Skid plate for GC series tractors

Imold · Oct 29, 2019

5 plus 11 other big and small batteries I need to keep charged over the winter, if I do not have a tender on them I rotate the auto chargers.

Imold · Oct 29, 2019

Finished welding the tabs on for the arms on the mmm lift and cut remaining corners on the skid plate so tomorrow I will go out and heat the garage/shop up with the kerosene heater and then I will see how close my measurements are, wish I could of had the mower deck in my basement shop as I did the measurements, anyway I will see what happens tomorrow.

It was a balmy 26* here today and it is going to be the same tomorrow.

GeneV · Oct 30, 2019

You're almost there Jim, looks like.

Imold · Oct 30, 2019

Well the front tabs aligned up and fit but they where tight so I will ream both front holes out just a fraction of a hair then pin the hanger back on and put underneath and see if I measured right for the lift arms tabs and then I can adjust the plate if need be, do not know if it will hit anything underneath the tractor being I figured a flat plate would work.
20 dollar skid plate plus time and a few feet of welding wire.

Imold · Oct 30, 2019

If it works I will round the tabs off with the grinder and clean it up and paint it with a undercoat of some sort. 90.00 dollar welder on a 20amp circuit woohoo....

cglaser104 · Oct 30, 2019

Imold said:
If it works I will round the tabs off with the grinder and clean it up and paint it with a undercoat of some sort. 90.00 dollar welder on a 20amp circuit woohoo....

Someone was fluxcoring! Lol

cglaser104 · Oct 30, 2019

I don't know if I'll get to the project this winter or not. I think for mine I'll build a full length L channel frame that connects to the front and lifts at the deck pins under the user platform. Then I'll weld steel plate to the frame made of L channel with any contours cut out that are necessary for the underbody.

Nice work on your project. I like how wide it is to protect everything. Glad you could get back in the shop.

Imold · Oct 31, 2019

cglaser104 said:
Someone was fluxcoring! Lol

That is a good one, never thought of that one hahaha fluxcoring. Definitely not the ideal set up but it worked kinda, I did have a few areas where I got good penetration hahaha. Should of just tacked it and let my neighbor finish it with his 220 oh well.

Imold · Oct 31, 2019

I figured if the deck is acting like a skid plate now why not make something like the middle of the deck, I am a bit curious if there will be a way to get it tucked up higher if it fits, seems like the deck drops a inch or two but maybe if a person kinda holds the lift lever then turns the knob to lock the deck up it might hold it a tad higher. Guess I will answer that question when I get back out to the shop/garage.

The reason I didn’t go the L channel route was because I figured it would hold/trap a lot of dirt and stuff on top so I let it pass and then I also thought of using a perforated sheet of metal so small stuff could fall through. I think your on the right track using L channel and if mine works I might just add the L channel on the underside of it and knock those back tabs off.

It is only 25* out so I will need to warm the shop up a bit before I hang out in it, cold and blood thinners do not go hand in hand.

cglaser104 · Oct 31, 2019

Imold said:
That is a good one, never thought of that one hahaha fluxcoring. Definitely not the ideal set up but it worked kinda, I did have a few areas where I got good penetration hahaha. Should of just tacked it and let my neighbor finish it with his 220 oh well.

I also did some fluxcoring with my Campbell Hausfield 110V last night. I rebuilt my dad's homemade 3pt towbar for his BX because he got a QH for his birthday. It does the job off a 20A circuit on anything up to 3/16" steel. It's probably what I'll use for the skid plate if I don't buy a 220V gas MIG before then.

Picture is a test fit after it was all welded up on my GC.