Linear actuator for power SSQA?

[varmint]

Sorry if this is old news, but I noticed that Kubota now offers hydraulic SSQA actuators on their bigger new models. I have only seen a brochure on this, but I will be curious to check it out at a dealers in the future.

 

[Fallon]

Sorry if this is old news, but I noticed that Kubota now offers hydraulic SSQA actuators on their bigger new models. I have only seen a brochure on this, but I will be curious to check it out at a dealers in the future.

A lot of skid steers have the option, not surprising it's elsewhere. I have yet to see the option listed on CUTs from Kubota, JD or Kioti when I go drooling over a deluxe cabed model building them on their respective sites. The prices I've heard for the option on skid steers is $400+. My first revision was about $75 and a day's worth of fiddling & fabricating. My 2nd revision was $175 or so and under 2-3 hours of work (no welding required).

 

[ovrszd]

Yeah, I think you did good and your system will probably work for a few years in it's present state.

For a commercially used tool I think the actuator would be a nuisance. That's why the heavily used machines use hydraulics.

I'm not a hydraulic guru so I'm not sure how Bobcat plumbs theirs. But running my brother's it seems to hold hydraulic pressure against the cylinder all the time in the latched position. And if you unlatch to change attachments, after a couple minutes it will start latching with no action from the operator. Again, not being hydraulic savvy, I'm not sure how they do that. But it works very, very well.

I think I could add a hydraulic system for less than $250. That's on an FEL with 3rd function. I'd use a diverter valve and a small cylinder. But I'd not have a system as slick as Bobcat's which, left to it's own vices, tries to latch all the time.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I think I could add a hydraulic system for less than $250. That's on an FEL with 3rd function. I'd use a diverter valve and a small cylinder. .

You are right on the money. I've started to build a hydraulic quick attach using this diverter:

12 VDC 13.2 GPM SAE 8 SOLENOID DOUBLE SELECTOR VALVE

and this cylinder:

1X8X0.5 DA HYD CYL

I am indebted to the OP and these linear actuator threads for making me start thinking about automatic quick attach possibilities.

 

[Fallon]

Yeah, I think you did good and your system will probably work for a few years in it's present state.

For a commercially used tool I think the actuator would be a nuisance. That's why the heavily used machines use hydraulics.

I'm not a hydraulic guru so I'm not sure how Bobcat plumbs theirs. But running my brother's it seems to hold hydraulic pressure against the cylinder all the time in the latched position. And if you unlatch to change attachments, after a couple minutes it will start latching with no action from the operator. Again, not being hydraulic savvy, I'm not sure how they do that. But it works very, very well.

I think I could add a hydraulic system for less than $250. That's on an FEL with 3rd function. I'd use a diverter valve and a small cylinder. But I'd not have a system as slick as Bobcat's which, left to it's own vices, tries to latch all the time.

I'd suspect a leaky valve or something rather than it being designed to work that way. There is nothing special about using a cylinder in this manner, unless you consider a lower pressure relief valve, which isn't uncommon at all.

Hopefully it will last a good long while & I'll be around to keep you posted. The new actuator is from a reputable manufacturer & IPS 66 rated (water sprayed from a high pressure nozzle & heavy dust). Several skid steer manufacturers apparently use linear actuators rather than hydraulics, so I'm not being original.

Glad I could be inspiration to others.

 

[jmc]

You are right on the money. I've started to build a hydraulic quick attach using this diverter:

12 VDC 13.2 GPM SAE 8 SOLENOID DOUBLE SELECTOR VALVE

and this cylinder:

1X8X0.5 DA HYD CYL

Hope you start a thread for your project.

Are you going to add a relief valve to keep that cylinder below its 1500 psi rating?

 

[Fallon]

Hope you start a thread for your project.

Are you going to add a relief valve to keep that cylinder below its 1500 psi rating?

I'd be more worried about bending other components before the cylinder. The 200lbs rated actuator got the job done, so I'd set a relief valve to only a few hundred lbs. 1" diameter is about .8 square inches, so the pressure relief would limit total pushing force to 80% of whatever you set it to. Probably don't need any limiter devices on the cylinder itself & just use the loader arms kind of like mine. A couple hundred lbs won't be a problem there.

 

[Fallon]

Ok, finally home & not fighting a mobile interface to upload stuff.

 

[Fallon]

Interesting, can only post 1 video clip per post...

At any rate, here's the last one. The switch goes on-of-on with one on being lock & the other being free. I flipped the switch to off rather than all the way near the end, then figure out it's not moving.

You can see the screen for my bucket cam too. The camera for that has a temporary mounting while I figure out how I want to position it. For now it rubs on my pallet forks when they are on & makes catching the top of the SSQA with the loader side annoying as it's in the way. Oh well, it's just a quick prototype I can trim & adjust.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Will start a new thread in a week or two.