Jim Timber
5 year old buck +
I whipped up a hydraulic top link, and added a basket to the fender.
The top link required cutting the cylinder eye off and adding an extension and welding a new replacement eye to that. Took more time cutting the old one off than it did making the new one. The basket was actually far more work, but only because it was a rusty mess when I got it and I had to blast it clean, then repaint it (which is harder than you might think because of all the different surfaces).
Before you point out my mashed fender - that happened 300' into my property the first time I drove this machine in my woods. The trails just weren't wide enough to accommodate the added length of the loader and while I was dodging trees with the bucket, I managed to hook one with the rear tire. To my surprise, it didn't push out of the way and I got crunched. Oh well! It's better than having a widow maker land on my head, and it liberates me from caring about how many additional holes I put in the tin. :D
My Deere green paint equivalent is obviously a wee bit off... I'll probably paint the cylinder when I find a better color than the stuff I got. That's why I don't really care the BBQ black (toughest spray bomb paint I've ever used) doesn't match the glossy of the rest of the cylinder.
The top link required cutting the cylinder eye off and adding an extension and welding a new replacement eye to that. Took more time cutting the old one off than it did making the new one. The basket was actually far more work, but only because it was a rusty mess when I got it and I had to blast it clean, then repaint it (which is harder than you might think because of all the different surfaces).
Before you point out my mashed fender - that happened 300' into my property the first time I drove this machine in my woods. The trails just weren't wide enough to accommodate the added length of the loader and while I was dodging trees with the bucket, I managed to hook one with the rear tire. To my surprise, it didn't push out of the way and I got crunched. Oh well! It's better than having a widow maker land on my head, and it liberates me from caring about how many additional holes I put in the tin. :D
My Deere green paint equivalent is obviously a wee bit off... I'll probably paint the cylinder when I find a better color than the stuff I got. That's why I don't really care the BBQ black (toughest spray bomb paint I've ever used) doesn't match the glossy of the rest of the cylinder.