Another counterweight idea...1300+lbs!

[GManBart]

I was selling a couple tons of scrap steel, aluminum, and copper wiring (demolished a vacant house I bought), and did some digging for a piece of steel that would make a good counterweight for my LS. I talked to the kid who runs the yard,and he had just the ticket! Raw weight was 1,300lbs when we left the yard in my neighbor's dump truck. Here it was at the start with my neighbor from across the street modeling his bionic leg!

Draw bar tacked on, ready to get it vertical:

Added a top link:

First time hanging it on the 3pt:

Added some legs so I don't have to wrestle with it:

It wouldn't be complete without a hitch!

Some paint (I'll fix the color, and add another SMV sign later....maybe):

Here's how it sits lowered:

Hat's off to my awesome neighbor, and good friend, Paul, for his welding help....here he is in action:

 

[David Devuono]

Nice bumper. 5 mph rated no doubt.

 

[94BULLITT]

That was a real good find at the scrap yard! The scrap yard around here won't sell anything.

 

[wyeguy]

Wow. Very nice, professional job!

 

[TomSeller]

Nice. Do you worry about bending those feet if you hit something? Another option would be to have a cradle that it sits into when dismounting. All in all, very good work.

 

[mjncad]

Now that's a manly counterweight.

 

[handirifle]

Nice find!

It probably weighs as much as my mighty Massey (1010) :laughing: I am thinking of some way to add weight to my Gannon rotating box. Had to do some grading work at brother in laws and when ripping his clay soil, the teeth just skipped across the ground till I had him stand on it. WOW what a difference. Gotta add a couple hundred pounds somehow, and still allow it to rotate.

 

[ATP]

Thats 1300,,.....WOW.......Thats a real cool compact piece...

 

[GManBart]

Nice. Do you worry about bending those feet if you hit something? Another option would be to have a cradle that it sits into when dismounting. All in all, very good work.

The thought crossed my mind that I could bend a leg pretty easily, but I didn't want to mess around with a cradle, for a couple of reasons. I'm not terribly worried, because it's pretty close to the tractor, but we could always box the legs with more material, or add a section of solid, square steel to make them more robust. Now that I think about it, I might want to make the back to legs into a shelf with walls...sort of a box I could drop tools, chain, etc into....that would keep it from bending if I bump something. Guess I need to find some thick steel plate at the scrap yard now

 

[Zebrafive]

That was a real good find at the scrap yard! The scrap yard around here won't sell anything.

Same here, scrap yards will not sell, only buy
I would worry about ME hitting the rear angles.

 

[Attono]

Holy smokes! What sort of rod/settings did he use for welding it? I can't imagine how much current he'd have to push to get any sort of penetration on that huge chunk of metal.

 

[Dr Dave]

Nice job, that was a great find! My shins hurt just, looking at the legs sticking out. ha ha

A chain box would be handy, maybe some pipe scraps welded on for shovel, tools etc.

Dave

 

[Attono]

Cappuccino maker...

 

[GManBart]

Holy smokes! What sort of rod/settings did he use for welding it? I can't imagine how much current he'd have to push to get any sort of penetration on that huge chunk of metal.

I'm not sure, but it did take him several tries....popped the circuit breaker, etc!

 

[TomSeller]

The thought crossed my mind that I could bend a leg pretty easily, but I didn't want to mess around with a cradle, for a couple of reasons. I'm not terribly worried, because it's pretty close to the tractor, but we could always box the legs with more material, or add a section of solid, square steel to make them more robust. Now that I think about it, I might want to make the back to legs into a shelf with walls...sort of a box I could drop tools, chain, etc into....that would keep it from bending if I bump something. Guess I need to find some thick steel plate at the scrap yard now

Now you talking. Keep us posted in pictures.

 

[mjncad]

Same here, scrap yards will not sell, only buy
I would worry about ME hitting the rear angles.

What the heck kind of scrap yards don't sell stuff?

 

[GManBart]

Now you talking. Keep us posted in pictures.

This is the initial layout for a chain tray...

 

[notme]

1/8th 7018 would be fine but the main thing is to chase the moisture out of the slab first. (torch or rosebud will do) you will actually see water run out of it when you start heating it!!! your penetration into the slab should be equal to that of the piece you welding on if your rod angle is proper between the too.

 

[GManBart]

Here's the update on my chain box! All lined up....note, no attempt was made to make pretty welds!

Added some paint:

Couple of other views:

I think another SMV sign is in order....

 

[RoMad]

That was a great find and a good job of making it work. Glad to see you did something with those back legs or someone would have had a sore shin. My scrap yard will happily sell you scrap, but they don't sell it cheap. I have asked about a few things I have spotted there and they always quote me too high of a price.