Converting my bucket to a SS Quick Attach

[EddieWalker]

Last year, I bought a grapple and forks for my 555E Loader/Backhoe. They attach with the Skid Steer Quick Attach system, which I've already converted my loader to handle.

Since then, my bucket has been sitting on some blocks. It's too muddy out to do anything else, so today was the day to work on my bucket.

First, I had to cut off the pin attachments on the back of the bucket. I used a framers square to get my straight line, then cut with my cutting torch.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

I bought the brackets for the Quick Attach system when I bought the grapple and fork lift. I bought the plate of steel during the week while it was raining out. I went with 3/8's plate for the extra strength. Weight isn't at the top of my concerns, but strength is.

I then welded on the brackets. The top bracket is at 45 degrees, so that was easy with my welding magnets. They are already cut to 45 degrees.

The bottom bracket was a little trickier. I knew it wasn't 45 degrees, but guessed it was half of that. I cut a piece of scrap 2x4 to 22.5 degrees, but that didn't work. I guessed that it might be 30 degrees, and got lucky. That was a perfect fit on my other attachments.

I'm doing all my welding with 6011 rod and a DC arc welder.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Since the 3/8's plate weighs 15lbs per sq ft, and I have six square feet of plate, plus the brackets, I guess it weighs around 100 pounds. To work with it and get it in the right position, I flipped the bucket over so the back was flat like a table.

I used the straight edge from my framing square to clean up the metal I had cut off with my grinder.

Then I put the quick attach plate on the bucket and figured out where I wanted to mount it. Mostly towards the bottom and centered. Since the back of the bucket is round, I cut a piece of 3/8's three inch angle iron to fit between the original brackets that I cut off. Since this will go under the plate, I had to weld it on first. Then I coated it with some high temp paint for a bar-b-q. I don't know if it made a difference or not, just that it would be covered forever and it might help.

The angle iron will give me a solid point to weld the top of the plate to along the width of the bucket.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

To attach the plate to my bucket, I also wanted to be able to weld it in the middle. I cut out the middle of the plate, 33 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. This is where the plate touches the back of the bucket where it's curves around. Hope that makes sense.

I tacked the plate to the bucket in the middle. The plat had warped on me with all the welding, so it was important to get the middle held in place where it touched.

Then I used the forks on the backhoe to push down the plat at the corners where it was curled up. Each corner had about a half inch. The weight of the backhoe was plenty to push the plate down flat. I then welded it in place and then moved the forks to the other corner until I had it all in place.

After welding most of it in place, I cut some gussets to add strength to it. My fear is that I'll have a load of dirt in the bucket and the entire bucket will just break off. If not, I might have messed up the design of the bucket so badly that it will twist on me and break some of the welds. With the additional gussets, I think I've gone past overkill and reached absurd. We'll see.

Eddie

 

[SPYDERLK]

Eddie, I find that heavy duty use of the implement bends the 45 angle bracket on the top unless it is reinforced with a strut to triangulate the lip to the backplate in a position just centerward of where the SK attach tongues engage. I see you have reinforced your top lip by thickening the region of greatest stress - a good idea that the triangulation would compliment.
larry

 

[EddieWalker]

Larry,

My brother was saying the same thing. I've been looking at those ends, and then at the ones on my grapple and fork lifts, and seeing that they don't have anything on them. Then I keep thinking, it's just another piece of metal. Just add it and eliminate the problem before it ever happens.

Reading your post, I'm even more inclined to add another gusset to those ends in the morning.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[Willl]

Eddie, didn't you have lower retaining pin issues with your grapple ?

Did that ever get resolved ?

 

[EddieWalker]

Will,

Yes, that's been a real problem. Then when I put the forks on, I had the same problem. When I have the grapple or the forks on the ground and pull backwards, the retaining pin pops loose and the grapple or forks fall off.

I've talked to the manufacturer and gone to several dealers to see what they look like on the lot. I've also gone to the auction to check them out and see if there is a difference. Mainly, I've learned that nobody uses this type of connection on full sized tractors. It's a different type of connection with a pin at the bottom that goes through the attachment. The lever moves the pins horizontally from in to out. On the quick attach, the pin goes up and down.

My solution was to put a large eye bolt over one of the main pins with a piece of steel to keep it from sliding off. I can take the eye bolt off and replace it easily this way. Then I welded on some channel and a piece of steel at the end with a notch in it to hold the nut in place when tightening. It's very simple and easy to create a solid connection.

I'm going to do this onto the bucket and later, the grapple. Right now, I want the bucket done so I can clean up my burn pile so I can get the dirt graded down to where I want it and plant grass seed this spring.

Since doing this, I've been trying to break the forks free, and haven't been able to. I think the quick attach pin works and is built properly, but isn't designed for back dragging or rearward pressure to the degree that I put on it with my tractor. Either 80hp is too much, or the weight of the machine is the problem. Maybe both. Whatever the real reason for it not working properly, this seems to be a workable solution.

Eddie

 

[SPYDERLK]

When I have the grapple or the forks on the ground and pull backwards, the retaining pin pops loose and the grapple or forks fall off.

I've talked to the manufacturer and gone to several dealers to see what they look like on the lot. I've also gone to the auction to check them out and see if there is a difference. Mainly, I've learned that nobody uses this type of connection on full sized tractors. It's a different type of connection with a pin at the bottom that goes through the attachment. The lever moves the pins horizontally from in to out. On the quick attach, the pin goes up and down.
Eddie

Eddie, I dont know what the problems with some SK designs are. The pins on my SK can not be pushed up with the lever down. Something would have to break. That spring only holds the lever in position. Back force by the pin onto the lever is overcenter on the lever pivot and just locks the lever down harder.

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larry

 

[EddieWalker]

Larry,

I've been over the quick attach design from every angle possible. I couldn't figure out why it was failing on me, nor could I figure out what to change to make it better. I just came to the conclusion that it is what it is and I had to come up with a way to stop the problem. The eye bolt was the simple solution with the most strength that I could come up with.

Today, I spent the morning working on my burn pile. I'm really wanting to get it burned up so that I can haul away the ashes and start digging where it's located. Thus the reason to get the bucket back on the loader.

I cut some triangles from 3/8 flat stock and welded them onto the ends of the brackets that hold the weight of the bucket. Since I couldn't say for sure whether it needed them or not, I went for it.

I then welded some 3/8's x 4 inch flat stock between the existing brackets of the loader. The inside space was 4 inches, so the flat stock was perfect. I welded it to the bucket, the brackets and the overlapped the part that holds all the weight of the bucket. Everything is overlapped and welded to the extreme.

Eddie