Work Platform For FEL

[Redbug]

No doubt about it Gary...great idea. My scrounging eye is open now for a metal pallet and I will be making one of those things, also.

Just thinking on improvements...suppose I make the railing removable. Insert the rail ends into pipe (welded onto the pallet sides), and held in with clips. That way, pull the clips, and the railing could be taken off and the pallet could also be used normally.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

dave
don't forget an attachment point for the telescoping ladder so you can use it as a deer stand...

 

[Redbug]

Oh yeah Erik! I forgot about that post!

 

[GaryBDavis]

It won' thelp a bit if a hose or line bust,the fel will still come crashing down.

Yes, but there are two cylinders holding up the FEL so both of them would have to bust at the same time. Although that's not likely, the FEL control valve is a single point of failure. Still, it would most likely leak like crazy before it fully gave way. Again, not very likely.

I think the most likely scenario is I'd forget to put the clevis pins in while attaching the pallet forks and somehow manage to dump the pallets forks off the FEL. That would hurt.

If I were using this thing everyday, I'd find a different solution, but I'll take my chances the two or three times a year I'll use it.

 

[Captinjack]

I would add a 4 to 6 inch "kick" plate around the circumference of the floor to keep objects from sliding off the base.

 

[Kendrick]

Sweet setup. 3 things I plan to do on mine that you have not. I have a 45 hp at about the same weight as yours. I plan to add one of those "fire escape" type ladders to the front and have the railing swing in at the middle to get on and off. I also plan to have 1 or 2 staibliser leggs for the front of it that collapse similer to the temporary collums of a house. 3rd is an attachment for a 40' ladder. the ladder will be positioned by large screws about 1/2" dia so that i can crank it to the exact angle i need for repairing the roofs of our out buildings. due to the soft ground and slope I wont be able to use it for the orchard area. there Im going to have to do a monster sized atv with treds and a trailer that has similer featurs to the platform.

when Im working things with the ladder I will have the BH on and use its staibliser leggs and boom to make sure the tractor doesnt do any thing silly

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Mine is 4 by 6 and about 4 ft tall. Was made to slide on and off my pallet forks and can be secured with a pin.
I set pallets of item on it then pick it up with the pallet forks to reach the 12" balcony in the shop. But it has also proved very handy for tree pruning, building construction, servicing lights at the 18 ft ceiling.
I'll take my chances with the hydraulics over a ladder any day. Myself and 200 or 300 lbs of tool on the platform does not equate to much pressure in the hydraulic system. The odds of blowing a hose are minute.
Ken

 

[gemini5362]

I have a question. Everyone that has one of these that has posted has it made to slide over their forks. At least one poster has a quick attach on his tractor. Why not just make it so that it fits on your quick attach and save the weight of the forks. Do you use the forks underneath to help with the floor being more solid ?

 

[JB4310]

gemini.
Not to answer for other people but that would be alot of customizing for something that's only used occasionally, and definitely not necessary to save on the weight of the forks, as the combined load on these things is 1/4 the loaders capacity at the most. the forks make a great HD starting point and are designed for supporting flat platforms also.

I would not be very worried about a total failure in hydraulics, causing a collapse. but if some one was concerned, why not use a cylinder prop like is used when servicing any hydraulic implement that has to be kept in the raised position. since these are 2 person operations it would be a simple thing to do and probably a good idea for the falling branch into the joystick scenario.

 

[GaryBDavis]

I have a question. Everyone that has one of these that has posted has it made to slide over their forks. At least one poster has a quick attach on his tractor. Why not just make it so that it fits on your quick attach and save the weight of the forks. Do you use the forks underneath to help with the floor being more solid ?

It's quicker and cheaper to make one that fits pallet forks and weight is not much of a factor. Plus, you can use it with any set of pallet forks which means it's easy to sell, use with other equipment, trade or loan out.