Dipper Stick snapped in half

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Eddie, my dad left us when I was 8. Mean alcoholic. I was glad to see him gone. Paid no child support. Never played "pitch" with me. Be thankful for your dad, he's got your back like no one on this earth.

 

[crazyal]

I was also going to suggest looking for a used dipper.

 

[banjodunn]

G'day eddie as others have stated it is not a big prob to repair that and i agree with your father push it back and put a few good tacks on it and run it into the welding shop. Looking at the pics i would say that crack started from a tooth pushing into the bottom of the boom it looks like the seam of the boom has been pushed in for a while. Whichever way you go GOOD LUCK:thumbsup::thumbsup:



Jon

 

[whodat526]

i would go the used boom route if you can get one for 450 a good welder will most likely cost more than that
and the one shown above will work

 

[EddieWalker]

I spoke with the mechanics and parts guy at my dealer and was told that the only dipper sticks that would work on mine are the 575E and the LB75 up to the 2000 model year. Thank you Jim, but neither of those two will work for me.

They also said that they wouldn't weld it. That the weld will crack at the edge of the plating. They would only use a replacement dipper. Anything else will just crack in time and I'll be doing it all over again.

I spoke to a couple of welders at Lew's, and they said that they weld them all the time and that to make sure it doesn't crack, that they make the plate shaped like a football. This is suppose to ensure that it doesn't crack.

The welders said that they could work on it while attached, but expected it to take 3 times as long because of having to work around what is in the way. They said that I should take it off and bring it to them. Then they can get it on a table and work on it there.

I asked about a portable welder coming out and if they would recomend anybody. They wouldn't give me a name, and didn't comment on the list of names that I have. They did say that if I hired a portable welder, that he would also have to deal with everything that is in the way and at the very best, wouldn't be able to do it any faster or better then they could if working on it while still attached.

While they would do so, they really wanted it on the table to ensure that it's done the best it possibly can be done.

I'm looking for booms right now. It's muddy at my place after a storm that came through last night and dropped an inch of rain. If I can find a boom today, I will go get it. Either way, I need to take it apart. Having a guy come out here would be the easy thing, but I don't feel it's the best. The odds of getting somebody that can do it as good as Lew's will is iffy, and the odds of getting a guy who promises me that he can, but that it fails in the future is too great for me to want to take that chance. This is one of those things that I want to hire the very best that I know of, and go through the steps to make sure it's done right.

Thank you,
Eddie

 

[sandman2234]

The guys you talked to sound just like me...lol!!

You do realize that if you go find a "used" boom that it may have already been run by somebodies "Dad"???
I would fix yours and be done with it.
David from jax

 

[jinman]

Well, close but no cigar. The rental guy told me he had discontinued buying NH TLBs because renters would slam the booms/dippers up against something and dent them. Then, his liability insurance would not cover rental on that tractor if it had a dented boom. He went to the Case TLBs because their dippers are a solid forging. So now he has these two dippers laying around. I just can't see buying both of them, but would have offered him $700 to $750 cash for both as a package deal. I know he's had the dippers for at least a year so my guess is he would be willing to deal.

BTW: Anybody else who wants a NH dipper, feel free to contact this guy. I don't foresee needing a dipper and would only buy one if I could get a very good deal.

 

[LD1]

They also said that they wouldn't weld it. That the weld will crack at the edge of the plating. They would only use a replacement dipper. Anything else will just crack in time and I'll be doing it all over again.

That sounds like a dealer just trying to sell you an overpriced part:confused2:

The factor boom has already been welded on(gussets, pin brackets, etc).

It always irks my the people that think welding isnt as good as new. It is just people that dont understand. Steel is welded everyday. Buildings, bridges, your trucks frame, etc.

If done properly, and it sounds like it will be at your shop, it will be stronger than it was before. If anything, it will just break in a different place. Like farther down the stick. But It wont break at that same spot again.

 

[tungularafishcamp]

Why in the heck would the dealer want you to fix it and make it better than new when he can sell you a new one and maybe take the old one off your hands since it is worthless and he just wants to help you out.

Now be a good sheep Eddie and stop thinking for yourself and just hand over the dough:laughing:

 

[EddieWalker]

Sorry, I wasn't clear on the dealers position. They don't have one, or I should clarify, they don't want to sell me one because they said it would cost more then the machine is worth. They have been very good at pointing out to me where I could get bearings and seals from other suppliers that are cheaper then what they can sell them to me because of the bundling that goes into buying a set of seals. They go to this same source for repairs to save their clients money on parts because they don't make enough profit on parts to justify making a customer angry and not wanting to use them again. They do not want to sell me a dipper stick, or have a suggestion on where to go to get a used one. They just suggested that I buy a used one in good condition over having it welded becasue they said that the weld itself will become the week point once repaird. The old break will never break again after welded up, but the edge of the plate to reinforce the repair is where I will have problems.

Lew's, the welder, said that this is true if they did it straight. They will cut the plate to a football shape and fit it to the existing bracing to make it stronger and not become a new place for the weld to crack. He said the shape and the size of the plate is what will either make it work, or cause it to fail.

Eddie

 

[JB4310]

Even with my limited ability and skill to weld out of position, I'm pretty certain I could put that back together and make it better than new. It might look like crap but wouldn't break there or anywhere near there again.

I would probably get it together on the machine using the hydraulic cylinders advantage, tack good, then take it off to get in better position for the major plating/ repair.

There is plenty of room all around the boom to put all kinds of extra plating, braces etc.

Eddie I think you should have a portable welder rig owner take a look at it. that's what they do for a living. If you can find the part cheap enough, go for it, but I wouldn't pay out the nose for one.

Good luck, we're all rooting for ya!

JB.

 

[tommu56]

I'd fix it at home
if you want to move to a shop or tack some scrap across the gap and drive to a good shop.

make a plate to mate with the existing plate

Pull boom in to place cut out the bent sections if you have to and weld it up,
Put mating fish plate on and weld that on if you could get it bent in to a C shape to go around the top and bottom of the boom much better.

I would have some holes in the plate to plug weld it to boom to spread the load out so it isn't just welded at edges.

Then add another plate over the joint between the 2 plates again holes to plug weld it up.

tom

 

[LD1]

I have to disagree with the shop. I dont see how it being still on the BH would make the job any more difficult. I would actually think it would be easier than trying to wrestle around a 300+lb dipperstick on a workbench.

If they are worried about welding "out-of-position" then they shouldnt be in the welding business:confused2:

 

[blueriver]

I too am for fix it at home. I am a novice at welding...but an good portable welding rig can fix this on site. I would say these guys who spend the money to fully dress up a welding rig know what they are doing. Hire one.

 

[Kernopelli]

Eddie, if you are looking for a used boom, give these guys a call. Schaefer Enterprises Inc. - Home I used to dove hunt with one of their managers and they have a ton of parts and parts machines. Don't know if they have what you need in stock or any idea of what to expect on price if they do but I know they are reputable and can ship to you.

 

[5030]

My 2 cents is if I could find a used (without any cracking visible near the fish plates), I'd get another one. If you want to weld it, by all means remove it from the machine and do it on a workbench or someplace you can secure it in alignment. When you weld it, the metal will move, stretch and shrink, so it has to be secured by clamping.

I do field welding and I'd never attempt to weld that on the tractor. Clamping and alignment would be impossible. Understand, it can be welded on the machine but the results probably won't be acceptable.

It will have to be 'Vee'd out along the break on both sections and multi-pass welded, root pass and finish pass(s) after tacking the parts back together. You'll need to tack and check alignment and weld opposite sides to counteract the shrinking metal, one reason the bench is the place to weld it.

On the bench all the welding will be in position except the tacking. That isn't possible on the machine.

It will be an opportune time to check the pins and bushings as well.

Just my opinion. I do that stuff regularly.

 

[slowzuki]

Being in a forestry area, that kind of break is fixed in the woods all the time, on the bench in the shop it could be fixed easier.

The loader on our last tractor had been plated due to a cracked boom. Look around at older IH 2250 loaders, about 50% have broken boom fixed via plating.

The advice on plate shape is ok, but there are other details to combine with it. Extending the existing gusset to some distance beyond the break is one of those details. If you go far enough along it won't matter what shape the plate is as long as its a good fully penetrating weld with no undercut.

 

[LD1]

It will have to be 'Vee'd out along the break on both sections and multi-pass welded, root pass and finish pass(s) after tacking the parts back together. You'll need to tack and check alignment and weld opposite sides to counteract the shrinking metal, one reason the bench is the place to weld it.

Seriously???? Vee it out and multi-pass????

It is just 1/4" steel at them most. And then you are going to fishplate overtop of that.

And this thing doesnt have to be within .000001 on alighnment either. It's just a freaking BH boom:confused2:

Like I said, If it were mine, 2 hours and I'd be back digging and be stronger than before. It wouldnt break there ever again unless every other part of the hoe was bent and mangled along with it.

 

[JoelD]

Eddie, based on your past experience I'm surprised at your reluctance to fix. I would chain and block it up, pull off the bucket, then cyls., then pull the dipper stick off. Use the loader to move it to flat ground, make clean cut, trim the edges a bit, lay it out all square and then weld it up, then weld the reinforcing plates, some grinding along the way then paint up and you are done.

I'd not weld up in place as there is just too much heat, I'd be scared of frying everything, including a bunch of juice through the machine.

This way you can be sure all bushings, pins and the like are in good shape and sorted out accordingly. I'd be shocked if you could not sure up to a point that you'd never have a break there again.

Nice strong stick welder and you are good to go. If need be, practice on some equally thick stock.

This is not rocket science, the key is to get it lined up perfect as it was, this way you don't run the risk of bending your cylinders when hooked back up.

Good luck either way and sorry for the break, I'm guessing your dad has yet to break as much of your stuff as you broke of his growing up.

Sincerely,
Joel

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

FWIW, welders with truck rigs around here go for about 60/hour.

Not saying to do the entire repair still hooked up, but if possible, get all you can done before removing it.

It doesn't have to perfectly straight. When you go to bed, are your sheets ironed perfectly flat? And, don't know if you've looked lately but your hog is muddy. Life is a compromise of what matters a little, and what matters a lot. This is a small thing. Like others have said, it happens somewhat frequently.

So, what if you can find someone to work on it for maybe 500. And it might last 2 years or 10. I would weld it myself and I'm a beginner but I know people who know people who know what to do and I'm not shy about asking how they'd do it.