California
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
- Messages
- 14,679
- Location
- An hour north of San Francisco
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM240 Yanmar YM186D
By popular demand ... 
An ancient 'Carrington Terracer' blade was included when I bought this Yanmar YM186D ten years ago. The previous owner used these together for snow.
I didn't need the blade so I just parked it without cleaning it up.
Recently the neighbor who maintained our shared easement moved away so it fell to me to maintain the lane.
I had almost never used the blade because it was such a PIA to attach it. With infrequent use it was always embedded in the ground and couldn't be dragged by hand into alignment with the tractor's native 3-point arms. I use a HF Quick Hitch to attach everything else. Back up to the implement, shove it around if needed, lift, go.
But this blade was impossible to lift with the QH because there were structural parts in the way.
So I modified the blade to fit the QHitch. It needed pins a couple of inches forward of the existing pins. And slightly higher, to clear the swing arc.
Standard Cat 1 implement pins were driven into square tubing and welded.
The square tube assembly was welded to a scrap piece of 3/16" angle iron, and that assembly welded to the blade's uprights. I welded a cap cut from 1/4" angle iron over each attachment point for a stronger connection.
OT, a comment on the welder used. This is HF's MIG-180 with the capacitor mod, claimed to give at least a step higher in welding power. I'm using flux-core wire so the original welder is rated to weld 3/16" which it did easily and not at max settings. The 1/4" (really rusty) angle iron reinforcement brackets are welded to the 3/8" upright straps. It took careful work to get good penetration into the 3/8" uprights but this turned out well. I didn't need to bring out the stick welder.
The QHitch now can attach to the blade by just backing into it and lifting.
Success! Here's how it's used. Now its easy to hook up and go make a
pass or two. I might even paint it!
First trial run. It worked great.
Photo before the mod. This I how I actually use the blade, dragging gravel out of the edge and working to maintain a crown. The lane is over 100 years old so there's plenty of embedded gravel to work with, it just tends to get tossed to the sides.
I love making projects like this. Design, weld, test, enjoy. Life is good.
An ancient 'Carrington Terracer' blade was included when I bought this Yanmar YM186D ten years ago. The previous owner used these together for snow.
I didn't need the blade so I just parked it without cleaning it up.
Recently the neighbor who maintained our shared easement moved away so it fell to me to maintain the lane.
I had almost never used the blade because it was such a PIA to attach it. With infrequent use it was always embedded in the ground and couldn't be dragged by hand into alignment with the tractor's native 3-point arms. I use a HF Quick Hitch to attach everything else. Back up to the implement, shove it around if needed, lift, go.
But this blade was impossible to lift with the QH because there were structural parts in the way.
So I modified the blade to fit the QHitch. It needed pins a couple of inches forward of the existing pins. And slightly higher, to clear the swing arc.
Standard Cat 1 implement pins were driven into square tubing and welded.
The square tube assembly was welded to a scrap piece of 3/16" angle iron, and that assembly welded to the blade's uprights. I welded a cap cut from 1/4" angle iron over each attachment point for a stronger connection.
OT, a comment on the welder used. This is HF's MIG-180 with the capacitor mod, claimed to give at least a step higher in welding power. I'm using flux-core wire so the original welder is rated to weld 3/16" which it did easily and not at max settings. The 1/4" (really rusty) angle iron reinforcement brackets are welded to the 3/8" upright straps. It took careful work to get good penetration into the 3/8" uprights but this turned out well. I didn't need to bring out the stick welder.
The QHitch now can attach to the blade by just backing into it and lifting.
Success! Here's how it's used. Now its easy to hook up and go make a
pass or two. I might even paint it!
First trial run. It worked great.
Photo before the mod. This I how I actually use the blade, dragging gravel out of the edge and working to maintain a crown. The lane is over 100 years old so there's plenty of embedded gravel to work with, it just tends to get tossed to the sides.
I love making projects like this. Design, weld, test, enjoy. Life is good.
