Building FEL Boom Pole

nwngunner · Apr 23, 2010

I have a slight problem with the backbone. First off its alot of additional cutting and welding. That in its self provides more points for possible weakness. Also you take 1/2inch or thicker all the way out to the tip of the boom your are talking alot of additional weight. This thing is already going to be so fricking massive i my self will have a **** of a time getting it to pin up to the loader. I can see using a backbone for a pipe. I have a piece of structural steel here that is many many times stronger then that of a single round tube.

Round tube only has extreme strength when it is vertical. Latterly a square tube is much stronger then a round tube. A lot of the boom poles on here i see people supporting with a steel cable. I for one hate cable, it stretches its hard to clamp. I just dont trust it, it has worked well or others but i don't care for it. Why i am wanting to go with chain. A good grade 70 or 80 5/8 chain will provide the same strength as a back bone. Now i can see if i was adding a trolley to the i-beam with some sort of lock then yes a back bone to distrubute the weight from the center back would be better. All of the weight will only be at the tip. Also when i look at a crane, the back bone is mostly risers in the center of the boom. Then it tapers down to the front and back providing tension and support for the center.

As for welding the ibeam to the frame. The frame is more narrow then that of the i-beam. When ever i have built anything, i have always had the premise of wanting distributing weight. Why would i want to attach the i-beam to something smaller then its self. With the plate there would be approx 250 liner inches of weld attaching the plate to that of the frame. That would cause any weight to pull across the entire frame not just the center cross member. I understand the bale spear goes in to that center cross member but the out side frame is still going to be the strongest point.

Figure a square box with a cross in it. The welds would be on every vertical and horizontal plane of the frame to the plate. By doing that the weight would be distribuated over 1100square inches of frame, not 50. That is over 22times the surface area.

So unless you can provide me with some hard physics to why attaching to the frame is better i will go with my plan. I am not past suggestions,its why i am here. I just want answers more then just because.

mbohuntr · Apr 23, 2010

Ya know... you could modify a regular boom pole so that the top tucks inside your (or on top of) the bucket, and weld a clip onto the bottom that goes over your cutting edge.... I have thought of that for mine so that I could do some lighter lifting much higher, like shingles or block onto a roof... The weight limits might not work for you though. I made a carry-all for my 9n out of 3"square tube, and modified it to work on the FEL of the Mahindra. A multi purpose impliment...

nwngunner · Apr 23, 2010

I cant do much with my current bucket. Have to realize i am working with older equipment here. My bucket is shot. I have to build a new one with cutting teeth as it is now. I am trying to find some prices on cutting teeth. I will post an image of what i have in mind for my bucket as well.

The bucket will be 50wide, 24high 36deep At the top will be a 2x4x1/4 square tube. That will give me the strength and a flat surface to mount hooks to. The sides will sit under that peice to provide strength. The bucket will be all 1/4 plate while the bottom will be 1/2 i think Unless that is to heavy. The cutting edge will be 3/4.Just dont know how to support the 2x4box in the center. Unless it is strong enough on its own.

I really need to find a program that i can do these in 3d. Will be so much more accurate then what i am doing now.

Diamondpilot · Apr 23, 2010

On a much smaller scale I built one after I tried to get a Bush Hog off my trailer and learned how limited the reach of my tractor was. I utilized the hitch I mounted to the top of my bucket.

Chris

mbohuntr · Apr 24, 2010

You could go with 1/4" plate, and stitch on a 1/2" wear plate/ cutting edge 2" wide and it should be plenty heavy enough. Have a friend put it on a mill and put an edge on it before you mount, or hit it with a big grinder. If you mount hooks on the top, they should be used for pulling or light lifting as the closer you get to the middle, the weaker it becomes and will deform. Using a cantilever mount for lifting with a wide bottom mount will give it more rigidity.

nwngunner · Apr 26, 2010

You telling me that 1/4 is strong enough is a big weight off of my shoulders. Now I will put the grind plates on the bottom of the bucket and they will be 1/2 thick. Should i use carraige bolts and bolt the grind plates in. So if in years down the road they can be replaced and not have to go though the work and expense of cutting and welding in new drag plates? Also i had another idea, would the bucket be strong enough to take and put two thick walled pipes in each corner for bale spears. That way in the winter i can use the bucket for snow removel and still use it for putting in hay. Also i could use the forks for brush work in the summer as well.

For the bracing for the hooks i am going to run some vertical sections of square tubing for added strength. Soon this thing will be so strong it will never budge.

One other question, do you think that my Boom pole would be better on the 3 point of the tractor? Would have alot less failure points to deal with, and my 3point dont leak down like my loader rams do.

mbohuntr · Apr 26, 2010

The bucket on my 2615 is probably 3/16" ... if that. It is more a function of how you use it than how heavy it is built. If you put a bale spear on the FEL bucket, mount it so the weight is spread out across the cutting edge, and cantilevered off the top edge. This changes the weight distribution and reduces bending. A lot of people have fabricated plate mounts for their attachments. Build a plate for the ram arms, and weld clips and clamps onto each impliment. These plates are built heavy, and designed to unlatch from the existing attachment, set it down, back out, drive under the new one, lift it up, get off and latch...
Your 3 pt probably has more lifting ability, but not the height or ease of maneuverability of a front mount. It will not stress the tractor as much either.. If you make a set of spears that mount on the outside edges of the bucket, that is the strongest point, and you can design the bucket like a mahindra's with the top edge bent down 90 degrees. build em so you put the top in first, behind the top edge, slide in the bottom clip over the cutting edge, and put a bolt through a angle iron clip and hole on the side wall.