1512 - The Battle Continues

[bpientka]

While it is only Dec 17 it seems like I am constantly plowing snow. In the Northwestern part of Vermont we have gotten many storms this year. The other week we had over 30 inches. Then a day of rain followed by a few days of 2-4 inches of snow each day. The 1512 has been getting a workout but doing a great job. I wanted to thank whoever mentioned using Power Service Diesel Kleen. I am on my 3rd full tank of diesel with the additive and the tractor seems to start easier, smoke less at startup, and run smoother.

 

[dtanner]

Bernie Pientka

Glad to see you have the 1512 D working great. Do I see a lift cylinder on the front of you tractor

. Could you post a few pictures of that?

 

[bpientka]

Here is a little better look at the plow setup. I will take a few more photos tomorrow. Basically the plow is Warn ATV 54" plow and push arms. Then I took a cheap dead mule drive (off ebay) I made a plow set up similar to a truck. Using the front hydraulic I can lift the plow. I have been using the manual angle settings on the plow but someday will convert it to hydraulic.

 

[bpientka]

Here are a few more photos.

 

[dtanner]

Bernie Pientka

I see how you did that now, I would run two bars back to the rock shaft just for the added strength it will add to your plow.You do have a lot of shock added when hitting things buried in the snow.Power angle would be sweet also. I`am bad for doing mods also.

 

[dross]

Bernie, If you can figure out how to lift it off the rock shaft, use the cylinder you use for lift now and make that your power angle.

 

[mgonitzke]

I would lose that lift cylinder setup and use the tractor's lift and add support further back as Don has suggested. It would also be better if the blade was moved closer to the tractor. There is WAY too much overhang with that current design and you are bound to bend something. That will free up the front outlets for angling the blade.

 

[aschumacher]

Hey fellas, I'm not an engineer or anything serious but, it seems the blade pivots up/down just in front of the mule drive area. Would be a lot of redesign to lift it from rock shaft. Remember this was for a ATV, not a Cub. As far as using the cylinder for angle work a slight design change may help. A friend who has a newer CubCadet put a (harbor freight)$50 winch on front to lift his blade, now you use the cylinder for angle work.

 

[bpientka]

It is interesting to hear so many comments. I have been using this system for over three years now and have not bent or broke anything. The current design gives me 20+ inches of lift in the blade. With this lift I can actually drive right up the snow banks and drop the snow on the other side of the bank. I am not sure of what lift height is on the orginal plow? I also suspect compared to the original plow this system is lighter. I use parts of this sub frame for a "Johnny Bucket" (basically a low lift loader) and that has not bent or broken anything in the 5 plus year of use. I have used that bucket to dig a 14 ft pool area. I have also spread over 70 yard gravel and driveway mix with the bucket. Personally I think the weakest link in the system is the front axle.

For the "johnny busket" I have put hydraulic quick connecter into the lines powering the mower deck lift. Basically I disconnect them and hook hydraulic lines up to the it so I can power 2 hydraulic cylinders.

I will take a few picture of those connections.

Thanks.

 

[bpientka]

Here is the picture of the quick connector placement. The lines go to the mower lift cylinder. By connecting lines to this and running straight down and using the front lines I can power two cylinder: lift and dump on my bucket. This could be set up to power a cylinder for angling the blade. The issues is more how to design the cylinder mounts that has slowed down my fabrication. I made one years ago but never really liked how it functioned.

I have not had my hands on a original snow blade or sub mount but isn't all the blades weight hanging on the tractor front mounting backet? Aren't the pivot area just a few inches in front of that mounting bracket?

 

[mgonitzke]

You must not have a gravel driveway...I would have pretzel'd something like that long ago. The problem isn't with the pivot point location, it's the overhang of the blade itself. The OEM blade is about a foot closer to the front of the tractor. Yours has a lot more leverage and would probably bend if you were to catch it on something. I had a homemade blade on a 100 I had long ago and I caught the blade on something in my driveway and bent it pretty bad. You may also notice that the blade would have less of a tendency to steer the tractor if it were closer to it.

What the people that make the Johnny Bucket probably don't realize is how poorly the nuts for the QA shoulder bolts are welded on. I've had several tractors on which the mower deck carriage actually broke them loose.

 

[bpientka]

I do have a gravel driveway but the plow also has a spring trip so if you hit something hard it will tip. I have actually even plowed into the woods to get firewood on a little trail. Trust me by anyones standards I have worked the unit hard and it has not broken. Yes the steering could be a little better but on a two wheel drive tractor you get what you get. If the snow is really deep and heavy I just plow in straight lines.

When you mentioned shoulder bolts are you talking about the bolts that stick out of the sides of the frames and catch the end of the mule drive? In this design the bolts only act a guides to get the cross bar of the mule drve into the front hanger brackets. I then add a 1/2" bolt through the tractor frame and plow frame right at the front of the tractor. So there is really little if any weight on those bolts.

 

[gerickson]

Bernie, I like the setup. My neighbor's 4 wheeler has died and I spied a blade like that sitting outside by his grudge. Now I may have to stop and ask about it. Good work.