Didn't "build it," but definitely DIY Man Basket...

[Lunk]

If you have a set of pallet forks, buy one of those caged 270 gal totes. You can usually find them on CL for 35-75 bucks. Remove the 4 bolts holding the top bars on and pull the plastic tank out. Strap the cage (I use a 2" ratchet - way overkill) to the forks. You now have a man basket for trimming limbs, cleaning gutters or siding, or I'm my case helping pick apples before they drop. Not OSHA approved I'm sure, but as safe as you want to make it for sure.

If this has been posted before, my apologies. Just thought I'd post it after using it the other day.

Lunk

 

[jeff9366]

If one of your Loader hydraulic hoses bursts, a fairly common event on tractors over three years old, you will be dead meat in court when someone is injured.

You probably have some liability for posting this recommendation.

 

[pokey1416]

Yep works great have had the wife up in it many times. I put yellow safety chain on the entry side and I have chains at each corner bottom (visible in the attached photograph) that prevent the tote from sliding off the forks. I used the ratchet strap to tighten everything down.

 

[ericm979]

I cut "doors" in mine to make it easier to get in and out. I need to make bars to go across the tops of the doors to make it harder to fall out accidentally. And add hooks by each door to keep the ladder in position.

 

[some zilch]

wow, three years before a hydraulic hose breaks? that seems unheard of..... they make legit certified man baskets for forklifts/telehandlers

 

[KennyG]

I didn't realize my hoses were 7 years overdue to burst. :confused3:

 

[4570Man]

If one of your Loader hydraulic hoses bursts, a fairly common event on tractors over three years old, you will be dead meat in court when someone is injured.

You probably have some liability for posting this recommendation.

It’s not perfect but it’s a heck of a lot better than using a ladder. I’ll take the chance of hose blowing under fairly light load vs falling off a ladder any time.

 

[fried1765]

My L48 TLB is now officially 14 years old, and appears to have all original hoses.

 

[Jstpssng]

I spent many hours picking apples, pears grapes,... from the bucket of my father's Ford 4400. My uncle and cousins painted a house from the bucket. Yet knowing what I do now, I have reservations about it.
I asked him about it a few years before he passed away and he said that the chances of both hoses failing at the same time were slim. He generally knew what he was talking about when it came to farm equipment or anything else; if he didn't know, he wouldn't say anything.
That time he was wrong. Tractors are an open system so if something fails everything collapses.

Man lifts have check valves to hold cylinders in place if something fails. You can add the same to your tractor for a price.

Then again, how often has somebody had a hydraulic failure with somebody in the bucket?

I did use my loader tonight to fix the roof on my henhouse. As somebody else mentioned it was a lot safer than leaning out from a ladder ... which is what I used to get up into the raised bucket.

 

[Diggin It]

I popped a hose on my roughly two year old backhoe this Fall. It was the Power Beyond hose that couples back into the tractor when the BH is off.

Not sure what would have happened if the loader had been up with a load. I have a tote basket with a door cut in. If I plan on doing much, I would use a 2x4 or similar under it.