3 pt. boom arm design

knucklehead · May 15, 2003

Yeah, that would be just like the braces on top of the commercial tubular booms - and since it is in tension, you could use chain, too. It'd be even better if you could add a couple diagonal braces on the bottom, too. Did you ask the maker about side forces? I just emailed and asked what his opinion was, for the heck of it.

knucklehead · May 16, 2003

Those guys do answer their mail quickly. Used the Email address provided above. For what it's worth, here's what they said:

<font color="blue">"Haven't had any problem with angle twist. However, we have substituted 2x2 tubing upon request." </font>

I still like the clean, multipurpose design, even though I'd go with 2x2 square tubing, and a top chain for my stiffener.

chim · May 16, 2003

Here's my home made boom pole. The boom is a piece of 2" schedule 40 steel pipe. The bracing is of angle that was lying about, and the bottom bolts to a drawbar. The reinforcement on top is 1'2" square stock, and the attachment for the chain is a pair of Unsitrut "L" braces welded to the pipe. I can lift the front of the tractor if I'm lifting something too heavy.

The rig chained to the pole is a thing I made up to fix my stone driveway before it was blacktopped. Simple matter of bolting two pieces of 6" beam together. The two chains connecting to the 3PH get lengthened/shortened to cast material to the left, right or straight. They are off-center, and flipping the rig allows it to be more or less aggressive.................chim

tc35dforme · May 16, 2003

Chim....did you bend that sch. 40 pipe ??? If so...did you use a bender or do you have a trick to share.

n6ckv · May 16, 2003

2500 to 3500 lbs - make sure your tractor can handle the load. I have a L3450 with an SMC FEL. I used my boom pole to move a mill/drill (about 800 lbs) and had to put all my suitcase weights into the front bucket just to keep the front end down. I think that my 3 pt hitch is rated for 2500 lbs at the pins and then is de-rated as the load is further away from the pins.

carl

markct · May 16, 2003

i am pretty sure my tractor should handle that kinda weight at about 4ft out from the lift pins,i have lifted a nissan pickup with my 3pt pallet forks,with the extensions slid on them. im sure that truck had to weigh around 3500lbs and the front stayed on the ground fine. if i wanted to lift more than that i would probably need to get some weights for the front but for now its been fine, i am looking to add some weight to the front tho at some point, im sure the safety patrol will be on me for lifting heavy loads without counterweight but i think it was safe

chim · May 17, 2003

Yep, bent it at home. The trick was placing a $9.43 sealed bid on an old conduit bender at work years ago. It's a manual hydraulic bender that you need to pump with a "porta power" type hand pump. It'll bend up to 4" schedule 40 into a full 90°, although pipe larger than 2" needs to be bent in segments (or shots) of lesser degrees. I just placed the bid on a whim, thinking it would come in handy. To be honest, I can't remember how much I bid, but it was around $10, and I went with odd cents just to get a laugh from the guy opening the bids.

I rarely use the bender because I can tell a guy in the shop what I need. He can punch the info into a computer, and voila! it's done. It is handy to have for the occasional "need it now" or odd job. I bent a 1" shaft on the RFM a while back, and rigged the bender up like a press to straighten it.

Most electrical contracting firms have electric/hydraulic bending equipment that would do this in about 10 seconds..............chim