DIY Mini Digger

[Colcreate]

Sounds like a dueable speed. But you may not want to put it on the road at all. My tractor that Goes 10mph or so is still too slow for the roads

It will only ever be used off road Around my home and for maintaining my driveway. I was thinking it would fit in my trailer if I ever needed to move it any distance but it seems to be growing in size.....

 

[tman1020]

Here is a pic of one I built



Will dig about 81/2 feet and has a nice reach. Can move it self around job site or can be towed like a log splitter.

 

[Colcreate]

Front axle pivot pin and bushes fitted.

The transfer box is now bolted in place and connected to both axles. The hydraulic motor will be mated up to the drive flange, just need to turn an adapter flange.

 

[Colcreate]

One of the 2nd hand hydraulic motors I bought off ebay earlier this year came with a substantial mounting bracket which fits nicely against the chassis. The motor adapter to fit the Suzuki flange was straightforward to make and the propshaft just need shortening and welding back together.

Just need to get some wheels on it and lift I down on the ground.

 

[Colcreate]

Backhoe, Front End Loader, Homebuilt 4WD tractor??

.... and now with wheels!

I'm making this up as I go along just using stuff I have accumulated over the years.
It's ended up bigger than I thought it would be especially now the wheels are on!
Not so much a mini digger now as a midi tractor, loader, backhoe, thing....

 

[Colcreate]

15hp Motor and pump

Here's the Kohler 15hp motor I want to use to drive the hydraulics. Not sure where it will be mounted but thought I would try it up front first.


The housing for coupling the hydraulic pump to the motor was welded up from scrap plate and tube then true'd up in the lathe.

 

[Colcreate]

Re: 15hp Motor and pump

Adjustable steering column, orbital block and priority valve from an old forklift was bought off Ebay.
I oiled blacked the freshly turned pump adapter by heating it to a dull red and then quenching it in old used motor oil.

 

[Colcreate]

Steering and engine mount

Steering ram mounted to front axle and engine moved to the side.
View attachment 435980
http://www.avonsearider.co.uk/images/digger/steer.jpg

Steering column moved off-centre.

Backhoe pivot is starting to take shape. 4" x 2" x 1/4 hollow section 30mm pins and 48mm bushes. Grease nipple clearance tubes welded in place.
The bottom mounting plate is 3/4" thick plate the upper plates are all 1/2" thick.
View attachment 435995
http://www.avonsearider.co.uk/images/digger/backhoepivot.jpg

I have supplied links to images hosted elsewhere as Image Attachments and image URLs are not working, manage attachments doesn't seem to work or is at max capacity?? Can a moderator/admin look into this?

 

[boggen]

pictures not displaying in your last post, folks were having problems yesterday uploading them, looks like there still might be a problem with uploading pictures today :/

 

[Colcreate]

Backhoe boom

Temporary boom to figure out lengths, pivots & rams etc
http://www.avonsearider.co.uk/images/digger/backhoeboom.jpg

 

[Colcreate]

Valve block from a Massey Ferguson backhoe.
View attachment 436377
http://www.avonsearider.co.uk/images/digger/spoolvalve6.jpg

 

[boggen]

wow! your just bam, bam thank you mam at this!

initially looking are you going to be able to swing that boom 180 degrees? 90 degrees left, + 90 degrees right? it does not seem like you have enough room for your swing cylinders to operate. i see the spacing between the main frame, were swing cylinders most likely going to go. but overall width and height. seems like you are really hurting for space.

it also looks like you got a lot of slack in some of them connection points more pins that handle swinging left to right. a couple times putting backhoe bucket down and trying to slide dirt back into trench, and i would worry about bending some metal...

 

[Colcreate]

wow! your just bam, bam thank you mam at this!

initially looking are you going to be able to swing that boom 180 degrees? 90 degrees left, + 90 degrees right? it does not seem like you have enough room for your swing cylinders to operate. i see the spacing between the main frame, were swing cylinders most likely going to go. but overall width and height. seems like you are really hurting for space.

it also looks like you got a lot of slack in some of them connection points more pins that handle swinging left to right. a couple times putting backhoe bucket down and trying to slide dirt back into trench, and i would worry about bending some metal...

Thanks for the comments, I was thinking no one was interested....
Space is tight but you can just see one of the 2 slew rams in the photo, there is enough room to make it work 180.
Not sure what you mean by slack in the connection points the bushes were reamed for the pins to fit? If you mean lateral movement, the bushes pass through the sections and bear on mating faces. The bottom of the pivot bushes bear on hardened steel shim washers with just a few thou clearance. I've looked at a few homebuilt designs and think this is at least as strong as most.

 

[ptsg]

Of course we are interested, please don't stop updating the thread! You are doing a wonderful job! It reminds me when I built mine. Good memories tho. Keep up the good work and keep showing us the progress!

 

[boggen]

most build threads do not get a whole lot of comments. i would not let it bother you much. to note it you figured out majorly of the stuff already. or have a very good idea of stuff. and not really asking question but more of posting of work as you go along. i really don't like posting on these type of threads myself. due to cluttering them up. and i might cause an issue, that really is not an issue, due to my own lack of knowledge. ((open mouth insert foot type of thing))

still having issues with uploading pictures. to lazy to upload them some place else.

i was hoping to show a edited picture of yours . not sure what name / call parts...
to note it.... when i went out to look for a TLB (tractor loader backhoe) i went out and looked at i think 14 units all in same day, all of them were used older units. most of them all showed the same issue. of were pins / holes / bushing wore out and brackets bent.

your boom cylinder, and boom frame pins are ok. it is the brackets on the main frame, that allows pivit from the swing cylinders. that you might want to beef up. not in strength but overall thickness. and width along the main frame. right now you have what looks like 4 square pieces welded, and a hole drilled through them. i would push for more of a trapezoid or an oval shape piece of metal. and thicker of the 4 pieces.

the backhoe is going to act like a large pry bar, and will just tweak and twist those 4 square pieces is what i am going to guess. without much use of the backhoe. other words further you get away from the backhoe bucket itself and closer to tractor / machine itself. more beefer you need to get. and right now it looks like a weak link. you know more about metal / welding than i do. (i'am dummy to it) just overall just seems like a weak point.

 

[Colcreate]

Thanks for the encouragement PTSG.
I'll keep updating and would add more detail if I could attach images like in the earlier posts!
There seems to be a problem with the forum or maybe I have max'd out the allowance for number of images??
Not being able to include images in the posts and having to host them off-site is a real pain so I'm only including the highlights so to speak.

 

[Colcreate]

Ah gotcha Ryan, I see what you mean.
The bottom plate is 3/4 thick x 4" and extends underneath and overlaps the rear chassis crossmember channel. I had to preheat it all before welding.
The upper plate of the bottom mount is 1/2 thick x 4" and passes through a 'letterbox slot' I cut in the channel and is gusseted to the channel sides so again the twisting forces are spread into the rear chassis crossmember. Likewise with the upper pair of 1/2" plates, they pass through slots in the channel face and are welded both sides and will be braced with 1/2" thick plate before I box in the open channel face. I'll post a photo of this if the forum sorts out the image attachment issues....
The two vertical channels either side will be gusseted back to the main chassis rails and down to the rear axle once I figure out where my feet are going to go....
The slew rams will be below a false floor and as you pointed out earlier there is not a lot of space.

 

[boggen]

Ah gotcha Ryan, I see what you mean.
The bottom plate is 3/4 thick x 4" and extends underneath and overlaps the rear chassis crossmember channel. I had to preheat it all before welding.
The upper plate of the bottom mount is 1/2 thick x 4" and passes through a 'letterbox slot' I cut in the channel and is gusseted to the channel sides so again the twisting forces are spread into the rear chassis crossmember. Likewise with the upper pair of 1/2" plates, they pass through slots in the channel face and are welded both sides and will be braced with 1/2" thick plate before I box in the open channel face. I'll post a photo of this if the forum sorts out the image attachment issues....
The two vertical channels either side will be gusseted back to the main chassis rails and down to the rear axle once I figure out where my feet are going to go....
The slew rams will be below a false floor and as you pointed out earlier there is not a lot of space.

you have inside the frame work done and over with for the 4 pieces. but it is the 4 pieces that stick out. the edges furthest away from the machine of these 4 pieces that are more likely to "bend / warp / stretch" kinda opening up like your mouth / jaw opening. causing slop to happen in your holes / bushing / pins. maybe some sort of triangle brackets or like added in. once you figure out your swing cylinder and out riggers go.

once i went out and looked at those initial 14 TLB. i have since looked at TLB's out on road ways say for local township / county, and i can see slop / bending / warping in the same area. and these are newer units.

EDIT ATTACHED PICTURE

 

[chaffe]

I'm
Watching! From Scotland

 

[chaffe]

Starting something similar myself