Powertrac to ssqa adapter

[PowerTracManiac]

Thought I would start a specific post for this to follow my build.
Here is where I am at this point.
Bought the powertrac adapter plate directly from powertrac. This plate is for a
Powertrac 1460:




Bought the 3 pt hitch to ssqa adapter from Amazon.


Starting to line up the adapter plate to the ssqa to figure out what needs to be cut to make this work.

 

[PowerTracManiac]

I am thinking the top of my Powertrac adapter plate should be just below the angled "hook" portion of the ssqa-just about where the red line is. I think I will cut off the top of the 3 pt hitch portion of the ssqa plate.

If I lower the PT adapter plate some, it looks like I would cut away less of the 3pt portions of the ssqa. This would lower the point of contact of my PT adapter plate and the ssqa implements would stick up a bit? Don't know if that would be much of an issue or not?
I thought I might get lucky as the PT1430 adapter plate fits inside the 3pt hitch portion of the ssqa plate nicely (as pictured in previous post by another member). Unfortunately, the PT1460 plate looks wider and doesn't fit inside nicely. If you have a PT1430 and or smaller machine this will prolly be a little easier for u to fit your PT adapter plate inside the 3pt hitch portion of the ssqa.

 

[2manyrocks]

Looks like cutting into the top portion of the SSQA would put the PT plate where it interferes with operating the latch arms?

If you put the PT plate low, that would raise the overall height of where the SSQA carries the implement.

Seems to me the main issue is trying to figure out how the PT plate carries the load and then how to distribute it to the SSQA. On the PT, I think the load is carried at the top of the plate, but force is also applied by the loader arms to the portions of the PT plate I circled in yellow.

Another issue I seem to recall others having was deciding on how to angle the PT plate relative to the SSQA.

Which SSQA did you buy from Amazon?

 

[ponytug]

@PowerTracManiac

Just my two cents and definitely FWIW: I would put the adapter plate on your 1460, and try the SSQA against it on the PT to get a sense of what height/angle you might want for your uses.

If the PT plate is angled a bit with the base back toward the PT, you might end up with slightly different constraints. I'm not sure that I would rush to cut off the 3pt, until I was sure that I didn't ever need it. Easy to cut the 3pt off, a little harder, but not an all impossible, to put back.

Often I find that there is more of a need to incline SS implements back toward the PT more than I find that I need to tip them vertically, but that's just me, and the SS implements that I currently use. (Chipper, auger, power broom)

Good luck!

All the best,

Peter

 

[m5040]

I wanted to keep the top link attachment point on my conversion, and I did, until a hose got caught between those two ears and the PT top link when curled back.
Pay close attention to the "neutral" angle that you will engineer as your starting point. I duplicated the angle PT had on a grapple bucket.
Some attachments need to tilt forward more, some tilt back more. A compromise will be needed since it is an adapter and will be used with all sorts of equipment.

 

[PowerTracManiac]

For those enquiring about the adapters.

1) Amazon: YITAMOTOR 3 Point Quick Tach Adapter Universal Skid Steer Quick Attach Conversion Adapter Fit for 3 Point Cat 1 Tractor.
Cost me 313.00 including shipping.

2) Powertrac 1460 plate.
Cost me 600.00 including shipping.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Don’t cut anything off. Make a pattern of the plate from it and make your own. I made 6 of my own.

 

[PowerTracManiac]

Started the C.A.D design for the adapter plate--cardboard aided design---haha!!!
That cracks me up every time I hear it/say it.
The PT plate is heavy so this should help me figure out the position on the ssqa alot easier.

 

[2manyrocks]

For those SSQAs that have tubes as center cross members, my guess is the easiest way would be to determine the angle needed for mounting the PT plate to the SSQA, and then cutting a couple of pieces of tubing to the correct angle and length.

 

[ponytug]

Many of the SSQAs that I have seen are engineered to rely on the strength of the skid steer plate, making them relatively weaker to centrally applied forces, like the PT adapter. This makes them prone, I think, to bending around the PT adapter under loads.

So, speaking from experience, the SSQA may need additional reinforcement from the PT plate toward the periphery/edges. If you don't keep an eye on the flatness of the SSQA, and the welds around the PT adapter for cracks, or tearing of the parent metal. Bending a slightly bowed SSQA back to flat can be done shade tree style. I like using square tube for its strength and rigidity, but I'm no expert.

All the best,

Peter

 

[2manyrocks]

The fabrication problem is in part due to the PT loader arms and PT plate being narrower than the loader arms and SSQA attach points on something like my kubota for example. If you look at my kubota ssqa, the loader arms attach to brackets almost directly in line with the attachment points on the SSQA (black arrows).

The fabrication question is how best to transfer the load from the narrower PT plate to the wider SSQA attachment points without losing too much strength or adding too much weight to the modified adapter.

edit: adding gussets would improve the strength of the tube connections.

 

[PowerTracManiac]

Started by cutting the top portion of the 3 pt to ssqa out of the way. Don't think it will benefit me to be there.

 

[2manyrocks]

Post 122 seems to be similar to what you appear to be working with.

PowerTrac Specific Modifications

So, I picked up a power broom and an auger at auction. I needed the broom for a construction project, and realized that renting one was going to be 2/3rds the cost of a new one. The only issue was that the attachments were for skidsteers. So, I made a PT QA to skid steer quick attach plate...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[PowerTracManiac]

I am using my cardboard template to fit the location of the PT adapter plate. I cut the middle out of the cardboard adapter where it is too big to fit inside the 3pt side metal portions of the ssqa.
I think I want the top of the PT plate about even with the top tube crossmember of the ssqa. This is a good spot to weld to and places the pt plate about the same distance betwen the top and bottom hook portions of the ssqa plate. I don't think the PT plate will interfere with any implements because it will be set back on the back portion of the top tube crossmember and angled back at the bottom tube crossmember. Does anyone see any implement interference issues with this?

 

[m5040]

Keep in mind, when connecting to the SSQA attachment, you will need to tilt forward and go lower then said attachment. So with that in mind, you dont want the PT plate lower then the SSQA plate as it may be digging into the ground.

 

[PowerTracManiac]

Now that the top has been cut off I can find the angle for the PT plate. I want the PT plate to weld flush to the top ssqa tube crossmember and I would like some set back to the bottom of the plate. If I leave the bottom portion of the 3 pt hitch the angle is just about right. So I am going to cut the 3 pt side metal at the angle from flush at the ssqa top tube to the top of the 3 pt.

I like that angle. The metal there is 5/16 inch thick, so I think it will weld to the PT plate just fine?
I am going to raise the PT plate just slightly so it is about a 1/2 inch above the top ssqa support tube. FYI. I have seen some others where the PT plate is lower and inside the 3pt. metal side supports that I had to cut the angle into. If you have a smaller machine than a PT1460 that will prolly be possible and easier to do than cutting these side supports?



The next thing is to figure out some sort of bottom support for the PT plate. I am thinking angle iron going from the bottom ssqa tube up to the PT plate? Will strengthen the tube that goes across the ssqa and support the PT plate at the bottom at the angle that is now set by cutting the side supports.

 

[ponytug]

That's a nice beefy looking adapter. I would use bar stock or tube to reinforce the bottom of the PT plate. If you use angle iron, I would weld the PT plate to the outside corner of the angle, i.e. weld both edges of the angle iron to the SSQA tube to give you maximum force transfer.

If it were me, I would use the opportunity of having the welder on to touch up any welds that needed it for the SSQA's new use.

All the best,

Peter

 

[2manyrocks]

While I would lean towards using tube to go from the bottom tube of the SSQA to the PT plate, I'm wondering if you can repurpose any of the metal you've already removed from the SSQA to use it for reinforcement?

I ordered SSQA plates alone thinking I could avoid the work of cutting like you've done, but now I'm thinking you may have chosen the best route. edit: I think your route saves more fabrication work and being able to weld the PT plate to the lift arms that you tapered should increase the overall strength.

 

[PowerTracManiac]

2many rocks. Yes, I have some triangles leftover from cutting the side supports that I am planning on using to gusset things up. Stay tuned....
Yes, the angles that I cut into the side supports allow for what I think is a good position for the PTplate and they are actually welded up nicely. I think this will be plenty strong when all is welded up.
The reason I am thinking angle iron at the bottom tube is because it will sit nicely at the bottom of the ssqa tube cross member and I plan on notching the angle iron to the bottom portion of the 3pt pieces that are already there and welding to them also.
This style ssqa adapter has been very helpful due to already being welded up and has given me reference points that I am working off of. Just got lucky that the angle is good and the price of this adapter was very reasonable.
I want to thank m5040 for his original post about using this type of adapter!!

 

[2manyrocks]

Have you tried putting your SSQA adapter on a SSQA implement yet? The reason I'm asking is the link on Amazon is showing your adapter has an overall width of 30.94 inches. When I measured the overall width of my SSQA mount on my L2501, it's showing 44 10/16 inches wide.

I'll start with an apology for this being confusing because I am confused.

I thought I was going to save myself the trouble of cutting the pieces you've cut off by starting with two latch plates. I also thought it would be easy to weld the tube like shown in green below, but this means installing the plates opposite the sides they are normally intended to be installed.

The other way of maybe dealing with this is to install these the way they are supposed to be installed on a tractor, but cut out part of the latch patch to weld in a tube?



edit: to make less confusing, here is a picture of the way I believe the plates are intended to be installed. The overall width of the top of the SSQA plates end to end is 44 1/4" which now clears the welds on my Kubota bucket.