Loader Build For The 149
 

I can't run the tractor right now because I'm still waiting on some drive shaft parts, and I'm catching up to some of the other repairs. Sooo, might as well start building the FEL.

The planning has be churning around in my head for a few months and the details are starting to emerge to the point that I can start cutting metal with conviction. I've started with the under frame member and the two mast posts.

Both the 4X4" under tube and the two 2X4"mast tubes will be reservoir, giving me about four gallons plus what's in the system. The tubes will incorporate baffles to control flow for cooling and aeration. Next is building the tube to tractor frame brackets.

:popcorn::popcorn: :biggrin2::biggrin2:

:IH Trusted Hand:

Looks like a good start.

:ThumbsUp:

What GPM pump will you be running?

The pump is a .366 cubic inch per rev. Direct drive off the front of the engine.

I'm also going to be looking at your quick attach system.

I believe im using the same size pump. Just running off the rear.

Quick attachments are the way to go. Bucket and forks are a must in my opinion. I like my cub to be more of a multi tool vs a just a knife.

It's lunch time in the far NW of NA, so a quick update on the progress.

I'm a scrounger and a saver, so I end up with lots of bits of this and parts of that, plus metal of many shapes and sizes. And I like to use it as long as it's appropriate for the job and doesn't look or perform like scrap when done. With that in mind, off to the treasure pile I went and returned with a 3X3X1/4" angle and a 1 1/2X3X1/8" tube. The tube I zip cut through two opposite corners to give me a couple of 1 1/2X3" angles with rounded corner profile. Those will fit inside the frame flange to "sandwich" the frame. Its' great time to use up some of those "should be thrown out" zip discs. :biggrin2:

The angle got cut length wise to leave 1 5/8" on one web, same width as the tractor frame flange. (ok a smidge more) Then cut into four pieces of an appropriate length. This will all be the underframe.

The angle will get welded to the tube and bolted to the frame flange. I'll predrill as many holes as possible before its too cumbersome to put under the drill press. I'm hoping to have the dry fit done, tacked together and flange holes all drilled this afternoon. Then I have to go looking for some plate to go from the angle to the tractor frame. I want that part bolted together to simplify removal if need be. It's more work now, but likely far less problematic in the long run. It's always tempting to just grab the welder and make some "instant" bolts.

Good to see your progress! :popcorn:

I feel like I made some progress since the noon report yesterday.

I cut and fit the side plates and drilled a LOT of holes. Probably over fifty bolts and each through two layers. The whole frame will be held on by grade eight equivalent 8 millimeter bolts (basically 5/16"). I want to spread the holding force over a large frame area and I happen to have a box of one hundred bolts a buddy gave me. :biggrin2:

The baffle to direct tank flow is shown sitting on the tank and in the tank. The hole on the frontside is the suction. The oil will be returned to the right side mast tube. It will come down the 2X4" tube and open into a 4X4" area which will allow deceleration and any air bubbles to start floating up. Then it flows along the backside of the tube, around the end where any bubbles can now float to the top of the left mast tube, where there is a vent. Then back along the front of the tube to the suction. The return bung got a deflector to help the oil get its downward flow, rather than smashing right into the opposite side, creating turbulence. The clean out and drain bungs also got welded in.

Mast tubes coped out and ready to weld on.

All tacked up and ready to finish weld the the masts to the underbody tube.

I couldn't find any good way to incorporate the suction filter/screen inside the tank, so I'm going to have to make a remote filter housing.

Other things got in the way today, so not a lot of visible progress.

Got the boom brackets made for the top of the masts and spend a lot of time getting everything lined up just right. Ideally a person would make all the holes a bit undersize, then ream while in place or better yet, line bore. if I'm not happy with the fit when everything is mounted in working position, I will ream and machine a bigger pin. But I don't think that will be necessary on this project.

This piece is all welded up and ready for final clean up and paint. I still have to put a pin boss on each top bracket, but that will be after the boom is finished. And for the curious, the complete subframe weighs 75 pounds. The tubes are 3/16" wall and all the angle iron is 1/4".

I do have a question for anyone that has a factory built FEL.

With your bucket sitting flat on level ground, if you push down with the boom how far do your front wheels come off the ground?

On my DanCo, also on a 149, about 3/4"

Thanks. That’s way less than I thought it would be. I thought several inches, for sure. And you have no problems getting deep enough to dig a hole?

On my Farmall 400 loader tractor, It will lift the front wheels about 10" off the ground, before the cylinders reach full retraction, but never used a little GT with a bucket, so prolly not much help to you.

It does help. Just have to keep scale in mind when sending a boy ( or a Cub) to do a man's job. :beerchug:

Spent some time watching paint dry. Not much else to do in these Covid times.

The underframe/masts/tank assembly got bolted on this afternoon. I definitely have some overkill on the side plates, so I left the top row of bolts out (didn't drill those through the frame) and I'll likely pull the plates and cut them down eventually.

A pic from underneath inside the frame. And a pic of the tube cut into angles for inside frame to strengthen the flange. Not all the holes are drilled yet in that pic.

Time to start figuring out the boom geometry.

And I've got a completely intact grill. No cracks or gouges. I'd have to cut a little piece out of it for the pump, but it seems a shame to butcher a nice original piece that may be hard to find. So it's available, I'm going to make a steel grill anyway.

Sorry, a couple days late for another response, but I have a 147 with a Johnson loader, and just using boom cylinders, it will pick the front tires several inches off the ground. If I roll the bucket, it easily gets the tires a foot off the ground. Hope that info helps.
And also would like to commend you on the excellent job you're doing. Fun stuff.
I have a 2 spool valve controlling the loader, with quick connect fittings, and also have a hydraulic cylinder mounted by PO that lifted the mower deck. Mower deck was long gone prior to me getting it, but I recently picked up all the goodies for a rear lift, and am going to put a splitter on the bucket controls to be able to run the hyd cylinder for the rear lift as well, instead of having to swap quick connects from bucket, to rear lift.

Thanks. That does help and its not too late because I work slow :biggrin2:

I'm just playing with geometry today. Cylinder placement is all over the map on the many dozens of loader pics viewed. And cylinder length is pretty variable too. I'm likely going to have a single three inch cylinder on the bucket curl. With a separate pump running around 1,500 psi lift power shouldn't be a problem on the boom.

I'm going to build cylinder mount eyes today.

The 149 hasn't been getting much attention the last couple of days with some other projects needing the time. I did get some bushings and cylinder mount eyes made. I'm going to graft the the two 2X2X1/4" pieces of tube with the bushings welded in, into the 2X3X1/8" boom tubing. Those will be the pivot point at mast to boom connection. Strength wise the one inch pins are way overkill, but it gives lots of greaseable load bearing area.

Spent some time with cylinder length and placement geometry and I think a sixteen inch stroke cylinder will be my choice. The skinny board on the bottom has the length of the cylinder, retracted and extended, pinned in. My goal for lift is to be able to comfortably dump into a full size, 4X4 pickup.

Hopefully start cutting boom tubing tomorrow.

Nice work so far!
I also like to use wood mock ups. When I built my backhoe thumb, I cut the pieces out of plywood first.

IHinIN, your carpentry skills are much more refined then mine!

Seems like I didn't get much done today either, with all the cutting, checking and adjusting. Then fitting the bushings into the boom ends, drilling and tapping for grease zerks. Then just when I was ready to weld everything up, the welder had a problem. Have to buy a new spool gun liner on Monday. :bash2:

But the arms are all tacked up. Next will be the quick connect front mount. I can probably make a final decision on boom cylinder length now too.

Nice work :ThumbsUp:

I'm subbed for your build .
I like the idea of your 1" pins.











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It took awhile digging through the iron pile and contemplating options, but I finally formed a plan. I have the basic frame all cut and dry fit for the quick attach for the front end. I may get it welded up yet tonight. This is it laid out and viewed from the tractor side.
Once this is pinned on to the boom, I can finalize the lift cylinder lengths and start with the bucket curl geometry.

Since I'm retired, I work about half speed and for the last week, my back has been really bad, so I'm about half of half speed right now. Plus I hate redoing or going backwards so I'm going half of the half of the half speed so I don't make any missteps. I hate wasting material more than I hate wasting time.

I got the quick connect frame welded up. It will need the cylinder eye attached when I have that figured out and the lugs for the pins for attachments. I also finished up the four mounts for the boom cylinders.

The boom arms got the corner gussets welded on. Not sure if I'm going to put a strap on top of the corner.

I picked up two cylinders for the boom, 2" bore X 16" stroke. And a 2 1/2" bore X 10" stroke for the bucket curl.

It's finally starting to look more like a loader. :beerchug:

I like what I see :biggrin2: :beerchug:

:popcorn::popcorn:

I spent a few hours last night trying to get the bucket curl figured out using the single 10" stroke cylinder. And I don't think it's going to work. :HeadScratch:

I wanted the single cylinder for less weight, less hoses, less money and tidier appearance. But even the 10" stroke is a tight fit and any thing shorter, I think the fulcrum will be too short, needing too high a pressure to operate.

I'll fiddle a bit this morning, but I think it's off to the store to trade one cylinder for two longer ones. Probably a good reason 99.5% of loaders use two bucket curl cylinders.

Haven't been getting the time in on the loader that I should, but I am still getting some stuff done. The boom is done. In the end I did go with two 2"X12" cylinders for the bucket curl. I also got a good start on the mast diagonal braces. That should be done tomorrow. It often takes me longer to decide on a plan than to actually do it. On the bottom end, a 1/2" bolt will go through the frame and a 1/4" thick pad that will be welded to the frame and the tubing that boxes the front. Lots of meat and tie in to take the jarring.

I spent a bit of time finding a good ergonomic spot for the joystick control valve and some preliminary plumbing planning.

Not a bad thing, it reduces expensive "do overs".

:beerchug:

Looks good. Do your front tires clear the braces when they’re turned and the front axle is articulated? Looks very close.

^^^^ Yes, lots of tire clearance. The pic from above gives the impression of it being lower than it is.

The mast braces fought me at every turn. Right where I wanted them on the mast, it looked like it may interfere with the cylinder fittings. :bash2: I tried various positions farther up the mast and didn't like any of those. I finally settled on just below the cylinder mount. Of course that screwed up my front mount plans.

But it all eventually came together. First pic is doing the final check for clearance at full steer and axle articulation. Then a close up of the front mount. I think there will be an extension plate added to that mount and another bolt for a push bumper/guard. And one of the rear mount.

Lots of room to work on the carb, S/G or other things on the sides.

I put the boom on, hopefully to stay. A couple hole saws and I had some 1/8" thick UHMW washers. These will keep the boom from rubbing steel on steel with the mast ears. Making it quieter and retaining grease at the same time.

Those UHMW washers are a Great Idea.
I am watching your Progress :popcorn:

Great job :Salute:





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Are you making a quick attach plate for the bucket? I see the frame you have welded up and I could see that as a quick attach or direct weld to your bucket. Curious what your thoughts were? I have thought about building a loader and have pondered what I would do. I have considered a mini skid steer quick attach like the Toro Dingo. Lots of after market attachments available with that style of mounting. I think that the size would be about right.

Google " mini skid steer quick attach" or "toro dingo attachments" for more ideas and to see what is available. I have seen premade quick attached weld on plates for about 60 US$

MSS1720, yes that's a quick attach. Being able to take the bucket off when not in use will be handy. I will likely build a short hoist boom for it too and probably a dozer blade.

Yesterday I drilled all the cylinder pins for grease and tapped for zirks. By the time I was done I probably drilled over thirty inches of steel. The joystick valve is mounted. With the cylinders in place I could measure for hoses and tally fittings.

A little air to one of the boom cylinders shot the bucket end up to head height. I'm happy with that. It's coming along now. Tomorrow I'll pick up fittings and about forty five feet of 3/8" hose and start cutting it into pieces.