Front snowplow bracket help

[Marko]

Let me know how it turns out , as I'll compare it to what I have in mind and figure out what makes more sense ...

Good Luck and Happy Plowing ....

Mark

 

[htiek126]

I am getting ready to mount a Meyer snow plow on a FEL, and my FEL does not have a float position on the hydraulics. Is it better to get a valve with a float, or should I build the FEL adapter with the hinge pins for the A frame?

 

[hazmat]

I'd build the adapter with pins & let the plow move. Should be easier to do & cost less. Here's a link with lots of pics

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=photos&Number=93590&fpart=1>Thomas' FEL mounted front plow</A>

 

[htiek126]

Great link and great pictures. I have a quick detatch bucket, and I was planning to mount the A frame without the bucket. After seeing those pictures...

I have a small overbuilt digging bucket that would be great for mounting the A frame. I need to take some measurements, I hope to not have the plow too far forward.

 

[thefarm]

I mounted a Fisher snow plow bracket into my FEL.I cut the plow frame off a truck and I only used where the pins go into the plow.Used a piece of flat iron for a backing plate and bolted this into my bucket.I used to use this to plow the driveway,500 feet.Worked great.I could push the snow out of the way,but stay on good ground.FEL sticks out 3-4 feet beyond the front tires and the plow another foot or two.I would mount it something like the way Thomas did his.You can really push the snow up high,you don't have to plan ahead like the way you do with a truck.I put this on my 2120 Ford.I use a BX1800 with a Puma 54 inch snow thrower on the back now to remove the snow.The wife can do the driveway now.

 

[beenthere]

Hazmat
So far, it looks like you are getting your questions answered. Level on the frame is the way I went, and adjusting the chain on the lift cylinder is what I do to get the up and down travel correct.
Other things to consider: May have to install some flow control orifice in the lift hyd line to slow the lift down. That is something you will learn after you get your plow hooked up.
When laying out the location of the plow, take into account the location of the plow when angled, and the location of the front tires when they are turned all the way (right or left). My original design had a conflict, and I learned about it before the welding began.
The springs on the plow are balanced right, although I added two springs to my previous plow to keep it from folding too soon. I wanted more dig. The Western I have now is good with the springs that came with it.
I have the short A frame, not the standard one. It keeps the plow closer to the front of the tractor. Before welding a bracket, I would suggest you have the plow first. A narrower plow and A-frame may not work the same as a different plow (noting that you are thinking about a smaller plow).
Your design looks good so far. Wish I had the CAD program to use when I designed my bracket. Instead, I fashioned one out of wood, gluing the pieces together for a mock-up that I could try on the plow before taking the mock-up to the welder.
Good luck on your plans. You will really enjoy the blade out front, compared to the blade on the back.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Maybe I just should have started this way.
If you have a loader bucket already, and it isn't set up with a quicktach like a Bobcat, you can save yourself a little disappointment and a lot of time by just welding 2 ears to the top of the bucket and hang the top of the plow blade at it's top edge from the ears.
I spent way too many hours, and cut & welded way too much steel learning a couple things about plowing snow with a 24hp tractor & loader.
First, these tractors don't develope sufficient speed pushing a blade to roll snow, so angling the blade is more an exercize in frustration than a worthwhile effort. (exception applys next to buildings)
Second, the 30 foot blades used on the front of loaders are more akin to a bucket with no bottom than they are a plow. This design allows banking of snow with much greater efficiency than a bucket.
Third, ALWAYS use the KISS theory of engineering for any snow removal equipment. Keep It Simple Stupid. Fixing broken snow plows with crud running down your neck sucks, even in a heated garage.

 

[Mrwurm]

Hazmat, I'm jumping in a bit late on this discussion but I thought I would mention something about your A frame. I retrofitted a plow to a tractor about 4 years ago and I found this to be important. The A frame does not necessarily need to be parallel to the ground but the plane of rotation does. If the plane of roation of the plow is parallel to the plane of the A frame then that makes it easy. The point here is that when the plow is on level ground you should be able to angle to the right or left without the outermost edge of the blade rising up or dropping down. This can only be accomplished if the plane of rotation is parallel to the ground. Of course, the plane will alter in reference to the ground as you follow countours but you have to start somewhere so most plows are set up for the blade to work optimally on flat level ground.
This concept is a bit difficult to visualize but if you look at a truck with a plow in the transport position, (lifted all the way up) you will see that the edge of the balde is parallel to the ground if the blade is not angled, but there will be a severe difference if the blade is angled. One side of the blade will be much closer to the ground than the other. This is because (in the raised position) the plane of rotation is not parallel to the ground.

 

[beenthere]

<font color=blue>""The point here is that when the plow is on level ground you should be able to angle to the right or left without the outermost edge of the blade rising up or dropping down. This can only be accomplished if the plane of rotation is parallel to the ground. ""<font color=black>

That is a good explanation of why one needs to fabricate the plow so the A frame is parallel to the ground, fore and aft as well as right to left.

 

[hazmat]

<font color=blue>Third, ALWAYS use the KISS theory of engineering for any snow removal equipment. Keep It Simple Stupid. Fixing broken snow plows with crud running down your neck sucks, even in a heated garage.</font color=blue>

I'll be the first to admit that mounting the plow to the bucket would be easier, quicker & cheaper. But being a mechanical engineer, half the fun of this project is designing it; so I'm apt to go a little overboard. I took the measurments last night & will model it up today if I get a chance.