Plow Build #2

[f150skidoo]

Thanks for the comments guys, the blade has worked flawlessly for the last 6 plows (tonight is going to be #7). The blade is very productive on a skid steer, I can plow a 2 lane residential road in 2 passes were a pickup truck would take 4 passes. The blade cost me a bit over $4,000 in materials & parts. I've been meaning to take some action shots but I can't be bothered to get out of the warm cab to take some pictures. Ill try and shoot a quick video but its hard to hold a cell phone while operating a machine that needs both hands and your right foot.

 

[gearhead1]

You are an awesome fabricator! Nice work!

 

[jack stand]

So sad I missed this build somehow, texasranger gave me a link to this on another forum on a build thread I have. I gave up on the hinged wings because I couldn't figure out it's linkage needed. Fantastic build!

 

[f150skidoo]

So sad I missed this build somehow, texasranger gave me a link to this on another forum on a build thread I have. I gave up on the hinged wings because I couldn't figure out it's linkage needed. Fantastic build!

Thanks, making the wings hydraulically actuated was certainly a hard thing to fabricate, And I'm curious to see what your working on.

 

[jack stand]

skidoo I carefully read through your post here today, yesterday I went through it like a starving pygmy at a buffet table! Excellent!
I see a bit of "HLA" inspired ideas. I think you lost nothing with your 167* wing rotation, and your design oversight with the cyl. clearance was beautifully disguised with your solution and I think may have added some (possibly) needed support along the hinge section. I hope you are a fabricator at a big time shop during the day, your build is giving me serious feelings of inadequacy.

I plow driveways with a tractor that has a Fisher 9'6" V (frame mounted), and wanted something to pull snow away from doors (think simple box blade). My wish list was to be 1- heavy to keep me in 2WD most of the time. 2- to be "close in" to the tractor to keep the overall plow/tractor length down. 3- the ability to carry some snow on "reverse trips" while win rowing some of the bigger lots. (Church size, not wal mart)

After failing to come up with the linkage required for a 180* wing I wimped out and am just going with a more normal "box pusher" design that will be able to mount to a detachable 3 pt.hitch from both sides via a "eruo/global" type hitch from both sides for a real pusher box when wings back, and a good snow carrier for doorways when wings forward. On my "route" I will only need to switch it 1 or 2 times.

Did you ever check into those "rotary actuators"? https://www.helac.com/products/rotary-actuators/
they look too expensive for me to even inquire.

 

[texasranger]

If you want to see one torn down.

 

[f150skidoo]

I did entertain the idea of using rotary actuators but I heard guys say they are $750-$1000 a piece so I just went with the cost effective option of cylinders and linkages. Oh and I'm a mason as my day job, just fabricate for fun.


Thanks for the link texasranger its neat to see how one of those works.

 

[f150skidoo]

skidoo I carefully read through your post here today, yesterday I went through it like a starving pygmy at a buffet table! Excellent!
I see a bit of "HLA" inspired ideas. I think you lost nothing with your 167* wing rotation, and your design oversight with the cyl. clearance was beautifully disguised with your solution and I think may have added some (possibly) needed support along the hinge section. I hope you are a fabricator at a big time shop during the day, your build is giving me serious feelings of inadequacy.

I plow driveways with a tractor that has a Fisher 9'6" V (frame mounted), and wanted something to pull snow away from doors (think simple box blade). My wish list was to be 1- heavy to keep me in 2WD most of the time. 2- to be "close in" to the tractor to keep the overall plow/tractor length down. 3- the ability to carry some snow on "reverse trips" while win rowing some of the bigger lots. (Church size, not wal mart)

After failing to come up with the linkage required for a 180* wing I wimped out and am just going with a more normal "box pusher" design that will be able to mount to a detachable 3 pt.hitch from both sides via a "eruo/global" type hitch from both sides for a real pusher box when wings back, and a good snow carrier for doorways when wings forward. On my "route" I will only need to switch it 1 or 2 times.

Did you ever check into those "rotary actuators"? https://www.helac.com/products/rotary-actuators/
they look too expensive for me to even inquire.

So I had a sneaky suspicion that you are on tractorbynet so I found your build thread and your pusher looks awesome, and will be very effective on the 3 point for what you need it for. Another design that you could of done is like the Ebling back blade but those wing only actuate 90 degrees so they would be much simpler to build then my blades wings.

 

[jack stand]

I saw one of those for the first time a few weeks ago. I'm not sure what application they use them for but every tool has it's "job". I'm primarily looking for very short door "pulls" and a little pusher action on 100' backup trips to do a better job & save a little time. I sure wish I saw your thread a month ago! I'd be PM ing you for those critical measurements on your hinge cyl linkage
I'll see how this works out and maybe next winters project.........

How do you like your Milwaukee carbide saw? All of those carbide cutters look very shielded, do they require a "fence" for ripping a sheet? (can you see a line & watch the blade like a skill saw)

I'm going to look at your press build, I have a Hossfeld bender (manual) but today I could not bend 1/2x3 bar, 3/8 would have bent but I needed 1/2.
A press is one of those things that just take up room, until you need it, but that's like quite a few other items just taking up room now

 

[jack stand]

If you want to see one torn down.

I came across that searching for them. HLA uses them on their wing plows, along with I'm guessing a lot of complicated hydraulic plumbing. They move while in the reverse position while angling the blade to avoid tire contact, automatically I think. There's one on c/l here in ME $6500 and it only 7' folded up.
http://hlasnow.com/blades/3200W.php

Where in MD ranger? I moved away from Fred. Co. 10 years ago.

 

[texasranger]

Pasadena. We drive through Frederick fairly often visiting family in Pittsburgh where my wife and I grew up. Construction on 70 through Frederick finally finished after many years!

 

[f150skidoo]

The metal cutting circular saw works amazing. I'm currently working on a 1 yard bucket for a wheel loader and the bucket is mostly made up from a 5'x10' sheet of 3/8" plate and the saw cuts extremely well. It leaves the best cut quality of any tool that cuts steel it looks like a polished edge from a cnc mill. You can cut freehand like a wood saw but on long cuts a clamp a straight edge to make sure the saw doesn't walk.

A press is something you don't always need but when you need it theirs no substitute. Even just having a cheap harbor freight 20 ton with a swag press brake kit makes fabricating a much nicer experience and will make for a more profesional end product if you can bend the material.

 

[jack stand]

Nice job on your press!
Was pre heating your 1" thick verticals required to weld?

I also wondered about the blade life in that saw. I have a carbide metal cutting chop saw that's 14" iirc and wondered about how long a 7 1/4" blade would last doing 8' rips in 1/4 - 3/8 material. I recently replaced my "torch" with a new and updated "duramax" model that increased the cutting capacity on my old Hypertherm plas cutter and it has vastly improved consumable's life along with my love affair with it. 3/4 used to be "pushing it" with the original torch, now it's like zipping through 1/2"