Any body built a knuckleboom loader

[muddstopper]

I am looking for plans on building a knuckleboom loader. I am wanting something like a Farmi or Farma to mount on a trailer. I have found only 3 on Utube and nothing searching the net. I was going to convert a backhoe attachment to a loader, but it weighed 3000lbs and a fellow drove in the yard today wanting to buy it, so now its gone. Just looking for ideals.

 

[BKBoiss]

I have always wanted to build one as well but time and money just aren't on my side. I too thought about using an old hoe attachment but the weight and the fact that they are meant for digging down not lifting up high stopped me. I do have plans of maybe using the hydraulic components off an old one when I get around to finally building one. I also have thought of maybe using an axel and hub assembly off an old truck for the turn at the base if the boom.

 

[muddstopper]

I built a small one for my wood splitter using a truck front hub. For firewood, it worked alright, but then I got ambitious and decided I wanted to know just how much it would lift. I grabbed a 14in dia redoak about 12ft long and the hub gave way. I need a lift capacity of around 3000lbs to lift what I want to lift. A rear axle housing and hub might work. I need to keep it light as I want to mount it on the trailer tongue, but will also be using outriggers to stabilize it.

When I bought the backhoe attachment, I had planned on turning it upside down and modifying the dipper boom, removing the bucket cylinder and adding a grapple. Too make it work, i pretty much was going to have to competely rework it. The work necessary to convert the backhoe to a knuckle boom was as much or more work than just building from scratch. Good points of a backhoe attachment is you have the cylinders and control valving to make it work. I just couldnt see how I was going to overcome the weight factor.

I need ideals on building the swing and base.

 

[BKBoiss]

Was that with a hub off of a big truck? I haul loads up to 75000kg during the winter on a 7 axle. I figure doing all the math that works out to about 5300kg per axle stub. Like 11000lb for the Americans. I think. It in theory should be able to handle way more than that. For the swivel I thought about a really low geared high torque hydraulic motor or a cylinder and heavy cable or roller chain set up like the rotate on a snowblower chute.

 

[franklin2]

How are you going to control the base? Have you ever used one of those lifts you put in your pickup? If the truck is not on fairly level ground, it's a little scary trying to manually control a heavy load and get it into the truck. It wants to always go to the lowest point and stop. If you pick something like a engine up somewhere other than the lowest point, you can get hurt when it takes off.

A backhoe has two cylinders at the base and a somewhat limited side to side travel. Would that be enough for your purposes?

 

[jaotguy]

so 3000 lbs to lift at 6 feet out = 18000lbs of torque at the base of the boom swivel ... ( at 7 ft = 21000 lbs )

that's some load at the base to account for .... like having 10 tons on one tire at the axle ....

perhaps you should look at an old boom truck for the base ( auction at a tree trimming yard or crane place ) ... one that is bagged out ( bad motor/trans / etc )

 

[BHD]

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[mikefromnh]

The slew gear from a small mechanics crane off a service truck would be a nice starting point.

 

[BHD]

for the base, use some kind of pivot big spindle or pipe on pipe, and use a large sprocket and a roller chain with hydraulic cylinders, to pull it one could get a little more than 360 degrees. or a cable.

or a roller chain on a pivot point, driven by a hydraulic motor,

a hydraulic motor ad a large differential or gear box,

or a roller chain on a pivot point, driven by a hydraulic motor,

 

[BHD]

Log Boom Construction