Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans?

   / Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans? #21  
I haven't looked in awhile but I use to see used telescoping cylinders on places like ebay. My 8' dump truck uses a scissor set up but I see plenty that have the telescoping kind. It may take longer to extend but if you found a used cylinder it could be cheaper and simpler to make.
 
   / Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans? #22  
If the cylinder is double acting, use the down force to compress a spring. The force will be returned for the lift and help hold the box up to drain when unused.
 
   / Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans?
  • Thread Starter
#23  
It works fine!

Just a quick update.

Built it to plan with two minor changes. I used a 3x8 cylinder because I got a heckuva deal on one, and I added a grease zerk to the bottom pivot and put two instead of one on the top pivot.

Picked up about a yard of wet compost just above idle with no issues at all. The wet compost didn't dump all that well and some of that is dump angle, but mostly it's just sticky and the trailer has a wood floor which doesn't help. Dry matter should dump just fine.

If I can find a 10 or 12 inch cylinder that mounts the same way for a decent price, I may upgrade, but I'm not all that worried about it.
 
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   / Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans? #24  
Looks great! If it doesn't seem to have any trouble lifting the load you might try moving the lift back about 6", the farther back the lift is the more angle you will get.
What you have there is about 90% of what I want to build for myself, what was the name of the plans you used?
 
   / Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans?
  • Thread Starter
#25  
I got the plans from these folks for $22, paid up and downloaded the PDF immediately, printed them out.

Good plans, well documented and explained, clear drawings. WELL worth the $22.

Moving the lift back would require major re-engineering of the main frame and bed frame to relocate the mounting points. Not worth the hassle/expense. If anything, I'll put a longer stroke cylinder on it.

In reality, I'll likely just live with it. I don't move wet stuff very often and ANYTHING is better than shoveling...:laughing:
 
   / Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans? #26  
Thanks for the link, I'll be ordering the plans myself, I understand about the work involved in moving the unit back, and besides, even using a rake to pull the material out when it's raised is a lot easier than using a shovel to get it out of a flat trailer.
 
   / Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans? #27  
I was planning on building a four wheel trailer with wide spaced axles and steering front wheels because I wanted stability when unhitched, but now am leaning towards a tandem axle trailer to give a mix of stability and ease of backing (I am awful at backing a trailer that has a steering axle).
 
   / Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans? #28  
That tongue looks a little weak but other than that I love it.
You could always move your hinges forward.
 
   / Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans? #29  
You could also line the bed with some puck board or equivalent.
 
   / Dump Trailer - Scissors Hoist - Plans? #30  
If there's any kind of salvage yard close by you should be able to get a cylinder cheap. The one I went to had literally hundred if not thousands of cylinders. I got a 5x22 cylinder for my wood splitter for 25 cents a pound.
 
 
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