can I get some feedback on home-made control pedal development?

[lrkane]

Hi. Well I put the grading blade on our 125 for the first time in 20 years and decided three hands were needed. It's hard to change directions while holding the manual blade lift and steering. Did you ever steer a truck with your knee while steering, shifting, and drinking coffee? Came up with this last night. The weakness is friction at the plywood to cub chrome lever point. I will weld up a more efficient metal version after the geometry is finalized. I will need a curved slot at the top of the boomerang for better action. Any ideas on a better transition to the factory lever?. I want this to just lift off when not grading. Later I would connect directly/laterally to I think part #14 in the diagram to eliminate the comedic plywood and energy loss.

 

[lrkane]

this is day two, much better but still need about an inch more travel, the plywood part's work can all be done with a triangle of aluminum plate ., same with the pedal.

 

[-CӞ]

Rube Goldberg!

 

[rkuik]

i saw this solution years ago on youtube if you indeed want foot control. looks like his works pretty good.

 

[lrkane]

Rube Goldberg!

rube could've been my uncle

 

[lrkane]

i saw this solution years ago on youtube if you indeed want foot control. looks like his works pretty good.

Yeah thats it. I mentioned tying into part 14 in the o.p., that guy did it. I thought I'd be done by now but thats a better way I will just copy it. THANK YOU MUCH

 

[jstewart]

I've been used to the tram pedal with other machines, so the lever on the dash has always seemed awkward. Plus all the linkage connected with the dash lever gives a lot of wear points to deal with. I guess when they were new it was ok.

 

[mpatterson]

My 2 cents, rig something up so you can delete linkage up to dash. Access it right through bottom of dash tower. Something like this would be great, that is what I'm shooting for on my loader tractor build.

 

[lrkane]

wow good ideas. I needed foot control so that I had a free hand to pull the grading blade lever up and down, instead after much contraptionizing to get to a useable but awkward foot control, I added an electric linear actuator to lift the blade (tiny convenient switch near wheel) and for now postponed the volume pedal (haha). Paint is drying will post some pix soon

 

[jdrong]

Yeah thats it. I mentioned tying into part 14 in the o.p., that guy did it. I thought I'd be done by now but thats a better way I will just copy it. THANK YOU MUCH

Just got around to watching this video and now realize that he removed the deck lift shaft and linkage. This removes the blade and snow thrower/blower lift also. He does say that his mod is for loader and backhoe use.

 

[lrkane]

WELL THIS TOOK A TURN! I didnt like the foot pedal and the goal was to turn grade and fwd/rwv with two hands. I went with no hands for the blade. somehow came up with this dump tray or garden loader. Electric list is slow but very strong, will change some angles to increase lift speed. Maybe I should start a new thread with this?

 

[Elliot Garfinkel]

Hi looks good definitely some time and effort went into it.Got a question on the actuator would it be strong enough to lift a snowthrower? Thanks

 

[Robert Mazzaferro]

Here is another foot control I found.

 

[lrkane]

Hi looks good definitely some time and effort went into it.Got a question on the actuator would it be strong enough to lift a snowthrower? Thanks

in short yes. Actually that would be a good use. Trying to make a backhoe would be a bad use. I searched youtube and was FLOORED by how many beautiful and professional jobs people have done on cubs with home made loaders. They make mine look crude in comparison. What I now know about electric linear actuators;
They are slow. about 10mm a second is doing great for one of these. ours is less and still ok. NO snow plowing too slow to wait for the electric UNLESS you amplify with (c) lever placement) (get it, "clever"?)
Thy are strong. Even SOME 35 dollar ones will lift hundreds and hundreds of pounds. Mine is this one (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2LRLRMS?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details)
They almost all have a threaded shaft that acts as a worm gear with the motor pinion being nylon (a weakness)
You can select certain lever points to increase speed at the expense of capacity.
They need extra support for tractor use I had to add lateral support to mine to avoud lateral flexing....when in lift position the actuator is carrying the whole load, not the ratcheted "cog" associated with the cub manual lift lever (because that support is is disabled via the orange web strap ). I will be replacing the mounting bracket that came with the actuator, fine for a lift bed or antenna rotor but not for dirt.........

 

[lrkane]

Here is another foot control I found.

that thread seems to be the way to go when I re vist the foot throttle.

 

[mgonitzke]

"Indoor use only" and a 20% duty cycle...probably partially explains the low cost. So, I guess don't use the tractor in inclement weather, wash it, or try to do anything fast.

 

[lrkane]

"Indoor use only" and a 20% duty cycle...probably partially explains the low cost. So, I guess don't use the tractor in inclement weather, wash it, or try to do anything fast.

I have some time with it and believe it would do fine in moderate weather with some minor shielding. 20% is pretty good for what i need. Today I was shuttling firewood across the lot, probably 20 loads, and the front was so full that the rear wheels began to come off the ground, and it lifted just fine. rather strong (but slow) It doesn't run more than a fifth of the time for gardening, but plowing snow would be a rougher duty cycle......