My Personnel Lift Project

[WVBill]

Spencer:
Aren't you going to be putting alot of "twist" on the 2" receiver hook up when you are standing out on the edge of the platform 30" from the center line of the receiver? Just seems like you're going to get some amount of movement out there - added to the movement you'll get from the tractor tires / "suspension".
... but then I get queasy whenever I get more than four rungs up a step ladder...

 

[Spencer]

WVBill, actually I think it will be as solid as a rock. If I find out it is too unstable I will cut off the 2" receiver tube and make it fit my forks.

 

[hazmat]

<font color=blue>Anybody is welcome to chime in here; I welcome all points of view.</font color=blue>

Spencer,

Looks like you are off to a great start.

It's hard to tell from the picture, but how slippery is the expanded metal? If it is slick, you may want to use grip strut if you have plans of using your lift in wet conditions.

Thanks for sharing all your projects, I am very jealous of your quick-tach system.

 

[radman]

I made a lift for my Kubota 3710 to fit on my FEL. Like you I have a Kasco unihitch. I bought a mouting plate from a local bobcat dealer and welded it on my lift so it can attach firmly to the Unihitch. Plates run about $85. I have a pair of forks but didn't like the idea of using up lifting capacity. My lift is about 7' wide and 4' deep. Your idea of using a raised standing platform is the way to go. I often need more reach with my lift which is at ground level. My cousin made a lift 12-14' wide, 30 inches deep and has a 4' raised platform. The wider lift is more useful because the tractor doesn't have to be moved so frequently and allows 2 or more people on the lift more room. Consider making yours wider or maybe have the ability of "attachable wings". I personally would not like it mounted to the 2" reciever or the switch hitch. It is going to be to unstable and stressful on that mounting IMHO.
Also consider making a small shelf at the backside of the platform to place tools such as hammers, drills, nails, etc. I constantly have to bend over to get tools off the floor of the platform. Remember, above all you will need a good, heavy counter wieght on the rear for safety. The heavier, the better. I use my box blade with 450 lbs of additional weight on the blade.

 

[Spencer]

Radman,
Thanks for your reply. I don't know if there is a Bobcat dealer around here but I will look into that. I told my tractor dealer that I would buy one for 75 dollars or so but the least expensive quick-tach plates he had access to were either 119 or 129 I don't remember. I think I will be glad that I went the 60" wide but I don't want to go any wider (it's too late now anyway). I already have planned on adding a 6" by 6" box on the back for tools. I may end up abondoning the idea of the 2" receiver but I will try it first to see how it goes. It will be easy enough to cut it off and go from there. I definately want to make up a good counter-weight. My 60" Bush Hog rotary cutter is the heaviest 3-point attachment I have but that sticks out there quite a bit.

If all else fails then I will scrap this project and have a nice new welding bench (upper level) and a nice new hitch hauler for my pickup (lower level).

 

[Spencer]

Hazmat,
I got the expanded metal welded onto the upper level tonight and I don't think I will be concerned about slipping. It feels like I have a good grip with my tennis shoes. If I don't completely enclose the upper level sides with expanded metal I will have a toe kick on the sides without expanded metal. I'm pretty sure I will just enclose the whole thing. The expanded metal does feel "soft" in between the braces I have on 12" centers but you can tell you are not going anywhere. I would be stiffer with diamond plate but this lift might spend quite a bit of time outdoors and I wanted the water to go right through it.

Going with the quick-tach system right from the start was probably the best thing I did in the buying process. I told my dealer that I wanted a quick way to switch between the bucket and a set of forks and once he clued me into the skid steer type system and I was sold. At that time I was very close to buying my TC33D or a Kubota L3010. The Kubota dealer was pushing Kubota's system for switching between buckets and forks. It was a decent system but I liked the idea of the skid steer compatability. He could have put that system on the Kubota also. In the end it would have cost me $800 more for the Kubota to get it with the industrial tires than what it cost me for my TC33D with industrials so I went that way.

 

[ns_in_tex]

I am concerned like the others on the twist on the hitch.
My son built a short ladder/platform to go in the receiver on his truck, to stand on to fill his deer feeder. It was so shaky, he had to use tie straps to front corners of the pickup bed, to use it.

 

[Spencer]

Well I am a big enough to admit that the 2" tubing is not going to be the best solution. The whole lift is plenty sturdy but there is too much play in the receiver. I could weld the sides or corners of the 2" tubing to take the play out of it but then it would have to be lined up perfectly in order to get it into the receiver.

So the nicest method would be to get a set of quick-tach plates and use them. Then I could hook the lift up directly to the loader. The other method would be as previousely mentioned, going the fork route. That would be the simplest and the cheapest. The problem with the fork method would be the extra weight of the fork attachment and the lift would be at least an additional 18" or so away from the loader (reducing the overall lift capacity).

I ran out of argon gas for my tig welder tonight so I have a day or two to think about which way to go. I can still cut some expanded metal to box in the upper level and cut some angle to make the steps out of but thats about all I can do Sunday. Oh well, I need some tractor time anyway.

Thanks for all your input guys, and keep it coming. Like I said earlier, being able to cut and weld means I can modify this thing as much as needed.

Here is a picture of where I left off when I ran out of argon. So far so good, it seems very solid.

Happy Father's Day!

 

[Spencer]

Oops, I pushed the continue button before I added the attachment.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Spence <A target="_blank" HREF=http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/wroughtnharv/vwp?.dir=/Truck+stuff+trailer+stuff&.src=ph&.dnm=grass+fire+rig+detail.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/wroughtnharv/lst%3f%26.dir=/Truck%2bstuff%2btrailer%2bstuff%26.src=ph%26.view=t>here's a personnel lift </A> of sorts that I made, actually I made two of them.

Notice the two receiver hitch assemblies here. With this grass fire rig they only have to pull two pins and unplug the light plug and they've got it ready to remove for maintenance or to put on the new truck when they get it.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/wroughtnharv/vwp?.dir=/Truck+stuff+trailer+stuff&.src=ph&.dnm=grass+fire+rig+cage+wpeople.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/wroughtnharv/lst%3f%26.dir=/Truck%2bstuff%2btrailer%2bstuff%26.src=ph%26.view=t>Another view</A> just to confuse the issue.

BTW the "t's" I put front and back in my truck receiver hitches to carry large and heavy steel loads on top of the truck are designed where there are tethers or anchors off to the sides so that the hitch only carries a vertical load.