Root Rake/Grapple For Kubota B2910

[RedNeckGeek]

I'm planning on using 1/4" Hydraulax Tough hose assemblies from Discount Hydraulic Hose, which has a minimum bend radius of 1.8".

How is DHH to deal with, RS? I'll need to make up hoses for rear facing ports in the next few days and could use some coaching on what fittings and lines to use.

Picture of the cylinders showing the one cylinder after I modified it:

View attachment 463674

Looks like I might need to beef up the welds a bit.

The new welds don't need to be any larger than the old welds, do they? If not, looks like you've got it covered. :thumbsup:

 

[rswyan]

How is DHH to deal with, RS

As far as getting hoses made to order, I found DHH great to deal with: prices seemed reasonable and I got a call from a lady there re the specific fittings I had ordered (overkill) who ended up saving me some money. IIRC I also got a second call when they were done, with the shipping/tracking info (along with an email as well)

I'll need to make up hoses for rear facing ports in the next few days and could use some coaching on what fittings and lines to use.

Be happy to try and answer any questions you might have...

The new welds don't need to be any larger than the old welds, do they? If not, looks like you've got it covered. :thumbsup:

Not length. If you look closely you'll see they aren't quite as wide (top to bottom) ... there is some of the old weld visible that I didn't grind off ... new weld doesn't cover it.

 

[rswyan]

After yesterday:

Item no. 7 on hold ... until I can sort out clearances with the hydraulic cylinders.

Item no. 8 - In progress/half done ... will finish today.

Item no. 9 - Fabbed up two 6" and four 3" gussets out of 1/4" plate and got them all welded in on the lower rake bar and lower portions of the masts/towers.

Item no. 10 and 11 - on hold, until I get the QA plate welded on.

Cut a couple pieces of 10 ga sheet yesterday to be welded inside the masts/towers as hose protection.

Today I will likely stand up the lower jaw, get the two 10 ga sheets for hose protection and the lower two 5" long 2" diameter pipes fully welded in, then get the QA plate tacked/welded on. May need to make up a few more gussets for the QA plate itself ... assuming I have enough area to weld them on.

Also scope out the welds on the hydraulic cylinders and add some more weld if need be.

Might get the upper jaw installed and measurements taken for hoses.

More pics later today.

 

[rswyan]

Long and somewhat frustrating day yesterday ... I hate redoing things ...

I did manage to get the QA plate completely welded on ... which was no mean feat, given the narrow confines and the need to keep a (somewhat) appropriate angle on the MIG gun. That will be handy, in terms of moving the thing around, as it's getting kinda heavy at this point.

There are two places (3" each) on the bottom of the ends of the lower bar that holds the rake teeth that I can't get to with the MIG and will have to be done with stick. U.B. will do that sometime next week, after it warms up a little and stops precipitatin' ...

I monkeyed around with the hydraulic cylinders, trying them in both orientations (ports up, ports down) and considered using a straight fitting or a 45 before finally coming to the conclusion that option no. 3 (cut the pipes) was the only route available to me.

So I went ahead and cut them ...

And then - while thinking about adding some more weld metal to the bushings on the base end of the hydraulic cylinders - the thought occurred to me:

Why not just trim those bushings on the cylinder off, and stick a piece of 1" plate in between the bushing and the end of the cylinder ?

Doing this will move the hydraulic port on the base end further away from the pivot point and allow the grapple to close a little further ... and I don't know that it will effect the maximum opening all that much, given that when the upper jaw is opened to it's maximum (64") currently, I still have some travel left in the cylinders (1/4" to 3/8") before they are completely collapsed.

Will probably cut off one bushing today, tack in some of that 1" plate and check the opening and closing to verify it.

Gussets:

Close up:

Should have some more pics later today.

Other possible items on the list for today:

Clean off some pieces of 1/4" x 2" steel for this project that I've had soaking to strip the mill scale off, and take them up to the shed.

Grind off excess weld flush on cylinder guards on the upper jaw arms.

Mount grapple on tractor and scope out the rollback.

Drill ends of pins for retaining clips.

Drill and tap bushings on upper jaw for grease fittings.

 

[TMGT]

Looks good, this style grapple is on my list of stuff to build, you'll like the Tough cover hose, used it on my backhoe I built and is easy to work with and an awesome bend radius.

 

[rswyan]

Looks good ...

Thanks.

... this style grapple is on my list of stuff to build ...

:thumbsup:

... you'll like the Tough cover hose, used it on my backhoe I built and is easy to work with and an awesome bend radius.

I ordered a couple of replacement hoses for the loader with that Tough cover hose ... I haven't installed them yet but I was impressed out of the box ... seemed very flexible and hopefully durable as well.

 

[rswyan]

The promise of what's to come ... :

 

[rswyan]

Probably could have gotten away with a couple more degrees of rollback but I was playing it safe:

 

[TMGT]

I've been buying it in bulk since I have access to a crimper, I have to pull the BH apart to paint it soon and that'll give me a chance to check the 8 hoses bundled in the swing area for wear. Tough cover hose is definitely worth the money.

I would have probably already built the rake grapple if I didn't already have a root grapple I built a while ago, have to build the 4-1 bucket, stump grinder and about 3 buckets for the BH first though.
Too many projects!

 

[rswyan]

Takes about 800 psi or so to lift it ...

I have around 2200 to 2300 psi available to the loader, so that's roughly 35% of the loader's capacity.