Hello all its been a while since I posted anything... I had researched weight barrels and made on myself. I thought I'd add it to the list so others may get some ideas for themselves.
Materials are:
55gal Plastic open head barrel $15.00
TSC Cat 1 3pt Draw Bar $37.00
TSC Swinging Draw Bar $44.00
TSC 3ps Stabilizer Arm (2pc) $18.00ea
80lb bag of Sakrete (10pc) $4.50ea
5ft of 4" PVC
4"x2" PVC Reducer (2pc)
3ft 2" PVC
Chainsaw scabbard 20"
2ft 3/4" PVC
3/4"-3" Bolt
Silicone sealant
Spray foam insulation
Total cost roughly $225.00 -@250.00
Items listed without a price I just had around the barn. I forgot to take good photos before I started with the concrete... Sorry about that.
The Barrel was easy to work with, and I laid out where I wanted the draw bar to be, roughly 1/3 of the way into the barrel. This to me is a nice compromise between overhang, and length. The draw bar is set to be 16" from the ground that lets me get the barrel on the ground easily, but also have the top easily accessible when lifted 6" off the ground. The swinging draw bar is bolted to the 3pt draw bar and projects out the back of the barrel to allow for attachment of a trailer ball or clevis for skidding logs. It is 14" off the ground. All holes were cut with an electric jig saw.
I used the stabilizers as my upper link attachment and they run through the barrel about 2" from the rim. They are welded to the swinging draw bar after all of the metal parts were installed in the barrel.
The 4" pipes have reducers on the bottom that fit through holes cut in the barrel bottom. This allows for drainage. The 3/4" Pipe was notched to fit over the bottom of the chainsaw scabbard sealed with caulk and duct tape to keep the concrete out. The pipe goes through the bottom of the barrel to allow for drainage. The scabbard has a 1/2" hole drilled in it to align with the pipe. The 2" Pipe rests over a 3/4" hole drilled in the bottom of the barrel. This allows for drainage but doesn't let the tool handle fall through the barrel and drag on the ground.
Everything was secured to the draw bars with zip ties, & duct tape, as well as glued in place with silicone, and the bottoms had spray foam around them to gusset them in place. I put a piece of 3/8" Steel flat stock into the saw scabbard to keep it from collapsing. It is also high enough that when the bar bottoms out that the bucking spikes will not touch the concrete. All openings in the top were sealed with ductape.
The first three bags of concrete were mixed wet to so it would flow around the bottom of everything better and help lock it in place. I waited 3-4 hours for that to set a bit, then added the rest of the concrete. Stopping about 3" from the barrel rim. Ten bags total for a total barrel weight of 850lbs +/-. After the concrete cured I cut the protruding pipes off flush on the bottom.
I'm pretty happy with it. The tractor is MUCH better with a load in the grapple, and it isn't too long to maneuver in the woods. If I was to do anything different I would move the saw scabbard so the saw doesn't hang over one of the chain storage pipes. A 5/16" Chain grab hook doesn't fall through the bottom of the pipe and I can easily store about 20ft of chain in each.
Pics below.
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