Building my own subframe

[samgibbs3rd]

Hey all,
I am totally a newby to the tractor world and to the welding world. I'm wondering if its feasible to try to fab my own subframe for my Mahindra 1526. I have a 3pt backhoe BH5600 (BH56 PTO 3 Point Backhoe Tractor Excavator Attachment w/ Pump 15" Bu – SDI Factory Direct Wholesale). I really want a project so i'm wondering if I can fab my own subframe. Any helpful tips out there??

 

[davedj1]

Hey all,
I am totally a newby to the tractor world and to the welding world. I'm wondering if its feasible to try to fab my own subframe for my Mahindra 1526. I have a 3pt backhoe BH5600 (BH56 PTO 3 Point Backhoe Tractor Excavator Attachment w/ Pump 15" Bu SDI Factory Direct Wholesale). I really want a project so i'm wondering if I can fab my own subframe. Any helpful tips out there??

Well not to be rude but if you aren't a competent welder then I say no.
You may want to poke around a few dealers and see what they have laying around either used or NOS, you might be surprised.
You may be able to modify one to work, go to dealers, ask, look over their tractors with backhoes on them and take some pictures. Maybe have a shop do the actual welding. You don't want the forces of a backhoe to go unleashed! Good luck.

 

[ericm979]

Many subframes basically bolt on to 3pt type backhoes. My factory Branson BH is an Ansung which Ansung also sold as a 3pt model. The brackets where the 3pt pins would go are still there. The subframe bolts to the BH right next to them and there's big flat bars that extend up at an angle to brace the BH on the subframe. I've seen other tractor makers with similar setups.

You might be able to find a factory subframe for your tractor and them bolt the BH to it with not much welding.

 

[N2DFire]

I have yet to find a backhoe in my (very cheap) price range or to need one bad enough to extend my price range - so I have not yet tackled this project but I have done TONS of research. Hopefully some of it will be useful to you.

how to build your own custom backhoe subframe

yet another custom backhoe subframe

Converting 3 pt woods 6000 to subframe mount

4pt mount for Bradco 609 to MF 1455

Also - if TBN member dfkrug should happen along and offer advice - take it. He is the official TBN king of custom subframes (as you may have guessed by his two posts linked above).


Secondly - I'm not new to welding at all, but I'm also not very good at it either. I would at least partially echo what davedj1 said. If you aren't sure you can get good quality welds (and enough of them) then you might want to seek help or assistance with that part. I would suggest contacting your local high school or community college to see if they have a welding trades program.

My father took all the materials for a 5' x 9' utility trailer (including axle) to the local high school and the agricultural shop cut / welded everything together for free. The only thing they wouldn't do is put a ball hitch on it for liability reasons - it was built as a "farm trailer". We added the ball hitch and had it inspected for a road worthy tag & DMV licensing.


Good luck and please come back and share your experience with the rest of us.