Follow up to Dump Cart

[Iplayfarmer]

Rather than resurrect an old thread, I've chosen to post this follow up to fill you in on what's happening with my hydraulic dump cart.

Since the first small patches of dirt have been liberated from the snow, I've been using the dump cart for the occasional job around the house. As I suspected, I don't use the dump feature very much. I do use it, though.

I drove around the pasture today picking up all the garbage and wood lying around. It was nice to just back up to the burn pile and pull the lever rather than have to shovel the stuff out or pick it out one or two pieces at a time.

I've included a picture of the generator, the air compressor, the dog and the kids all piled into the trailer coming back from stapling plywood on the the panels for the lambs' pen.

Here are some things that have happened since the last post about the dump trailer.

- I pulled the ram off and bled the air out by running the ram out, and then tipping it upside down to run the ram back in. I did this a few times and it really seemed to help the performance of that first few inches of dump.

- I bought a solar battery charger from Harbor Freight that I plan to keep on the dump cart when it is not in use to be sure that I always start with a fresh battery. I haven't had this long enough to have a review for it.

- The paint I used is not my favorite. Some of you may remember that I used a direct to metal paint. It's flaking off in a few places. It's not bad, but after only 6 months of only mild use, it shouldn't be flaking. Next time I'll go with a true primer and a topcoat.

- I am really glad that people on the forum here convinced me to go with natural wood finish. I really like the look of this trailer.

- I also re-cut the rod that connects the hydraulic power pack to the lever out front to give me a little more clearance to the tractor seat when I pull the lever to dump. I still don't have enough clearance, but if I move the lever back any more, it will come uncomfortably close to the actual dump box of the trailer. I'm going to experiment on paper with bending the rod and some other ways of making the connection to get full actuation of the power pack with less travel in the lever.

This post is getting very long so I'll quit there. If I think of more I'll add it as another post.

[Iplayfarmer]

I did remember another thing...

The tailgate mechansim is all wrong. It was a great idea, but the execution is seriously flawed. The wood binds, the sides are not even with each other. The metal I made the mechanism out of bends when stuff bumps into it. I'm going to work on re-figuring this part at some later date.

[wushaw]

Could you have used self tapping screws to attach the wood to the metal tubes instead of using through bolts, I would think less hardware and a cleaner look on the outside could be accomplished.

[Iplayfarmer]

Originally Posted by wushaw

Could you have used self tapping screws to attach the wood to the metal tubes instead of using through bolts, I would think less hardware and a cleaner look on the outside could be accomplished.

It may work on another build if the metal were a little thicker. I think with my application the metal I used is too thin to really hold.

If you'd mentioned it in the middle of the build, though, I might have tried it. It would make for a cleaner look.

[Ford960]

IPF,
That's a cute little cart and the kids must like riding in it.
As far as the tailgate bolts, cut off the extending bolts flush with the nuts. With my kind of luck I'd be getting hurt everytime I walked near the bolts.

Good Luck,
F960

[Iplayfarmer]

Originally Posted by Ford960

IPF,
That's a cute little cart and the kids must like riding in it.
As far as the tailgate bolts, cut off the extending bolts flush with the nuts. With my kind of luck I'd be getting hurt everytime I walked near the bolts.

Good Luck,
F960

That's in the plan, but I've spent all my time lately using the cart. Once the spring work is over I may get some time to actually go back and finish up some of the little stuff like that.

I still need to sand and varnish the inside surfaces of the bed sides too.

[600rider]

IPF, I was going to say something when you were doing the hinges for the tailgate but I wanted to see how your idea would work. On my brother inlaws factory built 5000# dump trailer he pulls behind his truck the hinges are made from .25x1.5" flat bar bent into a "U" shape and welded with the open end pointing to the rear there is one welded on each of the rear corners of the trailer body on the end of the uprights. there is a pice of round stock that fits loosly in the sideways "U" the leg on the "U" is long enough so you could drill a hole through both legs on the "U" and put a lynch pin through behind the round stock, when you want to dump a load you pull the top pins, when you want to tailgate a load of dirt pull the bottom pins. add check chains to adjust the flow out of the tailgate. Hope this helps, Ken.

[Ford960]

600rider,
That's exactly how the hinges are on my 5000# Bri-mar. Works pretty good.

F960

[Iplayfarmer]

Originally Posted by 600rider

IPF, I was going to say something when you were doing the hinges for the tailgate but I wanted to see how your idea would work. On my brother inlaws factory built 5000# dump trailer he pulls behind his truck the hinges are made from .25x1.5" flat bar bent into a "U" shape and welded with the open end pointing to the rear there is one welded on each of the rear corners of the trailer body on the end of the uprights. there is a pice of round stock that fits loosly in the sideways "U" the leg on the "U" is long enough so you could drill a hole through both legs on the "U" and put a lynch pin through behind the round stock, when you want to dump a load you pull the top pins, when you want to tailgate a load of dirt pull the bottom pins. add check chains to adjust the flow out of the tailgate. Hope this helps, Ken.

That's not a bad idea. Thanks.