I spent 4 days, working off and on, building a sub-frame to mount the backhoe to tractor. This is a heavy backhoe. One of the reasons it took so long is that I have a (15 months old today) grand son that demanded I spend time with him every time I went inside. I didn't mind. You grandpas and paw paws know what I am talking about. Another is that I have never built anything like this before and was taking my time, being careful, measuring 4 times, thinking to much about what I was fixing to do, then cutting once and re-thinking to much again, welding, second guessing, adding another pass with the welder etc...
I used about 20 feet of 4 inch channel for the main body of the sub-frame with a few little pieces of scrap steel I had laying around to reinforce it. Also used a couple of sections of 2 inch pipe to weld the upper part (where the top link goes) to the subframe. I was concerned about the structural integrity of the sub-frame, due to my welder, so it is built like a tank. After using it today to dig up 3 stumps, I am no longer worried if it will hold up. It is an amazingly stout design that comes off the tractor by removing 4 bolts. I took the fenders off temporarily to make it easier to do all this and will remount them later.
Thanks go to dfkrug, a member of this forum. Without his excellent and informative post in the "build it yourself forum" this project would never have been attempted. Here is the link to the post.http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/171760-how-build-your-own-custom.html
I want to mention 2 things. 1st, I have run my tractor on used vegetable oil that I strained through a vacuum cleaner bag (cheap 1 micron or less filtration) for the last 2 days with no apparent ill effects other than on a cold morning I have to shoot just a small amount of ether to get it to start. After the engine is warm it will start with no problem and a bonus is that the exhaust smells like fried turkey. 2nd, this entire project was put together with a $179.00 harbor freight (bought 3 years ago) dual mig/gasless 220 volt/105 amp wire welder. Take that however you want. I have not had a single problem with this welder the entire time I have owned it.
On to the pics.
Thanks for looking.
capt.
I used about 20 feet of 4 inch channel for the main body of the sub-frame with a few little pieces of scrap steel I had laying around to reinforce it. Also used a couple of sections of 2 inch pipe to weld the upper part (where the top link goes) to the subframe. I was concerned about the structural integrity of the sub-frame, due to my welder, so it is built like a tank. After using it today to dig up 3 stumps, I am no longer worried if it will hold up. It is an amazingly stout design that comes off the tractor by removing 4 bolts. I took the fenders off temporarily to make it easier to do all this and will remount them later.
Thanks go to dfkrug, a member of this forum. Without his excellent and informative post in the "build it yourself forum" this project would never have been attempted. Here is the link to the post.http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/171760-how-build-your-own-custom.html
I want to mention 2 things. 1st, I have run my tractor on used vegetable oil that I strained through a vacuum cleaner bag (cheap 1 micron or less filtration) for the last 2 days with no apparent ill effects other than on a cold morning I have to shoot just a small amount of ether to get it to start. After the engine is warm it will start with no problem and a bonus is that the exhaust smells like fried turkey. 2nd, this entire project was put together with a $179.00 harbor freight (bought 3 years ago) dual mig/gasless 220 volt/105 amp wire welder. Take that however you want. I have not had a single problem with this welder the entire time I have owned it.
On to the pics.
Thanks for looking.
capt.
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