Since I already took the picture, this is my modified Kubota rack (made from two 5 holers) to fit our Ford with 5011 weights, 55 pounds each, I think.
What did you do to or on your Kubota today?
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mcmxi
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***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Awesome! I think I might order the Kubota weights from Everything Attachments. It's a decent deal for 1,020lb at $1.19/lb or 1,078lb at $1.35/lb delivered depending on which weight type fits my bracket. I might have to get creative with the cheaper weight to get three of the weights on since they're 2-7/16" thick. If the more expensive one works with the bracket I can get all eleven weights on since they're 1-7/8" thick.
Added in edit: After some digging I found that the Kubota suitcase weight for the bracket I have is M8071 which is basically EA's 5014 102lb weight. Those are the cheaper of the two which is nice, so $1.19/lb it is and eight will fit on the bracket as it currently sits. I'll look at modifying the bracket to take all ten weights.
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Trapper Bob
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L4701, Wicked grapple, 6’ bush hog, pallet forks, 7’ box blade, 6’ Wicked bucket
Got my implement pallet carts built. The one for the BB is unfortunately too high (I should have measured), so I'll need to figure out a better way to use it. I may replace the top planks with 1x material vs. 2x material to reduce the height by a bit.
mcmxi
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Could you make up some steel brackets that bolt to the side of the pallet and hang the casters of those such that the bottom of the pallet is an inch or less off the deck and can still roll around? It wouldn't be as nice in terms of having pallets butt up to each other but it's a work around.
That's a good idea, I'm going to take some measurements tomorrow. If I can get away with .75" of height reduction, I'll go with the 1x for ease. If the gap is more than that, I could weld two 5" angle iron brackets together in a Z shape, bolt the bottom of the angle iron to the bottom of the pallet and drill the portion that hangs off of the side for the casters.
By the way, good call on 1000lb casters, these things are smooth as butter even with a heavy bucket and the weight of the pallet on it.
mcmxi
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If you go with the double angle idea which is a good one, you might want to gusset the angle so that it doesn't deform under load.
Yeah, good casters are pricey but well worth the investment.
Here's another way to get 1/2". Instead of 4x4's for the structure, stack two 2x4's. A 4x4 is actually 3.5 x 3.5. A 2x4 is 1.5 x 3.5. Two stacked would give you 3 x 3.5. Assuming a half inch would help, that is.
Another good idea. I may be able to do that and get 1.25" with 1x planks on top.
Thank you for that, a Z bracket with gusseted end would be bulletproof. Here are my two options based on your feedback and @Old_Paint.
1-inch lumber (finished) is actually 5/8 (.625). That would drop you down 7/8" from the 1.5" thick lumber. That plus .5 inch from stacked 2x4's would get you a total of 1.375 lower. If you use 1" stuff on the bottom too, it'll drop it another 7/8, for a total of 2.25". Nominal 2" lumber is overkill for most implements a compact tractor can handle. Especially when making pallets. MOST, but not all. A 'small' chipper can weigh quite a bit. My WC-68 is nearly 900 pounds assembled. It takes a pretty stout pallet for that thing, and since it was shipped on a steel one, that's what I used to store it on. I still haven't perfected the caster mounts on it yet, though. If you don't trust 1" (5/8) stuff, then use deck planks on the surfaces. They're listed as 5/4" x 6" which actually comes out to about 1" x 5.5" after they dry out. There's a lotta shrinkage in PT lumber, so don't be surprised if something pulls itself outta whack.
I'm not gonna say that the Z-brackets won't work nor even that they're not a good idea, but you'll need to make sure to put some lag screws in from the side as well as the bottom to prevent the bottom of the Z from flexing, particularly if it's going to carry a heavy load. Rule of thumb with Z-brackets is that if you need a gusset on one side, you need it on the other. Putting the lag screws in from the side makes the cribbing effectively a gusset. If that Z flexes, it will let the swivels get out of plumb. Anyone that's ever been to a grocery store knows that a shopping cart with a bent mount for the swivel casters has a mind of its own, which I have also discovered about my steel pallet that flexes under my chipper. I need a larger angle frame around the outside to prevent some of the flex. It was designed to carry the load of the chipper on two 4" box beams under the pallet surface. I lifted that off the floor with casters, didnt' I? The chipper weighs nearly 900 pounds dressed out. The other problem I see with the Z-brackets is that you'll probably wind up adding a minimum of 6 inches to each end of those pallets. That might or might not be an issue for you. Large casters like those typically have a pretty large swivel radius. Don't forget to round the corners of the brackets too. Your ankles will thank you. Slamming pallets with Z brackets is tricky.
I'm going to mod my pallet for my chipper, and put fixed casters on the front (tractor) end of it. This will stop some of the erratic behavior for the slight flex in the pallet and let me keep the pallet fairly light. The chipper tends to be heaviest toward the front when folded up and also sits forward on the pallet. Two fixed casters will make it a little less maneuverable in small spaces but will also eliminate some of the muscle power it takes to keep it moving in the direction I want it to go. It's a heavy piece of equipment and does a lot of damage if it hits something else in the shop. Having a finger between it and a stationary object is NOT going to end well. It isn't real nice to the lower back trying to change it's mind, either. The pallet rolls beautifully unloaded, so I know I have the casters mounted as straight as I can get them. I just didn't think about how much the pallet flexes. So, back to the drawing board.
I see you have a bolt-on bucket edge of some make. You and I have exactly the same bucket (probably because we both have LX2610s with LA535 loaders), and I see we put our bolt-on hooks in the same place. I think I see clevises hanging under the hooks so I'll guess you also put D-rings under the hooks instead of the blank reinforcement plates. I put my d-rings in the very bottom of the bucket, in the narrow flat surface. Hindsight's 20/20, and I may yet move them under the hooks so I can leave the clevises in them. I can put the blank plates all in one place. I left my hooks with the zinc finish, too. Looks OK to me. That bucket really isn't too heavy. It's about 200 pounds.
I have the BXPanded Piranha tooth bar on my bucket, which required drilling the sides (one hole each). I don't like the way it mounts from the factory, so I'm drilling the bar to match all the holes in the lip and will put bolts in all of them and cut off the side brackets. I killed a Milwaukee cordless drill when I started the mod, and just haven't finished it yet. Do you have taper head bolts in that bar? What size are they, if you don't mind my asking. Countersinking the holes in that tooth bar is not going to be fun. That would give me a lot more metal to hold the bar on and will get rid of some rattle that I hear when I lift the bucket. I do like the aggressive Piranha bar, it just wasn't fit to our buckets very well. I still highly recommend it if you have clay soil like I do. It makes the bucket work a LOT better with the serrated edge. It works pretty darn good for raking too. I drag it to pile up deadfall, roots, and punk so I can push it out of the way. I don't have a grapple (yet), so I make do with what I have. Still a lot better than picking all that crap up by hand.
Magicman
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M4900 Utility Special 4WD e/w FEL & 1530 John Deere "Traveling Man"
Spreading some crushed rock with the U25 in the background.
Getting er done.
The last backdrag.
Bmyers
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Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
Wish I had the mini-ex you have in the background. I don't have lots of projects for one, but sure would be nice to have that in the tool box.
RE: your earlier post, I'm strongly considering the 1x or 5/4 material, will most likely get me the height I need and I don't have to screw around with z brackets. The Z brackets will be cool, but also a PITA and my welder isn't hooked up yet (waiting on Square D QO panel recall work to be completed before I run my 220 for my miller).
On the cutting edge topic, you shouldn't have to countersink the bar. My bar just had square holes laser cut and the bucket/factory cutting edge had the countersunk holes on top to accept lag bolts and locking washers/washers/nuts. I don't know if the countersunk bucket was a new decision by Kubota or if all the factory 54" buckets have this design. I do plan on picking up a pirana before my digging work begins and cutting off the side brackets and drilling the holes in the bottom are a much better idea. Here's a few pictures if it helps along with the part numbers for the factory edge and bolt kit.
This may be a hare-brained idea, especially since I don't understand the original problem. Just remember what you paid for it.
Since you're into metal fab, could you fab U-brackets on each caster and clamp them on the side plates front and rear? Do away with the pallet?
Magicman
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M4900 Utility Special 4WD e/w FEL & 1530 John Deere "Traveling Man"
That U25 is on it's way to earn it's keep this morning. My Son has a "start-up" construction company trenching/boring/plowing fiber optic cables so it will be digging a boring receiving pit this morning.
Hmmm, interesting bar. No such bar was on my bucket (nor suggested by the dealer). I just noticed the existing holes and THOUGHT BXPanded would take advantage of those holes. I was very wrong, and they had no interest in discussing it with me.
I'm assuming the bolts in your kit are carriage bolts since the bar has square holes. That takes a pretty big punch press to press those out, not something I'd ever even want in my shed. It would have very few uses.
The advantage of the countersunk holes will be that a taper head bolt can be used on the bottom and not make grooves when you're back-dragging in soil. Dunno, maybe I'm just picky, because they wouldn't be deep grooves from just the bolts, however fine roots and stuff will catch on a bolt head and accumulate a packed ball of dirt which will make them deeper. Carriage bolts would be better than standard bolts, but I don't have any square drills.
I kinda like the bolts/nuts with the knurled flanges that don't need washers under them. Not sure I can get them in grade 8, though.I'll probably use some 1/2" grade 8 taper heads. Just curious if you know what the length is. I can measure it for total penetration plus nut/washer height, but I'm lazy. Don't want threads sticking out of the nuts that will get chewed up and make them murder to take back off later. Now to find a countersink for 1/2" taper head bolts.......
Apologies! I was mistaken. The factory accessory cutting edge is actually countersunk on the bottom to accept carriage bolts. The nuts are on top of the bucket with the lock washers.Hmmm, interesting bar. No such bar was on my bucket (nor suggested by the dealer). I just noticed the existing holes and THOUGHT BXPanded would take advantage of those holes. I was very wrong, and they had no interest in discussing it with me.
I'm assuming the bolts in your kit are carriage bolts since the bar has square holes. That takes a pretty big punch press to press those out, not something I'd ever even want in my shed. It would have very few uses.
The advantage of the countersunk holes will be that a taper head bolt can be used on the bottom and not make grooves when you're back-dragging in soil. Dunno, maybe I'm just picky, because they wouldn't be deep grooves from just the bolts, however fine roots and stuff will catch on a bolt head and accumulate a packed ball of dirt which will make them deeper. Carriage bolts would be better than standard bolts, but I don't have any square drills.
I'll probably use some 1/2" grade 8 taper heads. Just curious if you know what the length is. I can measure it for total penetration plus nut/washer height, but I'm lazy. Don't want threads sticking out of the nuts that will get chewed up and make them murder to take back off later. Now to find a countersink for 1/2" taper head bolts.......
Honestly, I'd set your pirana bar under your bucket, mark the holes, and let a machine shop punch the holes or drill and mill your countersunk holes for you. It would be money well spent and extremely precise.
I got my pallet cart to work, in my infinite wisdom last night, I hadn't lifted the 3pt to full height because I was worried the hydraulic top link would hit the light bar... Well, it didn't. So my BB clears my pallet cart by roughly 3/4"
I had to lift to full height and extend the top link ram a few inches to level out the BB but all is well!Here's one of the bucket cart in action (I can drive the tractor out, set the forks and leave them in the cart, and easily switch to bucket and visa versa without doing any manual labor except for locking the pallet cart casters). I can also move and relocate my BB now out of the way and into storage when I borrow an implement like a stump grinder or chipper. Another benefit is that I can load the pallet cart into a trailer for other implements to be placed on and use the forks to remove the pallet+implement and wheel it around back of the tractor for quick hookup.
I do want to add some tube handles bent in U shape and welded to flanges that I can bolt to the side of the carts so I can move them around easier without having to bend down. I also need to add some tie down rings to the carts to keep the implements secure and secure the cart to a trailer if necessary.
I think for the tie downs, I can use some scrap strut channel and bolt some eye bolts/eye nutd to them for straps to hook to like the below image:
Attachments
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Maybe some grader (plow) bolts would work.Hmmm, interesting bar. No such bar was on my bucket (nor suggested by the dealer). I just noticed the existing holes and THOUGHT BXPanded would take advantage of those holes. I was very wrong, and they had no interest in discussing it with me.
I'm assuming the bolts in your kit are carriage bolts since the bar has square holes. That takes a pretty big punch press to press those out, not something I'd ever even want in my shed. It would have very few uses.
The advantage of the countersunk holes will be that a taper head bolt can be used on the bottom and not make grooves when you're back-dragging in soil. Dunno, maybe I'm just picky, because they wouldn't be deep grooves from just the bolts, however fine roots and stuff will catch on a bolt head and accumulate a packed ball of dirt which will make them deeper. Carriage bolts would be better than standard bolts, but I don't have any square drills.
I'll probably use some 1/2" grade 8 taper heads. Just curious if you know what the length is. I can measure it for total penetration plus nut/washer height, but I'm lazy. Don't want threads sticking out of the nuts that will get chewed up and make them murder to take back off later. Now to find a countersink for 1/2" taper head bolts.......
Amazon.com: 8 - Plow Bolts & Nuts for Blades/Cutting Edges, 5/8-11x2 1/4 - Grade 8, Dome Head : Industrial & Scientific
Amazon.com: 8 - Plow Bolts & Nuts for Blades/Cutting Edges, 5/8-11x2 1/4 - Grade 8, Dome Head : Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com