DK lower loader brackets

seacap04 · Jul 9, 2012

I pushed my DK45SE HST too hard and bent the lower loader brackets up like pretzels. This tractor is a beast. Anyway, closest dealer quoted a price of over $80 a piece for new ones. Instead I had a steel shop cut new ones out of 3/4" plate and had a machine shop bore the pin and lock bolt holes for the about the same cost. I don't think I can bend these.

Coyote machine · Jul 9, 2012

Wow! you must have really pushed it to bend the ones on a DK-45. I did the same thing on my DK-35 and they were replaced under warranty. I bent those too, not as badly, and then had them reinforced, but they still started to bend, so I traded up to the DK-40 and have been more careful to try to not bend them on it. One word of caution, now that you've 'overbuilt' new ones you could end up doing more serious costly damage if you take it too far...

seacap04 · Jul 9, 2012

I live in the middle of the woods in mid-coast Maine. Giaciers left us with more than our fair share of bloulders. I am clearing some more land around the house to get some more sunlight in the yard. I have an excavater coming into remove big rocks and stumps in a couple of weeks. I had one rock about 1/3 the of the size of the tractor that if I could move it about 20 ft I could plant a good size part of my future lawn. I did.

Yes, I will have to be carefull not to find the next "weak" spot. I am afraid it will be the loader mounts.

But, this tractor is awesome.

MotorSeven · Jul 10, 2012

Timely post, I just found one of mine bent a bit just yesterday. It's an inside one and it has a concave bow to it. I think I might have pushed on something to push it in like that, since I don't see how only using the loader to lift could only bend one of them at a time.
I'm going to take it off and straighten it & then see if that lasts very long before replacing it.

seacap04 · Jul 10, 2012

MotorSeven I did a double take when I saw Hancock Co. I live in Hancock Co in Maine.

Both my inside brackets were bent the most. One outside had a moderate bend and the other outside was just slightly bent.

I tried to straighten one out. With the tips I had I could not get it hot enough to do it. I needed a rose bud. Also I was going to have to reinforce them because once bent it will bend easily again.

MotorSeven · Jul 11, 2012

I wonder how the inside can bend more than the outside...the things are on the same pivot only 6" apart? Sure seems like they would both bend at the same rate eh?