Hydraulic Quick Attach

[CDN Farm Boy]

Looks good so far.

Have you got an unassembled pic of how the pin connects to the cyl rod? I don't quite follow your description on that part

 

[downsizingnow48]

Here is a disassembled photo showing clevis screwed onto cylinder rod, and in relation to the hole drilled in the pin.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

Now I get it. Thanks

 

[mwb]

Nice project. You will never regret the decision to use the SS QA... I built my own also, a little different in design than what you typically see but it works! (link in my signature). Some day I will get round to making mine remotely latched - I need a rotary actuator.

 

[downsizingnow48]

mwb many thanks for the link. I am still studying your photos, tons of good ideas there. Very nice job.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Got a day free to clean, tack and test fit the quick attach components. Should be able to finish it up after the weekend.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Got the main parts welded today.

Photo 1 - Showing the shoes/paddles/feet and torque tube (2"x.25" DOM).
Photo 2 - The other side. Torque tube goes through all 4 side plates adding stiffness.
Photo 3 - Trying to figure best placement for hose brackets.
Photo 4 - A piece of 3"x.25" angle inside the ears ties together front plate and two side plates adding stiffness.
Photo 5 - Flat bar .75"x.25" adds stiffness.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

How far is it from the pivot pins to the mounting plate? Perhaps it is just the perspective of the photos but it looks like you could have brought the bucket an inch or two closer.

 

[Xfaxman]

Looks like a gooder-un. :thumbsup:

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have read that ssqa designs give up 4"-6" compared to pin-on designs. When I was doing the euro style quick attach, the distance from front plate to pin centerline was 3.5". That is about the minimum possible, given need to accommodate rotation of the loader arm tip behind the front plate. On this ssqa, that distance is 4.25". It is more because of the ssqa lower lip design. There is about 1/8" clearance between the loader arm tip and the lower lip as the mechanism rotates. I could have got back down to 3.5" by lowering the bucket in relation to the loader pin, making the lower ssqa lip below the loader arm. But, the vertical location is dictated by bucket design. There is about 5.25" between lower pin centerline and bottom of bucket, at ground level, on the factory bucket, and I wanted to have the same distance on the ssqa.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Thanks Xfaxman!

Here is the last thing to be welded. I don't much like welding so glad that is done. I do enjoy the fitting and jigging part.

Next steps, order the hoses now that I have the lengths, and finish the electrical hookup for the diverter solenoid.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Slow progress - my 95 year old father in law broke his hip, so now taking care of the old gent. That is why we moved here from Virginia, knowing something was bound to happen.

Anyway I got time to finish the electrical wiring for the diverter valve.

Photo 1 - Mounting plate for the aux fuse block attaches to the headlight bracket.
Photo 2 - The fuse block has positive and negative busses, makes for a clean installation. Wire from battery is 10ga.
Photo 3 - Wire to switch and diverter is 14ga.
Photo 4 - Loom goes through engine compartment and through firewall alongside factory loom.
Photo 5/6 - Switch is SPST with a snap cover. In the up (on) position power goes to the solenoid and fluid flows to the QA cylinders. In the down (off) position no power to solenoid and fluid flows to the grapple cylinders. This setup makes it all but impossible to unintentionally cycle the QA. The switch is in an unused factory mounting hole.
Photo 7 - From the switch, the wire goes down, under the floorboard, and tucks into the hydraulic hose sheath. From there it comes up to the ROPS hose bracket, then follows the hoses along the loader arm to the diverter.
Photo 8 - Diverter has a dust and water resistant industrial connector. With an LED that shows red when the solenoid is energized.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Got the assembly cleaned and painted. Last thing needed was cut pins to length. The tractor is located 4 hrs drive from here so need a couple days free from father in law support to get there and install. Maybe next week.

 

[Xfaxman]

Hope it works as good as it looks. :thumbsup:

 

[downsizingnow48]

Installed the qa this morning. Not quite done because somehow I ordered two of the hoses 2" short. But everything else is OK.

Photo 1: Hose installation on qa. Hose protectors were left over from the hydraulic thumb project.
Photo 2: Hoses on diverter. As planned the hoses pass through the 2x6 tubing bracket which keeps them in place. A bit tight but workable.
Photo 3: QA fits the Kubota bucket perfectly on top.
Photo 4,5: And also on bottom.
Photo 6: The pin or wedge contacts the bucket bracket about half way down which is what I had in mind.
Photo 7: Showing the cylinder extended.

Once I get the correct hoses the last hookup should just take a few minutes. Considering I started out to make a grapple, this has been the mother of all side tracks. But interesting.

 

[ishiboo]

Incredible job. Will you be able to dump the bucket completely forward? Seems like you would need a LOT more inches of hose than that.

Where did you get the tiny cylinders?

 

[Rustyiron]

Don't know how I missed this one, WOW:thumbsup:

 

[downsizingnow48]

Ishiboo thanks for the note. And thanks for your earlier comment, that made me re-think my plan and in the end go for the ssqa standard design. Hoses are long enough. The cylinders come from Surplus Center. Perfect for this application.

 

[aeblank]

How are you running the hydraulics for this again?
It seems as though the cost for hydraulics is multiple times (2 or 3+) more expensive than a linear actuator (of a good quality and appropriately weather sealed---not some cheap junker from ebay).

Just curious. Real nice build, for sure.

 

[ishiboo]

Ishiboo thanks for the note. And thanks for your earlier comment, that made me re-think my plan and in the end go for the ssqa standard design. Hoses are long enough. The cylinders come from Surplus Center. Perfect for this application.

Glad I convinced you to do SSQA... and what a job you did What size are they?