Loader Bucket Upgrade..... Loaders is cool.

[Scott C.]

Since I have swapped buckets on the loader, I've needed the hooks I had on the last one quite a few times.
So, I stopped at TSC yesterday and picked a couple up.
I cut some 1/4" flat stock to make a solid base for the hooks and welded everything up.

Little paint and I'm hooked!

[Scott C.]

Now, I had another thought (I know, it happens once in a while....).
The hooks are great and have all kinds of uses, especially on heavy items.

But, motors aren't that heavy, for a loader anyhow.
And there's always something in the bed of the truck or out of reach that you could use a loader on but can't. We can't have that!
This is as far as my thought got.
A pig pole on the bucket. When I worked demolition years ago, we had a 977 with a 6" receiver welded to the bucket. When one felt like it, one could put a 20' long pole with a tee about two feet wide welded to the end into said receiver. If one felt like it, he could then take said 977 with bar and drive it through the side of a house, proceed to go back and forth whilst turning this way and that and in doing so tear out most of the interior walls and stairs from one spot. After having a little fun doing this, you could then push the house in. Whatta job!
Anyhow, The receiver is what I'm after, the rest is just a good story.
I have what's left of a stop sign post and base (don't ask). I am going to cut a piece of the base and weld it to the bucket then make a removable pole with a hook on the end to do my light lifting.
I'll post progress pictures on it when I start.
You see the inner piece slides nicely into the receiver and I can use a trailer safety hitch pin to hold it in place while being used.

[Ben Morong]

My loader used to have a bucket with a hook; I swapped buckets (for a bigger one) and I miss that hook! I think I'll do the same as you. But about that receiver/pig pole thing -- if you had something medium/heavy on the end of five foot pole and lifted it, I wonder if that might bend down the middle of the top of the bucket. It probably wasn't made to be rigid, being only the top. The bucket I used to have had only one hook in the middle, welded to a piece of angle a couple of feet long that was welded to the bucket, providing some additional resistance to flex. I think I'll redo that idea with a piece of angle about two feet long and put a hook on each end.

[mgonitzke]

I would also worry about that collapsing the top of the bucket. Someday I'm going to build a dedicated boom that attaches in place of the boom. That way I'm also not lifting the weight of the bucket, as well as whatever I'm trying to pick up.

[Mayor]

Scott....
Make a gin pole with two pieces of steel welded on that would sandwich on the cutting edge of the bucket.....then just add a couple chain hooks too the end or weld on some short chains that would reach the hooks you just welded on the bucket.
This would be super strong without stressing your new bucket and easily stored against a wall when not in use!.

[Farmallgray]

Matt,
If you do that, you may also think about making the bucket quick attach like skid loader buckets are.

[Scott C.]

OK, how about this?
I make the receiver detachable. Mount it to a piece of angle iron drilled with the front edge of the bucket to accept being pinned or bolted on.
On the back side make a tab (probably two pieces of angle welded together to form a U) out the back of the reciever that can be pinned or bolted to the bucket.
This point would be reinforced from underneath inside the bucket.

[sblunier]

Scott,

You should make it like Tony suggested in order to be safe, secure, and not damage the bucket.

[Scott C.]

Still sayin' it.... Loaders is cool.
Jill wants the ground cover off the hillside but there's rocks in them there weeds.
I got the smaller ones out so I could get at the big one.

The only way I was going to move it was to push it down hill, the problem was, it was too deep to push. Once I hit it I couldn't back up.
I managed to flip it out of the dirt. Only had one chance at that or the super was going to be pulling me out of there.

Once I flipped it, I was able to push it out into the yard.

Once in the yard there was no way I was going to push it sideways on the hill.
So, flip it.
And I wonder why I'm hard on buckets....

[/font]

[Scott C.]

I'm still amazed at how much work that tired old 12hp will do

[BigMike]

Scott,nice batch of pachysandra.
Before you rip it out and compost it you might find a garden center that would trade for some perennials or annuals for Jill to make the place all fancy .

How does ANYONE live without a loader(a FUNCTIONING loader AW )?

[Grant]

I thought street sign posts were 'breakaway' and would have torsional rigidity but would crack if used to lift as Scott is planning. Is this not correct? I scrapped an idea to make a sleeve hitch toolbar with perforated sign post due to that concern.

[Scott C.]

Mike,
I gave away as much as possible then transplanted some.

Grant,
Got to look into that. I had used a double for the main beam on the first back blade I built, never had an issue but the load was never where the breakaway design would affect it.

Got my loader fix last night. Arghhhhh.......
Moved some rocks, dug some dirt, yeah, loaders rule.
I put the old bucket with teeth on it, whatta difference for digging.
I am making a spot to put some rocks and straighten up the hill a little. There's one big arse rock in there (next to the dirt pile) that is about 8' long. Since I don't have a D-9, I'm working around it.
The other rock is already in a decent spot, although I think I could move it if I had to, so I'm working with those two as my base.
The section I dug out between them is where the other ones are going. I can see, if I'm not careful, one of these rolling back off my bucket edge and taking out the grill casting (I'm prepared, I have a spare).
Get them set then I'll fill in behind them so I can trim along the bottom and drive up around them to cut the top.

Loaders Rock! Get it? Rock.... loaders rock, there's rocks in the picture....

[mmzullo]

Scot,
NICE!!!!!!!! Can you take a picture of the bottom of your bucket with the teeth? I think I have what's left of a bucket like that without the side. I just use it with out the side to move rocks around.
Thanks

[Scott C.]

Mike,
It was a manure bucket/forks before someone welded a bottom and sides on. I got this from Rich Patton when I bought the loader from him.
It comes in handy on hard ground or roots. I had to cut about 4" off the end of the teeth though. They were too long to be practical, they'd dig in but you couldn't get the dirt into the bucket easily.
The teeth are awesome though, it makes the loader be able to do so much more. If I didn't have this bucket, I'd have already welded teeth to the other one.

[Scott C.]

Got some more work on the wall done today.
I started putting the rocks in place (loaders rock!). If they were any bigger I wouldn't have been able to move them back in place.
One problem, I ran out of dirt. Hmmmm..... I'd been planning on making a section next to the shed to park the loader that would require digging a little dirt out to level a spot. Looks like my next project.

[Scott C.]

Grrrrrrr........

[stevet]

You're feelin' just a little more manly today, aren't ya Scott!!!

Oh, by the way, the last pic with the Super sitting in the background is awesome!!

[mmzullo]

Scott,
Thanks!! I have the same bucket but the sides and bottom are missing. It did have metal on it because I can see where there used to be welded metal on it like yours. So my bucket just has the forks. I was going to just put flat stock to make it more riggid to move rocks around.

[BigMike]

Here is a pic of my stone work.

It's a raised bed,I will fill it with perennials and the odd tomato or two it will also make it easier to get to the gutters.

[vince_o]

Found this very intresting and its loader related

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=48858

[Scott C.]

I got to spend some more time on the hillside yesterday.
Cutting out all of the old pachysandra roots is quite a chore. I would have never figured there would be so much!

The ol' loader pulls through again. Give him a nice downhill grade, solid dirt for traction and that 12hp can grunt.
I could push a full bucket and get it to roll out if I kept the front wheels off the ground. Whatta machine

The view from the hammock...... gotta nap you know.

[mmzullo]

NAP!!! Didn't the loader do all the heavy lifting? LOL

I found a problem with my loader the other day. The welded in bushings are cracked. They are welded in the top pivot by the uprights. I noticed it because the paint was cracked and didn't remember it there before. It's in the 2x3 beams. They appear to be just 3/4 pipe with 1/2 pins. I have to take the beams off to see how it fix it. I'll get pictures.
Here's a picture of my new bucket next to my old bucket.

[vince_o]

Mike

I like the new bucket!

[mmzullo]

Chumlee,
I found it in the scrap pile. It was new and never mounted. I had to make new mounting plates. Its 12 inches wider then the older bucket but not deep.

[vince_o]

Mike in the scrap pile, were they nuts, or is/was hot! I think the buckets should be wider than the machine. Im going to make mine wider for sure.

Maybe I can get the 1872 done by sept, other crap keps breaking, and start the loader on it this winter. Ive been working on rebuilding my trailer, taking most of my time, not to mention I dont feel like doing anything when I get home from work.

[Scott C.]

The loader got one heck of a workout today.
My son in law brought me two loads of topsoil today and I spread it all with the loader. Climbed the hill with every bucket and spread it all.
Worked the dirt pile at the bottom of the wall first to try to even up the grade at the bottom a little.
About 4 ton on the hillside.

Drug it all down with the bucket

More dirt...

Graded and seeded (the hill anyhow).

[/font]

[J Hayes]

See Scott I told you ! If ya took off that Cowboy hat you could hide anywhere.
I like your work uniform too, really dig those see through safety shoes.
I know it sounds impossible but did you ever have a hydraulic line blow under a load ?
I did on a forklift one time with a pallet of mining tires 20' in the air. very scarey, and hot. the only thing that saved me some nasty burns was the shrink wrap I had on the cage for rainy outside work and a leather apron I was wearing because I also worked at " tire repair" making"BLEM" tires out of new ones.

Ya did do a nice job there !!

[CubbinCal]

Plaid shorts and flip flops! At least he has on a yellow shirt!

[Scott C.]

Jim,
Yes I have. In fact, I wore most of the fluid from the loader once. Luckily it doesn't work hard enough to get hot like the big stuff.
Had those blow too.
Safety flops are a specialty shoe and hard to find