It is soooooo hard to be patient at this point of the build. Doing it the right way will pay off in self satisfaction down the road and the overall look and performance that you really want. In my own attempts to save paint the steam burn is real!!! Thanks for sharing.
I would have made the bracket detachable. Drill and tap three holes on an L style bracket. Hydraulics will eat a budget no problem. And it isn't big ticket items like pumps or motors. It's the hard and soft lines, and all the damn fittings. Crank your welder up and pulse weld. Just burn one spot with no torch manipulation. Stop move your wire to the edge of where your puddle was and burn it in again. Be consistent with your timing and moving the same amount and it will look great without a lot of heat input.
I get where you are coming from on the cost of parts. But all said and done that machine will cost much less than a new comparable machine and not have the problems that comes with DEF and electronic night mares.
