Quick Attach Plate Thickness, which one?

[TractorNH]

When you're planning to build a quick attach loader implement how do you decide which plate thickness to go with? They sell them anywhere from 3/16" all the way to 1/2" thick for the backing plate. Right now I'm working on an 8' truck snowplow modification using a 5/16" thick quick attach plate and plan to reinforce it but how do you all decide which thickness of plate to go with? Has anyone done a project with a thinner plate and later regretted it?

 

[TractorGuy]

I would think it should depend on loader force, temper of the steel used, and how it gets reinforced. That said the plates housing the pin bushings on the loader bucket of my NH 575E is 3/8". It claims a lift capacity at maximum height of 6978 LBS. Apparently 3/8" high tinsel steel can take a lot of force.

 

[stuckmotor]

I had similar questions when I built Quick Attach for my MF 3 or 4 years ago. I used 3/8 mild steel. So far so good. If I'd been building for a smaller tractor I might have used lighter material.

 

[Rustyiron]

You should be fine with the 5/16 you mentioned. You'll still need a stout horizontal "member" the full width of the plate to attach the plow to. Your plow attaching points will be well within the width of the ssqa points and there is no strength there.



Notice the width difference and where the plow "land's" in relation to the loader arms, the flat plate offers little strength once off the ssqa area.

I would suggest a 3x3x1/4" sq tube minimum (full width of your plate) welded on the front side of your ssqa plate for the attachment point of the plows a frame.:thumbsup:
Don't forget, pics or it didn't happen

 

[George2615]

I went with the 1/2" QA plate to adapt my truck plow. The 5/16 or 3/8 would have worked just fine but the 1/2" wasn't that much price difference.

 

[stuckmotor]

Correction: I used 3/8 inch mild steel not 2/8. Sorry for the mistake.
Stuck

 

[Groo]

I went with the 1/2" QA plate to adapt my truck plow. The 5/16 or 3/8 would have worked just fine but the 1/2" wasn't that much price difference.

steel is generally sold by the ton in quantity, so I'd expect 1/2" to be a bit over 1/3 more than 3/8". It is 1/3 more steel. Obviously retail pricing is a bit more complicated than that, but it should remain close.

 

[Aquamoose]

My bigger concern would be the top lip. Some manufacturers make them differently than others and it’s the first place I look at.

 

[jmc]

My bigger concern would be the top lip. Some manufacturers make them differently than others and itç—´ the first place I look at.

Bingo. That top lip needs to be supported from above, like with some gussets to the implements main structure, for example. (Sadly, I learned that the hard way.)

 

[petegoud]

I've been adapting my 3 point attachments to a skidsteer adapter in the back of my tractor. So far, I've been using 5/16" plates. They've been working fine. One of the things I was trying to accomplish was reducing the weight of the attachments. Even with using the skidsteer plates, I still find myself sometimes lifting an attachment to get it positioned properly. It takes me about 5 minutes to switch from a box blade to a rake. Most of that time is maneuvering the tractor.

 

[Xfaxman]

As mentioned the top lip needs to be reinforced for heavy attachments or boom poles that can exert more leverage.

Here is one:

Close up of the gussets:

And my stump bucket:

And fork frame:

 

[LouNY]

As others have mentioned the upper tab is the weaker point.
On another point the easiest mounting of the blade will have it sticking out way in front of you,
there was a poster that had underslung his mount to keep it in closer that would make it work better
as long as you can get your angles the shorter the mount the easier it will be to use.
I know that my blade sticks out quite aways and it can be aggravating keeping it from pushing gravel when it's thawed.

 

[TractorNH]

As others have mentioned the upper tab is the weaker point.
On another point the easiest mounting of the blade will have it sticking out way in front of you,
there was a poster that had underslung his mount to keep it in closer that would make it work better
as long as you can get your angles the shorter the mount the easier it will be to use.
I know that my blade sticks out quite aways and it can be aggravating keeping it from pushing gravel when it's thawed.

I plan to undersling mine as well and will do a lot of reinforcement of the plate. I tend do do things overkill and it was hard for me to opt for the 5/16" plate when I could get the 1/2" one but there was a decent difference in price and also weight. The plate is grade 50 structural steel too.

 

[Aquamoose]

As mentioned the top lip needs to be reinforced for heavy attachments or boom poles that can exert more leverage.

Here is one:

View attachment 554996

Close up of the gussets:

View attachment 554999


And my stump bucket:

View attachment 554997


And fork frame:

View attachment 554998

This!

 

[Xfaxman]

This is what can happen to a plate that is too wide and not reinforced. I had a heavy load on the forks and curled up to raise it off the trailer. It came up a little, stretched the top plate up over the SSQA and fell back down.

Note the straightedge:

You can see where the edge of the SSQA came out from under the top lip:

 

[LouNY]

I plan to undersling mine as well and will do a lot of reinforcement of the plate. I tend do do things overkill and it was hard for me to opt for the 5/16" plate when I could get the 1/2" one but there was a decent difference in price and also weight. The plate is grade 50 structural steel too.

pics when done, I should have built mine but I got a good price the one I got
:thumbsup:

 

[450]

Anyone have pictures of a undersling mounted snowplow? I will be picking up a SSQA plate to mount my 7.5’ snowplow to soon. Thanks

 

[farm boy00]

Anyone have pictures of a undersling mounted snowplow? I will be picking up a SSQA plate to mount my 7.5’ snowplow to soon. Thanks

Don't have any pictures but another option is to cut the A frame as short as possible but still able to use the cylinders to turn the plow.

 

[TractorNH]

Anyone have pictures of a undersling mounted snowplow? I will be picking up a SSQA plate to mount my 7.5 snowplow to soon. Thanks

Here are some pics I've grabbed from other posts in the forum to use as my inspiration (Thank you to the owners of these plows). I'm barely getting started with my build but plan to add pictures when I'm done. The number one thing I've read about doing this is that the plow needs to be chain lifted just like it is when on a truck. If it's rigid mounted to the tractor it will be a pain to operate.

 

[TractorNH]

Don't have any pictures but another option is to cut the A frame as short as possible but still able to use the cylinders to turn the plow.

If you cut the A frame the most you gain is about 6-8" but if you undersling the mount you can gain as much as the plow allows before the SSQA plate hits the back side of the plow itself or as much as the tractor allows before the back end of the plow hits something.