Need Advice for Homemade FEL

[chevyzr2s10]

I say no, and so does a guy who makes a living at this...but others have their own opinions.

Read THIS thread

I looked through that thread and it seems like they are talking about mixing different brands of fittings and hoses. My question is, can I buy a matched set of fittings and hose and have it crimped on the crimper we have at my work. Or does each brand of fitting require a speacial die for the crimper?

Alright! That worked. Here's another pic after the wheel weights were added. The hay spear was brought to me by a local farmer to be repaired. The Cub loader made it easy to move around.

Thanks for the pics. Most of the small homemade loaders I have seen use two cylinders for the bucket. I like your design because it reduces costs by only have one bucket cylinder. Did you have to reinforce the bucket where the cylinder connects since it is in the center? Also what is the thickness of the metal you used for the bucket? If you could post some close up pictures of the bucket and cylinder that would be awesome. Thanks

 

[wrencher]

Thanks for the compliments on my loader. Sure was fun to build and is really fun to use. I like the single dump cylinder because I'm cheap and the plumbing was easier. I went with a 2.5 inch bore here to keep the speed about the same as the lift. Another advantage of the single is weight savings. The lighter you can build a loader the easier it will be on your tractor. The bucket is .100 thick sheet. It sounds thin but it's actually sturdy, and seems perfect for this application. It's 40"w x 16"deep x 12" tall. The mounting is very simple. welded 1/4 thick x 3" wide brackets on the back. I also added a small plate to the top with a hook.
The frame of the loader is made from 1.5" x 3" x .125"wall tubing. The arms are 1.5" x 2" x.125" tubing.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

 

[kennyd]

I looked through that thread and it seems like they are talking about mixing different brands of fittings and hoses. My question is, can I buy a matched set of fittings and hose and have it crimped on the crimper we have at my work. Or does each brand of fitting require a speacial die for the crimper?

Yes, each fitting has a very specific tolerance for the crimp.
Why not find out what machine they have-and what hose/fitting combo they use? Better yet-can't you just but the parts from their supplier?

 

[chevyzr2s10]

Yes, each fitting has a very specific tolerance for the crimp.
Why not find out what machine they have-and what hose/fitting combo they use? Better yet-can't you just but the parts from their supplier?

Thanks, thats good information to know. I will have to find out what they are using.

Thanks for the compliments on my loader. Sure was fun to build and is really fun to use. I like the single dump cylinder because I'm cheap and the plumbing was easier. I went with a 2.5 inch bore here to keep the speed about the same as the lift. Another advantage of the single is weight savings. The lighter you can build a loader the easier it will be on your tractor. The bucket is .100 thick sheet. It sounds thin but it's actually sturdy, and seems perfect for this application. It's 40"w x 16"deep x 12" tall. The mounting is very simple. welded 1/4 thick x 3" wide brackets on the back. I also added a small plate to the top with a hook.
The frame of the loader is made from 1.5" x 3" x .125"wall tubing. The arms are 1.5" x 2" x.125" tubing.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

Thanks for the pics and info, it is really helpful. I am also trying to minimize the weight so I can maximize my lift capacity.

 

[MJPetersen]

Wrencher has a very nice simple design with a definite plus in that the cylinder is pushing (most power) when it is curling rather than dumping like most. The disadvantage is the exposed cylinder rod so close to where the action is taking place, which puts it at risk for damage. For example, back dragging to smooth things up or anything falling over the top of the bucket onto the exposed rod in full curl.

Mike

 

[David Devuono]

My little 12 HP Kubota has about a 4gpm pump and I use 1.5 inch loader arm cylinders and a 2 " single bucket cylinder. I made a 36" bucket and can fill it with sand and it lifts with ease and good speed. Its a little weak on breakout strength but has enough to lift a rear wheel a bit so don't really need any more power. Major issue is steering as I have no power steering. A rear counter weight in the 150 lb range will greatly help on the steering.
Counter weight needs to be on the 3PH as wheel weights won't help with the steering. Only improvements I had to make was to strengthen the cross piece the bucket cylinder attaches to and beef up my original subframe. I have used this unit for 5 years or more with no issues about damage to the bucket cylinder.

 

[MJPetersen]

I have used this unit for 5 years or more with no issues about damage to the bucket cylinder.

Very nice simple loader--what a great helper around the garden and home!!

However, your attach point on the bucket is above the bucket pin pivot point--that means that your cylinder is contracting when curling and extending when dumping--which is opposite of Wrencher's--his attach point for the bucket is BELOW the pivot point on the arm and therefore, his cylinder will extend to curl and contract to dump. My thinking is that is good for power--cylinder has more power extending than contracting--but it leaves the rod fully exposed with a loaded bucket or back dragging to smooth things up. That is all that I am saying.

I like the idea of a single cylinder, for a variety of reasons, and there are some very interesting designs out there.

Mike

 

[dfkrug]

The correct way is to first determine what additional load your front axle will tolerate. I have no idea, but suspect that a 12 hp tractor will not be happy with more than 300# (including the loader weight) on the front axle, especially with much of it hanging off two or three feet in front of the axle.

CHEVYZR:
You can (and must) take weight OFF the front axle using ballast BEHIND the
rear axle. Wheel weights or filled tires do not do this. Most compact
tractors designed to handle FELs will overload their front tires (AG or Turf)
when using a FEL without proper ballast.

For a sub-compact tractor, if you can put 300 lb or so on your 3-pt hitch,
this can take 100 lb or more OFF the front axle. Of course, this adds more
bending moment to your tractor, so design your FEL subframe with that in
mind.