DIY Mini Digger

[ptsg]

Have you consider something like this?

http://www.usedmachineryforsale.net/wp-content/uploads/used-merlo-p-32-12-evs-telehandler-for-sale_1.jpg

 

[Colcreate]

I like the blade idea. But how much clearance with there be??

I would hope a blade (when it was fully raised) wouldn't reduce ground clearance any more than the diff housing.

 

[Colcreate]

Have you consider something like this?

http://www.usedmachineryforsale.net/wp-content/uploads/used-merlo-p-32-12-evs-telehandler-for-sale_1.jpg

What, scrap the build and buy a used machine??:laughing: Probably would have been easier.....
If I was going to go for fold down pivoting legs then yes something like that to arc over the tyres.

 

[ptsg]

In the end, you will realize that there is nothing that can pay for something that was build by ourselves The blade idea is good too, and it will save you 1 spool, that you could use for a thumb maybe in the future

 

[boggen]

one more option. "side shift" legs get pushed out via cylinder, and then each leg has a foot that goes down.

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scraper blade good. but would push for both scraper blade and 2 adjustable out riggers / legs to level machine.

your machine most likely verstile enough with the 4 wheels and steering to get up close to say a basement wall and dig down around it. but con... your machine will be all setting at an angle. or you will be digging out a trench and one end you will come up on a building side. but all setting side ways on uneven ground. resulting in a larger hole needing to be dug out.

scraper blade = good just to make clean up work quicker and easier pushing dirt back into trench. and cleaning up pile of dirt along a trench and smoothing everything out.

might push for scraper blade on opposite side of machine than what backhoe is on. other words 2 out riggers on back and scraper blade on front for kinda of a mini TLB (tractor loader backhoe) setup. so you have some extra weight out in front, and at same time able to take some weight off of the front axles so you do not bust / bend them. i have used bucket on the TLB i have multi times to dig into the ground out in front. to keep my rear from being pulled back into the hole i am digging with backhoe. if blade was directly under the backhoe. i would of most likely caused a side cave in, and went down into hole with the machine.

(red ) fold out legs, drawn in kinda center between front / rear wheels of were it hinges?

(green) side shifter legs. maybe swung out and locked in with a pin around rear wheels. and then each leg has a hyd cylinder.

 

[Colcreate]

Boggen, the side shift idea is cool but would be quite complicated to build with sliding sections. It would probably need 4 rams and more hydraulic circuits than I can spare (or afford).
I will have a loader bucket on the front eventually which will help anchor things down when using the backhoe. So at the rear I'm thinking I won't need to go too heavy, just something to lift the wheels off the ground. The blade idea seems favourite the more I look at it, but I'm wondering if I will miss not being able to level the machine.
I saw a heavy excavator being transported on a wagon today, it had a heavy blade with fold down hydraulic legs actually mounted on each side of the blade frame. Best of both ideas....!

 

[Colcreate]

Backhoe slew rams

Here's some pictures looking down on the slew rams with the boom on full lock to the left, in the middle and full lock to the right.

The hoses have been made and fitted to feed diagonally across the cylinders so when one ram pushes the other ram pulls. I will try taking a video over the weekend if I can get it out of the workshop.

Full 180 degree movement (when I re-route the boom hoses...)
Also need to cut and re weld the slew brackets on the boom as I welded them crooked

 

[aczlan]

Boggen, the side shift idea is cool but would be quite complicated to build with sliding sections. It would probably need 4 rams and more hydraulic circuits than I can spare (or afford).
I will have a loader bucket on the front eventually which will help anchor things down when using the backhoe. So at the rear I'm thinking I won't need to go too heavy, just something to lift the wheels off the ground. The blade idea seems favourite the more I look at it, but I'm wondering if I will miss not being able to level the machine.
I saw a heavy excavator being transported on a wagon today, it had a heavy blade with fold down hydraulic legs actually mounted on each side of the blade frame. Best of both ideas....!

What if you made a "U" shaped frame with the two top points of the U attaching to the tractor and a pivot at the bottom where the blade attaches (so the blade can pivot to make one side or the other higher)? Then have a pair of cylinders with swivel ends (like: 3X8X1.5 DA HYD CYL TOP LINK SELF ALIGN BOTH ENDS ) that attach directly to the blade.

That would let you level the tractor with the blade.

Aaron Z

 

[Colcreate]

Interesting idea Aczlan, that might actually fit. Rather than a U shape though I think two separate parallel arms rose jointed at both ends. Running horizontal from under the chassis to each end of the blade and two rams like you describe running vertically down from the channels each side of the valve block.
Might have a tendency to sway from side to side though, panhard rod?

 

[farm boy00]

Interesting idea Aczlan, that might actually fit. Rather than a U shape though I think two separate parallel arms rose jointed at both ends. Running horizontal from under the chassis to each end of the blade and two rams like you describe running vertically down from the channels each side of the valve block.

Rose jointed?? You mean like the "eyes"