FEL boom pole w/basket
- Thread starter LetsRoll
- Start date
- Views: 6238
LetsRoll,
Please understand that no one is putting you down for starting a project like this. Many (as least I!) just don't want someone to get hurt.
I often build stuff that ends up not working. Mostly I don't show it to others.............. But anytime a person's safety is involved, I feel it is important to speak up. In all likelihood, you are the safest to operate your tractor, which means you would have to put a friend/loved one up there.
Pls post any future ideas; hopefully we won't drive you away.
Best Wishes--Semper Fi!
Ron
Please understand that no one is putting you down for starting a project like this. Many (as least I!) just don't want someone to get hurt.
I often build stuff that ends up not working. Mostly I don't show it to others.............. But anytime a person's safety is involved, I feel it is important to speak up. In all likelihood, you are the safest to operate your tractor, which means you would have to put a friend/loved one up there.
Pls post any future ideas; hopefully we won't drive you away.
Best Wishes--Semper Fi!
Ron
westbrooklawn
Platinum Member
LetsRoll -
Kudos to you for the creative thinking that went into your Boom pole/basket project... and SUPER KUDOS for your realization that it needs to be scrapped for safety reasons. It takes a big person to admit that an idea was not a good one. I suspect many would have become very defensive and stuck to their guns on the merits of their idea, regardless of the potential for disaster.
Remember... if you don't have some failures you will never have any successes. Keep creating!!
Kudos to you for the creative thinking that went into your Boom pole/basket project... and SUPER KUDOS for your realization that it needs to be scrapped for safety reasons. It takes a big person to admit that an idea was not a good one. I suspect many would have become very defensive and stuck to their guns on the merits of their idea, regardless of the potential for disaster.
Remember... if you don't have some failures you will never have any successes. Keep creating!!
PILOON
Super Star Member
to:LetsRoll
Firstly hat's off to you for sharing/consulting with this forum.
Secondly for understanding and seeing the wisdom of other more experienced welder/fabricators and being graceful about it.
That's one good thing about TBN, There are REAL experts here in many fields.
I used to sell forklifts and can concur with all comments made.
Could also add that OSHA is VERY STRICT on design criteria for such projects.
What was not mentioned were mandatory cage controls with double safety switches so that driver could NEVER operate/overide cage movement without cage consent.
Generally that consisted of two (2) switches spaced 2ft apart that required both cage hands to actiate.
This in turn was wired to a solinoid shutoff valve on the hydraulic circuit to prevent both accidental and driver iniated
movements.
Even this circuit had to be 'fail safe' in as that it had to be in a 'normally closed' position.
Another point was that at elevation outrigger legs would have been needed.(Even with just a few degrees of side tilt due to uneven ground , up there at 20-30ft the whole side center of gravity would have been such that the tractor would probably have flopped sideways.)
Also to all TBN members that took the iniative to speak up.
Not everybody would have cared enough to take the steps as well as expose themselves to critisism.
By some calculations and comments I noted that at least one of you was probably an engineer and others were 'been there done that type of experienced' guys.
Myself, I am a liscenced aircraft maintainance engineer (A&P) hence understand CG's and such.
Firstly hat's off to you for sharing/consulting with this forum.
Secondly for understanding and seeing the wisdom of other more experienced welder/fabricators and being graceful about it.
That's one good thing about TBN, There are REAL experts here in many fields.
I used to sell forklifts and can concur with all comments made.
Could also add that OSHA is VERY STRICT on design criteria for such projects.
What was not mentioned were mandatory cage controls with double safety switches so that driver could NEVER operate/overide cage movement without cage consent.
Generally that consisted of two (2) switches spaced 2ft apart that required both cage hands to actiate.
This in turn was wired to a solinoid shutoff valve on the hydraulic circuit to prevent both accidental and driver iniated
movements.
Even this circuit had to be 'fail safe' in as that it had to be in a 'normally closed' position.
Another point was that at elevation outrigger legs would have been needed.(Even with just a few degrees of side tilt due to uneven ground , up there at 20-30ft the whole side center of gravity would have been such that the tractor would probably have flopped sideways.)
Also to all TBN members that took the iniative to speak up.
Not everybody would have cared enough to take the steps as well as expose themselves to critisism.
By some calculations and comments I noted that at least one of you was probably an engineer and others were 'been there done that type of experienced' guys.
Myself, I am a liscenced aircraft maintainance engineer (A&P) hence understand CG's and such.
txdon
Super Star Member
Lets Roll, I have twice busted the loader hydraulic line by pushing brush at a stressful angle and the bucket (curl) immediately went limp. If someone was in the bucket it would be like an elevator suddenly dropped. You are wise to drop the idea for safety reasons.
BigDogues
Gold Member
Good planning to scrap that rig IMHO. You can always rent a boom rig at Home Depot for a lot less than cost of the medical bills that thing would incur. I wouldn't get rid of the whole thing though, just the basket. That pole could certainly come in handy for other things as long as there isn't anyone swinging off the far end of it. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
JayDavis
Bronze Member
I came across this thread too late and didn't get to see any of the pictures you guys did. BUT.... if there was a sufficient platform attached right at the loader, I would get into it but I'd have to trust the operator. I've seen how much bounce there is in a FEL, so I wouldn't stand in it while traveling more than a few feet at a time. Sometimes terrain can set up an oscillation in the loader that would probably throw a person right off any platform at all but the slowest ground speeds. It is real noticable in a bumpy pasture carrying a 6x6' round bale on the front and one on the back.
Take what you've got, and bring the platform up to the tractor as close as possible and beef it up. There are many uses in which this would probably be fairly safe, such as a ladder substitute..... but I wouldn't use it in a situation where something could fall on the loader.
When I was little, my dad and grandpa were cutting a 100ft pine tree down. They told me to get behind the tractor where "it was safe." Well, the tree as it fell dropped a large limb that landed right across the bucket of the tractor. The tractor probably weighed in at 10,000lbs but I remember seeing the rear end lift up several feet into the air before crashing back down. If there had been a person inside the cab, they would have had an amazing ride.
Take what you've got, and bring the platform up to the tractor as close as possible and beef it up. There are many uses in which this would probably be fairly safe, such as a ladder substitute..... but I wouldn't use it in a situation where something could fall on the loader.
When I was little, my dad and grandpa were cutting a 100ft pine tree down. They told me to get behind the tractor where "it was safe." Well, the tree as it fell dropped a large limb that landed right across the bucket of the tractor. The tractor probably weighed in at 10,000lbs but I remember seeing the rear end lift up several feet into the air before crashing back down. If there had been a person inside the cab, they would have had an amazing ride.
jc7622
Silver Member
Letsroll, would you mind reposting a picture of the boom cage so that those of us late to the discussion can see it. It may help others with the same idea avoid the same pitfalls.
MrZukerman
Bronze Member
I can see that their is a differance in the over all design but it's the same ideal. why does this get so much praise?
JerryG
Super Member
Same basic design except it is about 30 feet shorter. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
CTyler
Veteran Member
With it being in close you dont have the control magnification issue. There is still the issue with the hydraulics failing on the FEL though.
That said I would get in to that to get lifted up but not travel in it. I made a 4x8 platform that I pick up with my pallet forks and stand on it, it has saftey chains so it can't slide anywhere.
That said I would get in to that to get lifted up but not travel in it. I made a 4x8 platform that I pick up with my pallet forks and stand on it, it has saftey chains so it can't slide anywhere.
jinman
Rest in Peace
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2001
- Messages
- 21,059
- Location
- Texas - Wise County - Sunset
- Tractor
- NHTC45D, NH LB75B, Ford Jubilee
As a boompole for lifting light loads up to high rooftops (like one square of composition shingles) Letsroll's idea would also get cautious praise in my opinion. It's the arm's length that makes it absolutely dangerous for a manlift.
In your picture of the bucket lift, there is a strap from the bucket arm to where? Top of the bucket? I think not, probably to the lift arms or crossbar so it holds the bucket to keep it from curling down or sagging due to hydraulic leakdown of the cylinders. It also looks like the overall height is not much more than a 12' stepladder. Even with this relatively safe arrangement, I think I'd want small orifices on both curl and both lift cylinders between the cylinder and the hoses so everything would move slowly in the down direction. Putting orifices on both cylinders would ensure if one cylinder failed internally or either hose failed, the other would only "slowly" bleed down. A safer arrangement for using the loader as a manlift would be pilot operated checkvalves on each cylinder just like our toplink cylinders from CCI. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Even with all those precautions, I'd want to make sure I stayed on good terms with the operator on the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
In your picture of the bucket lift, there is a strap from the bucket arm to where? Top of the bucket? I think not, probably to the lift arms or crossbar so it holds the bucket to keep it from curling down or sagging due to hydraulic leakdown of the cylinders. It also looks like the overall height is not much more than a 12' stepladder. Even with this relatively safe arrangement, I think I'd want small orifices on both curl and both lift cylinders between the cylinder and the hoses so everything would move slowly in the down direction. Putting orifices on both cylinders would ensure if one cylinder failed internally or either hose failed, the other would only "slowly" bleed down. A safer arrangement for using the loader as a manlift would be pilot operated checkvalves on each cylinder just like our toplink cylinders from CCI. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Even with all those precautions, I'd want to make sure I stayed on good terms with the operator on the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Inspector507
Super Member
Jim,
Look real close and you can see the yellow strap coming back under the bucket and hooked on the bucket lip.
Look real close and you can see the yellow strap coming back under the bucket and hooked on the bucket lip.
jinman
Rest in Peace
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2001
- Messages
- 21,059
- Location
- Texas - Wise County - Sunset
- Tractor
- NHTC45D, NH LB75B, Ford Jubilee
Yep... Now I see it. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
cleatus
Gold Member
Lots of leverage difference.
