Front loader for a B7200

[Paul Allwood]

Today I got the loader sub-frame bolted in place. Still planning to add a brace across the top between the two towers - need to sit and look at it for a bit to work out what I'm going to do first. Next I'll start on the loader arms, then the bucket and hydraulics.

 

[jaxs]

Nice work Paul, m-i-t-t-y nice.

 

[Paul Allwood]

Nice work Paul, m-i-t-t-y nice.

Thanks mate

 

[torch]

Today I got the loader sub-frame bolted in place. Still planning to add a brace across the top between the two towers - need to sit and look at it for a bit to work out what I'm going to do first. Next I'll start on the loader arms, then the bucket and hydraulics.

Very nice work!

I'm not sure bracing the tops of the towers is necessary -- you have them very well braced at the bottom. They do look a bit short to my eye though. Is that the planned height or is there more to come? I'm not sure what your planned bucket dump height is but remember that a taller tower helps keep the bucket forward of the tractor at a given height. You don't want to be dumping the load onto the hood!

When I designed mine, I did a LOT of scale sketches, similar to this, to work out the geometry. I ended up with the pivot point of the loader arms about 6" above the hood height. Different tractor of course, but similar in scale.

 

[Russell King]

One other thing to consider is to give yourself something that helps you get onto the tractor (besides the steering wheel). That may not be a problem now, but as age happens you may find that step up distance grows at an exponential rate as balance decreases in a linear fashion!

It looks good!

 

[Paul Allwood]

Very nice work!

I'm not sure bracing the tops of the towers is necessary -- you have them very well braced at the bottom. They do look a bit short to my eye though. Is that the planned height or is there more to come? I'm not sure what your planned bucket dump height is but remember that a taller tower helps keep the bucket forward of the tractor at a given height. You don't want to be dumping the load onto the hood!

When I designed mine, I did a LOT of scale sketches, similar to this, to work out the geometry. I ended up with the pivot point of the loader arms about 6" above the hood height. Different tractor of course, but similar in scale.

There is more to come. What you can see so far is the support frame that stays attached to the tractor. There are posts that fit into the towers that will allow me to fit and remove the loader, hopefully reasonably easily. I've attached an earlier pic that shows the removable uprights fitted into the towers.

Thanks for the comments on the height and your drawings - really appreciated. I'll keep that in mind when I build the loader arms - so far I only have them prototyped in plywood.

 

[Paul Allwood]

One other thing to consider is to give yourself something that helps you get onto the tractor (besides the steering wheel). That may not be a problem now, but as age happens you may find that step up distance grows at an exponential rate as balance decreases in a linear fashion!

It looks good!

Thanks - I like your description of aging.