Front Loader from a Ford Truck

[texasranger556]

If excellence is the goal, I don't see any reason why a one of a kind machine cannot excel over a mass-produced version. I'll admit that the odds are against it, and that such machines may be less common today than in times past, but that doesn't mean it isn't possible.

Excellence was never the goal. When OP started this endeavor, his target build cost was $2000. It sounds like he is well over half spent already and has a long way to go.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/393034-build-buy-skid-steer-wide.html

Even with double the budget I still don't see this turning into something that would work well enough or long enough that someone would pay to rent for more than beer money. Maybe moving mulch or other motorized wheelbarrow tasks, but not leveling a lot as was the original goal.

I will reiterate that I'm here to watch the progress and provide advice/motivation/feedback/criticism since I like these types of projects. For some people, sometimes it's more about the journey than the destination. I'm one of those people.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's one where a guy reached into a skid steer and started it from outside. The lap bar safety switch malfunctioned, so the machine was able to be started this way. He started it, the arms came down, and he died.

https://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Face/Files/SkidSteerLoaderOperatorCrushed.pdf

Here's one where the operator crushed himself by standing in the seat, hitting a lever and getting his foot stuck at the same time.
National Ag Safety Database - National Ag Safety Database

Here's one where the operator had a welder modified the height of the ROPs so it could fit into hog barns.
He rolled it into a creek, and even though it landed upright, his head was crushed between the ROPS and the dirt. Wasn't wearin his seat belt, either.
Farmer Killed in Skid-Steer Loader Rollover

Here's a whole bunch more... mentioned 22 cases of death. 5 of those were people crushed while leaning out of the operator's station and being pinned by the lift mechanism either going up or down.
Skid-Steer Loader-Related Fatalities in the Workplace -- United States, 1992-1995

Point being....
It's quite a difference building/modifying and operating a device for your own personal usage, as you and I do.

It's entirely different taking money from people to use such a machine.

The physical consequences to the user of such a machine if it malfunctions, is poorly designed, breaks, lacks safety equipment/interlocks, let alone the financial consequence you would suffer at an injury/death trial are just too severe.

I'll stand my my statement that the OP is completely nuts if he decides to rent it out. He's half nuts if he decides to use it on someone else's property for money. He's just lightly salted nuts if he does it for free.

 

[MossRoad]

To put this in context, when I was growing up, my best friend's brother-in-law was a golf pro. He bought either vacant land or an old golf course, I can't recall which, and he was working on it all the time. He had a skidsteer. He got out of it to do something by a pile of dirt. The skidsteer parking brake malfunctioned, it rolled forward, and pinned him to a pile of dirt. He died in a helicopter on the way to the hospital, leaving behind a wife and 4 small children.

Now I do not know the outcome of the lawsuit, as I was pretty young at the time. I can only imagine what a jury would do to the manufacturer of the machine if they determined it was manufactured incorrectly, seeing the widow and her 4 kids sitting there in court. Sure, it could have been a maintenance issue. And the guy owned the skidsteere himself.

But if you built that machine in your barn/shop, and rented it out to someone else, and they got inured or killed, regardless of if or if not it was a manufacturing defect or operator error, a jury is going to look at that victim's widow and kids and you're gonna pay dearly.

 

[4570Man]

I don’t think this whole deal is very smart aside from the enjoyment of buildings it part. Renting it is an insane idea and it’s almost certainly less useful than a commercial built machine and buying a commercial built machine is probably more money upfront but it retains its value a lot better. If you’re building this for the enjoyment of doing so than proceed. I understand the desire. If you’re building this from a financial standpoint you better re evaluate.

 

[hawkeye08]

Back in the 60s when I was growing up, Pa built a hay stacker from an old military truck. He took the body off and set it up to have the loader part over the rear, driving it backwards just like you are describing... It worked great and was set up to handle (8) 100lb bales. The baler had an "accumulator" on it that collected 8 bales (2 bales x 4 bales) and dropped them together. Then the homemade stacker would run around the field, picking up a set of 8 bales, then taking them to haystack and stacking them up to 12' high or so... BTW, Pa had degree in mechanical engineering so he figured all the loads and such out... he was very fast with the slide rule and could make most anything.

It is doable, I would not suggest renting it just due to the lawyers that chase everything.

 

[crashz]

I agree with Moss and 4570, fun little project, could be really cool looking & working, but not a good idea to rent it!

I had some similar ideas a few years ago for a small yard loader like a Waldon. I would use the back half of two pick ups and cut/join the frames with a pivot for articulation. Pivot the rear axle for oscillation too. Double T cases and as low of a gear I could get in the rears. SSQA so that

All sounded really fun until I started estimating the number of hours needed to put it together. And at least an attempt of high quality (to post on TBN!). Needles to say, I've put it off for a retirement project in 20-25 years.

 

[nimblemotors]

A quick search indicates liability insurance covering 1 million costs about $100-$200/month.
So that is not a big expense if you are renting stuff at $1000/month
and a mini-skidsteer rental is $250/day.
Obviously I'd spend the time to get exact figures before starting a business renting equipment.

You might also know I built a safety warning system for race cars, wow think of the liability!! Heck, farmers selling food people EAT? They can die from that!

 

[4570Man]

First of I seriously doubt you’ll be able to rent that for $1000 a month. And I doubt the insurance company will insure such an idea, but I’m not an insurance agent so you should ask them. Both of your analogy’s are poor. I’m no lawyer either but you’ll almost certainly loose if someone gets hurt on this thing every if it wasn’t a fault of your design.

 

[MossRoad]

A quick search indicates liability insurance covering 1 million costs about $100-$200/month.
So that is not a big expense if you are renting stuff at $1000/month
and a mini-skidsteer rental is $250/day.
Obviously I'd spend the time to get exact figures before starting a business renting equipment.

You might also know I built a safety warning system for race cars, wow think of the liability!! Heck, farmers selling food people EAT? They can die from that!

You found liability insurance that covers a home made machine for rental to the public?

 

[texasranger556]

Getting back to the technical aspects...

Using reverse as the only "forward" gear probably isn't going to work very well. Assuming 29" tires, 3.55:1 axle ratio, 3.5:1 or so low range in the transfer case, and 3.4:1 reverse gear, you're looking at 2154 engine RPMs to travel 4.4 MPH. I used 4.4 MPH because that is the max speed of my 4400 HST in "A" range that I use most of the time when digging. Our soil is fairly soft with mostly sand/silt and few rocks so not particularly difficult to dig. I'd imagine the torque curve of your 4 banger drops fairly quickly below 2000 RPM, so would have to slip the clutch to keep from stalling.

If you added a second transfer case or transmission that would give you more reduction and more than one ratio to choose from.

It sounds like you're well on your way to spending your $2000 budget...