Members home made attachments / improvements

[PTWannaHave]

This very long thread seemed like the best place for this post... Sharing my solution to the problem/challenge of snow removal with a bucket, without damaging the ground with the cutting edge of the bucket. My driveway has deteriorating & undulating asphalt, a stone dust section, and our walkway is interlocking brick. I don't want to damage the lawn either. I know that using the bucket as-is, (I) will damage the surface.

So, I had some 'snow edges' made to my specs by the local welding shop. (Painted yellow only because I had a lot of that leftover...) I haven't had to use the buckets a lot this winter, but so far, works great in float! I can 'scrape' right up to the lawn's edge, and the bucket's snow edge just 'rolls over' the lawn without damaging it. Same thing with the slightly uneven interlocking brick; I would wreck it without this snow edge.






The bolts in the bottom of the bucket are at the thick reinforcement points, and screw into tapped holes into the bucket. Grinded flush underneath.

The round bar is solid (not pipe), so it should last quite awhile.

I should also mention that my 'snow removal tractor options' were to fill the front tires. I haven't experienced unreasonable slipping/spinning, so I'm happy. In the summer, I will move those two wheels to the back, giving me more leverage when lifting and turning with a heavy load up front.

Cheers,

 

[IslandTractor]

This very long thread seemed like the best place for this post... Sharing my solution to the problem/challenge of snow removal with a bucket, without damaging the ground with the cutting edge of the bucket. My driveway has deteriorating & undulating asphalt, a stone dust section, and our walkway is interlocking brick. I don't want to damage the lawn either. I know that using the bucket as-is, (I) will damage the surface.

So, I had some 'snow edges' made to my specs by the local welding shop. (Painted yellow only because I had a lot of that leftover...) I haven't had to use the buckets a lot this winter, but so far, works great in float! I can 'scrape' right up to the lawn's edge, and the bucket's snow edge just 'rolls over' the lawn without damaging it. Same thing with the slightly uneven interlocking brick; I would wreck it without this snow edge.

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The bolts in the bottom of the bucket are at the thick reinforcement points, and screw into tapped holes into the bucket. Grinded flush underneath.

The round bar is solid (not pipe), so it should last quite awhile.

I should also mention that my 'snow removal tractor options' were to fill the front tires. I haven't experienced unreasonable slipping/spinning, so I'm happy. In the summer, I will move those two wheels to the back, giving me more leverage when lifting and turning with a heavy load up front.

Cheers,

Very clever. Nice fabrication too.:thumbsup:

 

[cqaigy2]

I like that!

 

[sixdogs]

That is a great idea. What is the diameter of the round steel bar?

 

[IslandTractor]

I wonder if an alternative to a solid round bar might be to use steel pipe. With pipe, say 2" diameter, you could simply cut out a section along the length so it fit over the bucket's cutting edge. Wouldn't be hard with a plasma cutter. It would then require very little support to hold it in place. Maybe just a couple of tack welds would suffice.

 

[sixdogs]

I wonder if an alternative to a solid round bar might be to use steel pipe. With pipe, say 2" diameter, you could simply cut out a section along the length so it fit over the bucket's cutting edge. Wouldn't be hard with a plasma cutter. It would then require very little support to hold it in place. Maybe just a couple of tack welds would suffice.

I've seen guys use PVC plastic pipe for a bucket edge, and there are threads on that here. It worked OK as I recall but probably not as good or as durable as this thread.

 

[chopped]

I wonder if an alternative to a solid round bar might be to use steel pipe. With pipe, say 2" diameter, you could simply cut out a section along the length so it fit over the bucket's cutting edge. Wouldn't be hard with a plasma cutter. It would then require very little support to hold it in place. Maybe just a couple of tack welds would suffice.

I used this idea. To cut it I used a circular saw with metal blade. cut right through it.two runs ... It worked so well I made another for another blade the same way but only one cut and then went the legnth with a chisel and hammer and forced the pipe cut open. Worked good. But with one blade i lost to much cutting power to it. so removed it.

 

[PTWannaHave]

That is a great idea. What is the diameter of the round steel bar?

1.5 inch . Notice that is it not centered on the bucket's cutting edge, but slightly below it.

I wonder if an alternative to a solid round bar might be to use steel pipe. With pipe, say 2" diameter, you could simply cut out a section along the length so it fit over the bucket's cutting edge. Wouldn't be hard with a plasma cutter. It would then require very little support to hold it in place. Maybe just a couple of tack welds would suffice.

I had mentioned thick-walled pipe to the welding shop, but based on their experience repairing ploughs and farm equipment, they didn't think I would be happy with how long it would last...

Cheers,

 

[SpringHollow]

People routinely do this with black iron pipe. I have done it with PVC pipe as a test and had it last long enough that it was not a test. But PVC can shatter easily when cold - ABS is a better choice but less common around here.

Ken

 

[IslandTractor]

People routinely do this with black iron pipe. I have done it with PVC pipe as a test and had it last long enough that it was not a test. But PVC can shatter easily when cold - ABS is a better choice but less common around here.

Ken

Either black iron pipe or galvanized is what I was thinking. I wonder what the easiest way to cut the pipe lengthwise is? Need to do it twice removing a half inch section so the pipe will fit over the cutting edge. I would imagine a simple jig and a plasma cutter would be fastest.