Sick of Paying Tractor Part Prices.... Make Your Own....(3D Printed)

Diggin It · Apr 30, 2021

Bob Rooks · Apr 30, 2021

Back in the early '70's I bought a Trash 80 computer on a whim, set it up on the kitchen table and stared at it thinking "What the hell will I ever do with this thing?" I returned it. Now I'm afraid to get into 3D printing.

sunandsand · Apr 30, 2021

How about inner tie rod end rubber boots for Kubota (B2601, specifically)? Kubota doesn't sell them separately from the entire tie rod! I'm making them out of old bicycle inner tubes instead.

LittleBill21 · Apr 30, 2021

Hi Folks, lots of questions.

I designed these from scratch in Fusion 360, just used a set of digital calipers. once i figure out what i wanted. the design only took about 10 minutes to make, its really a basic design. I'm very much a beginner.

I just got a new pair of calipers, my old one started breaking and my HF pair are junk as far as I'm concerned.

These had very very nice rating, and they do seem to be very nice and have absolute origin, which is a feature I didn't know I needed.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08LTKQ246?ie=UTF8&psc=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=ast45-20&linkId=145b749aa1a8d1894a9ca166bb2d5d6c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

little more info for the guys who have printers.

its Printed in TPU

specifically

Amazon.com

extrude is 210c
bed was 50c
nozzle layer height .2
28% infill
25mms print speed
6mm retraction
20mms retraction speed
100% fan
supports everywhere.

I am using a bowden extruder, not direct,
capricon ptfe, and a modified channel guide on the extruder.

kenb1023 · Apr 30, 2021

I have been reading this thread and I am intrigued. While reading this I came up with a long list of things to make that would make my projects work better. There have been many a time in the past that some part broke on something and since it was not available I ended up scrapping what ever it was. Now I know there will be a learning curve here but at 60 I can still learn new things. I didn't start hunting until I was in my 30s, started RVing in my 40s, building a Jeep in my 50s and now looking at politics in my 60s. Not sure why people have to be negative and nasty. Hope I don't get that way when I am old and crusty. If it works for you, go for it, if it doesn't then do something else but don't hate on the ones giving it a try.

LittleBill21 · Apr 30, 2021

kenb1023 said:
I have been reading this thread and I am intrigued. While reading this I came up with a long list of things to make that would make my projects work better. There have been many a time in the past that some part broke on something and since it was not available I ended up scrapping what ever it was. Now I know there will be a learning curve here but at 60 I can still learn new things. I didn't start hunting until I was in my 30s, started RVing in my 40s, building a Jeep in my 50s and now looking at politics in my 60s. Not sure why people have to be negative and nasty. Hope I don't get that way when I am old and crusty. If it works for you, go for it, if it doesn't then do something else but don't hate on the ones giving it a try.

Start with Thinkercad, its very easy, and has tutorials to walk you through it, I had never used CAD in my life and was able to design something the first day

balsamal · Apr 30, 2021

Wow Lilbill' I'll tell ya at 73 years young this is amazing stuff to me! You should start selling on here and ebay! You got my order for my JD!

LittleBill21 · Apr 30, 2021

balsamal said:
Wow Lilbill' I'll tell ya at 73 years young this is amazing stuff to me! You should start selling on here and ebay! You got my order for my JD!

Can't you order them, these should be available.

my dealer is far, and I don't go places due to covid, and it seemed like mine were pretty expensive, and they were all different sizes.

skysentinel · Apr 30, 2021

I am impressed with your product. It looks like factory made.

I do admire people who think self-sufficiency, because you never know what the future holds. And if your dealer is umpteen hundred miles away, it's nice to know you still have your own options.

I had a similar situation with my Branson. The water pump went out and they wanted over $750 for a new one. I ordered an electric water pump from Australia, the kind they use in off-road racing (they don't sell anything like this pump in the U.S.A.). I used the old pump as mount, tore it down and JB welded an idle pully onto it in place of the old fan. Then I mounted an electric fan onto the radiator.

It was quite a job; took me the better part of a Summer to shoe-horn all the plumbing in place, but everything still works flawlessly, three years later. Yes, I probably spent more than $750 on the replacement, not counting my labor and time, but I am happy that it turned out so well, and Branson didn't get my $750!

If I had it to do over again, knowing the time and labor involved, I would probably fork over the money to Branson. But that's one advantage of not being able to see the future clearly. Now I know I can make anything happen as long as I have a "WANT TO".

snowcatt · Apr 30, 2021

Nice going Little Bill. I've been investigating the same thing for motorcycle side covers, classic car parts, etc. I keep running up against finding a 3D print file for the parts I need. Alternatively I'd like to buy a scanner/digitizer and create my own files but unfortunately those are very expensive. So, where did you get the 3D print files?

LittleBill21 · Apr 30, 2021

snowcatt said:
Nice going Little Bill. I've been investigating the same thing for motorcycle side covers, classic car parts, etc. I keep running up against finding a 3D print file for the parts I need. Alternatively I'd like to buy a scanner/digitizer and create my own files but unfortunately those are very expensive. So, where did you get the 3D print files?

If you look up a couple posts, i created them myself in fusion 360.

you might want to look at using a iphone as a 3d scanner, appears there are apps now, that will interface with a program either called blender or mixmaster which can get you a rough quality image. I'm not quite there yet

piper184 · Apr 30, 2021

snowcatt said:
Nice going Little Bill. I've been investigating the same thing for motorcycle side covers, classic car parts, etc. I keep running up against finding a 3D print file for the parts I need. Alternatively I'd like to buy a scanner/digitizer and create my own files but unfortunately those are very expensive. So, where did you get the 3D print files?

I saw some scanners in the $200 to $500 range the other day that looked like they might do a decent job. Even if not the greatest, they would at least get a file generated that had the basics. After that it is just checking and cleaning up the details. You could get some pretty complicated designs started without doing the whole thing from scratch.

Skeans1 · Apr 30, 2021

piper184 said:
I saw some scanners in the $200 to $500 range the other day that looked like they might do a decent job. Even if not the greatest, they would at least get a file generated that had the basics. After that it is just checking and cleaning up the details. You could get some pretty complicated designs started without doing the whole thing from scratch.

One cool feature about Fusion 360 is the ability to upload a picture with a rule next to object into a cad file.

FarmerRancher · Apr 30, 2021

jaydee325 said:
How long to break even on your investment?

I'm interested, but for the up front cost, I'm not sure the ROI is there for me.

I built my first 3d printer about two years ago for about 250 after everything. I’d say I’ve broken even by now, not just in replacement parts but also in parts that just don’t exist. With that said, i also invested a lot of time in learning 3d modeling and how to 3d print. So it’s not for everyone. If a person is just looking for a turnkey solution, it’s going to sit in a corner, unused. But with desire to learn and time to put into it, it’s another way to manufacture exactly what i need to do something. Prepare to fail a bunch and enjoy a lot of success when you get it figured out.

Rabhaw · Apr 30, 2021

LittleBill21 said:
I bought a 3d printer out of interest, and for a specific project. Coming to find out I have a million uses for this thing.

All of my dust covers were ripped or removed from my mahindra backhoe /3pt. and they are ALL different sizes, plus some of them appear to be like 13-14 bucks a piece for a 3 cent piece of rubber.

So I made my own. and they came out pretty decent. Thought some of you might get a kick out of this.

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How difficult is it to program to make that type of part , simple looking but still a geometric shape
Thanks

strantor · Apr 30, 2021

sunandsand said:
3D printing is still just barely out of diapers, but it IS growing up. Some years ago this stuff was hugely expensive, it has come down greatly. Capabilities are up, too. NASA has a 3D printer on the ISS, they now make some of the stuff they need right there instead of waiting for Elon's next resupply rocket. Of course NASA has more money than we do, and it would probably be impolite to point out that it is actually OUR money, but whatever . . .

Modern cars (and lots of other stuff) have a gazillion plastic parts in them, many of which could be 3D printed quite handily. Suppose the dealer had the CAD files for all those parts and simply printed them out when needed? No more "out of stock", no more "unavailable", no more "obsolete, forget it", no more shipping, storage, freight, (or import duties), spoilage, shrinkage, just a bunch of digital files on a hard drive, referenced to the parts catalog, a 3D printer, and spools of filament. "I need a part for my 1962 Waxahatchie GTS V8." "No problem sir." Bzzt Bzzt Bzzt "Here you go, please pay at the register . . . "

Alternatively, when 3D printers have the same market penetration as cell phones do, you could rent a one-time-use CAD file and print the part out yourself, at home.

The nice thing is that NOTHING has to be invented to do this, we already have all the stuff we need.

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

That's an interesting concept of dealers (and individuals) printing parts on demand. I think the key to making it a reality will a fight on two fronts:
1. Development of cheaper laser sintering (metal printing).
2. Development of cheaper and more robust resin printers for plastics. Or some other plastic printer technology which can make homogeneous parts (as opposed to layered, prone to separation) of equal strength to their cast/molded counterparts.

I look forward to the future you described.

Motohaid · May 1, 2021

LittleBill21 said:
I bought a 3d printer out of interest, and for a specific project. Coming to find out I have a million uses for this thing.

All of my dust covers were ripped or removed from my mahindra backhoe /3pt. and they are ALL different sizes, plus some of them appear to be like 13-14 bucks a piece for a 3 cent piece of rubber.

So I made my own. and they came out pretty decent. Thought some of you might get a kick out of this.

View attachment 696368 View attachment 696367 View attachment 696366

Cool idea. Maybe you could offer to make expensive parts at a discounted price to pay for the printer. Did you know when you bought a 3D printer you put you name on a government watch list.

strantor · May 1, 2021

Motohaid said:
Did you know when you bought a 3D printer you put you name on a government watch list.

Surely you don't mean the watch list (no fly list) but instead, some lesser list curated by algorithms instead of people. There are not enough people in the government to spy on all the people who have purchased 3D printers, much less all the people who have purchased other things that actually represent direct threats (weapons, explosives, chemicals, airplanes, etc). If that's what you mean then I would say we are probably all on "a watch list" and the more fertilizer, 3D printers, AR15s, and box trucks you buy, the higher you move on the list until you finally get near the top, into the zone where you get evaluated by a human. I have zero evidence to support that, but it "feels" like something that our government would do (Just want to make sure that I represent that as my own conspiracy theory and not a statement of fact).

MoKelly · May 1, 2021

Motohaid said:
Did you know when you bought a 3D printer you put you name on a government watch list.

Ok. So why are 3D printers a national security risk?

MoKelly

k0ua · May 1, 2021

I have two types of CW keys that I bought which are 3D printed. One is a so called "straight" key and the other is a "paddle" that plugs into radios with built in iambiac keyers inside. The left lever of the paddle is to make "dits" and the right side lever makes "dahs", and of course can make combinations when squeezed together at the same time.

Red Lightweight Double Paddle Morse Code Key |

The Ultimate Lightning Fast Double Paddle Morse Code Key.Super Smooth Action With Stainless Steel Double Shielded Ball Bearings.Solid Brass Contacts With Stainless Steel Fasteners & Nickel Plated Steel Spring.All Soldered Braided Copper Wire Connections.

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