Convert 70's tractor to quick attach plate, use original mount?

[petebert]

The bucket is falling apart on my Ford 3600. I'd like to convert it to quick attach. Should I cut the mounts off my bucket and have those welded on or is there a mount piece I can buy for pins that can be welded on?

 

[Southernspeed]

I've seen SSQA attachment assemblies for sale but can't for the life of me remember the companies. They bolted directly to your FEL and you were ready to use SSQA equipment. Some online searching may find something but I have a feeling it may have been a vendor on here? Maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[petebert]

There's a few hundred SSQA plates available online but they don't have brackets, probably because there's 1 bazillion bracket configurations. Which leads us pack to my post, cut off and weld on my original bracket or is there a pin bracket available I should weld on?

 

[CliffordK]

Make sure you purchase the tractor/skid steer plate (with latch), and not the implement plates.

 

[LHF2019]

I know not "cheap". Have 2 from this company and well worth it. If they don't have the correct one they will build.

New Holland & Ford Implements & hitch adapters

New Holland & Ford Implements & hitch adapters. washburn Company can custom build. Made in Lamar, Mo USA

hayspear.com

 

[Rustyiron]

This can get expensive.
If you had a welder fix up your bucket you'd probably save money vs making the change and buying a SS bucket.

 

[petebert]

This can get expensive.
If you had a welder fix up your bucket you'd probably save money vs making the change and buying a SS bucket.

I'll get a picture up, the bucket is pretty trashed. Plus I like the idea of bringing the load closer to the tractor and the increased visibility when moving round bales.

 

[rScotty]

I know not "cheap". Have 2 from this company and well worth it. If they don't have the correct one they will build.

New Holland & Ford Implements & hitch adapters

New Holland & Ford Implements & hitch adapters. washburn Company can custom build. Made in Lamar, Mo USA

hayspear.com

That seems like a good outfit. I see they make a SSQA adapter with adjustable bolt mounts for the pin size & spacing - no need to cut and weld the existing mounts on the old bucket.
Only reason to cut and weld would be to fit the old bucket with a SSQA plate.

The prices look reasonable to me.

 

[BlueKnife]

Which leads us pack to my post, cut off and weld on my original bracket or is there a pin bracket available I should weld on?

Making and placing the bushings is the hardest part of building brackets like that. If the bushings on your bucket are still good, I would cut off those brackets and weld them to this Skid Steer Hitch Adapter With Blank Heavy Duty Frame That bucket and brackets aren't going to be of any use after you do the conversion anyway. If, however, you've got sloppy bushings, as is often the case with a machine that old, I wouldn't bother and would just make new brackets.

I'll get a picture up, the bucket is pretty trashed. Plus I like the idea of bringing the load closer to the tractor and the increased visibility when moving round bales.

With SSQA, the load is further away, not closer. Your capacity will be reduced a bit.

 

[petebert]

Making and placing the bushings is the hardest part of building brackets like that. If the bushings on your bucket are still good, I would cut off those brackets and weld them to this Skid Steer Hitch Adapter With Blank Heavy Duty Frame That bucket and brackets aren't going to be of any use after you do the conversion anyway. If, however, you've got sloppy bushings, as is often the case with a machine that old, I wouldn't bother and would just make new brackets.

With SSQA, the load is further away, not closer. Your capacity will be reduced a bit.

clamp on forks and bale spears are definitely further away when using a bucket

 

[petebert]

Not a great picture but circled is a massive split in the bucket and those lines I drew are where the bucket is so thin it's collapsing also.

I'm wondering about using the existing bracket because it would to be in a straight line to weld onto a SSQA adapter. Thoughts on cutting it straight?

 

[BlueKnife]

clamp on forks and bale spears are definitely further away when using a bucket

True. To be honest, the thought never crossed my mind. That sort of stuff is a temporary bandaid fix, not a long term solution. I've built direct pin on forks for several tractors and that is the way I would go if on a limited budget or with a small machine where I'm trying to retain as much lift capacity as possible. It takes a little longer to swap over than quick attach, (obviously) but it's really not that bad, especially if you're not swapping back and forth often.

 

[zzvyb6]

There are 3 kinds of QA loader interfaces: Skid Steer, JD, and Universal. You have to decide which one works best for you AND what attachments & features you think you will be using. I bought the JD system because I saw so many problems with flimsy plates, disconnections, handle levers not engaging, and fitment on Skid Steer stuff. I bought a new bucket, forks, (have yet to put the bucket on !!! after 2 years because forks are so handy), and some extra plates which I used to mount a front hydraulic post hole digger. The Deere interfaces are cast steel, not stamped/ folded 1/4" stock. The kit was not intended to fit my loader, but a little grinding let me set the cylinder ends into the castings. Lateral span is not an issue because the cross rod used to keep the brackets in sync is infinitely variable. I now wish I had a self leveling loader. Anyone ever tried a leveling control valve instead of the usual multi-link mechanism ?

 

[petebert]

There are 3 kinds of QA loader interfaces: Skid Steer, JD, and Universal. You have to decide which one works best for you AND what attachments & features you think you will be using. I bought the JD system because I saw so many problems with flimsy plates, disconnections, handle levers not engaging, and fitment on Skid Steer stuff. I bought a new bucket, forks, (have yet to put the bucket on !!! after 2 years because forks are so handy), and some extra plates which I used to mount a front hydraulic post hole digger. The Deere interfaces are cast steel, not stamped/ folded 1/4" stock. The kit was not intended to fit my loader, but a little grinding let me set the cylinder ends into the castings. Lateral span is not an issue because the cross rod used to keep the brackets in sync is infinitely variable. I now wish I had a self leveling loader. Anyone ever tried a leveling control valve instead of the usual multi-link mechanism ?

With this loader about 95% of what I do is move round bales. It's got a good lift capacity so I'd also like to be able to lift pallets with it. The last time I tried to lift a 2000' pallet with clamp on forks is what really made the current bucket start to tear apart. I figured I'd go SSQA because it seems to have the widest availability.

 

[petebert]

Do you guys think this would work? It has 8" spacing but the holes aren't straight up and down like mine are

 

[zzvyb6]

What is the center - to center spacing of your loader arms in the front view ?

 

[zzvyb6]

here are the 2 conversion kits I'm familiar with QA and SSQA

 

[BlueKnife]

Do you guys think this would work? It has 8" spacing but the holes aren't straight up and down like mine are

It'll work but you won't be able to roll back as far. Whether or not that's a problem depends on the attachments you get. I don't see bushings on that bracket though? Making your own brackets really isn't hard to do if you've got some basic fabricating tools.

 

[BlueKnife]

With this loader about 95% of what I do is move round bales. It's got a good lift capacity so I'd also like to be able to lift pallets with it. The last time I tried to lift a 2000' pallet with clamp on forks is what really made the current bucket start to tear apart. I figured I'd go SSQA because it seems to have the widest availability.

Definitely going to be easiest to find attachments and the design lends itself to being fairly easy to make your own attachment mounts, if you're a somewhat competent fabricator.

 

[5030]

Making and placing the bushings is the hardest part of building brackets like that. If the bushings on your bucket are still good, I would cut off those brackets and weld them to this Skid Steer Hitch Adapter With Blank Heavy Duty Frame That bucket and brackets aren't going to be of any use after you do the conversion anyway. If, however, you've got sloppy bushings, as is often the case with a machine that old, I wouldn't bother and would just make new brackets.

With SSQA, the load is further away, not closer. Your capacity will be reduced a bit.

That depends entirely on how you mount the skeleton plate. I just did one on a pretty new Kubota B series FEL. I ordered and received the Kubota 2 pin SSQA loader end and a correct skeleton plate. I removed the original welded on bucket ears, ground the back face of the bucket to remove the rest of the left over welds and welded on the skeleton plate and the bucket is actually closer to the fulcrum point than it was pre SSQA. Customer wanted all Kubota parts so don't ask what it cost because you don't really want to know but I will say the Kubota 2 pin SSQA was 100% plug and play. Very easy install. I have both the OEM Kubota SSQA as well as the ATI SSQA on my tractors and while I prefer the ATI 2 pin because it's more robust, either one works just fine and I can mount either of my buckets or forks on either one, no issue.