Iron Brew
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2008
- Messages
- 81
- Location
- Vancouver Island
- Tractor
- Kubota b2400 SOLD. Now a Massey Ferguson 285
OK. Sitting up sick with what is either a nasty cold, or the flu. I'm up, I'm bored, so the time has come to write up the "transformation" of my little Kubota B2400 into a small woodlot logging machine. This has happened over the course of a few years now, with me humming and hawing as to what I wanted.
The first modification was to transform the loader to a bobcat quick attach style loader. Although I didn't have a need at that time, things were very slow at work, and I was about to be laid off. In order to have me handy in the event I was needed, the boss let me bring in the tractor and use his equipment. This was great because I am NOT a welder, and I was able to get advice when needed. Unfortunately, I did not take pictures along the way. To start, I cut the pads off the bucket. This was done with a grinder. In retrospect, much as I loath the process, carbon arc would have been much faster and cleaner. With the pads off the bucket but still attached to the loader, I began the fabrication (please note - if you are doing any welding onto any vehicle, disconnect the battery and place your grounds in the most appropriate place you can).
Modifications I will be doing later to the project is entirely with the locking system. I will be putting bends in the handle, and making the "connecting rod" much stronger. All pivot points are shoulder bolts. Dimensions came from drawings linked to a forum I frequent, and a bobcat blank plate. It was very handy to have the blank available. If anybody else is looking to do this modification, I'd recommend purchasing a blank plate from a place like Northern Tools or TSC to use. You will come up with a project for the plate at some point anyway. Being almost unemployed, I used scrap pieces of 1/4" steel with the boss' permission to make the mounts onto the bucket. I was fortunate in being able to use the big press brake to put some bends into the mounts. This has worked well and held together for some fairly serious use for several years now (I was very worried about my welds). I hadn't painted it due to fears of failure, repairs or modifications, and I guess I probably should now at some time.
The next item I got was actually a self releasing snatch block for changing direction of a load pull (made in the USA). I was researching this and was fortunate to stumble on a deal, so this part of the review is NOT totally impartial but extremely favourable. This will be reviewed in detail later (as in additional post).
It was to be used with the little logging winch I got for my tractor, a Wallenstein FX65 (made in Canada). I was worried about my little tractor being too light, but it turns out not to have been a real concern. The tractor is easily able to handle the winch, although towing a full load up hill challenges it at times. I would probably not be able to get away with as much if I was out east in hardwood country. I suspect I would need/want another 20hp or so. A couple of small beefs with the winch are it will not work at all with my quick attach, so the quick attach had to be removed from the tractor. I also would have liked a place to store my chokers and saw during transportation. Otherwise this winch is slick.
It works very well, and the "blade" really helps my light tractor from being dragged around. I know this safety message is repeated often, but again, be very careful about direction of pulls. The winch would easily upset the tractor.
I don't live in logging country, so supplies for chokers were a little more echallenging. I wound up making my own. The jig for bending the "needle" was simply two bolts and two nuts welded together. Worked very well as a quick, cheap method. The "eyes" were closed using the vice. No welds needed.
After using the tractor to clean up a mess of willow, I felt I needed a grapple to aid in cleanup, and to keep things generally tidy. I will also be using it to cut the logs into stove length later with greater safety. More digging, and on one of my favourite forums I found reference to an affordable grapple, the wildkat economy 48" grapple. I could buy this American made grapple for not much difference in price than the steel was going to cost me, so I bit the bullet and ordered it. Shipping was fairly reasonable using their suggested shipper, and I cleared customs myself. I ordered mine with the bobcat style attachment and without the quick connects for the hydraulics, as they would have been bobcat flat style instead of pioneer to make my life simple. The hose ends came a larger size than the hose, or my tractor, so a quick visit to a hydraulics shop, and I had new ends the correct size crimped on (originally 3/8" fittings on 1/4" hose). I added Pioneer quick attach (one male and one female, with the same on the hydraulic lines for this both to prevent accidental reversing, and because any attachments I add later can use one set instead of two male or female).
Time to move onto the hydraulics for the tractor
Since I was going to be adding a hydraulic circuit, and me not being a hydraulics guy, I had to do a lot of thinking to get my head wrapped around this. I also got a lot of advice from a fellow on a different, non-related forum. Since I had to take the valve off to make a new mount for the new solenoid valve, I figured I'd just open up the valve and replace the rings. I got an end cap off, looked at the mess, and put it back together. I used it until the replacement (Brand Hydraulics, made in USA) arrived. When I tried to mount this, I discovered I had goofed. I was either going to have to return it, or totally fabricate a new mount. I chose the latter due to time, and border/brokerage issues. It turns out there are 4 possible orientations for the valve, and I saw the picture and thought it was the correct orientation. I should have read further. Instead of the valve being flat as it was on my Kubota, the valve was oriented on it's side (this was determined by the movement of the joystick to keep the positioning the same). I also ordered the power beyond valve with the new loader valve.
I was able to order a joystick handle from my local mens boutique/emporium, with a two way, normally open switch on it. From the same location I got a solenoid and base for the hydraulics. After assembling everything, I had a working tractor. After fixing some minor hydraulic leaks, that is...
Action shots will be coming... I need to get them, and to do a writeup of the individual components.
The first modification was to transform the loader to a bobcat quick attach style loader. Although I didn't have a need at that time, things were very slow at work, and I was about to be laid off. In order to have me handy in the event I was needed, the boss let me bring in the tractor and use his equipment. This was great because I am NOT a welder, and I was able to get advice when needed. Unfortunately, I did not take pictures along the way. To start, I cut the pads off the bucket. This was done with a grinder. In retrospect, much as I loath the process, carbon arc would have been much faster and cleaner. With the pads off the bucket but still attached to the loader, I began the fabrication (please note - if you are doing any welding onto any vehicle, disconnect the battery and place your grounds in the most appropriate place you can).
Modifications I will be doing later to the project is entirely with the locking system. I will be putting bends in the handle, and making the "connecting rod" much stronger. All pivot points are shoulder bolts. Dimensions came from drawings linked to a forum I frequent, and a bobcat blank plate. It was very handy to have the blank available. If anybody else is looking to do this modification, I'd recommend purchasing a blank plate from a place like Northern Tools or TSC to use. You will come up with a project for the plate at some point anyway. Being almost unemployed, I used scrap pieces of 1/4" steel with the boss' permission to make the mounts onto the bucket. I was fortunate in being able to use the big press brake to put some bends into the mounts. This has worked well and held together for some fairly serious use for several years now (I was very worried about my welds). I hadn't painted it due to fears of failure, repairs or modifications, and I guess I probably should now at some time.
The next item I got was actually a self releasing snatch block for changing direction of a load pull (made in the USA). I was researching this and was fortunate to stumble on a deal, so this part of the review is NOT totally impartial but extremely favourable. This will be reviewed in detail later (as in additional post).
It was to be used with the little logging winch I got for my tractor, a Wallenstein FX65 (made in Canada). I was worried about my little tractor being too light, but it turns out not to have been a real concern. The tractor is easily able to handle the winch, although towing a full load up hill challenges it at times. I would probably not be able to get away with as much if I was out east in hardwood country. I suspect I would need/want another 20hp or so. A couple of small beefs with the winch are it will not work at all with my quick attach, so the quick attach had to be removed from the tractor. I also would have liked a place to store my chokers and saw during transportation. Otherwise this winch is slick.
It works very well, and the "blade" really helps my light tractor from being dragged around. I know this safety message is repeated often, but again, be very careful about direction of pulls. The winch would easily upset the tractor.
I don't live in logging country, so supplies for chokers were a little more echallenging. I wound up making my own. The jig for bending the "needle" was simply two bolts and two nuts welded together. Worked very well as a quick, cheap method. The "eyes" were closed using the vice. No welds needed.
After using the tractor to clean up a mess of willow, I felt I needed a grapple to aid in cleanup, and to keep things generally tidy. I will also be using it to cut the logs into stove length later with greater safety. More digging, and on one of my favourite forums I found reference to an affordable grapple, the wildkat economy 48" grapple. I could buy this American made grapple for not much difference in price than the steel was going to cost me, so I bit the bullet and ordered it. Shipping was fairly reasonable using their suggested shipper, and I cleared customs myself. I ordered mine with the bobcat style attachment and without the quick connects for the hydraulics, as they would have been bobcat flat style instead of pioneer to make my life simple. The hose ends came a larger size than the hose, or my tractor, so a quick visit to a hydraulics shop, and I had new ends the correct size crimped on (originally 3/8" fittings on 1/4" hose). I added Pioneer quick attach (one male and one female, with the same on the hydraulic lines for this both to prevent accidental reversing, and because any attachments I add later can use one set instead of two male or female).
Time to move onto the hydraulics for the tractor
Since I was going to be adding a hydraulic circuit, and me not being a hydraulics guy, I had to do a lot of thinking to get my head wrapped around this. I also got a lot of advice from a fellow on a different, non-related forum. Since I had to take the valve off to make a new mount for the new solenoid valve, I figured I'd just open up the valve and replace the rings. I got an end cap off, looked at the mess, and put it back together. I used it until the replacement (Brand Hydraulics, made in USA) arrived. When I tried to mount this, I discovered I had goofed. I was either going to have to return it, or totally fabricate a new mount. I chose the latter due to time, and border/brokerage issues. It turns out there are 4 possible orientations for the valve, and I saw the picture and thought it was the correct orientation. I should have read further. Instead of the valve being flat as it was on my Kubota, the valve was oriented on it's side (this was determined by the movement of the joystick to keep the positioning the same). I also ordered the power beyond valve with the new loader valve.
I was able to order a joystick handle from my local mens boutique/emporium, with a two way, normally open switch on it. From the same location I got a solenoid and base for the hydraulics. After assembling everything, I had a working tractor. After fixing some minor hydraulic leaks, that is...
Action shots will be coming... I need to get them, and to do a writeup of the individual components.
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