charlz
Elite Member
I have some ditches that need re-pointing as well as some garden I would like to rip up a bit. I like the looks of the Rankin buster/subsoiler as you can adjust the depth of the shank. Since there really aren't any dealers around here I figured I'd just build my own 
Heres the parts, some holes drilled already:
The shank cost me $40 the 10" shovel was $20, another $60 in steel ,bolts and pins. The shank is 3/4 by 2.5 inches, a little light compared to what is usually used (1x4") but I figure it will hold up to my 16 horse b7100. It looks to just be a heavy cultivator shank... the kind you use with a 'real' tractor I will either make a subsoiler shoe or buy a cultivator chisel tip for that purpose.
Other materials:
3x2x.25 rectangle tube 20" long (vertical piece)
3x3x.25 square tube 20" long (cross bar piece)
3/8x3x6 flat bar (lower arm pin tabs)
3/8x3x8 flat bar (top link tabs)
3/8x2x6 cold rolled flat bar (shank spacers inside vertical tube)
Since I wanted thick wall tubing I had to go with the 2x3, they probably make different sizes but thats what the steel place had in stock. Since I didn't and the shank to be able to twist I plug welded the two spacers inside at the bottom of the tube, the shank can just barely slide in and out. I had to hand file the seam inside the tube as it was on the side where a spacer goes:
After lots of welding and drilling I have the near-finished product on the tractor for some testing, this is with the shank in the upper position. The two bolts on the side are what hold the shank in position. They should also take some of the stress off the bottom back of the tube. I drilled the holes in the tubing and shank in one shot on my drill press to make sure everything would line up perfectly. I probably could have been a little smarter... I ended up with 4 holes in the shank, 2 for each position, probably could have done just 3 if I had thought it out more in advance.
I went to a garden area and tore it up a little to see how it works. The left and right trenches are the buster, the middle is tire marks... I ripped that garden up with the hoe last fall... it needed it and I hadn't gotten around to building this tool yet :
Here is the shovel in the down or 'ditch' position. I got to try it a little but it was getting dark so no pics of the results. One problem I had is when it was really starting to dig the chains on my lift arms would let it twist up. I really need to come up with a better solution for that backhoe seat adapter so my upper arms can come up higher and I can use the solid lift arms done to the lower arms. The tip is just barely off the ground at this setting.
The Rankin doesn't have braces from the upper tube to the cross tube but I think I am going to add some. I have some 5/16x2x6 cold rolled that I bought in case the 3/8 spacers were too thick. I also plan on cutting the top off the shank and welding a cap on the upper tube, don't need rain and stuff getting in there and binding the shank in place. The way the two depth positions work I can cut it down to where it will almost hit the top when the shank is in the up position but still be plenty long for the low/ditch position.
Charles
Heres the parts, some holes drilled already:
The shank cost me $40 the 10" shovel was $20, another $60 in steel ,bolts and pins. The shank is 3/4 by 2.5 inches, a little light compared to what is usually used (1x4") but I figure it will hold up to my 16 horse b7100. It looks to just be a heavy cultivator shank... the kind you use with a 'real' tractor
I will either make a subsoiler shoe or buy a cultivator chisel tip for that purpose.Other materials:
3x2x.25 rectangle tube 20" long (vertical piece)
3x3x.25 square tube 20" long (cross bar piece)
3/8x3x6 flat bar (lower arm pin tabs)
3/8x3x8 flat bar (top link tabs)
3/8x2x6 cold rolled flat bar (shank spacers inside vertical tube)
Since I wanted thick wall tubing I had to go with the 2x3, they probably make different sizes but thats what the steel place had in stock. Since I didn't and the shank to be able to twist I plug welded the two spacers inside at the bottom of the tube, the shank can just barely slide in and out. I had to hand file the seam inside the tube as it was on the side where a spacer goes:
After lots of welding and drilling I have the near-finished product on the tractor for some testing, this is with the shank in the upper position. The two bolts on the side are what hold the shank in position. They should also take some of the stress off the bottom back of the tube. I drilled the holes in the tubing and shank in one shot on my drill press to make sure everything would line up perfectly. I probably could have been a little smarter... I ended up with 4 holes in the shank, 2 for each position, probably could have done just 3 if I had thought it out more in advance.
I went to a garden area and tore it up a little to see how it works. The left and right trenches are the buster, the middle is tire marks... I ripped that garden up with the hoe last fall... it needed it and I hadn't gotten around to building this tool yet
:Here is the shovel in the down or 'ditch' position. I got to try it a little but it was getting dark so no pics of the results. One problem I had is when it was really starting to dig the chains on my lift arms would let it twist up. I really need to come up with a better solution for that backhoe seat adapter so my upper arms can come up higher and I can use the solid lift arms done to the lower arms. The tip is just barely off the ground at this setting.
The Rankin doesn't have braces from the upper tube to the cross tube but I think I am going to add some. I have some 5/16x2x6 cold rolled that I bought in case the 3/8 spacers were too thick. I also plan on cutting the top off the shank and welding a cap on the upper tube, don't need rain and stuff getting in there and binding the shank in place. The way the two depth positions work I can cut it down to where it will almost hit the top when the shank is in the up position but still be plenty long for the low/ditch position.
Charles
