. Also probably getting to the upper end of the hydraulic system's lifting capability

Suggest looking around for a small skid steer. There are several makes available, but most will cost more than $2200-.

I have a Case 1816 skid steer. 600 lbs lifting capacity. Highly manuverable. Fits under a standard car height garage door.

[Jim Becker]

I don't think I would be putting much extra weight on the frame for the front blade. It just wasn't designed for a lot of lifting. I was also thinking something on the rear would be simpler and could easily be more sturdy. There are plans floating around somewhere on this site for a rear carrier to put on non-Fast Hitch tractors. You could build something based on those plans. I suggest using the drawbar rather than the cultivator toolbars so you don't have to redo the cultivator set-up when you are ready to cultivate. Also, take a look at the rear scoops from Stockland and Gulfport Feed Co. They are hinged and conterbalanced such that they can easily dump by hand.

Keep in mind that you can do quite a bit of driving to pick up a loader in the time it takes to build something.

[Winfield Dave]

Keep in mind that you can do quite a bit of driving to pick up a loader in the time it takes to build something.

[Pepper]

True, the ideal solution would be something that I can afford ($1000 or less) that's relatively close by. But we don't always have the luxury of ideal. As Reagan once said "A workable solution today is better than a perfect solution tomorrow". Of course, all the talk of driving and price are moot until I actually find one for sale somewhere! Long term, I am in the market for a real loader. Short term, I need something now. And for me, with a large greenhouse (30 x 70) full of tomatoes, short term is in the next week or two at the most.

Looks like the initial consensus is that putting a box on the rear is better than the front. I"m going to look into that.

[Pepper]

Also, take a look at the rear scoops from Stockland and Gulfport Feed Co. They are hinged and conterbalanced such that they can easily dump by hand.

Could you elaborate on this? I'm afraid I've never heard of this. Is Stockland a manufacturer of scoops, or somewhere to buy them?

[BullDAWG]

here is a home-made dirt scoop http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Sketches%20or%20Plans/Drawings-Sketches-Pictures/Jim%20Hudson/index.html




I think this would be ALLOT better idea than trying to use a cub-54 or 54a and modify it and potentially ruin the 54 or put YOU in danger...

[Pepper]

If that could be put on facing the other way, it's just what I need. After all, I'm not looking to dig or lift, just move compost & gravel from a big pile into my greenhouse.

So...anyone know of one of these for sale anywhere? Assuming it's a lot cheaper than a loader, this is the kind of this I could drive out and get in the next day or two.

And, thanks for all the help. I was overthinking the problem, and you guys turned me in a much better direction.

[Landreo]

Wheelbarrow. Quick, easy, easy to move around in a crowed hightunnel.
I used to load horse manure composted into mushroom houses, wet, much larger and higher than a high tunnel so it can be done. Another option is just to rent a small loader.

However, I like to make things even it it would not appear to be the most economic way to go.
I made a small loader for my cub, trip bucket style. Worked OK but had a 36 inch or so bucket. Moved on to other things so I tossed the loader into the weeds. Much larger and it would be hard to maneuver or too heavy. A 6 foot wide bucket seems to be too much.

What you are describing is a Johnny Bucket which are made for a cub and other small tractors but you likely could duplicate with your blade frame. If the hydraulics would lift then use those and just make some sort of trip bucket and you will not need the winch. Sounds like it would be workable and save some time and back strain. A Johnny bucket in the front would be easier to use and position the material than a rear mounted platform. However, I would still limit the width of the bucket to 3 - 4 feet or so, just need to make a few more trips.

Pea gravel is not light, I doubt thin sheet metal and 1/4 inch plywood would do. Something a bit thicker would be better.

If you are truely on a few week suspense then just use a wheelbarrow.

[Jim Becker]

Jim Hudson's scoop is, for all practical purposes, an exact copy of the Gulfport Feed "Gaylot" scoop. Stockland was another manufacturer whose scoop was generally similar. You can find an old Stockland brochure on TM's web site. Once you have a grip on the basic design, there is no reason you couldn't make a reversed version of one. Stockland, and other companies, made reversible sccops for larger tractors that could be mounted either way. I don't think their Cub scoop was reversible.

[bob in CT]

http://www.johnnyproducts.com/J_Bucket_HTMs/JBpage_Sr_Farmall_Cub.htm

[Pepper]

Has anyone here used one of these? It's rated by the manufacturer as being able to lift 300-400 lbs.