Attachment Idea of the Week

[Sedgewood]

On my long journey back from Power Trac, daydreaming about how to use my new MiniHoe, an idea crept into this fuzzy head. If one had instead of the 9 inch bucket, a 3 to 5 foot wide bucket, one would have a MiniGradeAll to clean ditches and such. Then Friday I was having the usual difficulty slicing the sod off the edge of a driveway with the small bucket when this thought occurred: put the standard small bucket on backward and pull it. Pushing the bucket is a bit like pushing a rope - too much give in the system to effect accurate control at the digging edge. Think it might work?

 

[Sedgewood]

modified PT Rake

Here's another one from many many weeks back that I've been meaning to get a picture of. I had mentioned replacing the tines on my rake with tedder tines. The rake worked reasonably well with the original tines but it didn't take me long to jamb them into rocks with inadvertent down pressure and make spaghetti of them. The originals are about 8 inches long - the new ones are about 18 inches and much heavier and so far I haven't bent any of the new ones. I use it to clean debris out of ditches and from around bushes. I can drop the tines down over and behind bushes and kind of comb the debris out. Works great but can easily uproot smaller stuff and sod too. Charlie's roses will surely cringe when he adds one of these rakes to his stable.

 

[MossRoad]

That sounds like a great idea. You might not be able to pull a full bucket out that way, but for ditch cleaning it might be the perfect solution. Sounds like a quick attach system on the end of the mini hoe boom is in order /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Sedgewood]

MossRoad <font color=green>Sounds like a quick attach system on the end of the mini hoe boom is in order</font color=green>

I did initially think of putting the small bucket on in place of the 9 inch MiniHoe bucket but the end of the boom I don't think will withstand the side to side twisting loads the wide bucket would put on it. The MiniHoe bucket pivots on a bolt through the 3 or 3-1/2 inch square tube. Another idea would be to make an "extension" for the tractor's male quick attach, sort of like an extension in a socket set. Then any attachment could be moved out farther. Especially to give more reach to the MiniHoe. Gotta use caution here though to keep from tipping a tractor over. Right Hans?

BTW, Hans & Charlie, have you two Lackender operators discovered the new variant PT Pucker? This is where you get a good grip on an immovable object, like a root, with the hoe then try to rip 'er loose by both lifting and backpeddling together. Don't try this at home kiddies.

 

[Sedgewood]

Another MiniHoe picture, boom extended

 

[bubenberg]

boy ... you got me pegged! on thing i have learned is, to use allot less trottle with the backhoe and things go nice and smooth ... i guess i will learn in my old age.

 

[Sedgewood]

bubenberg:<font color=green>on thing i have learned is, to use allot less trottle with the backhoe and things go nice and smooth ...</font color=green>

Yup. I've only used the hoe for a few minutes but I already see why PT put such a short boom on it "to keep people from getting into trouble". It would be VERY easy to roll a machine with this thing. A slow roll is definitely preferable to a fast roll.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

<font color=red>try to rip 'er loose by both lifting and backpeddling together</font color=red>
Been there, done that.
Makes you wonder if it could crank the machine all the way over your head. I think I'll test it with graph paper and a protractor. I still have no desire to earn Bubenberg wings.
And Hans - don't try that on the 425. It might even be more willing than the 1845s are to pick up the back as the hoe tries to lift and the wheels try to run out from under you backward.

 

[duane]

Sedgewood,

When you go to dump the bucket, I assume that you articulate the machine to dump away from the hole your digging. Do you have a spinner on your steering wheel to make this easier?

Duane

 

[Schultz]

I wasn't sure weather to post this under the email to PT or this thread. Anyway there was some talk of chippers and grapple loaders. I found this site: http://www.valbysales.com/index.htm
They make both. The chipper would be easiest to fit to a PT by welding a quick attach plate to it and attaching the appropriate hydraulic motor. They even offer some hydraulic units made for skid steer tractors. Might be worth a look, some neat stuff.