Lifting heavy awkward stuff in tight spaces

[Bullwinkle123]

I have a 6' rotary cutter in my garage on cheap dollies because I'm still assimilating a new tractor and attachments in my life.

If the cutter breaks the dolly, I need to use something to lift it up onto a new dolly. Because I was unprepared for this and the rotary cutter was a 90 degrees relative to the tractor in the garage (to the side, and rotated) I used a crappy old car jack to raise it so I could put another dolly under it. At which point I realized I basically have no way to lift heavy things like this.

I have a hook on my bucket. I also have pallet forks. _maybe_, with nothing on the 3ph I could rotate the tractor enough in the garage to lift the cutter with some chains via the forks/bucket and running it through the toplink pin on the cutter.

I'd hesitate to lift the cutter with pallet forks, because the might damage the blades while trying to get underneath the front of the cutter and while lifting. And I'm guessing that lonely bucket hook isn't really for lifting, it was welded on as a seeming afterthought, as well.

Or I could buy a 2 ton collapsible crane from HF, but I don't have experience with these and don't now how well they work for things like a giant rotary cutter instead of your basic engine block. It also might not slide under the cutter if the cutter "front" (with 3ph hitches) is too close the tractor or a wall.

Or I could buy a better basic hydraulic floor jack (as for a vehicle), though it was really hard to get the old crappy car jack under the side of the rotary cutter (not much clearance on the forward sides, had to position it way back).

So I like the crane type options best.

Anyway, looking for tips here. Using my back to hoist any part of a 745lb implement is not an option.

I'm also toying with the idea of this thing, which looks like a pretty neat idea for not much money.
Forklift Lifting Hoist Swivel Hook Mobile Crane 4 lb. capacity lift

Of course that all goes back to whether I have enough room to position the tractor in the garage, I'm not sure if I do.

Tips? What do you guys use to move lift heavy stuff when it has fallen off (or broken) your dollies?

 

[MossRoad]

Would a boom pole on your 3pt hitch work?

 

[countrybumpkin]

If you have pallet forks and can get them to the cutter just use a short chain off the fork to the top link and lift the front of the cutter enough to switch out the dollies.

 

[Peter 315]

I pickup mine from the side with forks I put chains on the top link and the two brackets on the rear to put it on my trailer for the winter.....

 

[Bullwinkle123]

Would a boom pole on your 3pt hitch work?

Interesting, something like this? CountyLine Boom Pole at Tractor Supply Co.
Would also require me to maneuver in tight spaces ... backward. I'm guessing there's something like that for a quick attach loader too.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

If you have pallet forks and can get them to the cutter just use a short chain off the fork to the top link and lift the front of the cutter enough to switch out the dollies.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, but with the aid of the fork attachment I linked. I'd worry about the chain falling off too easily just looping it over the forks, but perhaps that's fine as long as I'm extra careful with the loader control. On second thought, even angling the forks up encourages the chain to slide toward me with whatever's hanging from it. Though the attachment I linked isn't foolproof either. Those hand-tightened clamps are only going to give marginal slip resistance.

 

[newbury]

Lifting heavy awkward stuff in tight spaces

A lot depends on what you call a "tight space".
I try to keep a couple of little hydraulic jacks and a Farm jack available. If I've room to maneuver and it's on a concrete floor I might go for my pallet jack. Now if I can get a tractor in there chains off the bucket work well.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I put my old HF engine hoist on the FEL. As an engine hoist it was just in the way 95% of the time and awkward to use for most stuff because you have to get the legs underneath. As an FEL attachment it is easy to use and I use it frequently. The B21 is low enough to drive into both shop and garage if need be. Having it on the front of the tractor is much easier to position for lifting than on the rear.

 

[Reb954]

No one method is going to work in all situations so you will need more than one option for moving things.

The HF crane is the least likely to work. The boom does not extend past the legs so if the mower is on the floor you can't get the legs under it. I have been rebuilding a Bridgeport mill using a HF crane like you mentioned. I ended up putting a pallet on the legs to set the parts on, then wheel it to a point I could get the tractor to, then used the tractor forks to take the pallet off the crane legs.

If space allows, using the tractor with forks or bucket works well. You can always weld more hooks on the bucket and beef it up as needed. I use a slotted angle iron which gives me a number of places to hook and beefs up the bucket a bit.

If using my forks to move my mower (no pictures) I just stick one fork in the crotch of the upper 3 point assembly and run a chain off the other fork to the wheel frame work. Practice will help you learn to keep the forks fairly level so things don't slide off but you can run a safety chain to the frame work if needed.
Notice the two safety chains holding the mill back to the mast.

Your imagination is the primary limiting factor in getting something done.

 

[IslandTractor]

I use either a tree boom, forks or my backhoe in situations like the OP posted. For heavy but smaller items, a HF 2 ton foldable shop crane is handy too.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

No one method is going to work in all situations so you will need more than one option for moving things.

The HF crane is the least likely to work. The boom does not extend past the legs so if the mower is on the floor you can't get the legs under it. I have been rebuilding a Bridgeport mill using a HF crane like you mentioned. I ended up putting a pallet on the legs to set the parts on, then wheel it to a point I could get the tractor to, then used the tractor forks to take the pallet off the crane legs.
View attachment 652164
If space allows, using the tractor with forks or bucket works well. You can always weld more hooks on the bucket and beef it up as needed. I use a slotted angle iron which gives me a number of places to hook and beefs up the bucket a bit.
View attachment 652165
If using my forks to move my mower (no pictures) I just stick one fork in the crotch of the upper 3 point assembly and run a chain off the other fork to the wheel frame work. Practice will help you learn to keep the forks fairly level so things don't slide off but you can run a safety chain to the frame work if needed.
View attachment 652166 Notice the two safety chains holding the mill back to the mast.

Your imagination is the primary limiting factor in getting something done.

Very useful tips, thanks.

 

[3Lfarms]

Can you use a come along to drag it out of it storage location so you can pick it up with the forks?

I store my ditch flail mower in the back corner of the barn. I turn it sideways while hanging in a chain and kind of crank the front wheels and the mower will roll on the rear roller until it’s in the corner 90 degrees to the way it would hang on the tractor.
To get it out, I just hook up the chains off center and slowly pick it up. It pulls the mower sideways and when it’s clear will pick it up and I can back out.

 

[jmc]

Just to be a heretic on a tractor board- fastest way to replace a dolly under your cutter (if I understand it properly) would be to grab a crowbar and a few short boards; pry it up one board thickness at a time.

For general lifting with your loader, I would modify whatever attachment is on it most of the time. I drilled a ball-hitch hole thru one fork tip for moving trailers and that hole can be used to mount a chain hook of some sort too. Unless you need both forks for strength...

About everyone has, or wishes they had, chain hooks or slotted angle iron on their buckets. An easy way is Ken's Bolt On Hooks.

Ken's Bolt on Grab Hooks <<Home>>

 

[Bullwinkle123]

Can you use a come along to drag it out of it storage location so you can pick it up with the forks?

I have a come along, but no place I could attach it to in the garage, and I wouldn't want the heavy tractor attachment scrapping or cutting into the cement on the floor (as I already done in my foolish newbie activities with attachments in the garage). So when dollies or other things fail, I need a way to lift up and off the floor, and nothing in my garage is particularly designed for additional heavy stresses.

 

[jeff9366]

Why not get an 48" X 48" aluminum alloy pallet on rollers with 4,000 pound load capacity for <$400 ?

VENDER: MAGLINER PDN48486 Pallet Dolly,Non-Tilt Model | eBay

You could add two planks 72" in length to support the mower, if necessary.

 

[ericm979]

The easiest fix would be to make your sturdy permanent implement dolly soon. That is simpler than putting work into fixing the results of the temporary dollies' potential failures.

I made mine out of 2x6s and 2x4s, using 5" HF casters because the 1890s concrete barn floor is not smooth.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

Why not get an 48" X 48" aluminum alloy pallet on rollers with 4,000 pound load capacity for <$400 ?

VENDER: MAGLINER PDN48486 Pallet Dolly,Non-Tilt Model | eBay

You could add two planks 72" wide to support the mower, if necessary.

Heh, well, if one pallet solved all my heavy lifting problems then $400 for it probably is money well spent.

No, this is more a "stuff happens" thing. Heavy attachments fall off pallets, fall over, get bumped and moved, whatever Murphy's Law brings into play. And my little car jack from the dump didn't quite feel like the right thing to be using

 

[Bullwinkle123]

The easiest fix would be to make your sturdy permanent implement dolly soon. That is simpler than putting work into fixing the results of the temporary dollies' potential failures.

I made mine out of 2x6s and 2x4s, using 5" HF casters because the 1890s concrete barn floor is not smooth.

Yeah. I have casters for the dolly I'm planning on building for the scraper (but I haven't finalized on the design). I haven't developed much of a plan for the rotary cutter, I was hoping just to stick small dollies under the two front corners and be done with it, though clearly I'd better upgrade my dollies. As noted elsewhere, I'm also trying to handle the "stuff happens" factor. For example, my new grapple is something I haven't got the hang of yet, storage wise. Left partially open it likes to tilt and move. Left closed it looks like it would roll. Those claws also look like they'd be happy to poke a hole through the surface wood as well, in the open position. In fact with all these new toys my garage seems to be one big room of breaking things. I have much to learn.

 

[jeff9366]

Have you collided tractor ROPS with garage trim entering?


While my 1,000 pound Rotary Cutter is stored outside, under a cotton-canvas tarpaulin, a good case can be made for inside storage of this implement with a PTO shaft and many bearings.

Yeah. I have casters for the dolly I'm planning on building for the scraper (but I haven't finalized on the design).

Whatever scraper you have, its function will not be denigrated by outside storage under a cotton-canvas tarpaulin.

No, this is more a "stuff happens" thing. Heavy attachments fall off pallets, fall over, get bumped and moved, whatever Murphy's Law brings into play.

You are focused too much on the equipment. Focus on the danger of getting a foot or other appendage crushed under an implement when lifting. Better rolling pallets. Better outside storage.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

Have you collided tractor ROPS with garage trim entering?


While my 1,000 pound Rotary Cutter is stored outside, under a cotton-canvas tarpaulin, a good case can be made for inside storage of this implement with a PTO shaft and many bearings.



Whatever scraper you have, its function will not be denigrated by outside storage under a cotton-canvas tarpaulin.



You are focused too much on the equipment. Focus on the danger of getting a foot or other appendage crushed under an implement when lifting. Better rolling pallets. Better outside storage.

So far the things I'm prioritizing for inside are tractor, grapple, and rotary cutter, so the other things have all taken turns outdoors. However I intend to fit them all inside at some point.

Re: safety, yes.

Re: ROPS + door, I've managed not to do that ... yet. Sadly, I'm just about exactly the door height with ROPS height, so a ROPS collision is nearly down to tire pressure and any upward momentum I might have. Not gonna test it, deliberately at least