The Handiest Thing I ever Built (Manlift)

[yzbdsbp]

Thanks for getting back to me.
I figured the manlift must be about 4X4. Did you use 1X1 box for the rails?

Yes 1" square tubing for the rails

What are the dimensions of your pole barn? Also, I'm really interested in building my own trusses as I have the necessary welding equipment in my shop and it will be less costly as well. What are the dimensions of your trusses and what's the angle for the bridging??

Barn is 24x24....the bridging is perpendicular to the angle of the truss which are 3/12 pitch

I will continue to post pic's of the progress hopefully it might help.

Brad

 

[slowzuki]

The difference is people. Who cares if you drop a load of dirt. Tractor loaders don't have pilot valves on the cylinders so if a hose or valve breaks the loader or bucket just falls rapidly.

I had the fun of watching a 4 ton pallet of bananas drop when a relief valve crapped out on a forklift. They fell as fast as if you had dropped them. Not a big deal for a couple of feet but once you get up a bit its easy to get injured.

And the original poster is right, ladders are pretty dangerous too. I'm not sure what would be safer based on statistics.

Fill me in, Egon. What's different about this application vs. simple lifting and other stuff we all do with our FELs

 

[afish]

I think the bananas fell so fast because of the shear weight of them 4 tons pushing down is different from a 200# man. I no expert but such a light load would not compress the hydraulics as fast. Either way I have worked out of forklift mounted baskets a lot and plan to build a man lift myself.

 

[3RRL]

Very nicely built manlift.
I was wondering how you guys get in and up? Do you have someone else operate the tractor then?

 

[Iplayfarmer]

The difference is people. Who cares if you drop a load of dirt. Tractor loaders don't have pilot valves on the cylinders so if a hose or valve breaks the loader or bucket just falls rapidly.

I had the fun of watching a 4 ton pallet of bananas drop when a relief valve crapped out on a forklift. They fell as fast as if you had dropped them. Not a big deal for a couple of feet but once you get up a bit its easy to get injured.

And the original poster is right, ladders are pretty dangerous too. I'm not sure what would be safer based on statistics.

Thanks for the explanation.

I think of the options available to the major majority of us, yzbdsbp is the safest because he's got the cage.

I'd wager that nearly all of us have used our FEL as a Manlift/Ladder at one point. We've just all done it without the added safety of the cage.

I'm sure someone who does this stuff professionally will post with the fancy schmancy OSHA **** approved personnel lift that is sooooo much safer and will put us all to shame. For the rest of us who can't/don't/choose-not-to afford the schmancy man lift, I think yzbdsbp has the right idea.

 

[slowzuki]

Don't kid yourself, 2 gallons squirts out of a 1/2" hose mighty fast.
But I'll keep my nose out of the thread.

I think the bananas fell so fast because of the shear weight of them 4 tons pushing down is different from a 200# man. I no expert but such a light load would not compress the hydraulics as fast. Either way I have worked out of forklift mounted baskets a lot and plan to build a man lift myself.

 

[yzbdsbp]

Very nicely built manlift.
I was wondering how you guys get in and up? Do you have someone else operate the tractor then?

Yeah I have a friend of mine who can drive my tractor better than I can!! hahah

Don't kid yourself, 2 gallons squirts out of a 1/2" hose mighty fast.
But I'll keep my nose out of the thread.

Yep slowzuki, I agree, but a fall off of a 8' or taller ladder would pretty much have the same effect! I just like the mobility of the cage, I dont have to drag ladders around in every occasion, but if you dont have a friend who can operate the FEL "very good" my manlift is useless! So I use ladders sometimes and when he (my friend) is around we use tractors, but you cant just trust anyone when this cage is to its full height.

 

[dtd24]

I want to build a set of those forks!!!

 

[yzbdsbp]

I want to build a set of those forks!!!

Now that would be a project!!!!

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Interesting on the tilt attach. Is that a type of quick attach, or something that goes one a quick attach?

Any idea if it can be mounted on a compact tractor? I can see all sorts of uses.

They lock to your standard skidsteer attachment just like the loader QA would, then the loader QA's locks to the tilt attach, hook up the hoses and tilt you heart out.
Makes a great grader blade too, dump bucket fully, angle and then back blade. Vary handy.
Ken