What did you do with your Chinese baby digger today?

[oldrustysteel]

It turns out that the trimmer shaft will fit inside 1 1/4 square tube. It would be easy to drill a flat piece of stock to correspond to the collar that holds the attachment shaft on the power head shaft and then weld it in place on the square tube to hold the trimmer and attachment in place. Then weld or bolt the square tube to the bucket. The attachment would stick out about 30" from the side. Don't know if that would cause clearance issues with the house on the minix? Also, not sure if I'd mount it to stick out frontwards from the boom or sideways?

View attachment 853855View attachment 853854

Has anyone considered welding a 2" receiver on the back of the bucket? I was thinking it would be nice to slide a ball hitch in and move a trailer or something occasionally. Also would be a good way to attach accessories?

edit: after more thought I think it would be in the way when digging.

 

[2manyrocks]

HAHA!! Look at you! Well you got a good start. I was thinking I would have it straight, inline with stick, because I would travel down the trails with the house swung 90*. You may be cutting brush before dark! What if the tube was attached in a way that allowed it to slide in or out, sort of an adjustable feature? Not sure if I can explain it right.

I think it would feel more natural to operate if if were straight inline with the stick as you suggest.

1 1/4 square tube will nest inside a larger square tube. There's probably some way to run 1 1/4 square tube to the trimmer head to help prevent the trimmer shaft from bending, but also have the 1 1/4 tube be able to slide inside the larger square tube to control the length.

The ratchet mechanism on the hedge trimmer would allow you to also set the cutting head angle however you want it.

Besides the bucket itself, the grapple you have might be another mounting point?

 

[oldrustysteel]

I think it would feel more natural to operate if if were straight inline with the stick as you suggest.

1 1/4 square tube will nest inside a larger square tube. There's probably some way to run 1 1/4 square tube to the trimmer head to help prevent the trimmer shaft from bending, but also have the 1 1/4 tube be able to slide inside the larger square tube to control the length.

The ratchet mechanism on the hedge trimmer would allow you to also set the cutting head angle however you want it.

Besides the bucket itself, the grapple you have might be another mounting point?

I don't have a grapple, maybe you are thinking of the thumb?

The adjustable angle mechanism could possibly be fitted with a spring to allow it to flex a little when you encounter bigger stuff. Then you would leave it "loose" so you have that safety feature. You have lots of possibilities.

Edit: I went back and looked at your pic again. I see the spring idea wont work as the head pivots up and down, not side to side.

 

[2manyrocks]

Thumb. if the mount were on a pivot, you could incorporate a tension spring to protect the shaft and cutter head.

But whether it's worth it depends on whether you were having enough success with your hedge trimmer to fabricate a mount of some kind?

I will say the hedge trimmer attachment I have will cut some fairly thick material using a gas trimmer as the power head. It's just the leverage and weight gets to be a bit much to manually hold after a while.

 

[oldrustysteel]

Thumb. if the mount were on a pivot, you could incorporate a tension spring to protect the shaft and cutter head.

But whether it's worth it depends on whether you were having enough success with your hedge trimmer to fabricate a mount of some kind?

I will say the hedge trimmer attachment I have will cut some fairly thick material using a gas trimmer as the power head. It's just the leverage and weight gets to be a bit much to manually hold after a while.

Yea, I dont expect to have something that will chew up 1" stuff. Realistically, if it will cut 1/4 or maybe 1/2", I will be happy.
Then I can get in there and cut the base out with a small battery chainsaw or equivalent, at a later date.

 

[2manyrocks]

Is the root system so deep that you can't just pull it out with the thumb instead of having to saw the base?

 

[oldrustysteel]

Is the root system so deep that you can't just pull it out with the thumb instead of having to saw the base?

I don't know. They are so overgrown I have a hard time getting close to the base. I may be able to scratch them out with the bucket. The thumb wont grab anything less than 4 or 5 ". Live and learn for me at this point.

 

[2manyrocks]

IDK, maybe cut it as best you can and then spray the cut stems with the appropriate herbicide. My experience has been that spraying is much faster than trying to dig or pull out the root system.

 

[oldrustysteel]

IDK, maybe cut it as best you can and then spray the cut stems with the appropriate herbicide. My experience has been that spraying is much faster than trying to dig or pull out the root system.

Very true. I keep a pickle jar with roundup in it and a brush to paint the stumps of Autumn Olive and Honeysuckle.

 

[dfkrug]

I have yet to see those marks.

I stand corrected. My XN08 mini has pen marks on numerous fittings inside the house. I don't have them on my external hoses that I can see. Good to see.