Reader Quick Fixes Save Time And Money

Reader Quick Fixes Save Time And Money Dale Freeman has spent a lifetime making things work more smoothly and better, both professionally and personally. Recently, he shared a number of innovative projects he has made over the past 45 years. Some are more involved, such as his unibracket (Vol. 49, No. 6). Others, like these, are quick fixes. PTO Pump Fix When Dale Freeman bought an older 3-pt. Woods backhoe, it was in rough shape. One cylinder was bent and had to be replaced, and the hydraulic pump needed repair. “The shaft had snapped off the PTO-powered pump,” recalls Freeman. “The pump had broken free from the 1/8-in. steel retention plate that kept it from spinning around.” Freeman replaced the shaft and the thin retention plate. He fabricated a new plate from a piece of scrap 1/4-in. steel. The plate included a piece of 2 by 2-in. tubing on one edge. He milled off the top of the tubing, and once the pump was mounted to the plate, the tubing fit over the tractor drawbar and anchored the plate in place. “Now, when I engage the PTO, the pump has 0.020 in. or less of play to rotate,” says Freeman. “It engages so smoothly, I hardly hear it.” Adjustable Lower Link Spreader Bar “Hooking up 3-pt. implements can be a problem if lower link arms are floating free,” says Freeman. “My spreader bar keeps the arms apart the preferred distance when backing in to hook up an implement.” Freeman used a length of concrete rebar that matched the width of his tractor. He welded two short lengths of rebar to it near one end, spacing them so they would slip over one link arm. He then welded a matching set of rebar pieces to a short length of pipe sized to slide easily over the longer rebar. “I drilled a hole in the pipe and welded a nut over the hole,” says Freeman. “A bolt works as a set screw. When I have the spread I want for the lower link arms, I just tighten down the bolt.” A large washer welded to one end of the rebar makes it easy to hang it out of the way when it’s not needed. Dipper Lock For Tractor-Mounted Backhoe “When my tractor-mounted backhoe is disconnected, I wanted a way to secure the dipper arm,” says Freeman. “I made a simple adjustable lock to hold the arm in place.” The dipper lock consists of two 1-in. steel pins with holes drilled through their ends. Freeman slips threaded rod through the holes and secures the pins with nuts. “I was able to use existing 1 1/4-in. holes where the end of the dipper arm meets the mainframe,” says Freeman. “I can adjust the nuts on the threaded rod as needed without having the arm in a specific position like I would with a fixed lock.” Floating Landscape Rake End “When I used my landscape rake, it always left a ridge of rocks at the trailing end,” says Freeman. “I made a floating end panel to follow the contour while preventing the ridging.” Freeman welded a short length of 2 by 2-in. tubing to the trailing end of the rake frame, parallel to the ground. He drilled holes in the tubing for two pieces of 1-in. steel round bar, each with four holes. Scrap pipe was bent into a runner shape and welded to the round bars. “I welded a small piece of expanded metal to the inside of the runners to retain rocks and other material coming off the ends of the landscape rakes,” says Freeman. “I use lynch pins in the top hole, which lets it float while keeping it from falling out when I raise the rake. I can also raise the panel up and clip it in place if I want.” Collar Locks Diverter Valve In Place Freeman’s Woods backhoe and his tractor have opposing hydraulic systems, one open and the other closed. A diverter valve resolves the issue. In the up position, it directs fluid to the tractor loader. In the down position, it directs fluid to the backhoe.  “To prevent accidentally diverting it from the loader, I install a collar on the valve,” says Freeman. “I remove the knob from the shaft, slip the collar on, tighten a setscrew, and put the knob back on. When I want to use the backhoe, I just remove the collar.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dale Freeman, Monroe, Va.

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