SNOW PLOW for my MT180D
- Thread starter PILOON
- Start date
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This pic shows the plow angled to the right.
What I did is essentially create a custom channel to extend the left side.
The push frame is made from 2" X 2" X 1/4" sq tubing and the hinge (rt side) and left extension are 1/2 X 2" with the pins being 3/4" graded bolts.
All ears and pivot stock is 1/2 X 2" with 3/4" pins.
What I did is essentially create a custom channel to extend the left side.
The push frame is made from 2" X 2" X 1/4" sq tubing and the hinge (rt side) and left extension are 1/2 X 2" with the pins being 3/4" graded bolts.
All ears and pivot stock is 1/2 X 2" with 3/4" pins.
Attachments
Tractor attachement rack.
The top is 5/16" 3 x 3 angle stock with the down legs 1/2 x 3" stock.
I cross braced and used 3/8 2 x 2 angle at bottom.
This bracket is attached to the front tractor 'bumper' with 4 1/2 bolts.
Nect pic will show how I transfer the stresses back to the loader frame.
The top is 5/16" 3 x 3 angle stock with the down legs 1/2 x 3" stock.
I cross braced and used 3/8 2 x 2 angle at bottom.
This bracket is attached to the front tractor 'bumper' with 4 1/2 bolts.
Nect pic will show how I transfer the stresses back to the loader frame.
Attachments
Since my tractor has a beefy loader frame, I opted to transfer all the loads back to the main cross member which is factory designed to take much abuse.
The cross member is 1" thick by 2 1/2' solid stock.
I fabricated a channel to 'cup' up against that cross member.
The arms are 1 x 1" x 1/4" wall tube with 3/8" tabs (gussets?) where they bolt to the frt down rig. Bolting is grades 1/2" bolts and the tubes were trimmed so that they but up to the down frame so as to not rely only on bolts.
Notice the cross bracing.
Tricky part was to be sure to clear frt differential and wheels in all possible position combinations.
Since I could jack the frt end up with the loader the task was relativly easy.
While everything is painted, trust me that all was trial fitted before prime and paint.
The cross member is 1" thick by 2 1/2' solid stock.
I fabricated a channel to 'cup' up against that cross member.
The arms are 1 x 1" x 1/4" wall tube with 3/8" tabs (gussets?) where they bolt to the frt down rig. Bolting is grades 1/2" bolts and the tubes were trimmed so that they but up to the down frame so as to not rely only on bolts.
Notice the cross bracing.
Tricky part was to be sure to clear frt differential and wheels in all possible position combinations.
Since I could jack the frt end up with the loader the task was relativly easy.
While everything is painted, trust me that all was trial fitted before prime and paint.
Attachments
beenthere
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Your plow design and fabrication is looking good, and I'll be anxious to see a pic of the plow on the Mitsubishi.
Maybe I missed it, but how wide is the blade?
Maybe I missed it, but how wide is the blade?
Before I get swamped with ??'s
The blade is 6' wide and 22" high (tractor is 4' wide) so that when angled I wont be compacting my snow banks.
The intent was to clear the light falls with blade and then use the blower for heavier stuff.
There are 5 ribs made from 1/2" stock and the blade is 1/8" from an industriel work bench top.
The cutting edge is 3/8 X 4" galvanized flat from scrap yard.
Blade has 2 x 2 X 5/16 angles top and bottom.
Total costs as follows: (Cdn $)
Bench top $10., Recycled steel $40.00. Curving of the blade by a shop-$35.00, cutting of the 'ribs' (incl stock) $75.00, Bolts
about $25.00 . Springs $12.95 ea
My labor, including painting about 24hrs.
Note that I have no hydraulics as I plan to remouve my loader bucket (4 pins) and simply use a short chain down from the lift mechanism.
Swinging the blade manually to the right won't pose a problem as I have a long drive and that would be only done ocassionally, plus I was getting fedup with the project anyhow.
It was important for me to be able to retain the loader functions as I use it often to break-up and push back snow banks.
This way it is 2 pins for plow and 4 pins for loader vs complete loader remouval, and that's not fun at -25 degs.
A few pins I can handle!.
Now I'm actually anxious for snow!
The blade is 6' wide and 22" high (tractor is 4' wide) so that when angled I wont be compacting my snow banks.
The intent was to clear the light falls with blade and then use the blower for heavier stuff.
There are 5 ribs made from 1/2" stock and the blade is 1/8" from an industriel work bench top.
The cutting edge is 3/8 X 4" galvanized flat from scrap yard.
Blade has 2 x 2 X 5/16 angles top and bottom.
Total costs as follows: (Cdn $)
Bench top $10., Recycled steel $40.00. Curving of the blade by a shop-$35.00, cutting of the 'ribs' (incl stock) $75.00, Bolts
about $25.00 . Springs $12.95 ea
My labor, including painting about 24hrs.
Note that I have no hydraulics as I plan to remouve my loader bucket (4 pins) and simply use a short chain down from the lift mechanism.
Swinging the blade manually to the right won't pose a problem as I have a long drive and that would be only done ocassionally, plus I was getting fedup with the project anyhow.
It was important for me to be able to retain the loader functions as I use it often to break-up and push back snow banks.
This way it is 2 pins for plow and 4 pins for loader vs complete loader remouval, and that's not fun at -25 degs.
A few pins I can handle!.
Now I'm actually anxious for snow!
I probably won't mount 'til end of Oct as I have other tractor duties pending.
A detail I forgot to mention is that the blade 'tilt' point is 8" off of the ground and my 'drop down' rack matches at 8" as well as the loader cross member is about 9".
This is so that I'll have as close to a straight line push as possible thus avoiding the front from 'jacking' and making stearing way too light to be usable.
Mounting the blade on the bucket or alternatively matching the loader bucket pin locations would have resulted in front end jacking due to the high loader arm pivot points.
Pushing snow with the bucket in 'float mode' always resulted in that jacking motion with no steering.
In other words a pile of snow is heavier than the tractor weight on the front wheeles, that combined with the leverage angles just plain lifts the front.
I think I'll be pleased as tests (butting up to a tree) proved my theory. The front stays on the ground and I spin the wheeles rather than jacking.
A detail I forgot to mention is that the blade 'tilt' point is 8" off of the ground and my 'drop down' rack matches at 8" as well as the loader cross member is about 9".
This is so that I'll have as close to a straight line push as possible thus avoiding the front from 'jacking' and making stearing way too light to be usable.
Mounting the blade on the bucket or alternatively matching the loader bucket pin locations would have resulted in front end jacking due to the high loader arm pivot points.
Pushing snow with the bucket in 'float mode' always resulted in that jacking motion with no steering.
In other words a pile of snow is heavier than the tractor weight on the front wheeles, that combined with the leverage angles just plain lifts the front.
I think I'll be pleased as tests (butting up to a tree) proved my theory. The front stays on the ground and I spin the wheeles rather than jacking.
The ACID TEST:
Well we finally got some snow.
That wet heavy stuff, but only 2-3" but it was enough for a decent test run.
I am happy to report that everything went as predicted.
I worked it in the side plow mode moving the snow from left to right therby getting a reasonable pile to push over.
And my manual angle setup works real easy.
Pull the pin ,swing and drop the pin.
Takes seconds to do.
Never did I get lightness on the stearing, I had total control at all times.
I attribute this to the 'straight line push' approach that I used. (keeping the force line parallel to the ground)
Remember that in previous winters I used the bucket as a plow and because of the high lift arm pivot points the tractor would 'jack' itself resulting in no or very light stearing, basically uncontrollable.
(Also other TBN posters have discussed the lightness of stearing with all loader mounted plows.)
I was able to plow in all gear ranges and actually even in 2wd.
About the only thing I found was that I should tighten up the dump springs a bit as I did dump a few times more than I thought I should, but that's easy as I provided adjustment range an the tension screws.
In summary the tractor as setup is about as fast as using my GMC 4 x 4 with an 8ft blade and much more manouverable and along with the blower to get rid of the snow banks as they get made should result in a cleaner and wider area.
Using only the plow truck I would get narrower and narrower as winter went on. Then when I'd want to blow away the banks they would be so hard that the blower on the back of the poor MT180 would simply wnat to ride up and over that hard snow.
Now I can push (at a decent rate) the snow into a blowable pile and get rid of it with one pass of the blower.
My basic situation was that the drive is just too long to only blow snow as it needed like 3-4 passes and that in reverse at creeping paces just took forever
The truck would take like 10 mins and the blower over an hour.
Now with the plow/blower combination I can see something reasonable like 15-20 mins. Well at least 1/2 the time of blowing only, plus on small snow falls, blower only is totally eneficient , time wise, when less than say 4" falls.
It works so well that I am now thinking of maybe adding power angling probably by using the FEL dump cylinder valve circuit. That would be a next spring/summer project.
My priority project will be a FEL hydraulic clamp.
Well we finally got some snow.
That wet heavy stuff, but only 2-3" but it was enough for a decent test run.
I am happy to report that everything went as predicted.
I worked it in the side plow mode moving the snow from left to right therby getting a reasonable pile to push over.
And my manual angle setup works real easy.
Pull the pin ,swing and drop the pin.
Takes seconds to do.
Never did I get lightness on the stearing, I had total control at all times.
I attribute this to the 'straight line push' approach that I used. (keeping the force line parallel to the ground)
Remember that in previous winters I used the bucket as a plow and because of the high lift arm pivot points the tractor would 'jack' itself resulting in no or very light stearing, basically uncontrollable.
(Also other TBN posters have discussed the lightness of stearing with all loader mounted plows.)
I was able to plow in all gear ranges and actually even in 2wd.
About the only thing I found was that I should tighten up the dump springs a bit as I did dump a few times more than I thought I should, but that's easy as I provided adjustment range an the tension screws.
In summary the tractor as setup is about as fast as using my GMC 4 x 4 with an 8ft blade and much more manouverable and along with the blower to get rid of the snow banks as they get made should result in a cleaner and wider area.
Using only the plow truck I would get narrower and narrower as winter went on. Then when I'd want to blow away the banks they would be so hard that the blower on the back of the poor MT180 would simply wnat to ride up and over that hard snow.
Now I can push (at a decent rate) the snow into a blowable pile and get rid of it with one pass of the blower.
My basic situation was that the drive is just too long to only blow snow as it needed like 3-4 passes and that in reverse at creeping paces just took forever
The truck would take like 10 mins and the blower over an hour.
Now with the plow/blower combination I can see something reasonable like 15-20 mins. Well at least 1/2 the time of blowing only, plus on small snow falls, blower only is totally eneficient , time wise, when less than say 4" falls.
It works so well that I am now thinking of maybe adding power angling probably by using the FEL dump cylinder valve circuit. That would be a next spring/summer project.
My priority project will be a FEL hydraulic clamp.
