Walking through photos I took while building my front-end loader using PF Engineering plans. I walk through photos and video clips I took during the build to share how it was made and some of the issues I had.
This is truly an amazing job especially for someone who openly admits having no previous experience with hydraulics. I give you 2 thumbs up!!!! Just please in the future look very closely at your threads in your valves and cylinders. If they are beveled please use orb connectors. If you have no other option than pipe threads please consider loctite 567 or 565. I know some people will say. (I’ve never had a problem) and if you have never worked with hydraulics before you couldn’t know. But you should never use thread tape on hydraulics. Please know I’m in no way being ugly. I think this is an awesome job. I just want to share something that could save you a lot of trouble in the future. Many many valves have been changed because of small pieces of tape getting caught in spools.
This machine greatly exceeded our expectation. You have to go slower than with more expensive gas models, but it does the job, even with heavy wet snow. The video I've posted was light fluffy stuff.
Very nice work. Look for an old Sears Suburban with a standard high/low transmission. Use wheel weights and fill the rear tires for the counter weight. (Several ways to fill them) this takes the weight off the transaxle.
Yeah, I have all the stuff to fill the rear tires, but haven't done that. Like many of my projects, I finish them and then move on to other things - but yes a better tractor would be good. I used to store the tractors in a 4.5ft crawl space, so that was a significant constraint on storage. Now I think I mostly I'd have to get motivated to put the loader on a different tractor really. Too many other projects.
Nice work, with limited tools(the best way to learn skills AND ingenuity)! TOP TIP-re: holes saws; they are designed for thin plate/sheet metal and don't feature flutes for swarf removal - drill your centre pilot hole and with the same drill bit, drill 3( or as reqd) holes around and just within the overall diameter of your desired hole. Then cut hole with holesaw, and thin oil(wd40,3 in 1....), applying the oil with a small paint brush(13mm/ 1/2"). The swarf will clear out of the cut via the through holes. Too much speed, too little oild, too much vibration and lack of swarf removal kill holesaws!
Thanks! Yeah, my method was to brush on tap magic, then use my air compressor to blow out any chips constantly. Eventually I got the sense of what kind of down force was productive for the carbide - too much = bad, too little = bad. I am not sure the exact speed I was drilling at, but fairly slowly. Only had 4 of these 1" deep holes to drill, and I think 12 at 1/4" thickness. I think annular cutters are more of the "right" answer, but I don't have those.
@@RyanShea The carbide holesaws are great, but VERY aggressive and require lots of rigidity/power(similar to other machine cutters). Bi-metalic is a better compromise re: cost effective, jamb resistance and tip loss. Keep up the good work.
Nice creation it’s super cool! I’d just recommend watching how much you work it because I can tell you the transaxle in that isn’t meant to handle that I’d recommend an old garden tractor for a loader but still a sweet build!
Yeah, for sure the transaxle and entire frame honestly are wimpy. I have a specific purpose, loading wood chips which are light. Would love to have a better tractor though.
@@RyanShea for woods chips that’s perfect it won’t over work it but you can pick up some old garden tractors for pretty cheap and they are so easy to work on I’ve got a massy 7 and a homelite t16 they are both a ton of fun and I’ve got quite a few lawn tractors too
@@trucks_n_tractors_6335 Maybe you have a recommendation. I can certainly set up a saved search on CL or look on Facebook Marketplace once I know what to look for. I need to be able to get into tight spaces (small gates) and paths between garden beds, so I want to maintain a narrow profile. I have some hills and get quite swampy soil in the spring, so having something with a difflock would be a huge benefit as well. I am rather a fan of a hydrostatic transaxle if that is a thing on any of these older garden tractors. I've seen various Case or Simplicity tractors come up, but haven't spent the time to know what to look for quite yet.
@@RyanShea generally old garden tractors tend to have a larger profile than a new lawn tractor but if you’re looking for a hydrostatic transaxle garden tractor I would recommend looking at a cub 125 123 or some others or a bolens would also be a good choice you could look into case for hydrostatic I know Ford made hydros but they are much less common so I’d look for a hydro cub cadet or bolens
With somthing like this you might need a bridgport, drill the hole with smaller bits and work up to close to what you need Hot rolled steels not very hard, it has a low carbon content its not like your dealing with 1040 or 4140. Its 1018 And angle iron will reinforce the edges also add some flat stock to the cutting edge and grind a bevel on it. That will make the slicing edge last longer That thin of plate steel will wear down pretty fast but you can always add new material to it. Just do spots you can drill out so you can replace it.
Hi We have the exact same garden tractor at home. The hydro-gear transmission gave up the ghost on it. Depending on which hydro transmission you have, you have to be careful because they are not build for pushing, or pulling a lot of weight. We found that out the hard way.
Oh yeah, I fully expect that. Nothing on this little lawn tractor is built for this. I actually have a spare transmission around, but we'll see what I do when this transmission goes. Honestly from a functional perspective what I need for my mushy environment is a diff locker, so if I were to go through the effort of swapping the transaxle I may weld the diff... or just get a completely different tractor of course.
@@RyanShea I hope it works out for you. I ended up switching to a Bolens QT16. If you don't mind older machines, you might want to give Bolens tractors a look. They can be found for a good price sometimes.
Why not put the tank in the back for the hydrlic fluid its also a counter weight. Love the tires. Is that a lawn tractor, or garden tractor There is a difference, mostly the hydrostatic transmission aka rear-end. Its built and dam that looks really 👍 good. Mine next!
My question what parts were used for the hydraulic system? pumps, cylinders, control valve. What gpm does the pump out out and how much can this system lift? Im also looking at PF Engineering plans. great job .
Yeah, there are part numbers for valves, hoses, cylinders and all that stuff in the pf engineering stuff. I don't actually know the numbers offhand, but also there are probably lots of different setups you could choose
@@RyanShea I will absolutely I've seen many people asking how so I'm going to go more in depth of how it's done and through the build process, I'm currently tearing the whole thing down though so it might be a while.
In Manassas. For updates, I'd say that the loader isn't as useful as I hoped. I have this mini dump truck, and I wanted it to be a faster and back saving option for loading wood chips... but in reality I'm faster with a pitchfork. I'm sort of thinking that without 4x4 and hydrostatic any tractor will be slow to maneuver and tend to get stuck in my muck. Renting a tracked skid steer can move a lot of material quicker, which I've done.
@@LanceSheppard I rented a Kubota BX a while back. Even that isn't much faster than a wheelbarrow, depending on how far the donkey poop needs to go. Bigger tractors though, that won't work for much of what I want. Lots of garden beds, tight spaces.
More about the loader, or other stuf? Current project is hand digging a basement, then chicken run hawk protection, then shed folding doors, then a Japanese mini truck.
@@jayyep6974 I use this for moving wood chips, which is more volume than weight. To be sure, there is future breakage to look forward to - but this thing simply is not going to handle a bucket load of wet spring clay and isn't heavy enough to dig anyway.
If you used pf engineering and broke part of the loader just by moving wood chips as you implied I guess I would stay away from that company unless you didn’t follow their plans specs.
Unfortunately the first time you overload any of those attachments you are going to break that axle or transmission. That is a riding mower for cutting grass not to be worked like a REAL tractor.
Snow and wood chips, and learning how to make it was the purpose. I don't mean to suggest it is a Kubota, or fit for any purpose other than what I use it for. Probably 100lbs of load. The machine is not to be operated by fuckwits. I actually think the thin gauge frame would fail first while moving with s load.
I tow 300kg with mine, has plenty of power. Moved 70+ tons no problem, I'm going to make one of these, then I can tow my trailer and carry a extra 100 up front haha
