bx FEL bucket quick attach

[RedDirt]

Not that I NEED another project but I can't find any post of someone building a FEL bucket quick attach for a three cylinder set up like the Kubota Bx models (two lift arms and one center curl cylinder). Does anyone know of such a post or have other information?

 

[Just2quickz28]

I too have been looking for others who have done this project. I cannot convince myself it would be worth it. What sort of attachments could the BX actually run off the FEL? Plow, forks?

I was given a plow blade that had been modified to fit on the FEL arms of an older BX model, now I need to modify it a bit to make the 3 pins line up properly (BX24 FEL arms are a little wider at the pins) and this is why I had been looking for a quick attach. Those 3 pins can be a pain to line up to get the bucket off and plow on. And who really wants to pull out the rubber hammer and extension plus the 2 wrenches and sockets to get the pins out.

As for the light duty forks there have been several that have been made as well as the clamp on versions.

 

[RedDirt]

I too have been looking for others who have done this project. I cannot convince myself it would be worth it. What sort of attachments could the BX actually run off the FEL? Plow, forks?

For starters I want a large light weight set of brush forks. I built a set for my garden tractor from 5/8" rebar. These are about 42" wide, 24" long x 24" high w/ tines at about 6" OC. With my little 2WD tractor, wheel weights & chains, I can push a load of logging limbs that are about half the size as my mini pick up. I was very impressed. The rebar forks actually worked quite well. I've bent a couple of tines a few times but they bend back easily enough. For the bx I'd use 3/4" or 1" rebar. The limiting factor on the little tractor is the lift. Big loads I can't get off the ground but the lift "lightens" the load for pushing. Medium loads I can get a few inches off the ground but even light loads I can only lift about 18" due to the very short cylinder. The set up is hydraulic lift, trip lever dump. A set for the bx would handle more but mote importantly I'd have the high lift and dump.

Next are pallet forks. I have a light set on the plan board that hook to the bucket lip like other similar TBN forks. But if I had a quick connect I'd build them differently.

Then there is my 2cuyd leaf bucket. Right now I hang it from the bucket lip and strap around the bucket with cables and turnbuckles. My prototype is posted here.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/112403-2cuyd-leaf-bucket-scut-works.html

Maybe I'd convert my small tractor pull snow plow to push from th bx QA.

 

[Just2quickz28]

I was trying to find something like the skid steer attachment plates for the BX. But seeing how the front bucket does not weigh that much I was starting to think that it might be easier to just develop the attachments into bucket.

light duty clamp on forks have about the same weight rating as the FEL has for lifting. and I have seen snow plows mounted into the front bucket

Like I said, I am trying to convince myself that it would be worth it, to take off the front bucket for each new attachment, or if driving over and hooking it up into the front bucket would be a better solution

Matt

 

[hdbikercouple]

how about using the 3 point quick hitch from a place like northern freight. looks like weilding places to pin the fel arms and the dump cyclinder and you would hace a quick hitch set up

 

[ChuckinNH]

ATI used to sell a QD option for the Kubota BX, a pin on type. Sale of that item has been discontinued I think, but the last time I looked, there were still pictures of the setup at their web site. I think there were some problems with camming forces exerted by the center tilt cylinder, but it might be worth a look for ideas anyway.

 

[Just2quickz28]

Yes ATI still has pictures of it up and its in their 2007 product manual
ATI Corporation - Pin-type Quick Attach Images
I think that might be the way to go, pulling 3 pins is better than unbolting and driving out pins

 

[SkunkWerX]

i have also looked at the idea of a QA on the front of the BX.

Weight was an issue, it would have to be light enough not to zap the capacity which is pretty low anyway.

Here is a question I have been pondering:

How difficult is it to simply remove the 3 large steel pins, and make attachments that fit those same 3 mounting pins?

if it's not overly difficult, wouldn't that be fairly Quick? It may take 5 mins, not 2 mins, but might be a possibility?

First order of business, how difficult/time consuming is it to remove one of the pins?

Anyone have any thoughts about it?

 

[Just2quickz28]

I have been doing that to swap between the bucket and my plow that mounts on the bucket pins.

it can be a pain, theres a retaining bolt per pin (2 different sizes) so that means 2 sets of wrenches and sockets. Then you have to use a 3/8s drive extension and hammer to drive out the pins which usually takes all the grease off the pins then line up the next attachment and regrease the pins and drive the pins back in depending on the weight of the attachments (front bucket pretty light can move it on my own but my plow is much heavier) it takes me about 25 mins now that I have had some practice

but at that rate I dont bother sometimes with the snow plow and just plow the driveway with the bucket.

I am going to see if I can get my hands on the ATI pin style to see if its worth while

 

[SkunkWerX]

I have been doing that to swap between the bucket and my plow that mounts on the bucket pins.

it can be a pain, theres a retaining bolt per pin (2 different sizes) so that means 2 sets of wrenches and sockets. Then you have to use a 3/8s drive extension and hammer to drive out the pins which usually takes all the grease off the pins then line up the next attachment and regrease the pins and drive the pins back in depending on the weight of the attachments (front bucket pretty light can move it on my own but my plow is much heavier) it takes me about 25 mins now that I have had some practice

but at that rate I dont bother sometimes with the snow plow and just plow the driveway with the bucket.

I am going to see if I can get my hands on the ATI pin style to see if its worth while

Thanks for the info! That is more time and effort for something we would like to be called QUICK.

Good answer though, now we know what we are dealing with.

i hate to fabricate a Quick Attach and find it weighs 100#, that is 1/5th of the bucket lift capacity robbed.

 

[Just2quickz28]

i hate to fabricate a Quick Attach and find it weighs 100#, that is 1/5th of the bucket lift capacity robbed.

Exactly, for what I am looking for that ATI Pin on looks decent enough. If you look closely at the the ATI PIN On QA the ends where it will meet the bucket are tapered almost triangular to help with lining up the attachments. And then for building attachments use the bucket mounts as a template and go to town. I am going to stop at the local dealer on my way home from work and see what they say.

 

[bx23barry]

After reading this the pats system popped into my head. Seems they (or something like them) could be adapted to the fel arms to attach the lower fel (or whatever) pins. Might wear the pins without the captive grease of the pin holes but I'm not sure how big a deal it would be. With the lower pins connected the cylinder pin would be pretty easy to line up and one pin to dive out/in is better than 3.

 

[Just2quickz28]

ATI used to sell a QD option for the Kubota BX, a pin on type. Sale of that item has been discontinued I think, but the last time I looked, there were still pictures of the setup at their web site. I think there were some problems with camming forces exerted by the center tilt cylinder, but it might be worth a look for ideas anyway.

Chuck was dead on.
I just stopped in and talked with the local dealer who called ATI on the spot and even put them on speaker phone . They are no longer selling the model for the BX loader arms, no matter how much they tried to reinforce the center attachment point they would tear apart. (note when they where operational they were reported back to ATI that they worked great....till they broke) Which I guess why the front bucket of the BX series is really reinforced at this point.

Anything else I can think of starts to weigh more than the front bucket plus whatever attachment (except maybe my plow)

 

[SkunkWerX]

OK, so maybe the solution is just to have some Quick Pins made that fit the existing pin holes? Not sure.

I am going to remove one of the pins and take a look at what might be possible. Thinking of a set-up like the FEL locking pins, they are big and sturdy, but come out very easily.

Then, any attachment would just need to be built with the same geometry as the back of the bucket, so the 3 Pins line up....and re-inforce that center pin!!

This is just thinking out loud, right now.

 

[Just2quickz28]

Thinking out loud is good. I also asked the dealer about the other types of pins, the non drive in kind, the ones you can pull out by hand, cannot remember the term...... He then reminded me of the center connection that has the grease fitting built into the pin?

And on top of that it takes a good ammount of pressure to drive out the pins.

I am really starting to think that bolting something into the front bucket is the way to go.

Still looking for ideas...............

 

[SkunkWerX]

My thinking was to replace the original pins for good, or modify them permanently.

It seems if you took the original pins, turned them down a thousands of an inch or two, they would still be relatively tight, but able to be slid back in easier?

As far as the grease fitting goes, if you use the same pin (modified) you still have the grease fitting. A new pin would need to be drilled for one.

I wonder how much $$$ for a new set of pins?

 

[Just2quickz28]

The more I look at the ATI quick attach picture. I think I can see where the failure point is on the units. From the looks of this ( I may be wrong pictures are really small ) you would drive up to the bucket line up the center attachment point and curl the unit in and it would line up the out side pins making it easy to put the pins in. But I do not see where a pin would actually attach the front bucket to the center point, does it just rest there?

I think the side connections of the design would work well and to design the center to have to pins one to hook up with the cylinder and then actually take a slip-fit pin (thats the term I was searching the brain for earlier) for a strong secure connection. I think the downfall of this product on the BX series was the idea that it would require no modifications to the front bucket and would easily work with the rest of the attachments ATI sells. By adding a second PIN or bold to the front bucket as the place to initially grab the bucket with the loader arms and then putting a pin in would most likely relieve the stress on the center point.

from the product manual
No modifications are needed for the tractor or bucket. Quickly change attachments or drop bucket for better maneuverability-- just hook into the top bucket pins and then manually insert the tapered lower pins. Pin-type quick attaches are available for the following tractors

 

[Just2quickz28]

I found this user RobZ that has the Pin type QA on a different tractor with the different arms but it has close ups of where the connection issue would be with the center pin on the BX series

http://www.tractorbynet.com/photos/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/529

 

[SkunkWerX]

I enlarged the pic of the QA for the BX.

Looks like the factory pins get re-installed into the QA, but then, the implements are "hooked", even the center cylinder.

There would be torque-ing going on between the two outer FEL arm points and the center point. If you beefed it up you would start adding additional weight to the whole contraption.

That is why I am leaning more toward using the stock pin holes as the coupling points, won't be truly QUICK connect, maybe semi-quick, I don't mind a 5 minute change-out , 20 mins would be too much.

 

[Just2quickz28]

The 2 outer pins are using a slip fit style pin, that could be pulled out by hand and the center is not pinned at all its hooked. Even on the two piston models like RobZs photos show that the dump and curl mechanisims are all hooked in.

I don't think the hook point is where the load should be, use the hook to pull the bucket in and line up the holes and then use a 3rd slip fit pin to hook the center secure the bucket to the mount.

I wish I could get my hands on the discontinued BX model to try adjustments. I think there would be a decent sized market for something like this for the BX series.