Anyone Build a Simple 3 Pt Hitch Crane?

[Haoleguy]

I'm looking for ideas to have a 70lb hydraulic post driver( see Atlas Copco ... LPD-RV: Hydraulic post driver with remote valve - Atlas Copco USA) hanging from a chain to pound in vineyard line posts. I have 1400 posts to put in so the idea of raising it on the post everytime to pound a post makes my body weary thinking about it. I do not have a bucket on the tractor to be used so my thoughts were to use a 3 pt hitch vertical crane with swivel boom( like here Electric Hoist Frame – 1320-Lb. Capacity | Mounting Frames| Northern Tool + Equipment) to carry the pounder from location to location. Anybody build something like a crane or vertical boom to carry tools at about 6-8 ft?.....Thank you, Gary

 

[Baby Grand]

Have you considered mounting it to a boom pole? How high off the ground would you need to get the top of the driver?

Someone on here made a 3pt hitch crane out of a hydraulic engine hoist. That might be a quick and inexpensive solution to all your skyhooking needs.

 

[BukitCase]

What kind of tractor do you have that puts out 317 - 476 gpm ??!? (from the first link) Wonder if that's a misprint and should be gph... Steve

 

[Haoleguy]

What kind of tractor do you have that puts out 317 - 476 gpm ??!? (from the first link) Wonder if that's a misprint and should be gph... Steve

That's a misprint on that website. It uses 7-12 gpm.

 

[Haoleguy]

Have you considered mounting it to a boom pole? How high off the ground would you need to get the top of the driver?

Most commercial booms I have seen go out rather than up. Each post is 8ft and will pound it in 2 ft to an above ground height of 6 ft. If I had it 8ft above ground with 2ft of chain then I could get the post underneath and then pound back to extended chain length. 3 pt hitch would give me wiggle room to lift pounder above post to move on. Gary

 

[MichiganIron]

Use the same approach as a conventional 3-Point Post Auger. All you need is a boom and a yoke. The boom would attach to the top link bracket on the tractor and the yoke to the lift arms. As you raise the 3-point hitch, the boom is pivoted by the yoke, instead of just lifting it. You can size the length of the boom to achieve the height you need. Pretty simple build.

 

[Haoleguy]

Failed to mention that I need the boom to swivel over the post which would be offset 3.5-4 ft from tractor center. One of the things I'm looking at are the game hoists that hunters use.

 

[bcp]

Get one of these. Add a bottom crossbar and top link attachment points to hook it to your tractor hitch.

Pickup Truck Crane W/ Cable Winch



Bruce

 

[Super_Chief]

also harbor freight has a "vise" mount on a 3" tube along with this make a good hefty hitch receiver

 

[Brad_Blazer]

Be careful when you swing it outboard. As the load transitions from between the lift arms to outside of them, it will pull up on the far arm and any pin clearance or swing of the arms which lets the load tilt further will suddenly happen. This even happens with a normal boom pole on a slope.

 

[BHD]

make a three point crane, (much like a standard PTO post auger) but much taller, two pulleys and a cable and counter weight,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

posted are three pictures of various three point cranes,

one is us just a three point, solid that can raise or lower the same as the three point,

then one is with the arm in the top link, and the arms lift and lower and the motion is greatly amplified,

and one has a 3 point mount and a arm, similar to a engine hoist, and a hydraulic cylinder that raises and lowers the hoist arm, via tractor hydraulics,

but I would guess one could just counter weight it as well, and reduce it weight considerable unless it is it weight that makes it work

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

I have a short lift arm that works with my 3pt receiver hitch....
I have been thinking about extending it with a 5' arm and a knee brace to use as a 3pt boom pole...
Kind of an Erector set approach..... Add, delete pieces as needed....

Good luck...
===

 

[Super_Chief]

I like the idea of the outriggers (stabilizer).

make a three point crane, (much like a standard PTO post auger) but much taller, two pulleys and a cable and counter weight,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

posted are three pictures of various three point cranes,

one is us just a three point, solid that can raise or lower the same as the three point,

then one is with the arm in the top link, and the arms lift and lower and the motion is greatly amplified,

and one has a 3 point mount and a arm, similar to a engine hoist, and a hydraulic cylinder that raises and lowers the hoist arm, via tractor hydraulics,

but I would guess one could just counter weight it as well, and reduce it weight considerable unless it is it weight that makes it work

 

[Baby Grand]

I like the idea of the outriggers (stabilizer).

Agreed. Lacking downforce on the 3pt, and with the load swung over to one side the oposite side draft link is apt to lift and slew the boom.

 

[mikehaugen]

Agreed. Lacking downforce on the 3pt, and with the load swung over to one side the oposite side draft link is apt to lift and slew the boom.

Are you guys implying that your lift arms move independently? On my tractor, even though there is no downforce, you can't lift one arm without the other going up. Am I misunderstanding the concern?

 

[BHD]

I think was being said that some thee point arms are not solid, but have some play in there attachments that allow some play on each arm, on my mine you can limit it by slipping in pin to limit the independent movement,

have you considered
Man Saver Post Driver, Multi-directional pneumatic post drivers - Rohrer Manufacturing I have driven over 100 T post in the last few days, with mine, considerably lighter and my guess lower cost,

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Have you considered a scissor lift? Google "bale spear scissor" to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Let your 3-point do the lifting. Then put something like this:
Electric Hoist Frame – 1100-Lb. Capacity | Mounting Frames| Northern Tool + Equipment

To make it pivot.

 

[Baby Grand]

Are you guys implying that your lift arms move independently? On my tractor, even though there is no downforce, you can't lift one arm without the other going up. Am I misunderstanding the concern?

Faulty thinking on my part, Mike. Both lift arm are tied together and cannot move independently. But I still like the idea of the stabilizers, espcially with the boom swug at an angle off of the tractor centerline and possibly operating on a slope.

 

[aczlan]

How about a heavy I beam (or 3x3x1/4" wall tube stock) the width of your tractor that mounts to the 3 point. Put 150# of weight on one side and mount your swivel lift to the other.

Aaron Z

 

[jodebg]

Does Harbor Freight sell this 3 point hitch attachment shown in the photo?

also harbor freight has a "vise" mount on a 3" tube along with this make a good hefty hitch receiver

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