60" FEL Bucket Saver

[Musclford]

I've used my tractor for one very large 12" snow fall. I was on it for nearly 10 hours...

After reading about how our buckets can get crowed.... I went out last week to check my cutting edge of the bucket, and low and behold, I have 3/16 crown to the edges of my bucket... YIKES!!!!

So, yesterday it starts snowing, I take off work early and made this thing in less than an hour. I had plans of using a light duty snow blade, but someone else posted a similar design a while back and I just had to do something before I crowned by bucket some more...

My brackets are welded to hinges that let me angle the blade to either side...

Luckily I had everything in the garage, including the conveyor belt at the bottom. That is so NICE... No more gouging the blacktop..

And, if you go off the blacktop, I simply angle the blade down (Curl the bucket) and I can clean off the grass without ripping it up like I did with the bucket..

approximate - Bill of materials...

1 - 2x4x 14" - Top of blade support - guesstimates on length
1 - 10" 1 1/2" 1/4" angle - guesstimates on length
1 - 18" 1 1/2" 1/4" angle - guesstimates on length
2 - Door hinges
1 - 2x8 or 10 x 60" long
2 - 1x8 - 60"
2 - 5/16" Nuts/washer/bolts
62" 1/2" x 6" conveyor belt
22 - 1 1/2" galvanized deck screws


I'm going to obviously make it nicer looking and more rigid, but I was pretty proud of myself in whipping this up from junk in the garage..

The snow was about 3-4" and very dry.. I think I would put a bit more of an angel next time and I'm going to make some wings for the angled side.

I can't wait to actually put some thought into the next design....

Phil

 

[c-and-a]

Nicely done - the remaining question is float or no float when you where using it?

I am still awaiting for our first storm here in the NE...

"Hey Hey, My, My - will snow come before I die"

 

[Musclford]

Did both....

Floated mostly, I did put down pressure at times and it would still lift the wheels off the ground and didn't bend the arms.. so that's good...

Did have to lift it up to take some pressure off the "blade" when I wanted to turn tightly with a lot of snow out front though...

All in all, once I make a better looking one, I'll be really pleased, I think...


The one thing I was really happy about is when I got near the edge of my drive, I would simply tilt the bucket forward, and when I hit the grass, it would just float over instead of ripping up the sod like I did with my bucket.....

The absolute best thing about it.... I don't miss my 4-wheeler now... It was more efficient than the FEL only,,, Now I have the best of both worlds...

What is everyone charging to do a normal 2 lane driveway..???
$20 ????

Phil

 

[wjmst]

It looks neat! I started to work on something similar using an old soild door I had laying around. How does it stay attached to the FEL? I can't seem to figure that out.

Wes

 

[Musclford]

It looks neat! I started to work on something similar using an old soild door I had laying around. How does it stay attached to the FEL? I can't seem to figure that out.

Wes

Angle iron is bolted inside the bucket.. My bolt on either side is 2 inches in from the cutting edge and 1 inch up.. I drilled through the bucket and into the angle.. Put a 5/16" bolt in and that's all that holds it in...

I plan on sticking just a pin with a cotter pin which will make it removable in seconds should I need to move piles of snow..

I have some great ideas already on how to make it better.... "Springs" to take the impact off the FEL should you hit something....

Stay Tuned, the gears are turning....

Phil

 

[asmithcars]

Very nice and simple set-up. After years of using a 3-pt blade to move snow from my long driveway I finally got a new tractor and FEL, but after trying to move 1-2" of snow this morning not very efficiently with my FEL I'm gonna follow your example. Any chance you could post a pic or two of the way you attached your blade to the bottom of the FEL? I for one would appreciate it if you could. Thanks in advance.

 

[Musclford]

Very nice and simple set-up. After years of using a 3-pt blade to move snow from my long driveway I finally got a new tractor and FEL, but after trying to move 1-2" of snow this morning not very efficiently with my FEL I'm gonna follow your example. Any chance you could post a pic or two of the way you attached your blade to the bottom of the FEL? I for one would appreciate it if you could. Thanks in advance.

I will tonight... It's not the production version... it's a prototype...

Just keep this in mind... I'll also post a few quick no no's...

 

[Musclford]

Very nice and simple set-up. After years of using a 3-pt blade to move snow from my long driveway I finally got a new tractor and FEL, but after trying to move 1-2" of snow this morning not very efficiently with my FEL I'm gonna follow your example. Any chance you could post a pic or two of the way you attached your blade to the bottom of the FEL? I for one would appreciate it if you could. Thanks in advance.

Here's a pic of the 20" angle....

Just one bolt and the leverage from the rest of the angle keeps it from moving when down force is applied, thus eliminating the need for drilling another hole in the bucket.

Couple of don't do's.. I did this only because I was in a hurry, but I left about 2-3" of 2x10 hanging down past the bucket when I initially screwed it to the arms... First time I hit the curb, SNAP and it broke it off... So back to the garage I went and flipped the 2x upside down, and added the second board up top and the middle brace.

Normally, a blade has springs which will give and obviously the board gave in this instance.

I used the conveyor belt as a wiper since the 2x was going to get chewed up and start splintering so I simply screwed it to the bottom of the board with
1 1/2" hanging down.. When it gets worn, I'll just flip it too......

so far so good..... I wish I didn't have to work for a living... this is so much more fun...

Phil

 

[149owner]

Phil, In order to angle the blade do you move one of the angle brackets in or out of the bucket? It looks like you have one side of the hinge bolted to the board and the other side of the hinge bolted to the angle iron. Correct? You also must have a couple of different sizes of 2X4's for the middle support for when the blade is straight or angled to one side. What kind of 'Stang have you got and is it a 351C or 351W? I've got a few project Fords sitting in the garage waiting for their turn!

 

[asmithcars]

Phil, thanks for the addit'l pic. Now I have some motivation...just wish I had heat in the garage.

Alan