Stand for parking FEL while raised.

[jaymoney2]

My garage isn’t very deep… apparently people only park a car in them, and would never want storage, a work bench, some space to walk in front of / work on a vehicle in the garage as well!

now that the winter is upon us, the car, kubota, and snow thrower are all in the garage, and it is a bit tight.

i am currently removing the bucket, putting the loader arms over the bucket, supported by Jack stands and then squeezing the snow-thrower in behind to create enough room for a walkway to get my kid in a car seat to the car through the garage.

It is quite the game of Tetris, and only a matter of time before I mangle a piece of equipment, the house, or a tiny foot walking by all of this.

I was thinking of making a rack, (think tall saw horses) that the snow thrower will fit underneath of, that I can rest the bucket while attached to the FEL on while parked in the garage. this would help with quickly getting in and out, and also let me optimize space.

wanted to get everyone’s thoughts on this, if it would be ok on the tractor / if this storage geometry might leave too much weight on the tractor, etc.

also open to any other ideas on storing all of your snow equipment without having a warehouse!

 

[imnukensc]

Shouldn't be any problem at all with your plan. The tractor/FEL is designed for carrying a load in the bucket so there is no issue with too much weight on the tractor. The reason for storing the bucket on the ground is so that hydraulic fluid doesn't leak past/put stress on the seals. Since the bucket will be resting on your rack, there will be no leak down putting undue stress on the seals.

 

[johnjk]

Similar problem here with my B3200 and my quad. I could just rest the bucket on the back of the quad but then I’m overloading the suspension. Version 1 of the support needs a cross section under the 2x4 for more stability but it works great. Now I just need 4’ more behind it to leave my rear blade attached

 

[mcfarmall]

You could also make a pair of "safety blocks" to put on the lift cylinders and forego the sawhorse.

 

[jaymoney2]

You could also make a pair of "safety blocks" to put on the lift cylinders and forego the sawhorse.

Seems like an elegant solution, but something inside my head keeps telling me it would be nice to get at least some of the weight off the front end / tires when parked.

 

[jaymoney2]

Similar problem here with my B3200 and my quad. I could just rest the bucket on the back of the quad but then I’m overloading the suspension. Version 1 of the support needs a cross section under the 2x4 for more stability but it works great. Now I just need 4’ more behind it to leave my rear blade attached

the real solution is another barn / shed / garage… but then we can’t afford the stuff to park in the new structure!

 

[jaymoney2]

Similar problem here with my B3200 and my quad. I could just rest the bucket on the back of the quad but then I’m overloading the suspension. Version 1 of the support needs a cross section under the 2x4 for more stability but it works great. Now I just need 4’ more behind it to leave my rear blade attached

maybe make the stand wider and park the quad in the other direction? That might get you some extra space

 

[johnjk]

the real solution is another barn / shed / garage… but then we can’t afford the stuff to park in the new structure!

A new barn is in the works for next summer. I need to get people out to give me quotes. It will be nice to have all my implements under a roof. But that is a discussion for another thread

 

[johnjk]

maybe make the stand wider and park the quad in the other direction? That might get you some extra space

Too much junk on either side to park it sideways. I like the thought though.

 

[mcfarmall]

Seems like an elegant solution, but something inside my head keeps telling me it would be nice to get at least some of the weight off the front end / tires when parked.

It cannot be overstated that these tractors are designed for such sustained loads. However, if it makes you sleep better at night, then so be it.

 

[aaluck]

It may not be what you want to do but.... you could just you could just leave the FEL outside (covered with tarp or not) and keep the tractor in the garage. Many folks without storage space leave the whole tractor outdoors year-round, the FEL would be fine.

 

[Old_Paint]

The easiest/safest way is certainly with blocking that fits over the cylinder rods when extended and leaves just enough room to let the FEL back down on them. Relax the bucket cylinders while you're at it, just to make sure you won't hit your noggin thinking it's still high enough to walk under. If you already know it's too low to go under, you won't. ESPECIALLY if you have a toothbar on that bucket. Plan B is to make some hooks that will keep the lip of the bucket turned up, but that adds to your 'escape' time. Shut the tractor off, bleed the pressure, voila!, no one's gotta worry about it falling. You'll still have the issue of needing to lower that FEL before you back out unless your door is a lot higher than I think it is. Remember, the blocks gotta come back off as easy as they go on.

I wouldn't worry about the weight on the front. It's a lot heavier when that bucket is full, right? If something was gonna happen to the front end, it already would have when you picked up the first bucketful of dirt.