Carrying extras

[woodlandfarms]

I saw a while ago someone had put a roof rack on the tractor to haul goodies. I had all these great plans to put stuff on the engine cage, then after lifting that 150lb beast I realized it was terrible design and anything I attach would be additional weight I would have to lift. (Why, on a hydraulic tractor, did they not make hydraulic engine cover lifts?)

Any and all ideas welcome. the roof rack is cool, but have to work in trees most of the time....

Carl

 

[KentT]

I saw a while ago someone had put a roof rack on the tractor to haul goodies. I had all these great plans to put stuff on the engine cage, then after lifting that 150lb beast I realized it was terrible design and anything I attach would be additional weight I would have to lift. (Why, on a hydraulic tractor, did they not make hydraulic engine cover lifts?)

Any and all ideas welcome. the roof rack is cool, but have to work in trees most of the time....

Carl

Could you put your "tool box" at the very rear of the engine cover where the flashing light typically is? That way, the weight would essentially be over the hinge and not at end of a lever -- the effect it has if you put it on the very front. I put a small metal Stanley toolbox on mine at the front. It hauls all the tools I typically need, and it doesn't weigh that much. I certainly don't go prepared for a major expedition the way BobRip does...

 

[BobRip]

What me carry a lot of stuff?

I have attached a couple of pictures of my storage. The ROPS Rack is made of 2 X 4 frame mounted on a sheet of plywood. Most of my 10 acres is woods and it has never been damages.

I have also mounted tool boxes on the engine cover. I can still open it without too much extra effort.

 

[woodlandfarms]

What me carry a lot of stuff?

I have attached a couple of pictures of my storage. The ROPS Rack is made of 2 X 4 frame mounted on a sheet of plywood. Most of my 10 acres is woods and it has never been damages.

I have also mounted tool boxes on the engine cover. I can still open it without too much extra effort.

So what would be the chances of you taking some pictures in a brighter environment.

A toolbox on the back end is possible, but the flashing yellow light is pretty handy here. No way could I lift the lid on my tractor with a toolbox at front. The 1850 lids are massive. I actually think that my wife will not be able to lift it.

But, I may be able to do a chain storage tube on the back part of the engine cover....

Thanks

Carl

 

[BobRip]

I will try to get a picture tomorrow in the sunlight.

 

[MossRoad]

Get some gas assisted lift cylinders like on car trunks and pickup caps and install them on your PT engine cover to help you lift them. Just be sure to latch the hood closed if you make it too light. It would be easy to not notice the hood getting caught on a branch and lifting open while operating in the woods.

 

[Rivco]

Get some gas assisted lift cylinders like on car trunks and pickup caps and install them on your PT engine cover to help you lift them. Just be sure to latch the hood closed if you make it too light. It would be easy to not notice the hood getting caught on a branch and lifting open while operating in the woods.

Now that is a simple straight forward solution, and would be fairly easy to install. Great idea MR - well done!

 

[woodlandfarms]

I am really not sure on gas assisted cylinders. the 1850 hood is really, really heavy. Even if I get cylinders for a hatchback (I assume heavier than boot or engine hood) they may not work. But, heck, if they assist that will be sweet. They are going to have to open quite a distance... Will sniff around if I have time today....

 

[KentT]

The "elaborate" solution would be a center-anchored torsion bar that also serves as the "axle" that the hood pivots on. It would be neutral -- i.e. not twisted or loaded with tension -- when the hood is standing straight up. To close the hood, you'd have to press down (much easier than lifting) and twist the torsion bar to close the hood. When you unlatched the hood the tortion-twist would relieve and assist in lifting it....

Alternatively, you could use spring-assist. Run a cable from the back of the tractor on each side, across a pulley at the top to the hood in the rear, and anchor it to the top of the hood in the front. Put a big spring on the cable on each side where it mounts on the rear of the tractor, and adjust the cable so that when you close the hood you put tension on the spring. Then, that tension would help you lift it when you opened the hood... just like on an overhead garage door

Simpler, but the torsion bar is "sexier" because it's not as obvious.

The gas-struts are still likely the most practical! You could mount shorter struts back toward the rear of the hood, but they'd have to be stronger to overcome the leverage...

 

[woodlandfarms]

I found this site

Auto Parts By Lou

They have some that are rated at 160lbs each.

 

[BobRip]

Here are some pictures of the ROP Rack. I hope this helps.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Thanks Bob. Actually this may be the solution to my problems. Although I think the 1850 is taller than the 425...

 

[MossRoad]

....But, heck, if they assist that will be sweet. ....

That's all you want... assistance. If the hood weighs a hundred pounds and you can only lift 25 comfortably, adding a cylinder that assists with the other 75 pounds of the lift will certainly help.