Built a quick attach front lifting plate this week

[RIDETOEAT]

I over bought on tractor a good bit just for the lifting capacity on the front end loader. Having since moved some pallets around and hitting the QT forks load lift limit at 24" out and wanting to dead lift more at times so I made up this lift plate. I snapped this picture today while unloading some antique engines off my trailer. This one is a 7 HP Hercules and I was told it weighed 18 to 1900 lbs so I was concerned it might not pick it up since my tractor is rated at 2154 lbs. at the pin. It done fine. So far I have added (3) 5/16" chain hooks and 2 heavy duty weld on D rings. Tucks everything in close for a bit more grunt. I am going to use it a few times before painting since it is a work in progress and even needs a couple more lift points from today's learning. L4600

 

[Tooljunkie]

Nice. Add a pocket for 2"hitch.good for moving trailers.
I like the stationary engine. Looks to be a runner

 

[RIDETOEAT]

Yes to both, I already bought a receiver tube for it but decided to do a little lifting yesterday before deciding where to place it. I an thinking higher now so it wont get in the way of another centered lifting ring. I am in the process on building up a DIY 4' cube powder coat oven and this will be my first attempt at using it when done. The engine is a good runner

 

[aeblank]

You could probably mount the receiver flush to the front of the plate, then it isn't in the way. Might be a smidge awkward with the hitch pin, but worth it, IMO.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[RIDETOEAT]

Ya I had considered that, I had it mocked up on the bench and was about to cut the hole originally and realized I would not be able to see the ball past the plate, so thinking higher up now and being able to tilt it down if needed when hooking. There is plenty of room behind the plate through all articulation angles to let it mostly be behind and just he nose sticking through. Easy enough to pin in the rear.

 

[ShaunBlake]

I over bought on tractor a good bit just for the lifting capacity on the front end loader ... wanting to dead lift more at times so I made up this lift plate.

Great idea, great implementation!

I'm puzzled: it looks like your bucket doesn't mount to that plate; must you take the plate off to use the bucket? If so, as heavy as that plate looks, how in the world to you manage it?

I've been thinking of putting a quick-attach rig on my B219, and your examples suggest a better way to attack some of my problem trees. Thanks for posting!

 

[RIDETOEAT]

I was originally thinking to make a "T" out of the bottom of the plate and the receiver tube hitch tub but now it is going to mount up higher so I am mulling over the options to make it stand up straight so I can just set it down when I switch to the bucket. I have been just setting it on the QT by hand thus far. It is heavy but manageable here a couple times until I finalize the design. It is front heavy as expected, thinking about a swing out leg like many QT 3 point attachments have these days or just a receiver hitch plug in to hold it up.

 

[BadDog]

I'm interested in what turns up here as well. My B7100 bucket is well used but in great shape. But my B2150 was sorely abused. Buckled top obviously from looping chains on the open channel upper support. Bowed bottom, likely from clamp on fork used for lifting at capacity. And torn corners/welds along the bottom from whatever, along with worn through rear brake angle where the bottom of the bucket was used for "float drag" (or so it seems). The mount brackets even have fatigue cracks at the weld, and a very rough effort at adding an oversize cutting edge just lapped onto the original has the edge too large for some attachments to even fit over. I was thinking of repair, but looking at it realistically, it really looks like a rebuild is in order. So now I'm thinking, cut the mounting brackets off and fabricate a quick mount matching that used for small skid steers. Then any such attachments are usable (if within rating), and I can either build a bucket to match, or maybe get lucky (yeah, snowball et. al.) and find one for a good price. Some extra weight subtracting from max load, and a bit more spacing leverage, but seems like an obvious play.

 

[RIDETOEAT]

This was the first time I used the lifting plate but I'll tell you I use the po po out of the QT feature with my bucket and forks back and fourth. I move a lot of pallets of heating pellets in the winter and do bucket work in the winter snow. I couldn't live without QT and did not realize how nice it was until having it. I lift at near max load with my QT forks so the bucket add on deals would have been too limiting for my use.

 

[ShaunBlake]

This was the first time I used the lifting plate but I'll tell you I use the po po out of the QT feature with my bucket and forks back and fourth...

Have you gotten enough experience to finalize your design? I'm very curious to know how your back is standing up to all the implement changes.

 

[RIDETOEAT]

I have just used the lifting plate once, but pretty know what I want for now. I think I will leave it bare for a while so it is quick and easy to weld on additional features as my needs tell me what all i will do with it. Buckets and forks are easy with just flipping the levers and drive in and out. This plate on the other hand is about, I'd guess 100 lbs and I lift it on and off until I decide to work on the hitch plug in to make it stand up to be drove into like the others.