Need opinions on project

[Cdash]

I have a project in my head, and have put it on computer to see what all of you think.

What I wanted was a tooth bar, but more of an implement rather than an attachment for my bucket. Also, I can get the steel for free to do this, where a toothbar would be $$$, so that kind of drove the design as well.

This concept is built around steel I have or can get free. What I am thinking, is a FEL attachment that is a dedicated toothbar. Main thought for it is to use it as a scarifier for road maintenance and for clearing brush by running the "teeth" about 3-4" in ground and catching roots. Since it's not connected to my bucket, no worries of bending my bucket up.

Here is one of 3 pictures (see attachment)
The purple is angle iron uprights to attach to my JD4100 loader arms with green quick-tach brackets. The blue is steel I have laying around. The bottom one is not 90 degrees (you'll see in the side view), the top one is. Both are like angle iron, but are actually 3/8" plates welded together. The red is 1" diameter re-rod (reinforcing steel) (thinking about 12" long) and the yellow is 1/2" diameter re-rod bracing the 1" teeth.
When attached to the loader the range of motion will be from the uprights being vertical (as shown in this picture) to the uprights being completely horizontal, and everywhere in-between.

The only cost will be supplies (cutting wheels, welding wire and torch gas) so before you tell me to buy a tooth bar, I am doing this because $$. But, if enough of you tell me that I am crazy, I will save my $$ for a tooth bar. Building is more fun though, and nothing beats that satisified feeling you get after a few hours of work and having somthing usefull when your done and it's fun to "invent" stuff.

I know there will be downsides since it's not part of a bucket, like digging, but for clearing roots, scraping the road (in combination with a back blade) and general raking, I think it should fit my needs well.

Open up and let me know what you think. I am looking to get opinions to see the downsides that I have not considered yet. Of course, compliments and refinements are welcome also.

Thanks for your help! (this place is great, but gets me in trouble for giving me more ideas!!)

 

[Cdash]

Picture # 2 front view

 

[Cdash]

Picture #3 side view

 

[rdln]

hmm, dont know what to say..umm, I dont think it will be as useful as teeth on a bucket lip. The #4 reinforcements might be a waste of time. I dont know, it definetly give you some practice though.

 

[EdKing]

Looks like a good plan, but I would make the following modifications.

First, flip the bottom piece of angle over, so the flat part is on the bottom.
Second, shorten the 1" rebar to 6" lengths, less likely to bend, and sharpen the points.
Finally, lower the top angle and shorten the 1/2" rebar braces.

This should make for a stouter unit, more able to handle the stresses put on it.

Hope this helps.

 

[rdln]

A little more laborious but would this be an improvement, trying to improve the sifting abilitly to seperate the roots from the dirt.

 

[jimgerken]

I like Steve's model a little better, because he has the orange colored top element shown as tubing. I would add yet another tube at the bottom, shown on Steve's model as the green angle. I feel you need at least one, better yet use two tubular elements from side to side, to keep the attachment from twisting. Angle iron offers very little torsional strength (twist resistance). So if lifting more from one side of the attachment than from the other, you'd like some torsional strength built in. That way you get better contribution from both loader arms, and the whole attachment works together even if the load is less than evenly distributed.
Compare two trailers, one built of tubular material, and another of angle. Noticable difference in bed twist. When I built a gin-pole option for my combo base frame (before it had tines), I then had a frame of angle iron lower element to mount to. When the gin pole was added, and I hung from it, the 5/16" x 4" x4" angle bent and sagged in the middle. I felt like Superman. I weigh 200, the gin pole is six feet long. Compare these numbers (200x6feet= 1200 foot pounds force) to the lift capacity of your loader against one tine a foot long. Later, to improve the torsional strength of the base frame I added another angle on top of the first, to form a square tube. Not perfect but night and day difference in strength. My upper cross-element is round, actually made of two layers of pipe, 1 1/2" inside of 2". Some trial and error evolved there too...long story...sorry. My 2 cents worth.

 

[MarkV]

I so admire you guys that have the ability to make up varies attachments. If I understand the purpose of the attachment here is what I would be concerned about. With the tooth bar on my loader if I am running the bucket near parallel with the ground things work fine. If I angle the teeth towards the ground, on my small 21hp tractor, it will either try and dig in or not engage the irregularities of the grade. Guess I am trying to say it has not worked well for me as a rake for sub surface material while driving forward. If the ground is not to hard, I can break up ground back dragging with the teeth tilted down.

MarkV

 

[Youare]

Before I knew what tooth bars were I made a device to do something similar. I was cleaning an area of woods to be made into pasture. Ground irregularities, small roots, and stones were a concern. I did not have a 3PH rake.

I did have several lengths of 6" square steel tubing that has a 1/4 inch wall. I bolted four pieces together to make a square, actually two parallel pieces on top of two perpendicular parallel pieces. In one end I drilled a row of 1/2 inch diameter holes 2-3 inches apart. The whole thing is about 6 feet square.

Into these holes I placed some 1/2 inch diameter round stock that stuck down or out about 2 inches. The whole think is over 300 pounds, I pulled this behind the tractor with a chain attached to it and the tractor drawbar.

With the teeth side down it loosened up the ground and
up-rooted rocks and roots. Because there was a flat piece parallel to the front 6 feet back this surface filled in the dips with the material the front dug up.

Flipping it over presented two smooth sides to make the ground flat and smooth. By adjusting the chain pulling it I can angle the whole thing which tends to push material off to the side, which comes in handy grading a road I can move material from the ditch side to the center and make a slight crown.

Randy

 

[mrcaptainbob]

That's a great idea! Might not be a bad idea to put an 'edge' on the front and rear faces of those 1" teeth. Maybe a nice 3/8" plate x 3/4" with a nice angle ground on it. Might help ease it's way through the ground as well as acting as a stiffener. Manganese plate would be great for this application.