Why didn't I build a toothbar sooner? They're GREAT!

[petes]

2 horses and a big yard at our new house makes for a mountain-sized compost pile. I've been turning it with my Kubota B7100 FEL, but had trouble getting a proper bucketfull - the stringy stuff would sometimes roll out when I lifted, and driving into the pile to fill the bucket packed the compost, so when I dumped it sometimes came out as a large wet brick.... the answer was to build a toothbar. I had enough scraps around that it cost nothing except welding wire, gas and electricty.

Had about 3 hours into fabrication (love that plasma cutter!) and am pleased with how it turned out and works. I wanted to be able to scrape the concrete slab clean with the toothbar mounted, so the design is such that the teeth don't hang below the cutting edge that's integral into the toothbar.

It made it MUCH easier to load a full bucketful (or at least as much as the FEL will lift), and I can jiggle the bucket while dumping causing the load to sift through the teeth which breaks up the clumps and results in a much less compacted pile.

 

[Willl]

Very nice job Pete.

Wait till you take it out into real type dirt. Tooth bars really shine out there.

 

[Short Game]

I get it now! When I think about all the trouble I've had trying to dig out sod, only to have it spill back out of the bucket when I went to lift it... I see that it didn't have to be that way. :thumbsup:

 

[Train]

Do you have it welded to the bucket itself ?

 

[Short Game]

Do you have it welded to the bucket itself ?

Two bolts, one on each end plate.

 

[CTPhil]

That's a nice piece of work right there. :thumbsup:

 

[J_J]

I looked at the finished product, and I was curious if those tubes were solid, but now I see. How thick are the tubing walls.

 

[petes]

I looked at the finished product, and I was curious if those tubes were solid, but now I see. How thick are the tubing walls.

Thanks all. I used what I had. Tubing was 1.5 square x .180 wall. I welded on 5/16 thick rectangles to cap the ends.

The whole things slips over the FEL bucket cutting edge then pins to the sides of the bucket with 1/2" bolts. My loader is only rated 500lbs lift, so it was a bit of a balance between making it stout but not too heavy.

Angle was 3x3x1/4. I boxed (triangled?) the bottom with 5/16 T1 plate. I probably should have made the cutting edge out of hardened steel instead of using the front of the angle iron, but this was a quick-n-dirty project and that piece of T1 was already just the right size for where it ended up. If it'd been 1-1/2" wider it would have protruded enough in front of the angle to be the cutting edge... ah well, if it ever wears out I'll figure out how to improve it, or just make another one!

I'm curious how it'll work grubbing out blackberries and grass clumps. I suspect I'll reach the lift limits of my loader frustratingly often. (right now I've got a perfect balance between loader lift capability and boxblade counterweight... if I can't pick it up it would have tipped me over anyway. If I load the rear more and increase hyraulic pressure I'm sure I'll start to bend/break other things... maybe I need a bigger tractor!

 

[Turbys_1700]

Nice job Pete...
I want to do that myself...
What size plasma cutter did you get?

 

[Short Game]

... maybe I need a bigger tractor!

Henh. The human condition.

 

[petes]

Nice job Pete...
I want to do that myself...
What size plasma cutter did you get?

I have a (mid 90's) Hypertherm Powermax 800 (50A) that I picked up used (and nonworking) about 2 years ago. It was a quick/easy fix and paid for itself with the first use (removing a poorly-made-and-welded-on trailer hitch off my motorhome. ) It "unwelds" (gouges) in tight spaces/corners like nothing else. I will say it's very hard on straightedges and flatbar used for cutting guides - I have a tendency to cause the torch to jump up on the guide, which cuts just as easily as whatever it was I was intending to cut... I pay special attention to where my fingers are!

 

[Mike476]

I pay special attention to where my fingers are!

:laughing: Good plan.... nice job!

 

[ETpilot]

Nice job. I saved the pictures in case I decide I need to make one.

Looks like you may need to reinforce the top of your bucket where your chain hook is located. I had a similar problem. I have several chain attach points and the top of the bucket bent from use. I had to use a jack to spread back into shape then welded an angle iron on top to keep it from bending again. So far so good.

 

[petes]

I've been too busy with the orchard, garden and house projects to finish the pallet forks I started a few months ago... but since they're half built I keep thinking of all the uses for them! I had to move some branch/brush piles around so stuck some ~24" long scraps of 2x2 square tube over the outer teeth of my toothbar to make them longer. It worked very well for a 30 second upgrade, except they'd fall off when dumping the load, so I decided to make up some proper "fangs" for my toothbar... They're made from 3x3x1/4" angle out of the scrap pile, one side tapered to make it pointy to be able go under branches. Some flat bits cut and welded to form a box that slip over the tooth and secures with a pinch-bolt threaded into the side. Super simple, and I'd say an hour of fabrication well spent. I can now scoop or heap on a big load of brush or branches without diddling around trying to rope or chain them to the bucket. One upgrade I'll probably do next will be to cut a 1" x 3/8" U-notch in each of the tips to use as a chain-hook so I can hoop a chain from the hook on top of my bucket and secure to the tips. Now I don't need the pallet forks nearly as much... until I have to move an actual pallet!

The downside is they're hard to see in front of the bucket unless it's curled all the way, and harder to remember that they're there while maneuvering in close quarters.... I foresee some chunks missing from the barn door frame in my future.

 

[Freakingstang]

I've been too busy with the orchard, garden and house projects to finish the pallet forks I started a few months ago... but since they're half built I keep thinking of all the uses for them! I had to move some branch/brush piles around so stuck some ~24" long scraps of 2x2 square tube over the outer teeth of my toothbar to make them longer. It worked very well for a 30 second upgrade, except they'd fall off when dumping the load, so I decided to make up some proper "fangs" for my toothbar... They're made from 3x3x1/4" angle out of the scrap pile, one side tapered to make it pointy to be able go under branches. Some flat bits cut and welded to form a box that slip over the tooth and secures with a pinch-bolt threaded into the side. Super simple, and I'd say an hour of fabrication well spent. I can now scoop or heap on a big load of brush or branches without diddling around trying to rope or chain them to the bucket. One upgrade I'll probably do next will be to cut a 1" x 3/8" U-notch in each of the tips to use as a chain-hook so I can hoop a chain from the hook on top of my bucket and secure to the tips. Now I don't need the pallet forks nearly as much... until I have to move an actual pallet!

The downside is they're hard to see in front of the bucket unless it's curled all the way, and harder to remember that they're there while maneuvering in close quarters.... I foresee some chunks missing from the barn door frame in my future.

Nice!

I've been thinking of making some "forks" out 4" C-channel