ideas for clearing grown in trails

[musselmark]

I did reverse the direction because the nuts that hold the blades on were loosening just enough that the blade would slip on the shaft, this direction forces them to tighten. I would rather it go the other way to throw them under the tractor because now the bunch up on the bottom blade if I am close to the ground. I guess I could try and find left hand thread bolts and nuts. I probably have around 700 into it now and don't want to spend much more so changing sprockets and idlers is out of the question. The chain I am using was pretty cheap, 17 bucks for 10' and I probably have 5 hours of running on it. Most recently I was pouring chainsaw bar oil on the chain every 20 min or so and it seem to run fine. I think I damaged the chain the first time I ran it with no lubricant, it got so stiff it staled out the hydraulic motor. The chain is not getting hot, but rather warm to the touch. I saw on youtube were some people were making up simple automatic oilers for there motorcycles chains with large soda bottles, tubing and a simple valve to control flow. The old saying is true, necessity is the mother of all invention.

 

[Sodo]

There are some options.

My best recommendation is: if spindle bolts are coarse thread change to fine thread, use Grade 8, and stretch them in to full recommended max bolt torque. If you can clamp the blade with a thick grade8 washer too that will help.

Other options, slightly longer spindle bolt and add a jam nut? Can you drill& tap a finethread lockbolt into the end of the spindle bolt (or LH thread lockbolt)? Or split the nuts and add a pinchbolt across? Youre a machinist, split a couplng nut with a hacksaw and add a pinchbolt to the top.

 

[Shield Arc]

I saw on youtube were some people were making up simple automatic oilers for there motorcycles chains with large soda bottles, tubing and a simple valve to control flow. The old saying is true, necessity is the mother of all invention.

You see automatic oilers on industrial equipment all the time.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Aut...RB8uwogTvoICwBg&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=609

 

[John_Mc]

If the nuts are spinning off in use, the best solution is switching to a left hand thread, as someone already mentioned. Alternatively, you might be able to safety wire or cotter pin the nuts in place. This is commonly done in aviation. If you poke your head in to a nearby small airport, the local mechanic could probably show you several ideas.

 

[ZAR2USA]

After I started this thread and was ready to build something I broke my arm in an ATV accident so was laid up for a while. Anyway last week I built it and it works great. Here are some pictures. My only problem is the chain, it gets pretty warm and then gets stiff, I tried soaking in oil, and periodically oiling, I think I either need to gear up some sort of automatic oiler or maybe go to an o-ring chain, apparently they last 10-20 times longer.I can travel approx 3-4 km/h depending on how thick the brush is

Thanks for sharing. I think you built an excellent machine, now mass produced it or ask everythingattachments to build and sell it for you. Lots of municipalities could do with that machine.

 

[XxLT250RxX]

Good job. I have been thinking about doing this myself. What are the specifications on your hydraulic motor and what size sprockets did you use on the motor and blades?

 

[Scooby074]

Re: ideas for clearing grown in trails: Completed

After I started this thread and was ready to build something I broke my arm in an ATV accident so was laid up for a while. Anyway last week I built it and it works great. Here are some pictures. My only problem is the chain, it gets pretty warm and then gets stiff, I tried soaking in oil, and periodically oiling, I think I either need to gear up some sort of automatic oiler or maybe go to an o-ring chain, apparently they last 10-20 times longer.I can travel approx 3-4 km/h depending on how thick the brush is

Zombie Apocalypse approved! Nice build, cant wait for the video. Some sort of auto oiler like SA mentioned is the ticket.

 

[musselmark]

I friend of mine works at a local farm machinery manufacturing business, when I showed it to him and told him about the chain problem he said it would be better if I used 2 sprockets side by side on each spindle then have each spindle turn the one ahead of it with short independent chains. This would do away with the idlers and the motor would only be linked to the first spindle. Also each sprocket would have a 1/2 turn of chain. Seems like a good idea to me, what do you guys think. It would only require a longer spindle bolt, 1/2 dozen sprockets and master links to modify it.

 

[Sodo]

One long chain seems strange (but easy to lube). Two chains seems better. Seven chains seems like too many. I dont think you need 1/2 wrap to run those saws.

 

[92b16si]

I have been looking for something like this for months, more like years. If you ever sell it or care to build another pplease PM me.