davesisk
Platinum Member
Hey Folks:
I've got a small CUT with 48" FEL bucket, and I'm trying to figure how to add something that will make leaf cleanup (some of which is in tight areas) remarkably easy. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I've looked at some of the towable leaf vacuum/shredders, they're ridiculously expensive and I think they're too bulky to work for me. I need something I can mount completely onto the 3PH or mount in the bucket in front. I think the front mount might be the better option, as I can simply dump then over the fence and in the woods with no difficulty.
So, I'm thinking of building a large sheetmetal bucket (with some angle iron as frame to help keep it rigid) that will fit into the 48" bucket, but extends past the front of it and flares out to the sides to make it wider. Think of something like a flared chute kind of idea. I would probably just use pins to pin it into place.
The bucket itself isn't difficult to fab. I'm now considering how to get leaves into the bucket. Two choices: vacuum or sweeper tines? I'm thinking the cheapest and most reliable alternative is probably to use some sort of tines on a rotating shaft across the front of the leaf bucket to sweep the leaves in. Think of the tow-behind lawn sweepers that you can pull behind a lawn tractor, now imagine something like that mounted on the FEL in front. I'm thinking small and fairly flexible tines...they don't need to be incredibly heavy, this is just leaves we're talking about (maybe an occasional branch or two)
So, the biggest question right now would be how to best turn the tines. The MF1220 I have has a 2000 rpm mid-pto that points forward (designed to run a mid-mount mower or snowblower to my understanding). The other options include turning the tines with a small hydraulic motor that runs off the tractor hydraulics, or a mid-size 12V electric motor that runs off the tractor electrical system, or I could put a small gasoline engine on there (like something off a leaf-blower, etc). I suppose I could even attach a cheap alternator to the mid or rear PTO and run an electric motor off that, or use a pto pump and run a hydraulic motor off that, but both those seem to be getting to complicated. I think it would be really difficult to actually run the tine motor off the mid-PTO directly...I'd have to disconnect the driveshaft everytime I wanted to go dump the leaves. I'm not crazy about using a small 2-stroke gas engine either...I've already got a 20hp diesel to provide power. It seems like the best two options are either running a hydraulic motor off the tractor hydraulic system, or running an electric motor off the tractor electrical system.
Hydraulic motors tend to generate a lot of heat in the hydraulic fluid that cylinders do not. Do you think I'd risk doing any damage to the tractor hydraulic system by running a small hydraulic motor off of it?
Same question for a electric motor...think I'd run any chance of damaged the tractor electrical system by running an electric motor off of it?
The other detail I've got to figure is how to get the tines out of the way when I want to dump the leaves. First thought would be to simply add a small hydraulic cylinder to lift the tines out of the way while dumping the leaves. Or, I suppose I could do that manually...the tine shaft and drive motor to have to attached to a bar that I can raise up and put pins in. I like the hydraulic approach here...I could raise the tine shaft and dump the leaves without even getting off the tractor, but I'd also have to plumb in another hydraulic valve to operate this part of the contraption. If I go the hydraulic motor route, I'd also need to plumb in a motor speed control valve or something similar.
One final thought. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to have a slotted bar that the tines turn through. I'd imagine leaves are going to stick onto the tines during use (just like they do with a hand rake). I'm thinking that having the tines turn through a slotted bar would not only push leaves off the tines, but would also actually do some minimal shredding to the leaves.
I'm thinking I'd also need to put 4 swivel adjustable pneumatic casters on it, one at each corner, so I could adjust the height precisely enough that I snag the leaves without ripping up all the grass underneath the leaves.
Any other thoughts or suggestions? What do you think of the idea so far?
Any suggestions on materials and where to get them? I've probably got enough sheetmetal to fab the bucket. I could simply use pipe or tubing for the tine shaft. I can get all the hydraulic stuff and/or probably suitable electric motor from a combination of Northern Tool and Surplus Center. Any suggestions on what to use for tines? They need to be sturdy enough that small branches won't bend them, but I also don't want to rip up all the turf while sweeping the leaves in! I'd imagine there's some harvesting equipment that works in a similar way, although I'm not at all familiar with any of the big stuff like that.
I suppose it might be easier to design this to mount to the 3PH and be powered off the PTO, but then I lose the ability to lift it 6' high to dump it!
Maybe I'd be better off to just get one of the tow-behind lawn sweepers and mount it to the bucket? They generally have tines that are powered by rolling it.
Let me know your thoughts on this one!
Dave
I've got a small CUT with 48" FEL bucket, and I'm trying to figure how to add something that will make leaf cleanup (some of which is in tight areas) remarkably easy. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I've looked at some of the towable leaf vacuum/shredders, they're ridiculously expensive and I think they're too bulky to work for me. I need something I can mount completely onto the 3PH or mount in the bucket in front. I think the front mount might be the better option, as I can simply dump then over the fence and in the woods with no difficulty.
So, I'm thinking of building a large sheetmetal bucket (with some angle iron as frame to help keep it rigid) that will fit into the 48" bucket, but extends past the front of it and flares out to the sides to make it wider. Think of something like a flared chute kind of idea. I would probably just use pins to pin it into place.
The bucket itself isn't difficult to fab. I'm now considering how to get leaves into the bucket. Two choices: vacuum or sweeper tines? I'm thinking the cheapest and most reliable alternative is probably to use some sort of tines on a rotating shaft across the front of the leaf bucket to sweep the leaves in. Think of the tow-behind lawn sweepers that you can pull behind a lawn tractor, now imagine something like that mounted on the FEL in front. I'm thinking small and fairly flexible tines...they don't need to be incredibly heavy, this is just leaves we're talking about (maybe an occasional branch or two)
So, the biggest question right now would be how to best turn the tines. The MF1220 I have has a 2000 rpm mid-pto that points forward (designed to run a mid-mount mower or snowblower to my understanding). The other options include turning the tines with a small hydraulic motor that runs off the tractor hydraulics, or a mid-size 12V electric motor that runs off the tractor electrical system, or I could put a small gasoline engine on there (like something off a leaf-blower, etc). I suppose I could even attach a cheap alternator to the mid or rear PTO and run an electric motor off that, or use a pto pump and run a hydraulic motor off that, but both those seem to be getting to complicated. I think it would be really difficult to actually run the tine motor off the mid-PTO directly...I'd have to disconnect the driveshaft everytime I wanted to go dump the leaves. I'm not crazy about using a small 2-stroke gas engine either...I've already got a 20hp diesel to provide power. It seems like the best two options are either running a hydraulic motor off the tractor hydraulic system, or running an electric motor off the tractor electrical system.
Hydraulic motors tend to generate a lot of heat in the hydraulic fluid that cylinders do not. Do you think I'd risk doing any damage to the tractor hydraulic system by running a small hydraulic motor off of it?
Same question for a electric motor...think I'd run any chance of damaged the tractor electrical system by running an electric motor off of it?
The other detail I've got to figure is how to get the tines out of the way when I want to dump the leaves. First thought would be to simply add a small hydraulic cylinder to lift the tines out of the way while dumping the leaves. Or, I suppose I could do that manually...the tine shaft and drive motor to have to attached to a bar that I can raise up and put pins in. I like the hydraulic approach here...I could raise the tine shaft and dump the leaves without even getting off the tractor, but I'd also have to plumb in another hydraulic valve to operate this part of the contraption. If I go the hydraulic motor route, I'd also need to plumb in a motor speed control valve or something similar.
One final thought. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to have a slotted bar that the tines turn through. I'd imagine leaves are going to stick onto the tines during use (just like they do with a hand rake). I'm thinking that having the tines turn through a slotted bar would not only push leaves off the tines, but would also actually do some minimal shredding to the leaves.
I'm thinking I'd also need to put 4 swivel adjustable pneumatic casters on it, one at each corner, so I could adjust the height precisely enough that I snag the leaves without ripping up all the grass underneath the leaves.
Any other thoughts or suggestions? What do you think of the idea so far?
Any suggestions on materials and where to get them? I've probably got enough sheetmetal to fab the bucket. I could simply use pipe or tubing for the tine shaft. I can get all the hydraulic stuff and/or probably suitable electric motor from a combination of Northern Tool and Surplus Center. Any suggestions on what to use for tines? They need to be sturdy enough that small branches won't bend them, but I also don't want to rip up all the turf while sweeping the leaves in! I'd imagine there's some harvesting equipment that works in a similar way, although I'm not at all familiar with any of the big stuff like that.
I suppose it might be easier to design this to mount to the 3PH and be powered off the PTO, but then I lose the ability to lift it 6' high to dump it!
Maybe I'd be better off to just get one of the tow-behind lawn sweepers and mount it to the bucket? They generally have tines that are powered by rolling it.
Let me know your thoughts on this one!
Dave
