DIY Home built compact tractor

[GT2]

Yes, my hyd PHD is a Worksaver 714H unit, adapted to my hoe,
using the curl circuit for the hyd motor. Works great.

4-wheel steer is a cool idea. I would love to try it some day.
It would work well for a low speed tractor, but poorly at higher
speeds unless Rears turn only a few degrees.

I like the PHD back hoe mounted idea. I'll have to try that myself someday.

In my younger days I drove a large Hyster telescoping forklift at construction sites. It would 2, 4, wheel and crab steer with a twist of a valve.
The crab function got me into and out of some tight situations, especially with a large machine.

If I were to build a 4 wheel steer (non articulated) machine I think I would make the rear steering selectable, because of the high speed stability.

 

[GT2]

Started working on the frame tonight.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm really enjoying this. Your welding and fabricateing skills are part of it, but also your aproach to doing this. I'm looking forward to following your progress.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[Renze]

GT2, do you use a band saw, or did you cut those angles from the loose wrist with a disk grinder ?

I see you have nice welding clamps. I need to pick up some more, the ones you can get from the 5 Euro bin at the gas station is usually crap... My friend left me some 3 foot clamps when he helped me out. Now he's a year in Ghana so i can use them. Ever since i got them i start to appreciate those things and feel i need lots more of those clamps.

 

[GT2]

Thanks Eddie, this has been a new and challenging project for me. So far so good.

Renze: I used a 14" chop saw with abrasive blade ( there is a pic of it back in the posts where I'm cutting the axle tubes). I have a band saw, but it is too painfully slow when working with large/ thick tubing.
Shop around, 14" chop saws are cheap! They are fast and very usefull. I buy the cheap " thin" blades, they cut faster, but also wear out faster!

I have a box full of those cheap clamps, you put any kind of torque on them and they twist and bend ( I had to learn the hard way ).

 

[Renze]

GT2, my 7x12" band saw is definately faster than the angle grinder... I assume it depends on how dull the band is (whether you use a cooling pump or not means if it turns dull after cutting 4 tubes)

The main reason that i've bought a band saw instead of buying a cheaper chop saw was that i hate the noise, sparks/dust and smell of grinding. Your clothes stink like a pest when you've been grinding all day.

 

[GT2]

GT2, my 7x12" band saw is definately faster than the angle grinder... I assume it depends on how dull the band is (whether you use a cooling pump or not means if it turns dull after cutting 4 tubes)

The main reason that i've bought a band saw instead of buying a cheaper chop saw was that i hate the noise, sparks/dust and smell of grinding. Your clothes stink like a pest when you've been grinding all day.

Dont get me wrong, I use the heck out of my band saw. Mostly for flat plate brackets, thick solid steels, and short tubing.
The problem (especialy for production) is its a ***** loading large OD, heavy wall, 24' lengths of tubing on it by yourself.
With the chop saw everything stays on the floor, a few 4x4 blocks to space the tubing to the height of the chop saw and away you go!
The noise etc is real, however there are ways to deal with it.

 

[Renze]

The 500 kg electric chain winch hangs at a fixed point on a truss in my workshop. as soon as i have time, i want to make a swing arm for it.

A table with rollers on top also works great.

 

[GT2]

Well I got in a few hours of test fitting / visualization tonight.

Heres the front drive shaft. Its at a 27deg angle, Is that too steep?
I could lower the engine more to lessen the angle.
The rear drive shaft is at 15 deg.

Of course I had to test drive it!

 

[varmint]

Great project and play by play reportage! Those of us who just do simpler projects (maybe also lengthy, just not so involved) can get vicarious pleasure from checking in and seeing how you're doing. Have you thought about the non-motive aspects of this, like fenders and cowlings? Hard to imagine you will save any money, when the cost of materials and your time totals up... plus you are trying to do something that engineers at companies like Kubota have a history of having done hundreds of times, hopefully learning and improving every time. Still, this project is great training for... something.