QA plate to mount my 7.5' plow on FEL

[DavidVT]

QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Hi, ( first snow yesterday, time to get going ...)
Starting slowly with this 'Build-it-yourself' stuff.

My 3430 has a woods FEL with a skidsteer style QA. I wanted to try and use my old snowboard from the long gone plow truck.

I ordered a blank attachment plate off Ebay and just welded onto it the OEM mounting pins from the old truck's plow frame.

I added a chain hook to the top edge of the plate and ran home before dark to try it last night. Operationally I see that I will need to extend the lift chain so the attachment plate is vertical when plowing.

I can see one big safety issue I need to resolve before this gets painted. If I were to lift the FEL to full height and then be foolish enough to curl the 'bucket' so to speak, I would probably end up with the heavy snowboard on my head in a rather deadly fashion.

Looking for suggestions on that? Is there a simple way to limit lift in the FEL without causing damage? Or should I perhaps weld a structure to my plate that will prevent the snowboard from coming up past some point near the horizontal? That might prove useful as a way to put downpressure on the snowboard by curling the attachment plate down....

I have yet to resolve how to steer or simply pin the snowboard for this winter. I would rather see if the tractor can deal with the weight before investing in the hydraulics to operate the plow swing. This FEL can be upgraded for 3rd hydraulics so that will probably be the eventual solution...

It is not much for a first try. However, I am having fun making something with the TIG welder... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

< photo posted now >

 

[RonR]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Your safety concern is valid. I occassionally read about a farmer backing up his tractor with a round bale in the bucket or on a carrier on the FEL that does not spear the bale. If you don't watch and your hand stays on the UP handle, before you know what happens, the bale rolls back down the FEL and either breaks your back and/or kills you, generally.

I'd want to safety it really well--you have to account for someone else operating it as well, with or without your permission!

Maybe a simple chain fastened with pinned clevises going from the front of the tractor to the bottom of the bucket??? Might have to use some tarp straps or something to take up the slack in the chain when the FEL is down........

Hope this helps; stay safe.
ron

 

[DavidVT]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Thank you for your input.

I am considering changing the stock lift chain to a solid box tube. Perhaps a combination of chain (for slack) and then box tube pointing horizontally forward from the plate. The box tube would then serve to keep the snowboard from flopping all the way back if it ever got lifted and curl together by mistake.

I will wait a little to see if other better ideas pop up here. I will also ask my dealer about where to connect a chain that would prevent the FEL from lifting to an unsafe height as you suggested.

 

[George2615]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Your safety issue reminds my of the old joke about the guy who went to his doctor and says "Doc, I get a terrible pain in my chest when I raise my arm above my head". So the Doc says "then dont raise your arm above your head". Seriously, you can probably weld on stop plates to the lower brackets where the spring pins are or even a piece of 1/4" thick angle across the two so if you raised and curled the chain would loosen up but the two lower arms would hit the stops.

 

[DavidVT]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Simple is better. Thanks for another good idea.

 

[TOMDUALLY]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

I'd replace that chain with a solid top link either off your 3 point or fabricate one then you can lift or lower it with the bucket curl control with the knowledge that it will not come crashing down on your head. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[jimmysisson]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

If you need the top chain to allow the blade to follow the grade of its own weight, use a pinned clevis at each end of the chain, so it won't slip out of a hook. With the bottom pinned to the FEL and the top constrained by the chain it can't come off. It's not like a round bale that's not attached to the tractor. The chain works better than a solid link if your drive is other than dead flat.
Jim

 

[SkogenMe]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

I had great plans to construct a separate plow mount similar to what I had on my last tractor but....as DavidVT has noted, I have run myself out of time /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif so I am planning on making a QA setup for this winter at least...
I guess my question relates to the need for slack in the third link. I had been thinking of having it fixed and setting the FEL in float mode....but I seem to remember threads from past years where people noted that the FEL would pop out of float when it hit bumps...is this why you would recommend a flexible link?
thanks for the thoughts and thanks DavidVT for the reminder that I better get welding....it is no longer August!!

 

[DavidVT]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Well,
I guess I will have a test of the plow in the morning. My area has a nice blanket of heavy snow from the current storm. Trees still with foliage are down all over and I am surprised my power is still on.....

for now...

As I drove home a few minutes ago (2nd shifter)... I noticed the thick white cover of snow on the kubota and it's rusty but ready snowboard....

More news tomorrow when I test it out.. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

PS: I did add length to the lift chain and used a loop of chain and clevis to secure the upper connection to my QA plate...

Work in progress

 

[DavidVT]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Probably about 6 inches of heavy snow on the driveway this am. More than enough to test the new plow rig!

My 3430 with R4's and no chains mounted had absolutely no problem pushing the new plow setup! No rear weight or heavy implement either. (but for the filled tires of course)

The real test will be when the ground is frozen with hard packed ice.

I had to stop when the ole snowboard destroyed the lawn next to the driveway.... Curled it up like snow.... OOPS...

Oh well, I can breath easy that we are ready for snow....

I do have to pin the snowboard swing as I don't want to use the pistons this winter.

Now onto mounting lights and an amber warning light on the ROPS..

One thing I discovered is that the HST foot pedal does not like packed snow under the heel. That and leaving the seat up in the snow packs the snow and fools the seat safety switch to think no one is driving the tractor... Lessons learned and fuel for at least a canvas style garage perhaps....

 

[scott_vt]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Hi David,
I would think at some point when you get a chance, you would want to shorten up that plow frame to bring the plow closer to the tractor. My neighbor up the road from me has one of those green tractors with a nifty plow setup. U shaped hooks on top and alignment pins on the bottom. Very easy hookup, and all you have to do is get off the tractor and put two lynch pins on.
We got 2 inches saturday night and 7 more yesterday!

scotty

 

[DavidVT]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

I wanted to leave the snowboard pretty standard but am thinking about finding a way to move the mount pins below and slightly behind the plane of the QA plate. That would eliminate the risk of flipping the frame back at me and would bring the plow closer to the tractor a bit.

I'll have to see about measurements and risks of binding up with curl motions but this is all food for thought.

I will likely run it this winter as is and make improvements next summer if need be. I have less than $150 in the whole thing at this point.

More snow coming. My poor tamaracks are still covered with needles and are straining under the heavy snow..

 

[Deerlope]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Holy cow, what a clever idea. How did you ever come up with that? I like it, nice lookin work.

 

[PILOON]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

"I can see one big safety issue I need to resolve "

A suggestion that might save the day (or that big headache).

An audio warning system could easily be fashioned by wireing a horn, beeper or even a flashing light in series with a mercury 'tilt switch' such as is used for submerged sump pumps.
The pump switch is relatively inexpensive and weatherproof to boot.
Installation would be a simple matter of clamping so as to have it make contact when you want to be warned of the 'safe travel limit'

The wireing setup is a simple 'series wiring job'

I understand your concern as I have a similarily rigged 'plow/loader' installation on my MT180D, which is quite 'tippy' being fairly narrow.
I don't like to rely on the 'pucker meter' more than necessary.

All too often we hang on to a valve because we concentrate on some obstacle (like the wife's new car while we attempt to manouver too close for comfort).

Good luck!

 

[PILOON]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

"I can see one big safety issue I need to resolve "

Another thought just came to mind----

Remouve the 'lever' from the curl valve!

Generally they are merely held in place with a clevis and cotter pin, that way you'd never accidently 'curl' and replacement would be a snap when going back to bucket mode. (just don't lose the lever!)

 

[DavidVT]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Well a quick update on my simple QA snow board mounting....

It is now painted, snow tested and ready for action with a fixed plow angle.

Financial invested thus far: (approx)
QA plate from eBay: ~ 150.00
SnowBoard, chain hook, tubing, paint, chain, etc I had already.

Significant labor invested thus far:
The UPS truck dropped the big QA plate and when I got ready it was about 20 minutes of prep work and 20 minutes of welding to a functional attachment.

Now seeing how easy the hydraulic action will be to hook up (Thank you PineRidge), I am starting to put together a shopping list for that.

If you want to see a superior but somewhat similar QA mount with some nice well thought out features, please look at PineRidge's posting:
QA plate on 7.5' snowplow for FEL, let it snow

I encourage any of you thinking of a first (Build it yourself) project to jump in and try it. This was my first and I am pleased that it at least works!

 

[PineRidge]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

<font color="blue">"I can see one big safety issue I need to resolve "
</font>

Believe that I have an easy fix for that issue. I'm working on it now and will let you know once it has been added to our setup.

 

[DavidVT]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

PineRidge,
My leading idea thus far is to fashion a bar (2x4 steel tube in the scrap pile) mounted near the chain hook that will serve two purposes. The mounting would be angled down along the line of the chain.

First and most important to prevent the deadly back flop.

Second to work with an extra forward curl motion of the mount to provide down pressure to the snowboard for the occasions when I would want to do so.

 

[DavidVT]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

I just pulled an old 8' snowboard out of the dumpster at work with the boss' blessing. Kind of rough and no hydraulics but good trip edge and springs ....

I think I will experiment on this one to see if making the frame shorter effects the control of the blade. Making the snowboard's frame shorter will eliminate my concern about having the plow flip back on me if I raise and curl the FEL too much..

More when I make some progress....

 

[DavidVT]

Re: QA plate to mount my 7.5\' plow on FEL

Update:
I had my dealer swap my loader 2 spool joystick for the 3 spool which has a 2nd lever to operate the snowplow (or grapple,etc). I have not seen the bill yet but hopefully it will not be too painful...

The tractor arrived back during a snow storm and the plow worked great! Still destroying lawn as the ground is not frozen yet but.... It was real nice to use the new lever to steer the plow!

Now I need to work to make the plow setup shorter. The plowframe and old truck pin mount on the QA need to be cut down.. I think I may be able to pull at least 12 to 18 inches by doing this. I am watching the other threads where the plows are mounted on the tractor directly. Might be an alternative to explore.

My issue is visibility when I pull to the road between trees with that plow so far out front. Currently I am backing out the to road so I can see what is coming....

With the scraper mounted on the rear and this big plow out front, I am quite pleased.