<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>
The links he used are designed to be used in tension only. Installed as bucket hooks, they now must also carry a bit of moment.
An exaggerated example is trying to break a yardstick by pulling it apart lengthwise vs. bending it.
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I'm certainly not going to dispute what you're saying. But the operative words you use are "a bit of moment." Whether or not that amount is significant enough to lose sleep over is the real issue. (Yeh, I know you engineer types probably DO lose sleep over stuff like this /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif )
And I don't see anyone advising him to X-ray his welds for strength either, so everyone draws the line somewhere, don't they?
As long as he doesn't stand under his load and doesn't have anyone else do that either, I don't imagine it will be a problem, especially on this particular model of tractor.
Just for the record, I used some of these links before, and I BROKE a medium sized C-clamp trying to squeeze it closed. I ended up using a sledge to close it, which by the by, is a fun endeavor with two ends of heavy chain hanging off the link.
And as I said earlier, I don't believe in standing under ANY load hanging from a tractor loader, regardless of how it's attached to the loader.
<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>
Another test is to pick up that log again & see if you get any measureable movement. Ie measure the gap between the link & the bucket with & without the load.
<hr></blockquote>
That is good advice; I would do this to sleep at night for sure.
Caution and good sense are key here. Tractors can kill, and are especially dangerous when doing something careless or idiotic.
Anytime you make a modification to your tractor you should proceed carefully when using it, until you are confident of it's strength, and make sure you watch for any signs of fatigue in the part over time.
<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>
Essentially what you have here is the systems "weak link".
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There's ALWAYS a weak link. How DO you engineers sleep at night?! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>
Elkoboy, What makes you say that those links are made to be hammered closed but not welded. What is going to hold it together under stress then?
<hr></blockquote>
The instructions on the back of the packages I've bought these links in make no mention of welding.
The links he used are designed to be used in tension only. Installed as bucket hooks, they now must also carry a bit of moment.
An exaggerated example is trying to break a yardstick by pulling it apart lengthwise vs. bending it.
<hr></blockquote>
I'm certainly not going to dispute what you're saying. But the operative words you use are "a bit of moment." Whether or not that amount is significant enough to lose sleep over is the real issue. (Yeh, I know you engineer types probably DO lose sleep over stuff like this /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif )
And I don't see anyone advising him to X-ray his welds for strength either, so everyone draws the line somewhere, don't they?
As long as he doesn't stand under his load and doesn't have anyone else do that either, I don't imagine it will be a problem, especially on this particular model of tractor.
Just for the record, I used some of these links before, and I BROKE a medium sized C-clamp trying to squeeze it closed. I ended up using a sledge to close it, which by the by, is a fun endeavor with two ends of heavy chain hanging off the link.
And as I said earlier, I don't believe in standing under ANY load hanging from a tractor loader, regardless of how it's attached to the loader.
<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>
Another test is to pick up that log again & see if you get any measureable movement. Ie measure the gap between the link & the bucket with & without the load.
<hr></blockquote>
That is good advice; I would do this to sleep at night for sure.
Caution and good sense are key here. Tractors can kill, and are especially dangerous when doing something careless or idiotic.
Anytime you make a modification to your tractor you should proceed carefully when using it, until you are confident of it's strength, and make sure you watch for any signs of fatigue in the part over time.
<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>
Essentially what you have here is the systems "weak link".
<hr></blockquote>
There's ALWAYS a weak link. How DO you engineers sleep at night?! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>
Elkoboy, What makes you say that those links are made to be hammered closed but not welded. What is going to hold it together under stress then?
<hr></blockquote>
The instructions on the back of the packages I've bought these links in make no mention of welding.
