Equipment Dollies I Made

[TerryR]

I sadly came to the conclusion that 1) I'm not getting any younger, 2) my tractor "toys" are not getting any lighter, and 3) the number of toys has outgrown the space I designed into my storage shed. As a result changing attachments was becoming a growing issue. I looked at quick hitches, but concluded they are expensive, heavy, and didn't really address the storage issue.

So with my 70th birthday approaching last fall I decided to finally move ahead with a long-standing idea to build dollies for most of my attachments. The photos show the result, which have been very satisfactory. I changing attachments is now much easier. I no longer have to get the tractor in just the right position, and the tools move easily to make the connections. Implements stacked in front of others is no longer an issue - I can just wheel them aside to get to the one in the rear.

Not having welding tools, I made them from scrap wood, buying only the bolts and casters. I found Caster City very helpful - they have a wide variety of types, and there is a live person who will advise on type, size, and tire type based on weight, floor condition, etc.

Learnings: 1) The 600# chipper is about the upper limit in weight for this approach. Even with heavy duty casters, it's a bit tough to get moving. 2) The one for the tiller is under-engineered. Even with very old hard 2x4s, they are bowing laid flat. They will get reinforced next time I get the tiller out. 3) The fixed upright on the blade dolly is less than ideal. Since I often adjust the top link to get the blade to cut as needed, when I bring it in it always needs adjustment to set on the dolly.

But all in all, they are a big improvement. I no longer hesitate to change implements for a few minutes of work.

Terry

 

[sfloggie]

Very nice Terry and thanks for the pictures. I need to do the same and your ideas help.

I am also in the older phase as I passed the "getting older" a while ago!

Best to you.

Jim

 

[Branchchipper]

Thanks for posting the pics- I did the exact same thing a while back for a half-dozen implements!
It was a big success from several angles- better use of storage space, ease of movement of very heavy stuff, and safety!
As stated, it makes it much more "pleasant" to simply drive up and swap out implements.

 

[Bullseye]

I have been thinking about making some myself.

I also keep thinking about getting a pallet jack and using pallets. Has anyone tried this method?

 

[tractchores]

Nice dollies! I'm doing the same myself, but don't have nearly the assortment of implements you do. For really heavy stuff you might try the rubberized casters, I made a dolly for my BH, which weighs over 1,000 lbs and it's not too bad to roll around on a clean floor using those wheels.

Here are the ones I built:

 

[Triguy1]

Brilliant! I made these two recently, they have made it a lot easier to do things by myself.

 

[TerryR]

Bullseye,

I'd think that if storage space is an issue, using pallets would cause wasted floor space. By building dollies to fit each item, you can pack them more closely together.

Depending on the nature of the storage area, I'd also think getting the pallet jack into the items might be an issue. Probably not if you have a square building, but one line mine that's long and narrow, with access to the front of each bay, would be a problem.

Terry

 

[lhfarm]

Great job! Thanks for posting. A few years ago I built a BH dolly and it was my first welding job. It is still sticking together and has been wonderful. I think wood is great for smaller implements. I like your blade stand and will copy it. How would you change the upright if you were doing it again?

 

[ENG18LT]

Well done! Just a couple weeks ago I decided to start putting stuff on rolling stands for two reasons. 1) storage space and 2) easier to hook up. I made the decision to do this after buying a PHD, wasn't planning on the purchase . I couldn't come up with a good way to store the PHD inside and did not want to just drill it into the ground. So this is what I came up with:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258048&stc=1&d=1332790576

After I did this and tried it, I thought wow! That was easy to hook up AND store. I just need to get some more wheels and steel for the rest of my toys, I mean tools! :laughing:

 

[Ed Hill]

I am only 60 but I came to the same conclusion. So far I have built wood dollies with casters for my box blade, my Meyer Drive-pro snow plow, my tiller, and my Herd sander. My backhoe is so big that I drop it onto two wooden timbers someplace in the yard. Your posting inspire me to consider a dolly though. If I were smarter with computers I would post pictures.