Converting wussy mount RC to manly captive pin

[Highbeam]

Update. The new and improved hog is all done and tested except for paint. I have three cans of chevy orange engine enamel for the job.

Here is the finished lower 3ph attachment point. I used the 7$ bimetal hole saw on the end of a hand drill to drill 4 of these holes. They aren't perfectly aligned but they don't need to be. The 15/16" hole saw left a 1" hole since it isn't exactly a precision instrument.

This picture also shows the lower attacment point of the top link structure. Note that I had to assure clearance for the cotter.

 

[Highbeam]

So here is the weak factory part showing how it bent. The channel is 4" so that's how much shorter my TL needed to be to be able to lift the hogs butt.

I needed to use the bent pieces to measure and lay out the replacement.

 

[Highbeam]

It wasn't easy. There are a few critical measurements and the setup took me way longer than I thought it would. I chopped off the old TL attachment point but made everything else from scratch.

 

[Highbeam]

Here it is getting test fit and finishing welds. The galvanized bars are 1.25" diameter G8 bolts that are used for luminaires. The TL structure can be much weaker in my revised design hog. I didn't get it totally straight but I was going freehand and alignment isn't critical here either.

 

[Highbeam]

Yahoo.

 

[Highbeam]

Here it is in transport mode on the tractor/trailer and at the property where the grass was nearing knee high. I stained my trailer deck too. Really lik the difference.

 

[Highbeam]

It worked.

I noticed a little more slop in the hog since it is now freer to move side to side a bit on the pins. The PTO shaft has u-joints so I can't see that being a problem. I mowed my entire wetland and grass area in about 4 hours before the rains came. The mower is now resting in the container onsite. Plan is to go out there tomorrow to box blade some of the lowland and then paint the mower.

Here's an after shot of the field.

Thanks for reading. I'll probably post again after paint.

 

[Highbeam]

Don't forget to wish me a happy birthday. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I dare you to guess my age.

 

[3RRL]

Happy birthday. You're 52 yrs old now, I would guess. Maybe a little younger or older??? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Enclosing the lift pins is a good idea. Glad you got it finished. Post some pics when you finish painting. So let me get this straight. You trailer your tractor everytime you drive up to the property?

 

[Highbeam]

Yes, trailer each time and I shoot for one day per weekend since I've got the little girls and momma to entertain. I burn about 9 gallons of gas for the round trip so I spend the whole day. Yesterday I was on the road by 6:30 and back home at 9:30. I left the generator and welder in the truck bed since I wanted to go to sleep badly.

I painted the mower but the engine enamel dried up pretty chalky. I kind of expected it to be shiny. Duplicolor engine enamel. The grass had already grown several inches since I cut it two weeks back. Looks even lusher now.

52? Wow. I was sitting on the floor indian style in 4th grade when the challenger exploded. Elvis died right about the same time I was born. My mom will be 52 in July though. I turned 29.

 

[3RRL]

Highbeam, you lucky dog! You're only 29? For Christ sake I figured anybody who has his own tractor, land, family etc (suburban too) has to be near retirement age. When I was 29 I didn't have a pot to pi$$ in! Plus you are so talented with fixing your own stuff or building it and welding etc...So consider THAT a compliment, please. I'll definitely have to drive up to Washington to meet you some day.

The day Elvis died...wow. I was in the hospital with a bleeding ulcer and they did surgery to stop the bleeding. I had a hole in my stomach the size of a ½ dollar. Ha ha, got that from when I was younger and thought I was tough, I used to show off for my friends and eat glass...don't do much of that anymore. When I recovered from surgery the next day, the news said Elvis died...I couldn't believe it ...it was unreal. I was 28 yrs old.

Did you primer it first? That should allow the enamel to come out shiny. And you're lucky it's not too far to drive back and forth. A lot of things can happen trailering a tractor and stuff. I wish my property was closer only so that I could get there faster..other than that, it's great to be out far away from the L.A. traffic and congestion of the city.

 

[Highbeam]

Thanks Rob. It's all about going to school to get a decent job and then setting priorities. I choose to spend money in places where some think it's silly like a tractor/land but don't spend money on things like new furniture, art, and new cars. I know your kids are grown but if your grandkids ever ask, tell them to go to school to get a marketable job, then they can have pretty much anything they want but not everything they want. At least it's working for me.

As far as metal work well I'm no good with wood, afraid I might cut my finger off hah!, so I started with motorcycle engines and then jeeps and then I got this free welder from a dead guy. Motorheads and welders combine to make tractor implement guys. I'll never make a hydraulic over gear driven box blade but I'll have some fun making, fixing, and improving things.

We made it down to SanJose and Carmel about 3 years ago on a crazy drive to move hazardous materials to a new house for a fellow engineer. It's a long drive but not too bad. You might get a house built on your site before me though. I need to follow your example and set up a long term website, I feel like I know your family through those pictures.

No primer, maybe that was my problem. The other thing was that it was drizzling pretty heavily and some may have blown in under the roof. I'll try another topcoat with the enamel to see if I can get a shine. I'm not going to worry too much about it though.

I don't even remember any part of the Mt. St. Helens eruption. I was 3 years old and lived in Bremerton.

One last piece of advice for your grandkids. Find a good lady from a big family.

 

[3RRL]

Yep, that's all good stuff Joe. Very nice family picture. Like that dozer too. Keep the projects and photos coming.

 

[dsgsr]

I hope all that was worth not buying a quality cutter in the first place?

David

 

[Highbeam]

I didn't really know any better at the time and have learned from my experience. Aside from getting hurt it was fun and cost effective to add steel. Had I been to a larger dealer and seen the range of light to heavy duty cutters I may have gotten a beefier unit from the start but it would have depended on the cost difference. You will notice here on TBN that the recommended route is to buy a light duty cutter and either reinforce it or just use the heck out of it. I couldn't find anyone recommending buying a heavy duty cutter.

I can't fault the quality of the cutter. It has a design that was meant for mowing fields. It would have worked fine for that. I now know that that particular design element is not appropriate for use in the brush. Quality, design, and cost are three different variables that must be balanced.