Welded some hooks on my FEL

[kevinro]

My $0.02: Take extreme care with your hooks. Your test of lifting the tree doesn't cut it.

There are several things to consider here. There are static and dynamic loads. Just because you can lift the tree doesn't really clear you to say that this hook is strong. Lifting the 500 pounds is only part of the story. As you start to move your 500 pound tree, it gains energy. Depending on how fast you are travelling, it can gain a suprising amount of energy. The basic formula is

F = 1/2 * M * V^2

The important thing to see is the v^2, which means as the speed increases, the energy goes up as the square of the speed. Bottom line is the forces involved get really big in a hurry. When you get that energy created by moving the object, it will eventually need to be disapated.

The true killer is starting and especially stopping. This is where the forces involved are at their maximum. The sum of the forces become the 'weight' of the object (500lbs) PLUS the mass of the object times its acceleration. Just as an example, say you go from a walking speed (4mph) to a stop in 1 second. The chain will see nearly 100 pounds of additional force. (F = m * a, F = 15.6 * 5.8ft/s. The mass of a 500 pound thing is 15.6 slugs. F= 90.625lbs) Thats a 20% increase doing a fairly common and seemly minor change of safely stopping. If you did a sudden stop, you could easily see an additional 500 pounds, which is a 100% increase. If it bounces, the forces can easily double that!

I would like to modify Hydraman's statement: If you are lifting 1000lbs, build it for at least 4000lbs.

 

[gordon]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

My $0.02: Take extreme care with your hooks. Your test of lifting the tree doesn't cut it.

<hr></blockquote>



Ditto that, I've got no idea as to the math but I can say that using a repair link is only for one thing---chain repair. Your asking for trouble and the trouble will appear when your not expecting it.

Not saying this to put you down. You did a fine looking job on the install. If it were me I'd have regular hooks on there. Or better yet leave those and add a regular chain hook on the exact center of your bucket. First weld some angle to the top of the bucket to square it out so you don't end up bending it. Best of both worlds, a safe hook to work with and more welding time./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

You have to remember that in your tree test you were only picking up one end of the tree, not it's entire weight.

Please be safe hate to see you get hurt. Ive got pics posted on here somewhere of my hook install to my kubota bucket. Here it is I hunted it down.

Gordon

 

[Hydraman]

My experience (not a guess!!!) is that things WILL fly somewhere!! One time I was doing something that I should not have been, and when the broken piece of chain stopped-- it was inside the differential of my pickup!!!! Just very glad it went low!!! It penetrated the cover like an AP round!! Pickup would NEVER have done this with a steady pull; but , add sudden start or stop and things happen----SUDDENLY!!!!! Don

 

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>I thought about using traditional hooks, but these caught my eye.</font color=blue>
Hi Danny, other than 'catching your eye', was there any other reason that made you pick these hooks? Just curious.

 

[Bud]

Mike
Those pieces he welded on his bucket in the place of hooks are not hooks. They are made to repair broken chains, and are made to bend once they are placed in a chain. They have to bend to close to make the repair link. Once in a chain they will stretch under a load, and are not as strong as the chain.
Bud

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color=blue>...these caught my eye...</font color=blue>

How does your eye feel now...? /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif.../w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

 

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>Those pieces he welded on his bucket in the place of hooks are not hooks.</font color=blue>
Understood. I was curious why Danny chose them instead of hooks. Again, just curious what the thought process was.

 

[Elkoboy]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

If you did a sudden stop, you could easily see an additional 500 pounds, which is a 100% increase. If it bounces, the forces can easily double that!

I would like to modify Hydraman's statement: If you are lifting 1000lbs, build it for at least 4000lbs.

<hr></blockquote>



Just out of curiousity, why would you want to overbuild at one point, moving the possible point of failure (the weakest link) to another part of the tractor, like the loader arms for instance?

The massive forces you're talking about here could potentially overstress the loader itself, so instead of the chain or the hooks breaking, aren't you running the risk of something else on the loader itself failing?

I would think you would rather the chain, or the hook fail, rather than the loader arms, for instance, when you exceeded allowable limits, wouldn't you?

Or are the parts of the loader so overbuilt that this isn't a concern?

 

[MikePA]

I would imagine the relief valve would open if you tried to lift more than the loader was capable of long before the loader arms would give way.

 

[Bud]

Elkoboy
I don't think a small tractor would have enough power to bend the loader arms. When the chain was wrapped over the top of edge of the bucket it made resistiace to take some of the load from the connecting links. Those connecting links are not any good for what they were intended let alone to be used with one end open as a hook. Why do you think hooks are so heavy? They always have one end open. That's one hell of a strain.
Bud