I've got this idea in my noggin about airbags and a 4 link set up. We sold the tractor down at the cabin, we have owned it for 3 years and has less then 40 hours on it. I just sat there collecting dust and taking up room in the barn. I went down this past weekend, and played with the suburban dragging **** around, 24" oak logs, pulling them up the incline and getting them into position. Just playing not really trying to be productive, mostly seeing what it can pull and how much it squats. I had a truck that had air bags on it, I would back up to a log as close as possible, chain it up tight, air up, and get alot of weight on the rear axle, then I would go where ever I wanted. I takes some time to hook up to a log, then try and pull, then cut it in half, then pull the first half up, then manuver around the first half to chain up the second half then pull the second half up. Maybe 15 more minutes per log, but if I'm trying to pull up 20 logs to the landing, then that's a lot of time.
Problem is the the set up that I go with will have to be able to pull the load home too. Not everything at once but I hate loading a trailer half way, kinda stupid. Just wondering what other setups some of you guys have made work, money does wonders, but it is no subsitute for neccesity. I'm not to that point yet, but I am behind on my wood cutting make for the year.
I don't think that I would be able to get anything finished on the 14 bolt before the spring, but that would give me a good reference point for me to figure out how long I need to make 'it' work until I had a solid pull unit. I use to use the dodge for down at the cabin, but it has had it better days. Like 5 years ago!!! I need to start planning for the next evolution (next 10 years) of the cabin property.
I like the 76zimmer's support, with a few exceptions, I have a creek that I have to drive through (its the road) for the first 1/4 mile of the property. I love the idea of a solid square tube reinforcement on top welding both of the axle tubes and the pumpkin together. Down fall is that water would get in there and rust it from the inside out, and of course with Murphy being the bastard that he is, I wouldn't know it until it was too late (it broke). So I think I will incorporate holes in the forward and rearward faces of the reinforcment structure. I imagine that you feel everything that is ran over with how solid that rear end is. I also like the fact that the brake lines are what I think are hydraulic lines, excellent idea, but where the lines are secured to the face of the rein that is where water would get in too. Is that a shaven housing? I don't think I need to do all of that, then again, it would give me a few more inches of ground clearance off of the stumps. Haven't given up on shaving the housing, biggest bitch is chucking it up on the lathe at my shop. Probably just make up a fixture and bolt up the gear to it then instert the fixture with gear attached into the laythe and spin away!!! Yea, I think I'm going with a shaven housing too!!! You guys are awesome!!!
I like Artec's stuff, just not enough structure in the middle, I mean the housing isn't attached with the exception of the axle tubes. Just doesn't sit right with me. If I put a **** load of weight on it I don't need the housing to get in a bind, all it takes is just a bit and blammo, there goes everything. They do have a good idea, just wasn't followed through all the way.
I've attached some pics of the direction from where I've been and would like to go again. I'm not afraid of building equipment like this, I just don't like to build it twice!
