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kubman
Join Date: Mar 2010
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2010-03-16          169291


Seems to me there are an exponential amount of attachments compared to the quantity of tractors out there.



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harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2010-03-17          169294


Yup you are correct. Many are homemade for a specific need for local conditions, then made for others. Other regular 3ph stuff are copied, copied again and all are various degrees of quality.

Shop around.
....


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kubman
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2010-03-17          169297


wish I had the skills to make something, seems most people that have tractors do. What would be the best attachment I could get for my bucket? tooth bar, forks, ratchet rake, or thumb?
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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2010-03-17          169298


That depends completely on what you need to do and how strong your bucket is. Bucket forks don't work well on light gauge buckets or with heavy loads (pushes the load too far out front which reduces lift capacity). Tooth bar improves digging but loaders aren't designed to dig so that never made much sense to me. Grapple is useful for handling slash but it can get in the way if you want move material. No idea what a ratchet rake is. My opinion is that a bucket should be used as a bucket (although lifting hooks and a tow receiver can be useful welded on). Anything else should be a different implement. ....


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kubman
Join Date: Mar 2010
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2010-03-17          169299


I really can't afford to have a bunch of attachments and I do not have a QA on my loader. I have read how handy QA's are but also read that you can lose some angle and lift capacity because it puts the attachment farther away from the loader pins, I think I am understanding that correctly. I have thought the same thing about the grapple getting in the way and doesn't gravity keep stuff in the bucket anyway?...Still thinking ....


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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2010-03-17          169301


It's good to think on this stuff but if you think too long you'll be too old to put your newfound wisdom to use. If you think too short and have it all figured out reality will smack you in the forehead and humble your thoughts. The trick is to think just right.

A QA on a loader is WELL worth the money IMO. Otherwise all your decisions are based on "what can I do with my bucket" instead of "what is the right tool for the job". Bucket forks that only lift 400 lbs won't do you any good if you need to lift 600 lbs, and they will likely bend the bucket if you try.
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kubman
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2010-03-17          169302


Quote:
Originally Posted by kwschumm | view 169301
Otherwise all your decisions are based on "what can I do with my bucket" instead of "what is the right tool for the job". Bucket forks that only lift 400 lbs won't do you any good if you need to lift 600 lbs, and they will likely bend the bucket if you try.

This is what I was thinking originally when I asked about loader buddy. Seemed like there were so many things you could do WITH it. If I were to put forks on my tractor I think i would go the 3PH route as it has more lift capacity. I would not be loading semis but only moving stuff around, have dreams of palatalizing my firewood someday. And like I said earlier don't really want to have a grapple and for the reasons you stated plus the xtra cost
for MY usage can't be justified. Spring seems to be early this year and I am itching to get out there and get some seat time. I appreciate all the time people have spent trying to help me but I guess ultimately the decision is mine as I will be paying for it AND will have to live with it too. ....


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kwschumm
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2010-03-17          169303


If you need to load any heavy pallets in the bed of a pickup the 3 point forks won't do the job. But they will generally carry much more weight than loader forks of any type. ....


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kubman
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2010-03-17          169304


would you be able to recommend any in particular? I seem only to find the loader ones. ....


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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2010-03-17          169305


Forks on the rear are excellent for your purpose. TSC offer what they call a "platform" or "carryall" which is made of 3" angle and looks like a nonadjustable fork assy. About $300

Not to cloud the discussion...but the skid steer QA adds soooo much versatility--a few years ago published reports said there are over 225 and counting attachments that could be used for skid steers or tractors.

Since I do have the ability to fabricate my own tools I enjoy doing it being the tinker/inventive type. And like you I can't or won't always justify the high costs.

That said I designed and built a skid-steer style QA for the rear of my tractor. Works great. Even have a fork attachment. It's hydraulically controlled so I can attach or detach from the seat. (my skid steer has a hyraulically controlled QA too so yes I'm spoiled.)

Another thing to look at is a hydraulic (powered or non-powered) top link--that alone increases versatility. ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2010-03-17          169309


For my money I'd put a QA setup on the FEL and then pick a set of regular loader forks on a bracket, and a box blade for counter balance.

BTW, if you have a Kubota the old-style QA is the only way to go, it requires no mod's to your existing bucket and allows the most freedom IMHO for new FEL attachments such as forks, especially if you are going to fab (or have them fab'ed) them since they require only four 1" pins to mount.

It's also very easy to add a set of grapple arms for cheap above a pair of forks to make an extremely effective brush or log scoop.

It's also much stronger and offers outstanding visibility.

Best of luck. ....


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kubman
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2010-03-17          169311


Is the old style QA the SSQA or the kubota style which I don't think I have seen. I don't think I follow you, my bucket has only 4 pins to mount. I have the box blade, only attachment I have. Here we are back at the grapple that I really don't have a need for. The visibility you speak of is because the fork rig would be narrower? and/or somehow see through? ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2010-03-17          169312


Quote:
Originally Posted by kubman | view 169311
Otherwise all your decisions are based on "what can I do with my bucket" instead of "what is the right tool for the job". Bucket forks that only lift 400 lbs won't do you any good if you need to lift 600 lbs, and they will likely bend the bucket if you try.
[QUOTE=kubman;169311] Is the old style QA the SSQA or the kubota style which I don't think I have seen. I don't think I follow you, my bucket has only 4 pins to mount.


The visibility you speak of is because the fork rig would be narrower? and/or somehow see through? [/QUOTE]

In reverse order, yes, much better visibility because of the size and configuration. Click on the little camera icon and blue word "pics" under my avatar and look at my picture # 18, this is my older setup, I don't have pictures of the new up yet.

The older style of QA Kubota offered was a simple little set of brackets with a just round bar between them. You can see the round bar going cross-wise in both pictures # 15 & 18. It is just set of steel plates bent slightly each such that they mount on the loader arms using exactly the same dimensions as the factory bucket, then they pinch in narrower to fit back into the brackets on the factory bucket again. The top is only a pair of hooks, the bottom takes a pin on each side. Except for the fact the bucket moves out by about 4" you'd never even know it's there.

To remove the bucket or swap implements, all you do is remove the 2 lower pins and set down the tool by sliding the FEL down out of it. Then hook & lift the next one, once it's in position, replace the two pins.

BTW, I wasn't suggesting a grapple per se, just pointing out that pallet forks will lift far more brush than it looks like a Loader Buddy would, and far more again with a grapple on top of them.

A good set of forks is also about 1/2 the price of a loader buddy.

Best of luck.

....


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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2010-03-17          169315


Not to keep beating the bush about grapples, but has anyone seen an electric-over-hydraulic powered one? I'm thinking a 12V power pack like my dump trailer has would be slick when someone doesn't have front plumbing for a grapple. ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2010-03-17          169316


Jeff, that's a good concept, but I suspect in practice would not work very well.

I think the cost of the pump, 2 heavy cables to it, and the control wiring / switching, etc. Would equal the cost of the plumbing.

On top of that you would have the other problems of mounting a pump & reservoir on a tilting platform including the spillage from the vent.

I'm not sure it will catch on.

Best of luck. ....


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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
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2010-03-17          169317


I meant if someone had one laying around from a dump trailer, small dump truck or even large boat trim tab power pack (I got one off eBay for $75)--they're not that big--18"-20" long x 6-9" sq. Surpluswise, new, less than $200. And I wasn't thinking of having it self contained ON the grapple but elsewhere remotely perhaps near the rear axle or by seat--or even on a bracket on the front. Even some of the newer snow plow setups have nice small pump and reservoirs albeit some do stay with the plow when parked/stored. Cables aren't that expensive, and some power packs use solenoids for power and down, so only a DPDT switch would be needed.

Jis sayin' ....


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kubman
Join Date: Mar 2010
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2010-03-20          169386


That does sound like a workable idea but you are duplicating your power source. On a truck with a plow you need to create a hydraulic system to work the plow. On a tractor you have one. How about building a folding grapple instead so when you do not need it it can store out of the way. I have been encouraged to get a grapple in this thread but really don't want one as when you don't need it it is in the way. Still mulling over all the suggestions I have received and thank you for all of them. ....


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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2010-03-20          169389


Technically the plow power pack is redundant too; plows or yore useds the power steering pump as a source.

Be that as it may, I suggested the system for you since you didn't want use a selector valve or add a rear remote.

If you buy one of those grapple(s) off eBay which adapt to your bucket, all you do is pull two 1" pins and disconnnect the lines. Then you leave only the bracketry--the cylinder and grapple get removed.

My grapple is 6" too short on either side only because when I bought it I didn't have steel-over-the-tire tracks which widen me by 12" total. That said though I have used it for grading the grapple arms don't get in the way (open position gives me roughly a 48" opening). In fact doing hurricane cleanups, I would grap a downed tree trunk or telephone pole, clamp onto it and use that for pushing debris into piles or backgrading.

Even with the grapples closed they are very usfull for pushing/piling debris.

There is bucket out there that starts with "dozer" that actually has (2) 6" tall grader/dozer blades welded to the grapples so that when they're closed you can push dirt, which akin to me using the telephone pole to grade.

A guy (like myself) could make a single dozer blade that could rest on the bucket cutting edge and held in place by the closed grapples. It's on my to-do list though. ....


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