Skid Steer Remote plumbing

Don P · June 01, 2021, 07:38:57 PM

How we spent our holiday weekend :D

We also removed the Gehl "Quick-tach" system and converted to "Bob-tach" so we can interchange with common implements easier, scarfed off the old hookups on my bucket and forks and welded on bob-tach plates.

I haven't hooked up to the remotes yet but I can see the hoses hop in each direction... well ok I forgot to hook up the tank return hose and hit the engine, but only for a second, impressive :D
Thanks Mike!

mike_belben · June 01, 2021, 08:56:19 PM

Glad to help don. Most people are just benchracing, Youre one of few who pulls the trigger.

Southside · June 01, 2021, 08:58:37 PM

Don was that quick tac from Titan?

Don P · June 01, 2021, 10:27:07 PM

Yes, that and the implement mounting plates came from them. I have mixed feelings. I think I know where new welders go but there was plenty of weld there. It has about 1/8" of twist across the mounting plates but seems to fit into the implement plates ok. The wedge pins were installed backwards, one of the pivot studs for the pin arms was only run in about one thread deep and there was no bottom bobcat style angled piece to fit to the bottom of the attachment plates. All downforce was restrained by the wedge pins so we had to fab that. I'm jacking the front wheels off the ground and dragging backwards half the time so need a real bottom stop to hit the implement plate. There is a slight variation in the 2 implement plates we got so we then had to do a little grinding on our homemade bottom angled piece so it would fit both plates. I'll have the grinder there when we rent the jackhammer in case we need to modify it a little more for standard issue stuff... in other words they aren't hitting real tight specs. The Bob-tach was made to fit a tractor FEL and I'm much narrower so we cut off the excess width and did a little grinding and welding there. However the easy interchangeable mount for my machine was about $1000 more so I'm not begrudging them much. I've got about that in the whole deal here and have remotes now... I see a grapple for the forks on the horizon :D. It does put my implement forward several inches but we looked under the bottom back of the machine and there is room to put ~4 bf of steel plate under that end without changing ground clearance.

Southside · June 01, 2021, 10:51:43 PM

Thanks. I WAS considering one....Guess there is a reason they have the prices they do.

mike_belben · June 01, 2021, 10:56:55 PM

Just remember once you add that rear ballast you will never drive forward up a slope again without an attachment on. Mine has a 4/4 steel plate ;D on the rear door and it had foamed tires all around until i completely used them to the bone then put pneumatics up front.

First time i went bare to fetch an attachment just a slight bit uphill, the front end went skyward and just stayed there. I couldnt get unwheelied and had to shut off before losing oil pickup coverage.

:D

Don P · June 01, 2021, 11:08:45 PM

You ain't driving if you haven't gone turtle a time or two :D

mike_belben · June 02, 2021, 08:00:47 AM

I contemplate half tracking the rear of mine.

Skid steer prices have gone so stinkin high i can probably never afford a good one now. Ive had enough of the ford gasser and all its constant problems, and have a mercedes om617 turbo diesel inline 5 i would put in but theres no way itll work without an extension of the rear engine house. It would require a wheelie bar. Then it donned on me.. a rear bogie rocker and some OTT mini tracks running over small pneumatic idler tires.

Sizeable project, but worth the time i think. itd probably be a beast. Id put a belt drive, electric clutched, central hydraulic pump on the pulley end for high flow rotary tools. Small hotsaw, mulcher etc.

Probably never happen, too many projects.

Don P · June 09, 2021, 07:38:28 AM

So far the weight balance doesn't seem to be too bad, gonna find out today, I need to load a couple of loads in the dump truck to get it outta there.

I jacked and relevelled a large part of the house a good bit the other day, none of the doors work and I must have landed on something, somebody has died with a vengeance under there :D. I suspect a critter was in one of the loose stacked stone walls under the kitchen and the weight shifted.

Of course now that its all rigged up with remotes the rock got softer so no jackhammer rental yet. The problem i noticed at the end of the day yesterday Is the long 106" hoses I ran up the arms have been flopping and I've rubbed one already. I'll zip tie and duck tape it for the time being but that ain't gonna work. I can make a C channel type cover to contain them but I think I want to use hard tubing up the arms with hoses at each end. So of course in my pea brain I figured 1/2" schedule 40 iron pipe would work... a little googling last night on working pressure squished that notion. I found some aluminum tubing, flaring tool and fittings but we're getting out of my wheelhouse, is this adequate?

I'm looking at the 3/8" 3200psi general purpose aluminum here;
high-pressure tubing | McMaster-Carr

Fittings, the nut, ferrule sleeve and straight adapters here;
McMaster-Carr

and the $93.95 37° flaring tool here;
tube flaring tools | McMaster-Carr