Ladder grabber

[BigfishTX]

Hey everyone! Although I have been reading the posts on this forum for about a year, this is my first post. The insight given by everyone is extremely helpful. I am wondering if anyone has used (or built) a kind of ladder hook to attach an extension ladder to my FEL. I often need to trim trees, or climb ladders around the property and thought that a device to attach a ladder to the tractor might be the ticket. Also, is there some kind of remote control available (for while I'm in the bucket or on the ladder). Or, maybe this is a really dumb idea. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[WantedWolf]

Welcome, I dont have any helpfull advice, as usuall. but if you do get the ladder on your bucket, resist the urge to tie a running chain saw on the end of it. (as seen on a TBN thread)

Really thou, Im guessing you want to lift the ladder with the tractor for a little extra height?

 

[Bird]

I don't know of any ladder grabber, or remote control. Two of us working tegether have installed rain gutters and pruned trees with one standing in the front end loader bucket and the other operating the tractor, but what you describe sounds even more exciting and dangerous.

But welcome to Tractorbynet.

 

[AchingBack]

I would never use an extension ladder to prune trees. You are asking for trouble, followed by medical expenses. You would be better served with a tall, aluminum orchard ladder, sitting on solid ground.

 

[/pine]

Once I buy a tractor with an FEL...one of the things I hope to fabricate is a working platform (scaffold) to fit on the bucket...

 

[LBrown59]

Hey everyone! Although I have been reading the posts on this forum for about a year, this is my first post. The insight given by everyone is extremely helpful. I am wondering if anyone has used (or built) a kind of ladder hook to attach an extension ladder to my FEL. I often need to trim trees, or climb ladders around the property and thought that a device to attach a ladder to the tractor might be the ticket. Also, is there some kind of remote control available (for while I'm in the bucket or on the ladder). Or, maybe this is a really dumb idea or not . Any thoughts? Thanks!

don't sound safe

 

[RadarTech]

I have seen and heard of many home made contraptions.
Personally I would use caution on this as I think it is a problem waiting to happen.

200 lb in the bucket straight up in the air is one thing.. BUT 200 lbs in that bucket that is live weight and moving is worse..
Put an extension ladder or a platform and you get a fulcrum effect and the weight is a multiple of the actual weight.


With that said, I think I would look for a pruning saw or pole made to extend...



Later,
J

 

[LBrown59]

Once I buy a tractor with an FEL...one of the things I hope to fabricate is a working platform (scaffold) to fit on the bucket...

Not the safest thing to do.

 

[600rider]

An older farmer around here "use to" to do just about what you describe, I say use to because he is no longer around to talk about it. He was in the barn and standing in the fel bucket running it with to ropes to raise it up to put some things in the rafters to store them and pulled the wrong rope..... they found him pinned to the rafters a few hours later. not a pretty scene. his son cut the fel up with acc torch and junked the tractor. Don't give the little missus a reason to cut your tractor up! Ken

 

[Redbug]

You need a Manlift...(or Womanlift)...

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/120149-handiest-thing-i-ever-built.html

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/114212-work-platform-fel.html

 

[yzbdsbp]

Thanks Redbug I was going to give BigfishTX a link to my post but u beat me to it. BigfishTX.....Check out the link Redbug posted. This is one of the most useful things I have ever built for my tractor! I dont use it all the time, but when you need it, IT CANT BE BEAT. As far as the remotes go????? Still wish there was a way to do that, but for now I just get a good freind to drive (one that I trust of course) and anything is possible and a lot more stable than a pallet or a ladder!

 

[shepherd]

we have simply stood ladder in the bucket to get higher. then lean another ladder to get into the bucket it self. have also done the fence row pruning with dad in the bucket and i drive along until a branch then he cuts it

 

[BigfishTX]

Eddie,

I loved your pic of working on a second story window...yes, that is more like I had to do last night. I also generally work alone. A huge dead tree fell a few feet from our house and I had to climb up and prune what was left.

I leaned the ladder against the raised FEL. But I then chained the ladder to the FEL and adjusted it to be under slight tension on the ground.

Everything was very solid and secure. The ladder was mostly just to have something to hold on to and to climb to get up to the FEL platform, like you did. I then used an extension electric chain saw on a pole to prune from there (I think it is a Toro).

I am going to pick up a mountain climbing harness as well today, and will clip it to the FEL (or secured ladder) as added safety. With this system, I definitely feel much safer than just climbing a ladder. I'll post some pics later. BigfishTX

 

[pat32rf]

Be careful of what you clip the harness to. You don't want to be fastened to something and then have the tractor start to roll or the loader start to sag. You are normally better to tie off the top of the ladder so if something happens to the tractor loader you at least have the hanging ladder to hold on to....

 

[some zilch]

they make OSHA and MSHA approved "manlift" baskets that go onto pallet forks on forklifts, telehandlers, skidsteers, etc.

i would think that the tractor should have more than enough capacity to lift one person in some kind of 4-sided enclosure. Not everything is so unsafe and life threatening....on the other hand; ladder in a bucket, kinda sketchy though ive seen worse