Boom Pole, homemade and mechanics, geometry

[RobJ]

Looking for some thought and such regarding boom poles. I need to make or buy one and it's main purpose will be to lift my boxblade, BH or other item into the back of my pickup. I need this because my trailer will only hold the tractor and one implement (99% of the time).

By brother in law had this homemade sucker. huge, heavy and I had to have help to put it on. But I noticed the geometry is different that the new ones. On this one the main pole attaches to the top link position. The pivots as the lift arms move up and down. The one I saw at TSC ($90) attaches to the lift arms and the upper link rod.

Is there more lever action with the pivot arm or is it really just the same thing. I haven't graphed it out but wonder of one is better than the other. Both about the same to make it seems.

Show me some pics of you homemade boom.

Attached are some pics of this one. The lift arms would actually go higher but the upper arm would hit my toolbox on my ROPS.

Thanks,
Rob

 

[MrJimi]

Rob, take a look in my gallery, lots of food for thought there
Jim

 

[geneP]

The main difference I see with the one pictured is that you loose a lot of flexibility by not having an adjustable top link. There might be times when you could hook to a load much closer to the ground, thus lifting your load higher. The bulk in the reinforced boom at the top link attachment point is not of much use because the load is in tension at that point.

 

[RobJ]

The main difference I see with the one pictured is that you loose a lot of flexibility by not having an adjustable top link. There might be times when you could hook to a load much closer to the ground, thus lifting your load higher. The bulk in the reinforced boom at the top link attachment point is not of much use because the load is in tension at that point.

Exactly, I don't want to build one quite that heavy and bulky. But just curious about the true 3 point hitch (like TSC below) or one that incorporates a solid pole and pivots at the pole. I picked up 10' of 2" sch 40 at lunch, $16. A bit more because it's galvanized($.10 more per pound). Same size as the TSC ones. So with other scrap I have at home it'll beat the TSC $100.

Rob

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Rob, I've got one like the "black and white" picture that I use on a special set up that I have on my FEL w/pallet forks. I built the forks from "real" forklift forks (6" across) and 60" long to fit an FEL with toothbar installed (I point this out as I've not seen one that forks will fit with a toothbar in place). It works, as I've picked up a 5 ft brush hog on the end of the boom pole and lifted it about 10 ft in the air just so I'd know that the welds would hold. All this is on the front of a Mahindra 6000 4WD. I'll try and get a pic or two in a couple of days if anyone is interested. BobG in VA

 

[Frodo1]

You will get more movement out of the first one pictured due to the geometry of the set up.

 

[goaliedad]

I have a TSC special, and have been very happy with it.
The top[ link gives me lots of flexibility- if I had a Hyd. Top Link it would be awesome.

 

[Slamfire]

Regardless of the configuration, the geometry of a boom pole works exactly opposite of the 3 point hitch use that Ferguson designed it for. It serves as a lever to lift your front wheels off the ground. For loading heavy implements into the bed of your truck you'd be better served with a crane attached to the truck bed. Harbor Freight usually stocks two different models. The only thing is you'll require a sheet of steel to prevent the bed of the truck from deforming.

 

[RonMar]

The only real difference is that the one shown in the black and white photo will apply some compression load(forward push) to the main 3PH lift arms. Since the arms are most likley already spread out(narrower where attached to the tractor, wider where attached to the base of the boom pole structure) this will probably actually be seen by the arms as a bending load. Since the arms are usually flat material, with a rectangular cross section, you would be applying force in their weakest(thinest) axis, kind of like pushing backwards with a box blade. The one shown in the attached pictures of the first post will only apply a vertical force to the lift arms as the top of the arch or "A" frame pivots where it meets the boom pole. The truss design pictured converts the side loads felt by the boom when lifting a load into compression and tension loads. The top portion of the boom truss dosn't need to be as big as the main boom pole as it is in tension only. It could be a piece of flat strap as long as it's cross section is large enough to handle the tension loads involved(look at some pics of engine hoists or the top material used in the black and white boom pole pic). The design in the first pics is similar to the one used by Leinbach on it's post hole diggers.

As for lifting the front of the tractor off the ground, you would need to have the same weight/moment arm behind the axle as is in front of it. I think you would far exceed the hydraulic safety valve setting on the 3PH hydraulics(the one that vents fluid if you bounce a heavy impliment and limits your 3PH lift weight) or the strength of the 3PH lift arms, or the structural integrity of the boom before that happened.

 

[Suds]

Rob J
I hope to attach pix of my home made boom pole. I also attach it to my FEL
bucket. I use it to lift my Miller Bobcat welder onto its stand