@@Abom79 Seems like a tough job anymore. Don’t let the self appointed experts get to you. We appreciate all the work you put into your projects and videos. I also enjoy the times Abby makes appearances. You two are a great couple. Keep doing you.
I suggest you to drill a little hole in the botom of the square tube so it can drain rain water and doest fill up and rust inside, love your videos. greatings from Belgium
Abby: please don't take this the wrong way but you need to think where you are putting your hands and fingers. This time was not so bad as helping with the gib crane which made most of us out here wince badly. Moving the saw horses you put your hands on top of them once... I don't want to see you hurt is all. Having said that, your camera work is second to none and your cheerful presence makes me happy, so please stay safe. :)
Adam, instead of tossing all those short, partially used 7018 rods, weld "ABOM-79" and the date you built the weight, onto the weight. Prevents someone "borrowing" it, and reminds you when you built it. Thanks for the video. Hope to see you at the Bar-Z. Jon
Consider welding an old ammunition box on there. You would be surprised how many times you wish you had something weather tight to put your pins in. Or any other hardware do you want to keep out of the elements, love the video, keep them coming.
My only concern would be the lack of drainage for the square tubing. Throwing on some sort of cover would almost eliminate that potential issue. Other than that: Simple and effective. A trailer hitch with a hook/ball combo is very versatile. D-rings are great but not as versatile as hooks, and if permanently attached can get in the way. Cheers, Adam!
One last thing to consider. Drill a drain hole at the base of the top link post close to the weight for water drainage. If not, the rain will fill the tube with nowhere to go except the top by overflow and evaporation. Excellent build.
A LOT of guys put a box on the back to haul tools like chain saws, axes, sledge hammers, shovels, rakes, various hand tools for fixing, repairing, and adjusting all sorts of things. First aid kits, water bottles, thermos jugs, and a lunch box or two.... I would certainly do it
You might want to drill a hole in the bottom side of that center tube to allow water to drain, maybe even put some rust converter down in the tube to prevent it from rusting from the inside out.
Nice job, on part one someone commented about welding some gussets on the tabs and also the 20" riser. The jostling of the 900 pound weight back and forth while driving around the property will create a lot of stress on the welds. And also you might want to drill a drain hole on the riser. Will fill up with rain and rust from the inside out. Great build. That chunk of steel is no joke. New subscriber here and can't wait to see more of your videos. Go Bengals.
U can tell Adam is a machinist making sure a counter weight is level and plum on the back of the tractor lol....as if it really matters....good content adam ...enjoy the videos bro...GOD BLESS
Hi Adam, I'd like to give you a little suggestion. I noticed that the square tube does not have a drain hole at the bottom. You could pour a little rust inhibitor inside and then fill with concrete or similar up to the height possible. Congratulations for your videos and for your great professionalism, thank you!
Hey Adam! Good build for the purpose! One added item to consider, put a drain hole in the bottom of the square tube so it does not hold rain water! Will help control rust out. In my area of North Missouri, it will also work to prevent freeze up of ice and bursting of tube as well. Also (perhaps) consider welding in a light 'plug' in the top (below 3rd link pin) to control nasty wasp infestation as well. Ken
Okay...I have been hooking up three point implements for a long time. This is the first time I've ever seen someone use a level to check, and make those adjustments. I'm thinking it's not too critical for a ballast bar. But, who am I to say? I really enjoy all of your videos!
@@garymallard4699 no disrespect but I think you missed the point. He moves the tractor a fraction of an inch and it’s no longer level. It’s a tractor as soon as it moves it’s not level anymore, square is the only thing that matters-actually it only needs to look square.
@@corydriver7634 it's Farm equipment...level and square are not necessary or ever looked for....rubber down is level.... on 2 wheels still is plumb!! square are those wheels grampa designed!!
Since this is your first tractor, go find an old farmer and ask them about the right/left brake pedals and how to use them. They are an incredibly useful tool. Also, take care when tightening the anti-sway turnbuckles. they can sometimes become tighter or loosen when raising and lowering the hitch, at least ours do. The connecting points on them are not perfectly aligned to the hitch arms and can cause them to bind.
I haven't stick welded since I left the farm over 40 years ago. The sound brought back a lot of memories of doing some fabrication and a lot of repair on equipment growing up. Thanks for that.
Best part of a hydro on a loader tractor is the clutch doesn't wear out. Don't run your sway chains so tight you should have like 1/4" of give so it doesn't load the pins trying to pull the arms off. if you have questions give me a shout. I deal with this stuff everyday for 25+ years.
Throw a vise on that dude as well. Can't tell you how many times I've been away from the shop, building things on the farm and would have loved to have a vise.
Adam you might want to drill a small hole in the bottom of the tube for the top link to allow water to drain. That's the only critique I have for you, well built counterweight.
My dad had an AutoBody shop with a metal working shop. He taught me how to weld with a Lincoln stick welder. I want to get a wire welder but, watching you weld has brought back memories of welding in my youth and I may go with what I already know.
Hey Adam. Tractor implement on the tree points are all on a triangle configuration. Uneven terrains make the implement rattle sideways. You need triangular brackets between your 3 points. I think it is unsafe in this configuration. Even considering your heavy weld. Just add two braces between the lowers points and the top, and you will have your triangle. and it will be much stronger. Get her done!
Three point triangle bkts are a new thing brought in for easy attachment in the 1970s (?) prior to that the mounting as Adam has done it is all there was, the stabilizers ( another extra in the early days) at outside of the arms controls side movement and are perfectly strong enough but should not usually be to tight as they can tighten up as the hyd arms rise on occasion.
That slow mo and slow mo reverse was so cool. And just after that the shoots of welding were so clear when ABBY got behind you like over your shoulder. We were able to see you burn that rod in so clear that was awesome
Hey Adam. Tractor implement on the tree points are all on a triangle configuration. Uneven terrains make the implement rattle sideways. You need triangular brackets between your 3 points. I think it is unsafe in this configuration. Even considering your heavy weld. Just add two braces between the lowers points and the top, and you will have your triangle. and it will be much stronger.
Nice work Adam! May I suggest you drill a small hole at the bottom of the top link post to allow rain water to drain out? Having lived at my dad's agricultural dealership and having to hook up all those 3 point hitch implement in the yard to mow the grass underneath them as a summer responsibility, I can confirm that hooking up these 3 point implement on uneven ground was a PITA... I sure earned my allowance those summers. Thanks again for sharing.
Excellent photography of the welding. Adam, when you tow stuff with the 3-point hitch you have to take care to keep the pull point below the center line of the rear axle. If you pull from above the centerline you can flip your tractor and you in the seat over backwards faster than you could say "oh shucks". Your roll bar on the tractor will keep the tractor from crushing you, but you will still be hurting. Talk to Brian about this if it doesn't make sense to you. It can kill you.
Many people have died hitching and pulling too high on the machine you have. It can happen faster than a person can react; roll bars or not, it can kill a person. Tractors are a thing of beauty to help a person do what he needs to do, but they are also dangerous until a person understands the physics involved with pulling or carrying a load.
You could fill the tube with some instafoam to keep it from filling with water. don't forget to put some anti seize on the linkages because they like to freeze up from being outside or not being adjusted all the time. I learned this lesson the hard way when I had to attach a blade, box blade, or mower to keep them level and the adjustments were all frozen with corrosion or the threading was dirty. Great video, enjoy your new tractor.
Might consider drilling a small hole or two at the bottom of the upright tube, to allow rainwater to drain out. In Flordia you probably don't need to worry about freezing the water and splitting the tube, but up North it might happen.
A fun suggestion for the future - CEE (Cutting Edge Engineering) in Australia - His wife films him welding using an extra welding filter so the audience can see the weld much better.
That CRC rust converter looks awesome. I will pick some of that up. We also played a drinking game here, every time Adam said those rods were 10 yrs old we did a shot. It made the rest of the video great!
I liked and appreciated the over the shoulder shot when you were welding. You could get a real good idea of how you were doing it. Tell the Mrs. I said thank you for that.
I would like to offer you a suggestion. On the center post for the 3 point hitch, drill a small hole in the bottom so water will drain out. It will fill up with water and debris and begin rusting inside. It isn't like the tube is going to be taking a lot of weight but it will eventually break. Y'all get a lot of rain there. Maybe a one inch hole
Dang, Abby got some really good shots of those welds, especially the one from around your helmet. You can actually see a bit of puddle forming, and with no dark screen, good work!
Looks great! I'd take a grinder and round the corners off, as I would be the guy that would smash my shin on one of them sharp corners for sure LOL. Cheers from Tokyo!
Its super considerate how all the professional welders showed up to point out all the less than industry standard practices shown here in this home use project.
It sure is kind of you to, rather than comment on the project itself, to actively sarcastically attack those that write in. Apparently, you are not into machining or welding, you sir must be a psychologist; are you charging for your therapy today?
Old rod that we had in the shop would be put in the oven to dry out the moisture in the flux coating. Welded a cutting edge on a 977K Cat loader bucket with about a hundred pounds of 7018 never had a problem. Thanx for using the old rod. 7018 is a good all around rod. Good job Adam, great video Abby.
Nice. You may want to consider gusset plates for lateral stress on lower link hookups and gusset plates on 3 sides of the upper link hookup. 925 lbs of dead weight in my option could cause stress and fracture of the welds. Speaking from experience as a retired farmer.
I don't have a solution to the stresses as described above, but I am very aware of the effects farm implements have on tractors or visa versa. It's a constant battle reinforcing implements due to high issues with simple "need to do something" on a farm.
Nice work. I have an older Bx2230. I made a trailer mover with 1/2” steel bars out to the ends and welded uprights. I made my own suitcase weights out of 2” plates and stacked 4 on each side of the center uprights. All said, it’s about 850lbs. Tractor was only rated to lift 5-600. I adjusted the hyd pressure up to where it will pick up 750-800lbs of firewood. I use the forks more than I ever thought I would. I think you’ll be fine picking up 1K pounds on a tractor 4 times the size. Good work
Trailer hitch on the back- great idea- additional hitch on the front-even better. You won't believe how easy is to park big trailers into tight spots with a front mounted one!
As someone who has tractors (love my Kubota) and construction equipment... who uses counterweights, boxes and "suitcases"... I think your decision to build a counterweight was a wise one. But low and wide? As you swing corners, that wide weight sill swing outside the circle of your rear tires. Wide also affects the polar moments on turns. And if that weight strikes something, it ain't going to be pretty. You should consider cutting it in half and stacking it. You can still use it on your 3-point hitch. Just needs some pin placement changes. Really, that kind of weight should have pins in double shear. Easy for someone with your skills and tools. Put some heavy casters on the bottom. It'll make it easier to remove from your tractor, move around your shop and give you distance off the ground if you ever have to fork it.
Definitely want to weld chain hooks on that bar. Far more useful than D rings. Another use, spike a couple lengths of 6x6 together and put on a short chain to the hooks, makes a quick and dirty drag to level dirt behind you, no tracks left.
As for your suggestion ideas, I'd start with the hitch receiver, and if you want to carry tools and whatnot, just plug in one of those bumper hitch cargo carriers. If you knew a good machine shop or welder, you might get them to add on some specialized tool carriers. But you need to find a welder. Great channel. I wish I could do a tenth of the stuff you do, and you make it look easy.
Good project ... I love your welding. It just occurred to me as I was finishing watching however, you may need to drill a small drain hole at the base of your square tubing ... we farm up in the PNW and I always have to stay aware of which implements are likely to fill with rainwater.
Just 1 quick comment: The microphone or mic you’re using is working very well. I could hear you perfectly while you were welding & while on your tractor. No drop in clarity. I could hear every word & I’m a little hard of hearing. Good choice.
Now that right there is funny Adam. It may be, that I have either hooked up or been involved in some way, with hooking up maybe a thousand times over the years. Combines, plows, cultivators, planters, blades, mowers, backhoes, stumps, rocks, and trees but I declare I have never done it with a machinist. That was funny!!! Never did I know that there were so many different adjustments. I do believe that it is a good thing that I didn't know. Lots of things would never have happened, maybe. Love your videos!
Adam, love watching you create useful accessories whether it be your truck, camper or now the tractor. The possibilities are limitless, when you get to working on the property you will determine your needs and modify or add to appropriately.
From my experience welding farm implements back together I can tell you when you feel it's overkill, run at least 2 more beads. Having said that I should tell you about my welding skills... all my experience with a welder has made me much better with a grinder.
I enjoy watching your videos. Two things though. First, it's probably not a problem in your neck of the woods but if you keep that outside in the rain and potential for freezing, drilling a small hole at the bottom of the tube will let water escape and prevent water from freezing and busting the tubing. Second, be careful pulling with a 3 point attachment. It's much easier to lift the the front up when pulling off the 3 point hitch. If the tractor has depth control, when there's a considerable amount of force on the lift arms, the lift arms will actually lift up compounding the problem of potentially popping a wheelie. I don't know if garden tractors have that feature. I never have messed with any tractors that small.
I, who have never welded anything, really liked the shot at about 17:10 where I get to see what it looks like. Thank you for the hard work you do on showing what you do, why you do things in a specific way and also that sometimes even a full blown super pro can fail a little. It makes me as a normal person feel better when I mess up. :)
Abom, please finish the job off with a good paint job! Kubota Orange would be first choice of colour but anything would be better than just leaving it bare metal.
28:40 If you are new to agricultural tractors & implements, please be careful to not put your boot toes under the ribs on the tires. Also, watch your fingers when pushing the spherical bearings onto the load's hitch pins - things slide around & can pinch effortlessly. Much safer to just kick the arms into place with your boots. Once you have a finger caught, you'll find it difficult to escape the fix you are in. I grew up on a Canadian Okanagan apple & pear orchard in the early 1950s, and learned all this stuff at my Daddy's knee. Never trust the tractor to stay where you've left it - things roll, and can also slide in mud or on wet orchard grass. You learn, of course, but I'd hate to see you injured in the process. Keep up the good work, Adam!
Just think of how much money you save not buying snow removal equipment! I think the trailer hitch and hooks are a must! Plus the rack to hang tools on (chains, shovels etc.) would be really nice to have a toolbox on your tractor while working on your property. Wheels to move it when you take it off too.
I have a Kubota l3800 too, the loader hydraulics are weak to keep knuckleheads from flipping their units over. now that you have weight on the rear, remove the bypass next to the filter and shim with a couple of washers, around .060 thick is good. I can pick up and move my Bridgeport mill and Leblond servo shift 15 x 30 with ease. It will lift the rear tires if i stuff the bucket into a pile of sand where before the hydraulics would stall. now im a knucklehead with a full bucket.
@@scottvantassel2212 If abused with the extra "capability" it is a matter of time. Some operators use restraint... many do not. Always getting calls for estimates to fix these little machines.
@@scottvantassel2212 Could care less what you do. I try to educate the public that these baby machines are just that. Their capacities are engineered for a reason.
Only us machinists would put a level on a tractor counter weight. :-) I have a 3-point 16'" x 8' platform on the back of my old Allis WD-45 which works great for all sorts of yard tools, some wood blocking plus a box for chains, hooks, cleviss, pins and a heavy duty pry bar. It has saved many trips back to the garage. I also have a receiver hitch.
If it were mine to do I would put the hitch tube (since you're liking that anyways) on it and set up a hitch for the receiver without a ball and stick a clevis in the hitch for the work of a D ring. Then get the weld on chain hooks to have as back up if you got caught without the clevis hitch on board. It is so easy to keep adding things, next thing you know it's got so many goodies you cant get your hands between them LOL. That's a dandy lil counterweight, sure beats a barrel of concrete! Thanks for sharing
Adam, the amperage of the welds looks to be just a tad cool - notice the curled under toes and and some tops? Beads were a bit slow- overly crowned too, so you might speed up the travel just a bit? Also, the rod angle, while not easy to get higher in that tack up fixture, looks kinda low angle. By adding amperage the welds' would flatten the crown, wet the toes and a more vertical rod angle, that would reduce spatter a little bit, would also help to give a flatter crown profile with more penetration.
Good project. My first tractor had a Quick Hitch. I knew almost nothing about tractors and it taught me well. All 7 tractors that I have owned since have all had Quick Hitches. On yours, I would not recommend "Pat's", which is only for the arms, but I would get what is called a Category 1. Each time you mount or dismount your counterweight, box blade, mower or other, you will appreciate the simplicity and speed. When you are shopping, note the hitch's weight - more means better/stronger.
Adam, speaking as an old farm kid of some fifty years ago, we had an old Ford 9N which is equivalent to your Kabota. Maybe the most useful thing for the three-point hitch was a drawbar that fit between the two lower arms. It served the same function as your 900-pound counterweight except that it was more useful. It was easily handled by one person. It was a flat bar with holes drilled or cast into it about 6 inches apart. What makes it more efficient is that you could add C hooks, ball hitch, D hook, clevis, tool caddy box, or any configuration connection and remove it at will or just leave them all installed together. It would definitely be cheaper than what you spent on the counterweight. I think you would find it more useful too and no welding. Your wife would definitely be able to use it more often and I suggest you would too. Tractor Supply or any other farm store has them for $25 to $50. Once attached you would just leave it there all the time. You forgo the hassle of hooking that monster up when you want to pull something.
In what way would a drawbar serve the same function as a counterweight? He has a tractor to move things around. If a 900lb piece of steel made the tractor tippy then he obviously needs a 900lb counterweight.
@@brianluck84 It wouldn't except as a -platform to connect pulling attachments. The counterweight is a good idea as long as that is all it's used for and it's done on relatively flat and even ground. What makes it dangerous is when it's used as a platform for pulling attachments on uneven or hilly ground under certain conditions and then I think the operator might get a sudden surprise he couldn't control. I live in farm country and the local paper has articles of farm laborers getting hurt or killed when a tractor does something the operator didn't see coming and could not control. Anything that suddenly changes the center of gravity can be a killer. It's about the relative weight distribution and momentum. If my calculation is correct, 900 pounds moving at 20 m/sec , (which it would in a sudden hard turn uphill while working on a side hill), it will exert 2000 pounds-force. If that force acts on a 4000-pound tractor (I think that Kubota is about 3700 lbs) that is off-balance, and the center of gravity is above the centerline of the weight distribution of the tractor, that tractor and operator are in jeopardy of overturning. I should add that if it is below the center of gravity it will stabilize the movement. The formula for calculating force is mass times acceleration. That's what I remember from my high school physics from about 1965 or so. A real engineer might want to put a finer point on that.
I like both ideas. A receiver hitch and a basket to haul tools/stuff. Just make it out of expanded metal so crap falls through. leaves, grass, spider webs, twigs, dirt clods/rocks, etc. plus you can see what is in it.
That is a great idea and the hitch connection is good you could use the tractor to move small trailers & stuff around ! Add 2 tool boxes 1 on each side to carry like chain or tow strap and the other could have basic tools and extra oin's for the 3 point connections !
Couple things I learned the hard way. Building mine. One cost invest in a. 3 pt hitch quick connect. An absolutely lifesaver when you do end up with multiple attachments. The second absolute must is to add a receiver on to your ballast. Just for quick movement of trailers ect. Perhaps these suggestions have been addressed already further in the video. Thanks!
Without doing anything extra you can use you counterweight for dragging out stone driveways or anywhere you need a little leveling, almost like a grade box. Good Video Thank you
A drip hole at the middle post will help clear out rain water.
Watched the video on my tv and had to open it on my phone to come say this. 👍
Was going to comment exactly the same ... Wonder how much is in there from the rainstorm 😂
Right at the bottom, kind of important.
Yep or box the top portion of the post !
@@michelplourde9831 aswell as drain hole
Part 2 on the same day!? That's a nice gift... thanks Adam; we all appreciate the content!
Trying to keep the masses happy!
@@Abom79 job well done 👏 ✔ 👍
@@Abom79 Seems like a tough job anymore. Don’t let the self appointed experts get to you. We appreciate all the work you put into your projects and videos. I also enjoy the times Abby makes appearances. You two are a great couple. Keep doing you.
I suggest you to drill a little hole in the botom of the square tube so it can drain rain water and doest fill up and rust inside, love your videos. greatings from Belgium
Abby: please don't take this the wrong way but you need to think where you are putting your hands and fingers. This time was not so bad as helping with the gib crane which made most of us out here wince badly. Moving the saw horses you put your hands on top of them once... I don't want to see you hurt is all.
Having said that, your camera work is second to none and your cheerful presence makes me happy, so please stay safe. :)
Cap that tube for rain, it will also strengthen the top. Then drill the bottom for drainage.
Adam, instead of tossing all those short, partially used 7018 rods, weld "ABOM-79" and the date you built the weight, onto the weight. Prevents someone "borrowing" it, and reminds you when you built it. Thanks for the video. Hope to see you at the Bar-Z. Jon
Excellent point!!!!
Well you can be assured no one without a forklift is gonna "borrow" this thing. Not like you can toss it in the back of a pickup on a drive by Haha.
Good idea. Not like you're going to have to worry about warping it. LOL
Consider welding an old ammunition box on there. You would be surprised how many times you wish you had something weather tight to put your pins in. Or any other hardware do you want to keep out of the elements, love the video, keep them coming.
My only concern would be the lack of drainage for the square tubing.
Throwing on some sort of cover would almost eliminate that potential issue.
Other than that: Simple and effective.
A trailer hitch with a hook/ball combo is very versatile. D-rings are great but not as versatile as hooks, and if permanently attached can get in the way.
Cheers, Adam!
One last thing to consider. Drill a drain hole at the base of the top link post close to the weight for water drainage. If not, the rain will fill the tube with nowhere to go except the top by overflow and evaporation. Excellent build.
Good call
A LOT of guys put a box on the back to haul tools like chain saws, axes, sledge hammers, shovels, rakes, various hand tools for fixing, repairing, and adjusting all sorts of things. First aid kits, water bottles, thermos jugs, and a lunch box or two.... I would certainly do it
Nice work! It looks like the vertical tube is open at the top but closed at the bottom. That will fill up with rainwater and rust out the tube.
You might want to drill a hole in the bottom side of that center tube to allow water to drain, maybe even put some rust converter down in the tube to prevent it from rusting from the inside out.
Adam, you should drill a whole at the bottom of the tube so water can't collect in there. Other than that, great job as usual.
Nice job, on part one someone commented about welding some gussets on the tabs and also the 20" riser. The jostling of the 900 pound weight back and forth while driving around the property will create a lot of stress on the welds. And also you might want to drill a drain hole on the riser. Will fill up with rain and rust from the inside out. Great build. That chunk of steel is no joke. New subscriber here and can't wait to see more of your videos. Go Bengals.
Nicely done as always. Nobody’s first time hooking up a 3-point should be that easy. You’re not even bleeding and nobody threw something at ya.
U can tell Adam is a machinist making sure a counter weight is level and plum on the back of the tractor lol....as if it really matters....good content adam ...enjoy the videos bro...GOD BLESS
Hi Adam, I'd like to give you a little suggestion.
I noticed that the square tube does not have a drain hole at the bottom. You could pour a little rust inhibitor inside and then fill with concrete or similar up to the height possible.
Congratulations for your videos and for your great professionalism, thank you!
A man who posts part 1 & 2 of a 2 part series at THE SAME TIME is a TH-cam legend!
Hey Adam!
Good build for the purpose! One added item to consider, put a drain hole in the bottom of the square tube so it does not hold rain water! Will help control rust out. In my area of North Missouri, it will also work to prevent freeze up of ice and bursting of tube as well. Also (perhaps) consider welding in a light 'plug' in the top (below 3rd link pin) to control nasty wasp infestation as well.
Ken
Okay...I have been hooking up three point implements for a long time. This is the first time I've ever seen someone use a level to check, and make those adjustments. I'm thinking it's not too critical for a ballast bar. But, who am I to say? I really enjoy all of your videos!
should have used a Laser level to be sure it was level...🤔
IKR? It’s a tractor so if he’s using it in that exact location it’ll be perfectly level. I think it’s just his machinist mentality coming out.
@@garymallard4699 no disrespect but I think you missed the point. He moves the tractor a fraction of an inch and it’s no longer level. It’s a tractor as soon as it moves it’s not level anymore, square is the only thing that matters-actually it only needs to look square.
@@corydriver7634
no disrespect taken !! i was joking too...lol...i got equipment on my property...👍
@@corydriver7634
it's Farm equipment...level and square are not necessary or ever looked for....rubber down is level.... on 2 wheels still is plumb!!
square are those wheels grampa designed!!
Since this is your first tractor, go find an old farmer and ask them about the right/left brake pedals and how to use them. They are an incredibly useful tool. Also, take care when tightening the anti-sway turnbuckles. they can sometimes become tighter or loosen when raising and lowering the hitch, at least ours do. The connecting points on them are not perfectly aligned to the hitch arms and can cause them to bind.
The brakes is really neat for steering when doing a wheelie 🙂
I haven't stick welded since I left the farm over 40 years ago. The sound brought back a lot of memories of doing some fabrication and a lot of repair on equipment growing up. Thanks for that.
lol only a machinist would whip out the level when installing a tractor counter weight, great job Abom
This was the first time I've seen that! Machinist 👍 !
Best part of a hydro on a loader tractor is the clutch doesn't wear out. Don't run your sway chains so tight you should have like 1/4" of give so it doesn't load the pins trying to pull the arms off. if you have questions give me a shout. I deal with this stuff everyday for 25+ years.
664 cmments, 300 saying "drill a drain hole, Adam". Oh, and thanks Abby for the time-reversed welding shot - cool.
Nice job Abby getting the lighting right and /or filtering right to catch the welding rod as it was burning/welding. I really appreciate that nuance.
Drill a smal hole in square pipe welded in center - there will be gattering water from rain all time
Throw a vise on that dude as well. Can't tell you how many times I've been away from the shop, building things on the farm and would have loved to have a vise.
Adam you might want to drill a small hole in the bottom of the tube for the top link to allow water to drain. That's the only critique I have for you, well built counterweight.
My dad had an AutoBody shop with a metal working shop. He taught me how to weld with a Lincoln stick welder. I want to get a wire welder but, watching you weld has brought back memories of welding in my youth and I may go with what I already know.
You can have both. Multi process inverter welders are impressive and not terribly expensive.
Hey Adam. Tractor implement on the tree points are all on a triangle configuration. Uneven terrains make the implement rattle sideways. You need triangular brackets between your 3 points. I think it is unsafe in this configuration. Even considering your heavy weld. Just add two braces between the lowers points and the top, and you will have your triangle. and it will be much stronger.
Get her done!
Three point triangle bkts are a new thing brought in for easy attachment in the 1970s (?) prior to that the mounting as Adam has done it is all there was, the stabilizers ( another extra in the early days) at outside of the arms controls side movement and are perfectly strong enough but should not usually be to tight as they can tighten up as the hyd arms rise on occasion.
That slow mo and slow mo reverse was so cool. And just after that the shoots of welding were so clear when ABBY got behind you like over your shoulder. We were able to see you burn that rod in so clear that was awesome
Hey Adam. Tractor implement on the tree points are all on a triangle configuration. Uneven terrains make the implement rattle sideways. You need triangular brackets between your 3 points. I think it is unsafe in this configuration. Even considering your heavy weld. Just add two braces between the lowers points and the top, and you will have your triangle. and it will be much stronger.
Nice work Adam! May I suggest you drill a small hole at the bottom of the top link post to allow rain water to drain out? Having lived at my dad's agricultural dealership and having to hook up all those 3 point hitch implement in the yard to mow the grass underneath them as a summer responsibility, I can confirm that hooking up these 3 point implement on uneven ground was a PITA... I sure earned my allowance those summers. Thanks again for sharing.
Excellent photography of the welding.
Adam, when you tow stuff with the 3-point hitch you have to take care to keep the pull point below the center line of the rear axle. If you pull from above the centerline you can flip your tractor and you in the seat over backwards faster than you could say "oh shucks". Your roll bar on the tractor will keep the tractor from crushing you, but you will still be hurting. Talk to Brian about this if it doesn't make sense to you. It can kill you.
Many people have died hitching and pulling too high on the machine you have. It can happen faster than a person can react; roll bars or not, it can kill a person. Tractors are a thing of beauty to help a person do what he needs to do, but they are also dangerous until a person understands the physics involved with pulling or carrying a load.
You could fill the tube with some instafoam to keep it from filling with water. don't forget to put some anti seize on the linkages because they like to freeze up from being outside or not being adjusted all the time. I learned this lesson the hard way when I had to attach a blade, box blade, or mower to keep them level and the adjustments were all frozen with corrosion or the threading was dirty. Great video, enjoy your new tractor.
Might consider drilling a small hole or two at the bottom of the upright tube, to allow rainwater to drain out. In Flordia you probably don't need to worry about freezing the water and splitting the tube, but up North it might happen.
The finish you get from the CRC Rust Converter is really nice! I always learn something new from your videos. Great work.
A fun suggestion for the future - CEE (Cutting Edge Engineering) in Australia - His wife films him welding using an extra welding filter so the audience can see the weld much better.
you mean Karen??
That CRC rust converter looks awesome. I will pick some of that up. We also played a drinking game here, every time Adam said those rods were 10 yrs old we did a shot. It made the rest of the video great!
Fluid filled rear tires is a must have. Also suggest spending the extra on inner tubes save your rims from rusting out.
Then don't run filled tires...
I liked and appreciated the over the shoulder shot when you were welding. You could get a real good idea of how you were doing it. Tell the Mrs. I said thank you for that.
I would like to offer you a suggestion. On the center post for the 3 point hitch, drill a small hole in the bottom so water will drain out. It will fill up with water and debris and begin rusting inside. It isn't like the tube is going to be taking a lot of weight but it will eventually break. Y'all get a lot of rain there. Maybe a one inch hole
Dang, Abby got some really good shots of those welds, especially the one from around your helmet. You can actually see a bit of puddle forming, and with no dark screen, good work!
Looks great!
I'd take a grinder and round the corners off, as I would be the guy that would smash my shin on one of them sharp corners for sure LOL.
Cheers from Tokyo!
Your welding skills are not rusty at all, Adam. You're a great stick welder!
Its super considerate how all the professional welders showed up to point out all the less than industry standard practices shown here in this home use project.
Isn’t that the norm? 😂
It sure is kind of you to, rather than comment on the project itself, to actively sarcastically attack those that write in. Apparently, you are not into machining or welding, you sir must be a psychologist; are you charging for your therapy today?
@@peterolsen269 You need to find that guy who stole your sense of humor!
@@wildtimbrown I think I can idendify a whole host of people that took that years ago.
Old rod that we had in the shop would be put in the oven to dry out the moisture in the flux coating. Welded a cutting edge on a 977K Cat loader bucket with about a hundred pounds of 7018 never had a problem. Thanx for using the old rod. 7018 is a good all around rod. Good job Adam, great video Abby.
Nice. You may want to consider gusset plates for lateral stress on lower link hookups and gusset plates on 3 sides of the upper link hookup. 925 lbs of dead weight in my option could cause stress and fracture of the welds. Speaking from experience as a retired farmer.
I don't have a solution to the stresses as described above, but I am very aware of the effects farm implements have on tractors or visa versa. It's a constant battle reinforcing implements due to high issues with simple "need to do something" on a farm.
Nice work. I have an older Bx2230. I made a trailer mover with 1/2” steel bars out to the ends and welded uprights. I made my own suitcase weights out of 2” plates and stacked 4 on each side of the center uprights. All said, it’s about 850lbs. Tractor was only rated to lift 5-600. I adjusted the hyd pressure up to where it will pick up 750-800lbs of firewood. I use the forks more than I ever thought I would. I think you’ll be fine picking up 1K pounds on a tractor 4 times the size. Good work
I just came here to read all the comments from the welding experts telling you what you SHOULD have done. I wasn't disappointed. hahaha
If you come here for the coulda, shoulda, and woulda comments you’ll never go home dissatisfied 👍🏻
Trailer hitch on the back- great idea- additional hitch on the front-even better. You won't believe how easy is to park big trailers into tight spots with a front mounted one!
Need rain and ice control in the center tube by drilling a small hole to let water out.
My customer Kent mentioned this TH-cam channel to me very cool I’m a plumbing contractor and I love building things and watching people build things
As someone who has tractors (love my Kubota) and construction equipment... who uses counterweights, boxes and "suitcases"... I think your decision to build a counterweight was a wise one. But low and wide? As you swing corners, that wide weight sill swing outside the circle of your rear tires. Wide also affects the polar moments on turns. And if that weight strikes something, it ain't going to be pretty.
You should consider cutting it in half and stacking it. You can still use it on your 3-point hitch. Just needs some pin placement changes. Really, that kind of weight should have pins in double shear. Easy for someone with your skills and tools. Put some heavy casters on the bottom. It'll make it easier to remove from your tractor, move around your shop and give you distance off the ground if you ever have to fork it.
Abby did a great job of videoing the welding. That's tough to do, and she got some outstanding close-up clips of the hot end.
I think she's competing with Karen at Cutting Edge Engineering...
Definitely want to weld chain hooks on that bar. Far more useful than D rings. Another use, spike a couple lengths of 6x6 together and put on a short chain to the hooks, makes a quick and dirty drag to level dirt behind you, no tracks left.
Easy. I planned to just forgot 😂
As for your suggestion ideas, I'd start with the hitch receiver, and if you want to carry tools and whatnot, just plug in one of those bumper hitch cargo carriers. If you knew a good machine shop or welder, you might get them to add on some specialized tool carriers. But you need to find a welder. Great channel. I wish I could do a tenth of the stuff you do, and you make it look easy.
Don’t forget a weep hole in the bottom of the center beam, seeing as it is hollow.
Was thinking the exact same thing.
Lmao, Abom hooks up an implement exactly like I would expect haha. With grease and a level hahaha
Good project ... I love your welding. It just occurred to me as I was finishing watching however, you may need to drill a small drain hole at the base of your square tubing ... we farm up in the PNW and I always have to stay aware of which implements are likely to fill with rainwater.
Just 1 quick comment: The microphone or mic you’re using is working very well. I could hear you perfectly while you were welding & while on your tractor. No drop in clarity. I could hear every word & I’m a little hard of hearing. Good choice.
The footage at 17:15 is fantastic. It showed the weld actually being formed. Cudos to your videographer (Abby?).
Yep that was Abby taking the videos there 👍🏻
Now that right there is funny Adam. It may be, that I have either hooked up or been involved in some way, with hooking up maybe a thousand times over the years. Combines, plows, cultivators, planters, blades, mowers, backhoes, stumps, rocks, and trees but I declare I have never done it with a machinist. That was funny!!! Never did I know that there were so many different adjustments. I do believe that it is a good thing that I didn't know. Lots of things would never have happened, maybe. Love your videos!
You'll need a drain hole in that tubing. Nice job!
Adam, love watching you create useful accessories whether it be your truck, camper or now the tractor. The possibilities are limitless, when you get to working on the property you will determine your needs and modify or add to appropriately.
From my experience welding farm implements back together I can tell you when you feel it's overkill, run at least 2 more beads. Having said that I should tell you about my welding skills... all my experience with a welder has made me much better with a grinder.
Get yourself a quick hitch, you will not be disappointed. Connecting rear implements can be a frustrating process. Speeco makes a good one
Maybe you drill a hole in the middle one for the water to escape? Nice welds, nice project :)
I enjoy watching your videos. Two things though. First, it's probably not a problem in your neck of the woods but if you keep that outside in the rain and potential for freezing, drilling a small hole at the bottom of the tube will let water escape and prevent water from freezing and busting the tubing. Second, be careful pulling with a 3 point attachment. It's much easier to lift the the front up when pulling off the 3 point hitch. If the tractor has depth control, when there's a considerable amount of force on the lift arms, the lift arms will actually lift up compounding the problem of potentially popping a wheelie. I don't know if garden tractors have that feature. I never have messed with any tractors that small.
Gussets plus put some casters on the bottom. That way you can roll it around and get it in place easier.
I was thinking the same thing adam will get it figured out hes the man now belive that
I, who have never welded anything, really liked the shot at about 17:10 where I get to see what it looks like.
Thank you for the hard work you do on showing what you do, why you do things in a specific way and also that sometimes even a full blown super pro can fail a little. It makes me as a normal person feel better when I mess up. :)
Abom, please finish the job off with a good paint job! Kubota Orange would be first choice of colour but anything would be better than just leaving it bare metal.
28:40 If you are new to agricultural tractors & implements, please be careful to not put your boot toes under the ribs on the tires. Also, watch your fingers when pushing the spherical bearings onto the load's hitch pins - things slide around & can pinch effortlessly. Much safer to just kick the arms into place with your boots. Once you have a finger caught, you'll find it difficult to escape the fix you are in. I grew up on a Canadian Okanagan apple & pear orchard in the early 1950s, and learned all this stuff at my Daddy's knee. Never trust the tractor to stay where you've left it - things roll, and can also slide in mud or on wet orchard grass. You learn, of course, but I'd hate to see you injured in the process. Keep up the good work, Adam!
Drill a tiny little hole on the bottom of square tube for rain drainage
Just think of how much money you save not buying snow removal equipment! I think the trailer hitch and hooks are a must! Plus the rack to hang tools on (chains, shovels etc.) would be really nice to have a toolbox on your tractor while working on your property. Wheels to move it when you take it off too.
I have a Kubota l3800 too, the loader hydraulics are weak to keep knuckleheads from flipping their units over. now that you have weight on the rear, remove the bypass next to the filter and shim with a couple of washers, around .060 thick is good. I can pick up and move my Bridgeport mill and Leblond servo shift 15 x 30 with ease. It will lift the rear tires if i stuff the bucket into a pile of sand where before the hydraulics would stall. now im a knucklehead with a full bucket.
Your font end will not last very long. Loader probably won't either.
@@ShainAndrews it has 900 hours on it and no problems at all.
@@scottvantassel2212 If abused with the extra "capability" it is a matter of time. Some operators use restraint... many do not. Always getting calls for estimates to fix these little machines.
@@ShainAndrews you do you,, ill continue to do me. sorry if that wads your shorts.
@@scottvantassel2212 Could care less what you do. I try to educate the public that these baby machines are just that. Their capacities are engineered for a reason.
Only us machinists would put a level on a tractor counter weight. :-)
I have a 3-point 16'" x 8' platform on the back of my old Allis WD-45 which works great for all sorts of yard tools, some wood blocking plus a box for chains, hooks, cleviss, pins and a heavy duty pry bar. It has saved many trips back to the garage. I also have a receiver hitch.
You might want to drill a drain-hole at the bottom of the center pole in case water gets in there from the top
If it were mine to do I would put the hitch tube (since you're liking that anyways) on it and set up a hitch for the receiver without a ball and stick a clevis in the hitch for the work of a D ring. Then get the weld on chain hooks to have as back up if you got caught without the clevis hitch on board. It is so easy to keep adding things, next thing you know it's got so many goodies you cant get your hands between them LOL. That's a dandy lil counterweight, sure beats a barrel of concrete! Thanks for sharing
Adam, the amperage of the welds looks to be just a tad cool - notice the curled under toes and and some tops? Beads were a bit slow- overly crowned too, so you might speed up the travel just a bit? Also, the rod angle, while not easy to get higher in that tack up fixture, looks kinda low angle. By adding amperage the welds' would flatten the crown, wet the toes and a more vertical rod angle, that would reduce spatter a little bit, would also help to give a flatter crown profile with more penetration.
Nice seeing you do some welding again. Always a pleasure watching you do different things, whether its welding, shaping, milling or just lathe work.
Boy those sharp edges and corners on the weight are going to play havoc with someone's shins at some stage.
Good project. My first tractor had a Quick Hitch. I knew almost nothing about tractors and it taught me well. All 7 tractors that I have owned since have all had Quick Hitches. On yours, I would not recommend "Pat's", which is only for the arms, but I would get what is called a Category 1. Each time you mount or dismount your counterweight, box blade, mower or other, you will appreciate the simplicity and speed. When you are shopping, note the hitch's weight - more means better/stronger.
Adam, speaking as an old farm kid of some fifty years ago, we had an old Ford 9N which is equivalent to your Kabota. Maybe the most useful thing for the three-point hitch was a drawbar that fit between the two lower arms. It served the same function as your 900-pound counterweight except that it was more useful. It was easily handled by one person. It was a flat bar with holes drilled or cast into it about 6 inches apart. What makes it more efficient is that you could add C hooks, ball hitch, D hook, clevis, tool caddy box, or any configuration connection and remove it at will or just leave them all installed together. It would definitely be cheaper than what you spent on the counterweight. I think you would find it more useful too and no welding. Your wife would definitely be able to use it more often and I suggest you would too. Tractor Supply or any other farm store has them for $25 to $50. Once attached you would just leave it there all the time. You forgo the hassle of hooking that monster up when you want to pull something.
In what way would a drawbar serve the same function as a counterweight? He has a tractor to move things around. If a 900lb piece of steel made the tractor tippy then he obviously needs a 900lb counterweight.
@@brianluck84 It wouldn't except as a -platform to connect pulling attachments. The counterweight is a good idea as long as that is all it's used for and it's done on relatively flat and even ground. What makes it dangerous is when it's used as a platform for pulling attachments on uneven or hilly ground under certain conditions and then I think the operator might get a sudden surprise he couldn't control. I live in farm country and the local paper has articles of farm laborers getting hurt or killed when a tractor does something the operator didn't see coming and could not control. Anything that suddenly changes the center of gravity can be a killer. It's about the relative weight distribution and momentum.
If my calculation is correct, 900 pounds moving at 20 m/sec , (which it would in a sudden hard turn uphill while working on a side hill), it will exert 2000
pounds-force. If that force acts on a 4000-pound tractor (I think that Kubota is about 3700 lbs) that is off-balance, and the center of gravity is above the centerline of the weight distribution of the tractor, that tractor and operator are in jeopardy of overturning. I should add that if it is below the center of gravity it will stabilize the movement. The formula for calculating force is mass times acceleration. That's what I remember from my high school physics from about 1965 or so. A real engineer might want to put a finer point on that.
I like both ideas. A receiver hitch and a basket to haul tools/stuff. Just make it out of expanded metal so crap falls through. leaves, grass, spider webs, twigs, dirt clods/rocks, etc. plus you can see what is in it.
The amount of comments made without checking if 300 other people have said the same thing first is astounding.
They all think they are the only ones who thought of it.
That is a great idea and the hitch connection is good you could use the tractor to move small trailers & stuff around ! Add 2 tool boxes 1 on each side to carry like chain or tow strap and the other could have basic tools and extra oin's for the 3 point connections !
Throw some ripper shanks on there. The extra weight will help it dig in.
The shots at the 17 min mark were great Thanks for showing us what it looks like to stick weld.
You can also use the bottom of that weight to flatten all the ruts you just put in your yard. 😁😁😁
Adam,. I've been a fan for years. Put a weep hole at the bottom of your center tube, it will fill with rain water and rust out from the inside.
That’s some seriously heavy steel to weld with no bevel whatsoever.
Light breeze is good if you can stay upwind of the weld.
Always enjoy relaxing with Abom79's videos.
If you have a dirt road on the property consider a grading attachment of some kind to level the dirt with.
That's what I was thinking.
Couple things I learned the hard way. Building mine.
One cost invest in a. 3 pt hitch quick connect.
An absolutely lifesaver when you do end up with multiple attachments.
The second absolute must is to add a receiver on to your ballast. Just for quick movement of trailers ect.
Perhaps these suggestions have been addressed already further in the video.
Thanks!
Without doing anything extra you can use you counterweight for dragging out stone driveways or anywhere you need a little leveling, almost like a grade box. Good Video Thank you
ADAM JUST A HINT You should round the corners on the bar so it don't hurt so bad when you bump your shins on them.
As my welding instructor always said shorten that arc length. Get a quick hitch you will never regret it. I would stay with grab hooks. Good video.
I love how everything in America gets a marketing name, like the " Mini Mega Square", you can't just call it a welding jig.
@mazchen
The naming is the choice of the manufacturer, Fireball Tool's owner...Jason
Ken