Carrying tools on tractor

[PM1]

Small tools, of course, travel handily in the mounted tool box. I often have a need to carry slightly larger tools, however -- like a chain saw, sledge hammer & wedges, and several 3/8" chains and hooks.

The loader works in theory, but I end up needing to use it often and have to remove the tools (if I remember before scooping up a pile of something). Since my rotary cutter stays mounted 90% of the time (I mow everywhere I move the tractor during the growing season, and it's great ballast for the loader), I often place tools on top the cutting deck for transport. The three problems are 1) the tools sometimes bounce off, 2) I can't mow with tools on the cutter, and 3) I don't want to forget I have tools riding on it and start up the PTO.

I've thought about trying to mount some hooks or other attachment points onto the tractor itself, or perhaps mounting a plastic carrying box to the cutter deck. Does anyone have any creative ideas or feedback? Thanks.

Parker

 

[btolle]

I have been thinking about some storage myself. One idea I came up with was to bolt a couple of milk crates, the plastic one that hold 4 gallons of milk, on my box blade. You could easily mount them on a cutter.

Probably be a good idea to use a mounting bolt in each corner. I will use stainless steel bolts and stopnuts (nylon insert) and put a couple of large SS washers between milk crate and cutter or box blade so any water can drain out from under them.

For the PTO: Tie a red shop rag around the PTO engagement lever to remind you to remove tools before running the PTO. When you get ready to run PTO remove tools and put the shop rag with the tools to remind you to tie back on the lever when you reload the tools. That way you know not to start the PTO if the rag is on it.

Bungee cords are indispensable for keeping things in place. You could use a couple of them across the top of the milk crates to keep anything from bouncing out.

I also have 3 sizes of the ball bungees that are very handy for things like keeping a pair of gloves on the ROPS, and so forth.

One other cheap "fix": I have one of those cheap wire shower curtain hangers with a few linch pins and "hair pins" on them hanging on the spring under the tractor seat. It seems like you will notice a missing pin when you are farthest from the barn/garage.

Bill Tolle

 

[MikeFromVA]

bob_shurka has made a custom box for behind the seat (bolts on where ROPS attaches). It looks like it can hold a bit. There is a thread about how he did it somewhere. There is also a picture in the photo gallery...

 

[PineRidge]

Sometime back I lost, or buried a real nice chain because I was carrying it in my FEL. I was thankful however that is was just a chain and not my Stihl chain saw instead. I'm not sure how the crate idea might work unless you move it from implement to implement so that it is always with you.

A lot of guys here at the TBN site including myself have added larger toolboxes to their rigs although most still can't accommodate larger tools like chain saws or sledge hammers.

Still the tool box that I added has really given me the benefit to carry lots more tools as well as chain, wasp spray, Deep Woods Off, and even cans of marking paint (so I know which trees are next to come down).

 

[Freds]

I remember seeing one member that had mounted some PVC pipe to the loader frame (or somewhere) that a shovel or rake could be dropped into.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Mike, my tool box is large enough to hold a 30' tow strap, a hatchet, an 18" bypass lopper, a 16" anvil lopper, a small tool bag containing extra pins & small parts, a mid size tool bag containing a set of 7 wrenches, wire cutters, screw drivers x 3, pliers x 2, a folding limb saw, a couple pairs of work gloves and have room to spare!

I also keep several different sizes of H.D. rubber bungies on the ROPS for anything else I might need. I can use the rubber bungies to strap shovels, rakes, etc to the ROPS during transport. I've given some serious thought to adding a "pick-up truck shotgun rack" to the ROPS to carry long & large tools, but I've not gotten around to doing that.

The top of the box blade also carries tools for me. And if the box blade is not on and I have my weight box on, I use that to hold canvas duffle style tool bags full of tools. From experience I have found that a canvas tool bag will not bounce off, while a plastic or metal tool box will bounce off out of the weight box or off of the box blade.

There are pictures of my tool box in the PHOTO gallery.

But if someone wants to see the mounting brackets that I used to mount the box without drilling holes in the tractor, you'll have to do a search from last summer. I think the thread was something like "custom tool box on a TC24" or similar.

 

[Soundguy]

I saw a guy tack weld a few bolts pointing up to the top of his mower deck, and then took some cheap tool boxes and punched holes inthe bottom, set them over the bolts, added washers and nuts, and he had attatched tool boxes. Great way to store the hammer, punch anf pliers and extra shear bolts, and a grease gun.
I usually wrap chains around my bumper, and then bunji them on.

A piece of PVC pipe attatched somewhere with hose clamps makes a breat holder for shovels, axes, etc. Just use pipe with a big enough ID to let the handle slide down.

Soundguy

 

[PineRidge]

Bob I saw your pictures. That's not a toolbox, that's a steamer trunk! I'm just jealous because it's bigger than mine. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Nice Job.....

 

[stephan]

My problem is not where to carry the tools but where to put the kids? Actually, I thinking the same thing and have got an old metal toolbox just need to mount it. There never seems to be a spot large enough.

 

[John_Mc]

The PVC tubes for rakes, shovels, and the like is one of the best ideeas I've seen for carrying long tools. The trick is finding a place to mount them where their length does not become a problem. (For example, I spend a fair amount of time in the woods with my ROPS folded down... having a shovel still sticking several feet up in the air kind of defeats the purpose of a folding ROPS).

For carrying a chain saw I've seen advertisements for chain saw holsters that mount on ATVs. With a little creativity, you could find a place to mount one on your tractor. It may take a bit of modifying to get it to mount. Or you could do what I did: I took a length of 2x6 several inches longer than my chainsaw bar and made a bore cut down the length of the board to turn it into a kind of scabbard. (that bore cut took a good eye and a steady hand, but wasn't all that difficult to do.) Then I just clamped the board to my brush mower at the appropriate angle to keep the saw from falling out. Worked great, and it was cheap. The only problem I had was that the vibration from the mower with the weight of the chain saw eventually caused my 2x6 to split. My next one will be mounted to the loader arms somewhere (just got to be careful about the angle at which I mount it, so I don't dump it out when lifting the loader up high... or maybe bungie it in somehow).

If you mount a toolbox to your brush mower, you might want to think about what kind of tools are going into the box, and whether the vibration and bouncing could be a problem... especially if you mow rocks and stumps as often as I seem to.

John Mc