Uplifing experience

[Red Zebra]

Lifting with a PT.........
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I seem to recall seeing a custom "man-lift" somebody built for a 425...anybody make one? Pictures? I need to be able to quickly and safely access some parts of my barn and house without dragging ladders around.
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I built 2 cutom sized pallets for my 425 to hold nine-80lb bags of quick-crete (or other stuff). The rough dimensiens are 36" wide and 30" deep. Keeps the bulk of the material close to the arms. I used some scrap treated lumber so I can leave them outside.
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And a pic of my home-made lift boom taking Rusty out of the barn--he's about 350lbs. And another of Rusty roaming the front pasture. (Iknow, I need a hobby.)

 

[Gravy]

Lifting with a PT.........
And a pic of my home-made lift boom taking Rusty out of the barn--he's about 350lbs. And another of Rusty roaming the front pasture. (Iknow, I need a hobby.)

Looks like you've got one - skeerin' the neighbors!

 

[MossRoad]

Pajoube has one that he built for his 425. Here is a link to a post with lots of pictures of it and many more of a lot of his other project, my stuff, other users stuff. It was a great long thread. A real good read from start to finish.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/power-trac/43476-why-i-bought-powertrac-425-a-5.html#post708180

And here is a picture...

 

[smartguyz]

My concern would be the rate of leak down from the cylinders, and the possibility of someone/something hitting the controls and dropping me in a hurry.

-Rob

 

[woodlandfarms]

We do a poor mans job of what you have (A pallet, and a rope tied to the fork lift).

My problem is what Rob said, friggin leakdown of the control valve. You get up there, and in minutes the pallet has gone down. Cheap valve systems on the PT but I don't have a clue what could be easily swapped out and in for this control. The guys have suggested simple lock offs and it is probably the best way to go...

 

[MossRoad]

There is no leak down with the machine running. However, you bring up a very valid point about someone or something hitting the joystick when you are up there. A simple hinged C bracket to flip over the joystick shaft would prevent this from happening.

 

[MossRoad]

The hard part is getting up and down from the platform. As I recall, Pajoube injured his knee getting off or on that very platform.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I get leakdown with my engine running. I thought was just how it was. You are saying that if the engine is running you shouldn't have any leakdown?

 

[Gravy]

AFAIK, there is no leakage compensation when the valve is in the neutral position regardless of whether the engine is running or not.

I've used a pallet on forks as a low-level scaffold a few times. It always drops and tilts after a while. I've got hopes of figuring out a way to brace a platform back to the frame of the PT so that the hydraulics are only used to move the platform into position.

 

[jaquetarr]

I've used a similar knock up for trimming trees up high. After the pallet / platform was set and level we used a ladder to get up to level. At no time would it be safe to "ride" the platform up
With a 9' lift a 20' ladder will reach everywhere it is needed.
Rgds, tim

 

[smartguyz]

There is no leak down with the machine running. However, you bring up a very valid point about someone or something hitting the joystick when you are up there. A simple hinged C bracket to flip over the joystick shaft would prevent this from happening.

I definitely get leak down with the machine running, regardless of how fast it is running. I assume its because of the leaky control valve. If I could fix it I would want to. Is there an easy cure?

-Rob

 

[Red Zebra]

Thanks Moss, that's it.:thumbsup: The others bring up some valid points. In my case I would turn the machine off and climb up the arms to the platform....would only need a few minutes at each stop to complete the task so hopefully leak-down wont be a problem.

 

[J_J]

I get leakdown with my engine running. I thought was just how it was. You are saying that if the engine is running you shouldn't have any leakdown?

Carl,

Have you determined if the cylinders are leaking, or the valve is leaking?
If the valve is leaking, and you don't want to replace it, then this pilot operated lock valve could be used. It locks in neutral. If the cyl are leaking, the fluid is trying to equalize in the cyl and they need rebuilding.

My lift arms will drop from full height to the ground over night.

Some manufactures have a drops per minute leak rate valve to determine if a valve is leaking beyond specs.

Spools in those valves are a precise fit, and if worn, the valve needs replacing. It is simply a metal to metal contact with a thin film of hyd fluid for lubrication.

https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?item=9-5606-50&catname=hydraulic

 

[MossRoad]

I get leakdown with my engine running. I thought was just how it was. You are saying that if the engine is running you shouldn't have any leakdown?

I'm saying that on my PT425 I have never noticed any leakdown while the engine is running and I have a load on the FEL arms. For instance, I raise my mower deck all the way up and keep the motor running at the lowest throttle setting and use a garden hoe to scrape off the gunk, then wash it off with a hose, and the deck does not lower. If I shut the engine off, the FEL arms will start to leak down.

I also use the forks to lift up piles of long, pole-sized trees as I cut firewood length pieces from them. The thing can be sitting there for 10 minutes with half a dozen trees on it while I saw away and they never seem to lower.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, now you folks got me thinking.... If I have any time in the near future, I will do some timed and measured tests with a load on the FEL arms and the engine off and the engine on. "Hey! I gots to know!" (anyone remember what that quote is from? :laughing: )

 

[tractorenthusiast]

Lifting with a PT.........
------

And a pic of my home-made lift boom taking Rusty out of the barn--he's about 350lbs. And another of Rusty roaming the front pasture. (Iknow, I need a hobby.)

All welders are crazy people. I like it.:thumbsup:

 

[J_J]

Well, now you folks got me thinking.... If I have any time in the near future, I will do some timed and measured tests with a load on the FEL arms and the engine off and the engine on. "Hey! I gots to know!" (anyone remember what that quote is from? :laughing: )

Dirty Harry, This 44 mag will blow your head clean off. I gots to know, CLICK.

 

[woodlandfarms]

The leakdown on my 1850 is pretty bad. Not bad enough for me to rebuild / replace everything, but bad enough to be annoying. If I put a heavy load on (my 72" box blade (woods)) or my mower I notice the arm drifting down in just a couple of minutes.

It will help when I replace the tilt / dump cylinder this summer but still, the arms fall very quickly in my book.

Carl

 

[nwbearcat]

If you're really needing a way to keep the cylinders from retracting during a use such as this, investing in a bunch of these will solve your issue. Note that they only will act as stops if the cylinder is trying retract, and there's something for these to push against. Straw Choppers - John Deere & Case-IH Combines - TSR Parts - Colgate, North Dakota 58046 - Call Toll Free 1-800-582-2432 - tsrparts.com - Complete Units for John Deere Straw Choppers

 

[MossRoad]

Dirty Harry, This 44 mag will blow your head clean off. I gots to know, CLICK.

Good job J_J.