My new equipment trailer...

[Redbug]

Pics of the spare tire holder/bracket I welded up for the red trailer. It's out of the way...and not on the headache rack where the tire could get messed up. I guess I will start work on the sides, next. By the way, among tools I have one of those Harbor Freight metal chop saws which I use occasionally. I got it on sale for $40 or $50 dollars...you get what you pay for. The hinge has slop in it causing off center cuts. Maybe I could shim it up. But, I think I will spend the money on a good one...Makita, Dewalt. Opinions? What about these? Only limited to a 8" blade, though. Milwaukee Electric Tool - 6370-20, 8 in. Metal Cutting Saw, Circular Saws, Saws/Corded, Tools

Also, BTDT...I wanted to look at your PDF drawing of your side attachments but I get the message, "file does not begin with "%pdf" and will not open". Is it just my computer? But, I wanna see it...

 

[BTDT]

Anyone else having trouble with seeing my attatchment??

 

[MrJimi]

Works fine here and opens file and nice spot for spare
Jim

 

[MrJimi]

Try this one


http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ew-equipment-trailer-hinged-trailer-sides.pdf

??

 

[Redbug]

I looked at BTDT's sketch. An idea I never would have even considered. Pretty ingenious! I will have to do some thinking.

Now that idea can be used with...baby beds! When the kid gets bigger, you just lay the sides down for adulthood! And put them back up for old age! One bed your whole life. Call the Patent Office-BTDT!! Ohhh no...another bad one!

 

[patrick_g]

Redbug, I have had two Ryobi chop saws, a Dewalt (horizontal handle not the cheapie) and a HF. The HF is a great bargain. I got the exchange policy so if it smokes I get another one. At the $ level I don't expect perfect just something that cuts material near where I expect.

My Dewalt is a very nice saw. I have it mounted on a wheeled cart that is very convenient in the shop but not for taking afield.

The first Ryobi fell (OK I knocked it off by tripping over the cord) from a drum. It ruined the motor case but since I am a packrat I still have it. My second Ryobi worked fine until a few weeks ago when it shot flames about 2 feet out the vent holes. I covered the vents with my gloved hand to extinquish the filre and it went out till I removed my hand when it reignited. I covered it and waited longer and it reignited. I covered it for nearly a minute and it stayed out. My plan is to put the good guts of the one Ryobi into the good case of the fire breathing one and have a working unit. I bought the HF to use till I do that.

I like to have a chop saw that I can toss in the pickup and run from the generator and leave the VERY NICE DeWalt in the shop. The Ryobi units did fine and cut accurately before the suicide leap and the self immolation. I haven't much experience with the HF.

I suggest that the DeWalt with Horizontal "D" handle is a good unit and about the lowest I would recommend on the "food chain" if you want a decent unit, way better than the cheapest DeWalt units. You can get better but the price goes up pretty steeply. For tools that work hard and last a long time (not always with the latest glitzy features) Milwaukee is a super choice in just about any thiing they build. My corded drills and Sawzall are 30 years old and still work perfectly and I abuse the heck out of them.

Pat

 

[Redbug]

Thanks for your opinions Pat, I appreciate them.

Yes, the Harbor Freight metal chop saw really is a good deal for the money, if you don't use one very much. It's amazing the Chinese can build them, package them and Harbor Freight ship them and sell them for $50. But, I have also taken the thing apart and done some soldering inside to keep it working. I have gotten my $50 out of it. I guess when it comes down to it though, if you are a frequent user, in the long run you're better off spending the money on quality tools. I will go to Lowe's and the OTHER store and check out the Dewalt metal chop saws...horizontal "D" handle.

As a side note, on another tool...I watched a fellow the other day cut some channel iron with a handheld, (portable), bandsaw. The blade was probably a only a foot around. I had never seen one of those things in action and had wondered about them. I was impressed at how fast they can cut. They have their place since they are more portable than a chop saw. Maybe you need to try one of those in the back of the pickup truck? I've been thinking about one in the future after seeing one cut.

Working with metal is sure a lot more fun than wood. You can cut something too short and just do a little more welding to fix it. With wood your screwed...

 

[patrick_g]

Dave, Dave, Dave, Wood can be added too also, just different skill set and usually requires paint to hide the repair.

I got my first up close and personal look at those little handheld electric hacksaw/bandsaw thingies recently. A guy I was helping secure an old milking barn with burglar bars I made had two of them. Both were Milwaukee. The one he picked up to cut excess off the end of some bolts had a dull blade and was slow, not a real advertisement for the technology and I was NOT impressed. Of course I didn't know the problem was a dull blade. He put it back and grabbed the other one and boy did that thing cook. Very nice. It is not really a replacement for a chop saw or vice versa but there is, of course, considerable overlap where either will do the job. I think one of them may be in my relatively near future. Can't say I will spring for the Milwaukee but am interested in getting one.

Pat

 

[Renze]

Hello folks,

I work at a trailer manufacturer, mostly the light duty stuff and an occasional 20 ton goods distribution trailer.
Now i'm drawing a 17 ton utility trailer, to be used for 10 ton forklifts.
Off course forklifts, on solid rubber wheels, put huge peak loads on the bed.
The customer wants a steel deck. For our normal car haulers, we take 3mm steel plate, supported by crossmembers every 500 mm.
I set my crossmembers at 312 mm interspacing (a foot) to take the 2,5 ton wheel load.

Would 4mm ( is that 10/16 of an inch ?) diamond plate be enough, supported by crossmembers every foot, to carry 10 ton forklifts, telehandlers and manlifts ?

I cannot calculate the strength in any way because its 3 dimensional. I guess we have to rely on experience on this one, which we dont have so i think i'd ask around at people who DO know this from experience...

 

[Redbug]

Hi there Renze,

That's an interesting tractor forum you guys have oveseas. I enjoyed looking it over. It gives us Americans a chance to see how things are done in other countries.

You pose an interesting and difficult question about trailer bed strength. There are a lot of engineering/practical folks on the TractorNet site that can probably answer your questions. I suggest starting a new thread asking about the diamond plate/cross members. That way, more people would see the header and answer it directly. We sometimes get off the beaten path as the thread unwinds. But then, I have sure learned the oddest things as these threads twist and turn...