Plowing Mishap

[LouNY]

Here is one I built that I have been using for almost 4 seasons and am very happy with. I used a concept shown by TractorNH and Chim also built one. Mine is perhaps opposite from yours - stronger than needed. 5/16" plate welded onto a sturdy frame.

View attachment 788890

A Setback or "underslung" SSQA Snow Plow Build Story

I wanted to put a plow on the M5640. I found a guy who wanted to restore a '91 F150 and would give the plow to someone who would take it off the truck. So I did. The plan was to sell the pump, valve/control, head gear, and truck frame parts and start out ahead but that hasn't happened. I...

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gg

One of the better setups in my opinion, tucked in short and tight.
The ones coming straight out stick out so far that any dip or rise will move the plow a long ways up or down.

 

[Gordon Gould]

FWIW my SSQA a plate was to tight. Titan was very good to deal with. Without hesitation they offered to send a new plate or refund 1/2 my money if I kept what I had and fixed it myself. Which is what I did.

You need a very close fit with no gaps at the three arrows.

My rework.

I also welded a couple of 3/8 pieces on the bottom ears so that the engagement length of the 2 angled cam pins would be deeper.

gg

 

[Sawmillboy]

I like the pallet fork idea, I don’t have a set but I have been wanting to get some. Anything in particular to watch out for when buying pallet forks? I’ll do some research on here too. Thanks

 

[5030]

Sounds like QA isn't latching into to plate properly. (maybe the snow blade QA plate needs modified to latch better)
The blade should never fall off or be able to be knocked off if its latching/mating properly.

...and you don't have a big enough tractor or power to wonk up a QA plate (unless it's substandard) anyway. IMO, wasn't latched properly.

 

[5030]

I have both the ATI 2 pin QD and the Kubota 2 pin QD and I prefer the ATI over the Kubota. Much more stout and better cam action as well. Nice to be able to compare (2 identical tractors).

 

[Notforhire]

I noticed that your plow has a "trip edge" rather than the entire blade tripping. If you push hard enough against a big pile of snow something has to give.

Trip blades can be regulated to where they "unload" by spring adjustment. If you push too hard the blade flattens out and rides up over the snow.

 

[Sawmillboy]

Yeah I had the plow a few feet off the ground when I was pushing the snow bank back which is why the quick attach plate gave out and bent instead of the trip edge on the plow. I bent the plate back today and here are some pictures of the fit on the tractor. I’m going to weld some channel or whatever scrap we have laying around onto it to brace it up and give it some more support. Long term I like the pallet fork idea but I think this should do for now.

 

[Rustyiron]

Looks like you got it straightened out nicely.
I'd suggest that you reinforce the top just below the little flat bar that creates the capture of the top of the ssqa and the very bottom edge . It looks like you have room for this on the back (tractor) side.
2x2x3/8 angle is as light as I'd use. 4" channel would do as well. I'd leave an inch of clearance on each side between the new metal and the tractors ssqa.
Don't underestimate the forces that can be generated here including your chain "top link".

 

[D2Cat]

In your one picture you can see where the pin scraped the paint off near the rectangular slot. Be sure that bottom plate is not too far down so the beveled pin stays latched, it may be different than the other side. Might want to add a piece of steel to the out side of the slot to help keep the pin in.

 

[Notforhire]

Just a thought. The pivots where the plow frame mounts to the SS plate appear higher up (closer to center) than the ones I've built. When I adjust my lift chains the SS plate is angled forward a fair amount rather than being vertical. (I have no idea where you set yours.) Set that way the plate is pushed down and back and less likely to unhook the locking pins.
The underslung design used by others must really keep the plate hooked!
BTW, Nice job fixing the plate.

 

[mikester]

I live in the snow belt and have learned that a 10,000lb truck and plow is better than a 3,500lb tractor and plow. Neither are as good as a 10,000 lb cab tractor with snow blower.

Pushing snow is hard work and weight is your friend.

 

[nyone]

I live in the snow belt and have learned that a 10,000lb truck and plow is better than a 3,500lb tractor and plow. Neither are as good as a 10,000 lb cab tractor with snow blower.

Pushing snow is hard work and weight is your friend.

Weight matters a ton..because it typicaly means more traction and inertia.

 

[Barker806]

I agree weight and I will say that if you can get chains too you can be about unstoppable. This thing will move snow faster than the 100Hp tractor we have here with a 96" blower.

On a side note the noise this thing makes with the Detroit seems to make it so people stay away while I am plowing LOL

 

[LouNY]

I agree weight and I will say that if you can get chains too you can be about unstoppable. This thing will move snow faster than the 100Hp tractor we have here with a 96" blower.
View attachment 791749

On a side note the noise this thing makes with the Detroit seems to make it so people stay away while I am plowing LOL

A little screaming jimmy does seem to gather attention.

 

[HammerGrips]

I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but an angled plow pushing hard (or hitting something) will put a lot of stress sideways on your loader arms. They are beefy for lifting straight up, but not nearly as strong for sideways forces. (racked arms could be a lot more expensive than just a quick attach plate)

 

[jdmeth]

Big advantage of the John Deere quick attach system. The bottom pins can not come out once the lynch pins are inserted. Plus even the weakest person can insert and flip the bail without leaning over once the loader boom is lifted.

 

[Barker806]

I have nothing but 3 chains holding it onto the skidder blade. I have some horns that I welded to the blade to help move logs and the blade has a few box tubes they go into. One chain on the top and she is good to go. Something like that can also be done on a bucket. Have made a plow the clamps into a BX bucket and you can angle by tipping forward and pushing on something. Did the design and no one seemed to understand how it worked .. I really am not good at marketing LOL.
Here is a link so you can see what I am talking about:

Moral of the story, you don't need much to hold a plow on just don't let it come off LOL

 

[OzzyDaveO]

Interesting reading, but several things come to note:

a. many blades are attached too far away from the lifting arms (leverage)
b. most of the blades shown here are too lightly constructed (maybe to accommodate a tiny tractor)
c. no lateral support if the blade grabs something with a bit of resistance - use a lateral strut or even better a hydraulic cylinder to angle the blade as required.
d. little to support for controlling the pitch
e. if you would not use it to push dirt, its not strong enough

Never bent a blade or any part of it when built like that with 75HP tractor.

Skid steer QA dont come off unless they arent locked correctly, or they are damaged.

Gordon Goulds setup looks good.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/p1000299-jpg.788890/

 

[beenthere]

First time poster…
I’ve been trying to get ahold of a plow for my driveway as I’ve been using the bucket and it takes forever. I finally got one last weekend and got all the hydraulics and everything set up for this storm that the northeast was hit with the last couple of days. Anyways I took my first pass down the driveway and it worked awesome! Second pass I was pushing the snow bank at the bottom of my first hill back and the tractor disconnected from the skid steer plate and blew a hydraulic line. I guess maybe too much power mixed with the heavy wet snow? The skid steer plate is all bent up so I can’t connect the tractor back onto it. It hooked back up to the bucket just fine so I don’t think it messed anything up on the tractor.

Anyone have any similar stories? Also, I was going to try and straighten the skid steer plate and maybe weld some channel on it to beef it up and give it a little support? I was trying to get an inexpensive plow setup but it totally backfired. I guess you get what you pay for.

Picture pre storm before I bent it and my ridiculous truck/trailer setup I picked up the plow with.

View attachment 788605
View attachment 788604

My plow is a 7' Western plow, and I fab'd a quick hitch on the front of the tractor, so as not to have the plow sticking so far out in front. Has worked flawlessly since 1998.

 

[Sawmillboy]

Here’s an update to what I did to beef up the quick attach plate. I’ve plowed 5 or 6 times so far this year and it has worked great as far as the connection goes! I’ve had some issues with the hydraulics, I’ve had trouble with one piston working, I will be able to tilt it all the way to the left but then it won’t come back. Seems like maybe it was frozen because it would free up after a while but then I had the same issue when it was above freezing. Does anyone have any experience with this? Also, the quick attach mount floats up and down but not side to which works fine but on a turny driveway it takes a few more passes. Still better than the bucket but has anyone figured out a way to get it to float side to side? I saw Fischer has a skid steer quick attach plate which does just that but I’m guessing it’s pricey.