B7100 Quick Attach

   / B7100 Quick Attach #1  

charlz

Elite Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2006
Messages
2,959
Location
Meridian Idaho
Tractor
Kubota B7100D
Yep, another quick attach thread! :D This time for an old, small tractor though.

I've wanted a quick attach for a while so I could make other loader attachments. I have clamp-on bucket forks that I use for a variety of uses but have seen their limitations. I would like a 'real' set as well as a light duty brush grapple. Moving tree trimmings/brush cuttings in particular is what I want the grapple for. Seems like I am always snagging what I am carrying on other trees, gates etc and have to climb off, restack etc etc. I could go with an add-on grapple to my bucket and continue to use the clamp on forks for limbs/brush but then I wouldn't get to build as much stuff! ;)

I chose the 'skidsteer' style as anything I build could potentially be used by a future 'new' tractor. Other quick attach solutions would be lighter but not offer me the same future flexibility.

Couple of challenges, my loader is rated at 500lbs... although I have picked up 800lbs of wood pellets with it. I have a round back-bucket, not as easy to work with as a flat-back bucket.

So I started out by first building the adapter plate that would go on the bucket. I figured this would help get my dimensions, alignment, etc. down when building the tractor side. It took some deciphering of the specifications, looking at lots of pictures and other builds here on TBN but this is what I ended up with:

001 (2).jpg

All the parts cut out of 1/4 plate using my plasma with a straight edge and drag tip. Corners cut using a piece of pipe as a guide. I bought a bunch of it cheap off Craigslist and the original bucket brackets are made from 1/4 so that is what I used.

Here it is tacked up on my 'work bench', I had the bottom angle wrong but luckily I caught it before getting too far and was able to knock it off and weld on at the proper angle.

007 (2).jpg

I thought it turned out pretty good... but it weighed in at 40 lbs, too heavy! But it would work to help me set up the tractor adapter.
 
   / B7100 Quick Attach
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I started to layout the tractor side adapter using the quick attach plate as a guide. I quickly ran up against the problem of what locking mechanism to use. I spent a good month staring at it, looking at other builds, trying to figure out how I could make something without any machine tools.

Then just before Thanksgiving an old Atlas/Craftsman 101.04703 12x36 lathe showed up on Craigslist about 2 hours north. Machine tools don't often show up in this part of the country much less inexpensive ones unless they are from HF. The guy was asking way too much ($1500) but I figured while everyone else was laughing I could be negotiating so I sent him an email and we started a conversation. I did some research found out better pricing, explained it all to him and we agreed on a price of $425 for the lathe with almost no tooling. This is still a little high compared to other parts of the country for this lathe but I was willing to pay it, depending on condition, as it might be years before another inexpensive lathe showed up.

Naturally it snowed all the night before and all day on the day I was scheduled to pick it up. Made for a long drive up and back on nasty roads but at least there wasn't much traffic :)

My research had showed this was a 'hobby' level lathe but using a lathe is something I always wanted to learn and this was a cheap way to get some experience. It would also work perfect to make a few parts here and there for 'tractor builds'. Turning pins, making weld-on threaded studs etc etc. This guys Uncle had bought it when new and used it in his shop. The guy I got it from had if for about 20 years, the last 10 of which it just sat and collected dust.

Here is the lathe in its new home in my shop:
002.jpg

The ways were pretty much perfect even though the whole thing was very dirty. When this lathe was used a lot of that time was turning wood.

008.jpg


So with a new toy... er tool! in the shop I started to make the locking parts. I picked up some 5/8 cold rolled for the long locking shaft and sliding stud, used some old, rusted up 1/2 I had laying around for the weld-on stud. The handle came from an old disk I used to make a row hipper, they were used to actuate the disk scrapers. I had to relocate the existing hole and add a new one to get the action I wanted.

Here is the top end. the shaft at the bottom is my first attempt at threading on a lathe... and actually the second thing I turned! Ugly but it works, the other pieces turned out a little nicer. Turns out I really didn't need that much thread anyway, the more you compress the spring the 'looser' it makes the handle:

021.jpg
Bottom end, shaft ground down with a bench grinder. The locking pin is made from 1" square stock I had left over from the disk. I drilled through the 'top' and threaded the 'bottom' for the bolt. The shaft can 'wiggle' on the bolt:

023.jpg
'Before and After' of the locking handles:



020.jpg
 
   / B7100 Quick Attach
  • Thread Starter
#4  
This post gets me caught up to where I currently am, needing to figure out how to put the attachment points on the round back bucket.

Once I figured out the locking mechanism things moved pretty fast. I cut the brackets off the bucket and cut the 'round' part off to weld them on the tractor adapter. I took a cue from Ductape on his quick attach modification and spent _days_ in front of the drill press making things lighter... I could have went with lighter material but I already had a pile of 1/4 plate and a drill press so.... :rolleyes:

Here is what I ended up with:

002.jpg

005.jpg

008.jpg

Still weighs in a 35lbs even though it is mostly holes ;) That piece of angle iron is a little lightweight now but with the cross arm on the loader not too far away I think it will be OK. I still need to weld in the 'stop blocks' between the loader brackets. The original bucket had these so that both cylinders would 'stop' at the same point and keep the bucket level.

Now the next trick is mounting attachment plates on the bucket. Looks like my pretty adapter plate is going to have a date with the plasma :eek:
 
   / B7100 Quick Attach #5  
Charlz,
WOW! Very impressive. You should go into business.

I had two B7100's (old/new model), great little machines, work horses, never any real issues. I currently have a B7500 and would love to have a system like yours, but alas, it doesn't appear that anyone makes one, and if they do, it would cost prohibitive.

Good look with the rest of your project!
Teach
 
   / B7100 Quick Attach #6  
Charlz,
WOW! Very impressive. You should go into business.

I had two B7100's (old/new model), great little machines, work horses, never any real issues. I currently have a B7500 and would love to have a system like yours, but alas, it doesn't appear that anyone makes one, and if they do, it would cost prohibitive.

Good look with the rest of your project!
Teach

I actually had a quick attach made for my B7610 that is similar to the factory one for the larger B's. It cost me about $275 in material and labor. I still need to get it painted or powered-coated, so I haven't put in on yet. When I get my pin-on fork modified to fit, I'll install it (the pin-on fork is from my B7100 -- I had two of them too), different loader arm spacing. This type of QA uses the bucket unmodified. I'll post some pictures when I get around to taking them.

J.
 
   / B7100 Quick Attach #7  
Nice work ! All that swiss cheese looks farmiliar, as i did that to mine also.
 
   / B7100 Quick Attach #8  
Very nice! I built my own also (see http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/141029-tractor-side-shuttle-shift-quick.html).

I like that your attachment does not displace the bucket any further from the pins - maintains lift and curl performance.

I have a couple of suggestions though;

Add a small gusset between the top angle (45 deg) and the loader pin bracket. This will prevent the flat stock from flexing especially with all the "speed holes" (Homer Simpson;)) in the material. It might be strong enough to not fail but movement may cause your lock pin to tighten and jam.

Also, the holey angle iron between the sides might not be strong enough. There has been debate about how important (structurally) this piece has to be but you will likely bend or twist that angle if you only get one side of the bucket hooked (this does happen). I understand that your loader does not have a huge lift capacity but you can subject it to a lot of stress with the tractor.

I like your design; I had to use a different configuration because my loader arms lined up on top of the QA pins. With my setup I was able to have both lock pins work off of one lock handle which is really nice and now I can make it remote control!:cool:
 
   / B7100 Quick Attach
  • Thread Starter
#9  

Your drawings are some of the ones in my pile! ;) Thanks for posting those. :)

I like that your attachment does not displace the bucket any further from the pins - maintains lift and curl performance.
It does but only about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch.


I have a couple of suggestions though;

Add a small gusset between the top angle (45 deg) and the loader pin bracket. This will prevent the flat stock from flexing especially with all the "speed holes" (Homer Simpson;)) in the material. It might be strong enough to not fail but movement may cause your lock pin to tighten and jam.

Yeah I left that one 'path' through the holes to help stiffen things at the top. By gusset do you mean just welded to those pieces (air underneath) or also welded along the flat plate?

Also, the holey angle iron between the sides might not be strong enough. There has been debate about how important (structurally) this piece has to be but you will likely bend or twist that angle if you only get one side of the bucket hooked (this does happen). I understand that your loader does not have a huge lift capacity but you can subject it to a lot of stress with the tractor.

Hmmm hadn't thought about pressure more on one side of the bucket than the other. It _is_ twisty and I had really only thought about when the curl cylinders come full back. (need to put those 'stop blocks' back in)I used angle because I have a pile of it, another cragislist buy :D , but actually liked the idea of tube better.

The other thing I am a little concerned about is the 'softness' of the locking pins. Been wondering if it is better to have 'hard' pins?
 
   / B7100 Quick Attach
  • Thread Starter
#10  
I have one question for the group. As I am looking at how to attach the plate to the bucket it looks like I might need to raise the QA plate so the attachment points are slightly higher than stock, like an inch or so. Making the bucket 'lower' compared to the lift arms.

When using the bucket I like to fully curl it back, put the weight of the tractor on it and back drag. This leaves a nice, smooth, somewhat packed finish to the dirt. The curve of the bucket works perfect for this. Because of this I kept the plates the cylinders connect to as low as possible. However after studying it a bit and looking at the scratch marks on the bucket I think the locking pins and lower part of the adapter might get in the dirt a little.

So is 'lowering' the bucket in relationship to the arms about 1" a 'bad thing'? I am thinking of tacking the plate to the bucket enough to put it back on the tractor for a better look-see.
 
 
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