Ted... A hint and a question (in as much as you are a paid advertiser on here)
1. I'd switch to globular metal transfer with your MIG welding. I'm reasonably sure you use solid wire (not cored wire) from looking at your welds and your Millers are capable (I believe of spray arc)) (globular transfer) welding. With spray arc, you need high amperage (over 200 amps, preferably over 210, a bit more shielding gas (75-25) as you literally blow the molten wire into the weld bead so you have to keep your diffuser fairly clean and dross free as well as your nozzle. On the plus side, it's actually quicker in travel speed that ordinary 'glue gun' welding, takes no more skill and produces an excellent looking bead with no spatter which means less clean up, superior penetration as well as very localized heating of the parts to be joined. On the negative side, requires a bit more shielding gas, 75-25 only and your welders need to keep the torch end fairly clean between weld passes.
I use it all the time on critical welds when I fabricate high stress parts for customers (and yes I get paid to do it). Looks nice and exceeds most stress tests as well. Building an H bracket for a Case Extenda hoe that is NLA presently from very thick plate steel that I cut the parts from on my CNC plasma table from high alloy steel plate as well as machining the inside bushings from bar stock and turning new pivot pins and keepers as well. Not a picture guy so no pictures. If it's real critical and a very high stress part and exotic alloy or non ferrous, I switch to TIG and the appropriate filler rod and inert shielding gas and tungsten as requires, but that is another story for another time.
In as much as you are a paid advertiser here, could you supply me with a quote plus transportation to 49238 (Michigan) for a 'single lid', had no idea what a lid was until I started reading these posts actually) grapple for my M9's with a 72" OR less (not much less) grapple, nothing fancy as I'll just use it for moving branches to my burn pile, no digging or anything of that sort. I have the front mount hydraulics and the females need to be pioneer detach under pressure (ball end) females. No hurry as winter is coming and I won't really require it until spring anyway. if you don't have the fittings don't supply them or the hoses, I have that stuff here in the shop. My mailing address email) is sales@ flipmeisters.com which is also my company email.
The time I'd spent developing and laying out the parts in Versa-Cad and procuring the materials from Alro and then cutting and fitting them and welding it up, I feel that you building me one and shipping it would be cheaper and less time consuming plus I'm always busy fixing people 'oopses' building parts that are NLA as well as farming for fun (no money to be made on farming today).
Thank you in advance.... Daryl (Flip) Davis (my real name that I never use on here and no I'm not my other brother's Daryl either). I have a brother than died in an untimely accident decades ago. I do have a son and grandkids however and his name sure isn't Daryl either...lol)
I have attempted to do lifts that exceeded the pressure relief valve settings. I generally try to avoid doing that. I like to keep lifts well within the capacity limits and not push the machine too hard. If you are operating on rough ground and bounce the machine through a hole, you really put a strain on everything. If it's hilly, like it is here, you can throw a lot of weight on your front end if you are traveling down hill.
