Re:
".... your dreaming right??"
Yes. See the title of the post.
I was mostly testing the waters to see if there is any kind of serious interest in this type of machine. The Bobcat Toolcat seems kind of popular in larger applications, but for the "estate" owner with a more modest 1 to 5 acre estate, a much smaller machine with similar features seems like it would be a very handy thing to have.
I would assume the machine would need to be ballasted up a bit to get to that kind of tip point. The ballast would have to stay between the wheelbase because otherwise you have the problem of going over backwards when the loader is empty and you drive up a hill. Probably some kind of belly ballast with a drive-over quick-attach setup.
Also, I was thinking of about 1000 - 1200 lb base vehicle, 200 - 300 lb mowing deck to get to a 1200 to 1500 mowing configuration. When using the loader, drop the mower, and replace it with a bucket of about the same weight.
If I keep the frame weight low, materials cost is not such a large portion of the cost - its mostly the hydraulics, controls, and engine that add all the cost. With the price of steel these days, aluminum is starting to be more attractive.
The hydraulics are alos what add a lot of the weight. Most hgydraulic components for off-road and tractor applications are not designed with low weight as a design goal!
Yes, I know about fatigue failure of aluminum, but this is an issue that has been solved for many years in things like aircraft, automotive, and transportation (semi trailors). Yes, there is a complex relationship in the yield curve with cyclic fatigue, but some simple rules of thumb can keep you out of trouble if you stay below the fatigue-yield limit for the material.
One subject that comes up in this discussion is the difference in the way loaders are rated.
From browsing the specs, it appears that construction equipment and skid steers are rated with a "Rated Operating Capacity". This often appears to be about 1/3 their tipping capacity like its supposed to embody a 3x safety margin. Everybody knows they can exceed the ROC and the machine will always have enough hydraulics to lift more than that anyway, but don't exceed the tip rating or you will tip over.
Agricultural-style tractor loaders appear to be rated based on their hydraulic stall limit without regard to tipping or any tipping safety margin. Unfortunately, they get sold that way as well and there are numerous stories on TBN of new FEL owners asking about ballast.
I am not so much interested in really being able to lift 2500 lbs as I am in making the thing reasonably safe when its lifting 800 to 1000 lbs.
- Rick
