Goodbye Kubota, hello EarthForce

gordon · Dec 27, 2001

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Mark, I'm curious about the gauge wheels on the rake. The way they are mounted, in front of the rake and will be riding on the ungraded area. Hum wonder can they be flipped around to the rear of the rake. So the wheels will be riding on the graded part. This is what has me thinking how well all of these are going to work.

A friend of mine has a ASV posi track and really likes having the rotary cutter out front. I have never run it with it on there so I can't say. But have used it with the front end loader and it can move some dirt. Legal for the amish in this area to own so alot of them are popping up around here.

That picture of the pallet forks man those things look tough. Nice. As well as that rotary cutter, looks bullet proof. As for the brush brute it's already been said on this forum how tough they are. But it got me to thinking of another post that you made awhile back about getting ahold of the company. NO one there --- why cuz their moose hunting. I still laugh when I think about that one. I made a similar set up of the brush brute for the three point and really like it. Have to convert to the bucket to put down pressure on it, making it easier to clean. Can get alittle down pressure using the hydraulic top link but thats alot of times isn't enough.

I've got a couple of questions on the 4310 that I'm hoping you can answer as well. But that can wait a couple days. Cuz I know your busy playing with your new toys./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Don't know if it's the pic's that does it or what. I tried the 1024x768 and it made it fit on the page but print and all was real small. Right now I've got it at 800 x 600 and the header at the top of the page tractor by net is fine but the thread itself is wider than the screen. Oh well.

Gordon

MChalkley · Dec 27, 2001

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Gordon - I've been wondering about the gauge wheels running on an ungraded surface, too. I'll have to find out from experience, I guess. I did ask half a dozen folks who use this kind of implement, and they all claimed it works fine that way. All the skid steer implements work that way, even the laser operated stuff, so it must work ok. In answer to your question, though, you can turn the rake around and back-drag with it, which allows the gauge wheels to roll on the surface after it's been graded.

One of the enhancements I've been considering is a hydraulic gauge wheel that mounts to the cross-tube of the loader. That way, I'd have a gauge wheel that rolls on the graded surface that would work with any implement. It won't be easy to do, though, I suspect.

My neighbor rented an ASV with an Ammbusher on it about 2 weeks after I ordered mine. It was a 5' model, instead of a 6' one, but it would sure cut the brush...

One of the things I didn't particularly like about the pallet forks I had for the L4310 was that the kind that hooks on the bucket is hard to get out from under stuff if you don't chain or strap the bottoms to the bucket, which sort of removes most of the advantage of hooking them onto the bucket. With these, they're not only anchored at the bottom, but they lock into position side to side, have a good guard to keep stuff from falling back on your grill, and seem to be plenty heavy duty. They're rated for 5,000 pounds, but a customers I talked to at a dealer I visited told me he's used the same set on a big Cat TLB to lift well over 5,000 pounds with no problems, so I don't think I'll have to worry about them.

I can see where down pressure would be very handy to have with the Brush Brute, or a similar device. I don't see any way you hurt that Brush Brute, though - it's solid as a rock. But what would you expect of someone who closes up shop for several weeks to go moose hunting? /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

As for the L4310 questions, ask away any time you like. I don't play with the toys at night anyway. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

MarkC

JATO_RaT · Dec 28, 2001

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Mark, how does the material caught in the teeth of the brush brute get ejected? Is there a mechanical means or do you scrape it off with the combination of reverse drag method? Also, do you grade with the York rake as in leveling the loosened material be it crushed rock or dirt? Thanks, Rat...

Anonymous Poster · Dec 28, 2001

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Large rental companies using EarthForce series
Taylor Rental and EarthForce

Anonymous Poster · Dec 28, 2001

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Some more pictures of working EarthForce…
The most powerful compact TLBs in their class, by a wide margin.

JATO_RaT · Dec 28, 2001

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

John, John, John, lets not stretch the truth, your article says and I quote "Jay Maners, owner of Taylor Rental in Mount Vernon, OH, a midsize rental company". Its hard to be the one to have to correct you. Rat...

P.S. kidding of course, thanks as usual for the great info but it does make me wonder just what it is you do for a living. I think of you as a professional tractor information getter.

Anonymous Poster · Dec 28, 2001

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

<font color=blue>...think of you as a professional tractor information getter...</font color=blue>

Rat.... Shhhhhhhhhh.../w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Anonymous Poster · Dec 28, 2001

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Rat...

Wait til Muhammad gets my invoice.... /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

MChalkley · Dec 28, 2001

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

Rat - With the Brush Brute, you back-drag to scrape the stuff out of it.

The York Rake can be used to grade with the tines or the blade. I haven't tried grading roads with the tines yet, but I'm anxious to. The product known as the FrontRunner is specifically designed to work that way - in fact it doesn't have a blade option. That's why I went with the York model, even though the FrontRunner has a bit larger tines. The advantage of grading with tines, instead of a blade supposedly is that you can work much faster, due to the forgiveness of the tines. Also, the tines supposedly don't gum up with debris, like leaves and pine needles, like a blade will. I'll report how it really works soon.

Of course, the rake can also be used for traditional rake uses, such as roots, debris, etc. so that, combined with the drop down blade, makes it a lot more versatile attachment, I hope.

MarkC

MChalkley · Dec 28, 2001

Re: More EF-5 info, pictures

John - Nice links - thanks! I think the EarthForce machines are the most powerful machines in their class, easily. Of course, some might say that's a bit redundant, since there's not much in their class... As I said in a previous post, some of the full-size TLB dealers are finding that their customers are switching to EarthForce mini-TLB's, so that tells you something. One guy I talked to told of somebody he watched needing to put a pallet with well over 5,000 pounds of stuff on it on an 18-wheeler flatbed, but the forklift was busted - so he put a set of forks on an EF-4, went over to and tried to lift it, but the rear end came up off the ground. Undeterred, he backed over to a big rockbreaker, picked it up with the backhoe, went back over to the pallet, lifted it off the ground, moved it over to the flatbed and set it down, then went on his merry way. Now, I certainly don't know anybody else who would abuse a machine that way - do you? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

MarkC

MChalkley · Dec 28, 2001

Re: Home-made Soil Pulverizer

This picture probably belongs in a separate thread in the "Attachments" section, but it's for my EF-5, so it's going here.

I haven't seen any soil pulverizers as heavy duty as I wanted, so home-made was the only alternative. This soil pulverizer uses 78" of 12" H-beam as the starting point. When I added up most of the materials, I estimated the weight at about 1100 pounds. The teeth are purchased, but everything else is scratch-built. Well, the H-beam and 8" diameter thick-wall pipe were purchased, too, but you knew that, right? The roller spikes are 1/2" rod. Instead of those wimpy springs some pulverizers I looked at had, which you could push down with your fingers, the roller has pickup truck shocks to hold it down. I still have to weld a quick-attach plate to it. As you can see, it's now got a Freedom Hitch on it, because it was finished before the EF-5 got here, so I used it a couple times on the L4310 before I sold it.

MarkC

Bird · Dec 28, 2001

Re: Home-made Soil Pulverizer

Wow, that oughta do a job! And you made that yourself?

MChalkley · Dec 28, 2001

Re: Home-made Soil Pulverizer

Bird - Nope, I can't take credit for the workmanship - I only participated directly in the design and selection of materials. A friend of mine, who used to be a mechanic, but is now an equipment operator for a landscaping company down the road a few miles, did the hard part.

One of the features I really wanted to be different about it was in the scarifiers. I wanted them to hang down 5", instead of the 3-4" you usually see. The only problem with doing that is if you hit really big rocks, you can bend them more easily. So, I'm looking for stronger scarifier teeth that will still fit in the u-bolts so I can "move the weak link" as I replace existing ones due to atrition.

There's still a few wrinkles to iron out, but whatever you drag that thing over, short of bedrock, it's pretty well, well, pulverized.

MarkC

gordon · Dec 28, 2001

Re: Home-made Soil Pulverizer

Hay u don't have a couple of those freedom hitch plates left do ya?

One tough rascal, with the wieght to boot, thats the key to keep it from skipping across the ground.

Now will you have to revamp it to run on the new tractor?
The new software or upgrade has fixed the wide screen problem that I was having before ----Thanks Muhammad

Gordon

HR_Mutt · Dec 29, 2001

Re: Home-made Soil Pulverizer

MChalkley
I just picked up a 9' by 12" H beam to make a pulverizer also. All I've done w/ it is mount it to a cat 1 3ph that used to bolt to a snow blade. I was looking at using socket head cap screws. say 3/4" for the scarifiers. That's a lot of holes to drill for the u-bolts/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. I'll add a piece along the top so they don't push up. Originally I was going to cut the heads off the bolts, now thinking maybe turn an angle on them.
regards
Mutt

MChalkley · Dec 29, 2001

Re: Home-made Soil Pulverizer

Gordon - I might end up with an implement sections left over, but no tractor section.

I'm not sure how I'm going to install the quick-attach plate yet, but I'm leaning strongly toward welding it in the same place the Freedom Hitch is now. That would require backdragging it, but I wouldn't be driving over the part I've done. Plus, the EarthForce machines have excellent mirrors on both sides - I tested them pretty thoroughly, and when they're properly adjusted it's easy to backdrag without even turning around, unless you're in a really tight spot, of course.

MChalkley · Dec 29, 2001

Re: Home-made Soil Pulverizer

Mutt - We burned the holes - it was just too much trouble to drill them. I'm sure you'll be pleased with it, though. It'll definitely do the job. Still, I found that in some situations, I still needed more weight - if I hadn't known I was going to be using it on the EF-5, instead of the Kubota, I'd have added some concrete to it or something. When it's mounted on the EarthForce, it'll have the additional weight of the loader, which should be another 500-750 pounds, plus the ability to apply downforce. I don't think I'll be needing any more weight then.

HR_Mutt · Dec 29, 2001

Re: Home-made Soil Pulverizer

MChalkley
By needing more weight, did you get some hopping?? The reason I ask, when I pulled it around w/ chain it didn't hop. As soon as the 3ph was attached, top link adjustment was a little more sensitive. Looking at putting in a piece of chain so beam will float a bit but still be able to lift it up. Ack! Read your post again, guess that won't apply in your setup/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.
regards
Mutt

MChalkley · Dec 29, 2001

Re: Home-made Soil Pulverizer

Mutt - No, it wasn't hopping, just not digging in deeply enough to suit me. I was using it to resurface an existing gravel parking lot, though, so it wasn't the typical use a soil pulverizer would be put to. Still, it did an excellent job - after I chained my 600-lb box scraper on top of it! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif One guy who saw it while driving up said he thought it was the strangest looking contraption he'd ever seen until he got close enough to figure out what it was...