3pt Hitch Adapter

[clee4020]

Thanks to everyone for the compliments, comments.

I am truly blessed to have a great shop in my backyard filled with useable tools and toys.

Kevin, not sure about the airstream?? If referring to the buggy?? That's Mary Jane. Built from a Comanche Jeep pickup.

clee4020, Yes, I reinforced the back of the bucket with a 1/4x4 flat plate. I'll try to find you a pic. I like the slip hook in the middle and use it a lot.

As for pics of the brushguard, checkout this thread I posted when I first bought the tractor. It's got some closeup detail pics of the brushguard. I use the tractor in the brush a lot. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-buying-pricing/260846-new-m9540hd12-1-a.html

Because of such heavy brush use I also built a skid plate to protect the hydraulics. Here's a link to pics of that. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/266010-m9540-belly-skid-plate-brush.html

Thanks again for the comments.

I like your mods. I modified my 9540 brush guard also. I'll try to find pics of it and post. I would love to see how you reinforced your bucket.

 

[radioman]

Nice job, Richard! I like your idea for carrying the extra ball hitch. :thumbsup:

I like that idea too.. now that gives me an another idea ..

BTW- good job.

 

[radioman]

Nice job, Richard! I like your idea for carrying the extra ball hitch. :thumbsup:

I like that idea too.. now that gives me an another idea ..

BTW- good job.

 

[clee4020]

I am not finished with it, mostly because of 11 month twin girls in the house now and my job. When I am outside playing I normally have farm stuff to tend to so the tractor doesn't get sit in the shop much, but here is my brush guard mod. It has chain box and receiver hitch.

 

[ovrszd]

I am not finished with it, mostly because of 11 month twin girls in the house now and my job. When I am outside playing I normally have farm stuff to tend to so the tractor doesn't get sit in the shop much, but here is my brush guard mod. It has chain box and receiver hitch.View attachment 298994View attachment 298995

I like. Good idea about the receiver hitch. As a kid I pushed many a two wheeled and four wheeled wagon around with the front hitch of an 8N Ford. I recently added a Weight Rack to my front guard. Figured out real quick when I purchased a mounted JD1008 10' brush cutter that I needed front weights!!!!

 

[ovrszd]

As for a chain box, I built this one. Gotta love a good chain box!!!! It holds a 16'x1/2", 16'x3/8" and a 10'x3/8".

 

[clee4020]

I like the weight rack too. Do you have any pics of how you reinforced your bucket. I'm getting ready to add 2 grab hooks and 1 slip hook and I was looking for ideas.

 

[ovrszd]

I like the weight rack too. Do you have any pics of how you reinforced your bucket. I'm getting ready to add 2 grab hooks and 1 slip hook and I was looking for ideas.

Sorry, I hadn't forgot you. My bucket is at the farm and I haven't been there for a week or so. I added a 1/4x4x6 flat piece at each end and a 1/4x4x20(guessing) in the middle. I left a gap between the two factory pieces and what I added to let debris out. What I added is similar to the factory two pieces in this photo taken before I added hooks.

 

[clee4020]

I assume your 1/4" flat bar is where I drew the black rectangles? I considered add some 1.5" by 1/4" square tubing under the bucket level indicators for added strength because I was planning on welding the grab hooks near the bucket level indicators instead of on the end like you did. What do you think?

 

[sixdogs]

Looks nice and very functional. Good job.

 

[ovrszd]

I assume your 1/4" flat bar is where I drew the black rectangles? I considered add some 1.5" by 1/4" square tubing under the bucket level indicators for added strength because I was planning on welding the grab hooks near the bucket level indicators instead of on the end like you did. What do you think?View attachment 299411View attachment 299412

Yeah, you've got the idea. I left a gap between the bars I added and the factory braces. You could leave that gap or fill it all in, wouldn't matter much.

As for your idea, I couldn't tell for sure how well the tubing fit the bucket shape. What additional bracing does is keep the top edge of the bucket from being distorted and to spread the force. The tubing will spread the force but if it's not welded to the top bucket edge it won't help with that situation. I also think you'd be adding material that isn't going to do you much good at all. By welding in a flat, you are creating a "square tube" using the three sides that are already there. I think you'd gain the most strength with the least material. But with that said,,,,, I'm a scrounger and tend to use what's on hand if possible. If you have the tubing and can get it welded in there to give support to the top lip of the bucket, go for it. Would save you the cost of purchasing flat bar.

As for hook location, I think you'd get along fine with your hooks there. I like mine at the ends to get as much separation as possible if trying to pick up a wide load. With hooks at the ends it's more important to have a center hook for other types of loads. If you mount your hooks where you displayed, you might not need a center hook. But again, with that said,,,, I use my center slip hook a lot.

The thing to remember is that the LA1353 loader has a very large lift capacity. You can distort your factory bucket very easily if you lift a load improperly. I never hook a heavy object on one of my bucket end hooks. I think the loader could easily twist the arms or at a minimum the bucket doing such a thing. I always distribute a heavy load across the bucket and try to center it as much as possible. That becomes even more critical if you have a grapple.

 

[sparc]

My favorite thing in the shop is that 30 pack of Busch in the room behind the table. As you can tell I was not snooping around the backround of the photos! : O

I thought the phone booth was unique for a shop accessory.

 

[ovrszd]

I thought the phone booth was unique for a shop accessory.

My 8 year old Grandaughter pointed at it and said "What's that"? I said you've never saw a phone booth and she said "No". She lives in the Des Moines Iowa area. So we had a five minute conversation about phone booths and how to use them. She just silently looked at me the whole time like what planet did you grow up on anyway??? :laughing:

 

[clee4020]

Have you thought about adding lights to roll bar? I've been thinking about adding 2 forward and 1 rearward led lights under my canopy for when feeding at night, b/c the factory lights are much good with my modified brush guard and a roll of hay on the FEL. My only concern is when bushhogging limbs knocking a $40 light off the roll bar. I actually bought 3, 720 lumen led flood lights to put on my tractor, but they ended up on the wife's kawasaki mule. They would be fine, but since they are flood lights they wouldn't be much good past the front of the tractor. I was just curious since you have the same tractor I have.

 

[ovrszd]

Have you thought about adding lights to roll bar? I've been thinking about adding 2 forward and 1 rearward led lights under my canopy for when feeding at night, b/c the factory lights are much good with my modified brush guard and a roll of hay on the FEL. My only concern is when bushhogging limbs knocking a $40 light off the roll bar. I actually bought 3, 720 lumen led flood lights to put on my tractor, but they ended up on the wife's kawasaki mule. They would be fine, but since they are flood lights they wouldn't be much good past the front of the tractor. I was just curious since you have the same tractor I have.

I'm pretty spoiled, when Sun goes down, I go in. I use my tractor a lot in the timber, figure I'd knock off any lights that I might add.

 

[yelbike]

I'm pretty spoiled, when Sun goes down, I go in. I use my tractor a lot in the timber, figure I'd knock off any lights that I might add.

Around here, it get's dark around 4:30 pm in the winter, so lights are pretty much a must. Just keep the lights inside the ROPS and you'll be fine. But if you don't need them, than you just don't need them!