# actuator question



## johnnyboyupnort (Dec 24, 2009)

Hi all.

I own a 2wd Rancher and this is my first winter plowing with it. Home made chains and lots of weight, some momentum and I am very impressed with it. I've been an observer here for a bit and have taken the advice of "plow with the storm" and it's excellent advice. I have yet to use my snowblower at all. 

I live in Eastern Canada, and as such have a lot of potential snowfalls. My neighbour is elderly and I have taken on his driveay as well. While I don't plow for income, I am in the military, and time can be critical to me. There are times when I don't have the time to manually change angles. I just poke a hole in each driveway and go to work. 

I see actuators for sale at princessauto.com and am wondering if anyone has experience with them or similar models. Can these things handle the stress of plowing? I would just use it to change angles, not push anything more than the plow through air. I am wondering if it would bend/break while the blade is angled.

Can these things handle it?

Thanks

John


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## augerandblade (Jan 17, 2009)

tymusicAre you thinking about the hydraulic power pack that they have available???????????????


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## johnnyboyupnort (Dec 24, 2009)

Nope. Just the actuator. I need to upgrade ATVs before I go that route.


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## shtuk (Sep 7, 2008)

Actuators that are rate much higher and have a warrantee arent too much more than the ones at PA. I've looked at them but have decided to save my shekels for a higher rated one I found on Ebay (1000lb push & 3000lb static).


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## johnnyboyupnort (Dec 24, 2009)

I can't find any decent actuators at all... where were they?


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## skamaniac (Aug 24, 2009)

My plow setup has a spring loaded drop pin to lock in the blade. I attached a rope to disengage the pin. Amazingly it works very well.


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

read this thread.

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=78022

bout page 3 or 4 got into discussion about Elec Actuators and such.

also any thing you add to the plow is gonna make the plow weigh more and gonna be more your ATV has to manuaver around I think a 2WD machine would be already at is limit with just the bare bones plow. I'm talking about being able to back up and go foward with the plow in the UP positon with the Plow down I haven't noticed much of a difference but I can tell there's more weight on the plow with my Electric Actuator with the plow in the up positon.

what type of plow?

have read for the CC plows guy's who had the old lift handle on there and then went to a winch for lifting then took the old lift handle and tied that to the Pull pin for angle and use the old lifting handle to realease the angle locking pin drive foward or back and get the blade swing way you want push lift handle back angle pin locks back into place and your set.

just a thought.

Pics of my setup in winter plowing saga link

sublime out.


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## johnnyboyupnort (Dec 24, 2009)

Thanks for the info. The plow type... I don't know. I can take a photo and put it up here. It's old, the type that mounts to the trailer hitch. It's got a pin, held in by gravity that keeps the angle. The whole thing is rather sloppy. There are no gliders, just a couple of tabs about a foot from each end. 

Should I be concerned with how loose this thing is under the bike? I can tighten it up, but would rather the plow bust than the ATV.

I'll go take some photos and find out how to upload them.


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## johnnyboyupnort (Dec 24, 2009)

Here are a few photos. You can see the pin in the first photo, it's up for clarity. What I'd like to do is mount an actuator on each side, with a common switch for both to move at once. I am thinking that I would bust them the first time out.

I have never actually laid eyes on an actuator in person. From the photos I've seen on the net, they remind me of the little screen door dampeners you see... am I close?

My apologies to all the guys here with the proper set-ups for plowing. My weight box is part of a filing cabinet that I didn't need. Better than the milk crates I had on there last week!


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

Been lurking for a while now, first post, thought I'd add to this. I made a power pivot for my atv out of a actuator I got on ebay. Worked great until the ram bent. The ram was hollow and couldn't take the side pressure on it. I'm getting another and I'll have to rig a way to put the pin in and out to prevent all the pressure on the actuator. Something to keep in mind. Expensive lesson for me.


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## johnnyboyupnort (Dec 24, 2009)

Thanks for the input. Your situation is exactly what I want to avoid. I see that a lot of actuators are rated for so much, then so much more in a static position, but it's useless info until it's put to the test. Short of a full blown hydraulic cylinder with a power pack, I think I am destined to get up and down a lot with my good old pin.


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

I'm still going to use the actuator to move the blade I'm just going to use the pin also to take the pressure off the actuator. Should work just fine. Any one have any ideas or photos on how to rig the pin so it can be released from the seat of my atv? I have a moose plow with the push tubes under the quad.


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

I would think for your Plow set up you could do a dual actuator set up fairly easy. for the Pic's it looks like there's a hinge point right out in front of the ATV and a base point to mount up to. 

your biggest thing will be finding out how much stroke you will need to get the angle on the blade you want.

I'd due 2 of them 1 on each side to help disperse the pressure that they will encounter.

just my thoughts.


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## revdwg (Aug 28, 2009)

i am wanting to put a electric actuator on my plow for the angle. i was wondering how much stroke ill need? will 8 inch on be enough or will i need more?


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## noooooo (Nov 17, 2009)

I used a winch for my old setup to angle the blade and used a pin to hold the blade angle once it was angled. It worked very well. Used it 3 years for light commercial work. Only complaint was I had to raise the blade to change blade angle. I went with the moose hydro plow angle. I dont know how to make a link so go to atvconnection.com and look in my (noooooo) photo album.


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## skywagon (Nov 13, 2008)

revdwg;1055595 said:


> i am wanting to put a electric actuator on my plow for the angle. i was wondering how much stroke ill need? will 8 inch on be enough or will i need more?


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## revdwg (Aug 28, 2009)

ok that is what i want. do you know how much stroke that cylinder has and id like to get some dimensions on the moose push frame on how wide it is and long. im wanting to modifiy mine cause mine is way to long and i think the cylinder would rub on the tire and full cut


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## skywagon (Nov 13, 2008)

revdwg;1059006 said:


> ok that is what i want. do you know how much stroke that cylinder has and id like to get some dimensions on the moose push frame on how wide it is and long. im wanting to modifiy mine cause mine is way to long and i think the cylinder would rub on the tire and full cut


 Hang tough I will get you some measurements today!


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## skywagon (Nov 13, 2008)

revdwg;1059006 said:


> ok that is what i want. do you know how much stroke that cylinder has and id like to get some dimensions on the moose push frame on how wide it is and long. im wanting to modifiy mine cause mine is way to long and i think the cylinder would rub on the tire and full cut


Check your private messages,


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

here's a pic of my setup.










that is all

sublime out.


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## johnnyboyupnort (Dec 24, 2009)

Sublime,

What kind of actuators are those? Model # or description? Ever bust one when you plow?

Thanks

John


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

try this thread,

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=78022&page=2

we hacked threw the Model and stuff all in there on page 2 or 3

yep have busted 1 of them that's why there is now 2.

the 1 I broke smacked a curb at 10mph with leading edge of plow and boom. Though If I was still using the grade 5 bolt like I was suppose to I would have brooke that instead but I had upgraded to a grade 8 and blew out the acuator instead.

sent it back to company for repair and they did what they could for it called me with 2 option's they would send it back to me as is which was would hold foward pressure but not back stroke pressure.
due a total rebuild of it for $50 more than I had paid for it to begin with. I already had the spare on my plow so I said heck send it back and I'll bolt it up and run with 2 in hopes that It will at take some load off of the single I had been using.

sublime out.


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## revdwg (Aug 28, 2009)

sublime check your pms


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

PM's checked Had a message from Skywagon, 

nothing from you though revdwg, 

you could send me a email to [email protected] also if you want.

that is all

sublime out.


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## spyder666 (Jan 25, 2011)

because of stumbling onto this site. i now have an actuator being shipped to the house for my 60" moose, lol. i was wondering if i could get anymore close up shots of a power angle setup from skywagon or sublime. from what i have seen so far, that is exactly what i am trying to accomplish. one of my main questions is the spring loaded pivot pin. i would like to try and keep this on to help the actuator from snapping when i have to push some piles back but most of the time there will be not that much abuse. would like to see what some have done, cable system with pulleys or something different. thanks in advance guys for any technical assistance you may offer. >spyder


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

I just used some rope and pulleys with handle to release my pin. Wasn't very hard to fab up.


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## revdwg (Aug 28, 2009)

i got the same setup and i dont use and locking pin at all and it has held up fine. and i have been pretty rough on it. plowing plowed feilds and hiting banks hard


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

revdwg;1234027 said:


> i got the same setup and i dont use and locking pin at all and it has held up fine. and i have been pretty rough on it. plowing plowed feilds and hiting banks hard


I hope you have better luck than I do. I folded my first actuator ram doing the same thing as you.


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## revdwg (Aug 28, 2009)

i am running dual rams


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

revdwg;1234145 said:


> i am running dual rams


Ahh that would certainly help with the bending problem. I only have one ram.


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## revdwg (Aug 28, 2009)

ya it diffently would. pics on it post #1036 
http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=57338&page=52


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## spyder666 (Jan 25, 2011)

what would be the best way to wire up the actuator? wire from battery with inline fuse or should i look at a relay or something else like that? pics of your setups are greatly appreciated. thanks.


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

spyder

you have a PM.

let me know if you need more information.
got a pic of your actuator and the wiring harness for it?

if not I'll sell you a switch and stuff for an electric actuator.

let me know 

sublime out.


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## spyder666 (Jan 25, 2011)

thanks sublime. pm sent back at ya. i am getting a warn mini rocker. will i need anything else? should i toggle switch to cut the power completely? reason i ask so many questions is that the last thing i wanna do is fry the system or end up with a dead battery. this is pretty much what i got, used. 
http://www.hydramotion.net/pdfs/Actuator Manual-revB.pdf. thanks for the help.


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

with the warn mini rocker you'll want the warn contactor block that goes with the mini rocker switch as well 

from the mini rocker runs 3 light wires to the contact block "I think its 3"
and then from the contact block then run 2 heavy wires to the battery "pos/neg" and then 2wires to the winch "or in your case the actuator."

if you due some looking on the warn site they have diagram of what you need to due and your just swaping the actuator for the winch.

you wont need a toggle at all as the battery power runs to the contact block and then your mine rocker tells the contact block to send power to the winch either +12V "in"
or -12V "out"

pretty simple.
sublime out


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## spyder666 (Jan 25, 2011)

thanks sublime. i will order a contact block as soon as i can


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## revdwg (Aug 28, 2009)

so i broke one of my actuators tonight> i was out plowing in the angled postion pushing up against some harder snow and i herd a snap and really didnt think much of it. i tried the angle and it was working so i thought was all good until i put her away for the night and the right side actuator where the bolt go's threw the shaft. it broke off right where the hole is in the middle. i think i might try to weld it back up and see how it holds up and maybe plate it on the sides some. if not ill have to order an other one


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## spyder666 (Jan 25, 2011)

that sucks. were you running 1 or 2 actuators. i only got one and that concerned me with snapping ( the acutator has a 1/2 in. rod) so i think that is why im gonna try to keep the pivot pin. either a cable system to realease it or just lock it out when normal plowing but able to put back in when i need to push some piles back. not sure yet. plan on fabbing all this stuff up this summer. winter seems to have to end in sight this year and i dont want to mess with anything just yet.


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

I strongly suggest keeping the pin in place and rigging up a release for it. I'll take some pictures of my set up and post them on here. Probably won't be until the weekend though.


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## revdwg (Aug 28, 2009)

i was running the dual actuators


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

revdwg.

your talking about the end of the actuator that is bolted to the turn table?

Ive been though 2 of them but none since the dual set up was put on.

This year I had the mount on the push tube loosen up on me and had to bolt that part back down to the push tubes mid year this year.

for pushing back pile's I try to have the blade in a straight to try and lessen the strain that the actuators have to endure.

sublime out


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

Ganz;1250296 said:


> I strongly suggest keeping the pin in place and rigging up a release for it. I'll take some pictures of my set up and post them on here. Probably won't be until the weekend though.


looking foward to your pics.

nice to see what others have done and the differnet set up's that are out there.


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## spyder666 (Jan 25, 2011)

sublime68charge;1250442 said:


> looking foward to your pics.
> 
> nice to see what others have done and the differnet set up's that are out there.


X2. Love to see a pic.


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## revdwg (Aug 28, 2009)

yes that is where it broke. did you say that you had 2 break there? i just finished welding it up. will see how it holds up. i bought an other one just to have in case that one breaks again


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

I have only snapped off the little bolt that went through the end of the actuator and held it to the turn table frame. Lost the little U clip the first time. so I fabbe up my own U clip part and welded it to the turn table frame went up to a grade 5 bolt and snapped that off as well up to grade 8 then smacked a curb with the leading edge of the plow and blew out the actuator pump. sent that one in for repair put my spare on and then when the first one came back made my dual set up as the first actuator would not retract on it's own. Set up lasted for 2-3 years and late this year my first actuator gave up again so I bolted on the 2nd spare I had on the shelf and don't know what due to with the broken one.

the internal assemble has pulled out of the outer housing and most of the oil leaked out. its in time out in the corner of the garage at the moment and I'll deal with later.

that's my story.

so you snapped of the end of the actuator rod?
impressive.

you got a link to where your getting these at?

got a Pic?

sublime out.


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

Here are some pictures of my pin release setup.


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## spyder666 (Jan 25, 2011)

thanks ganz. looks pretty straight forward and easy. any issues when you catch some ice and the blade flops over? other than that looks great.


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

spyder666;1254619 said:


> thanks ganz. looks pretty straight forward and easy. any issues when you catch some ice and the blade flops over? other than that looks great.


Not really any issues when the blade flips. The handle just goes flying. I just make sure it's not hooked on anything after I use it so it doesn't wreck something.


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

thanks for the pics looks like a simple idea and you could use it for realeasing the pin with out the power angle and then catching a bank with one side or the other to get the angle you want and then let go and lock it back in.

sublime out.


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

sublime, very true but it's more fun to build something yourself. I have fun fabrication stuff in my garage. Kind of a hobby for me.


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## spyder666 (Jan 25, 2011)

well got home from work a little early so started making the brackets so i could mock this actuator up. just clamped them in place until i was positive how i wanted it. hit the wires and the blade pivoted with ease. so far so good. im gonna have to think real hard and long about the pin. my wife didnt hold it the entire time so when it locked, it was a real pain in the a$$ tying to release it. like i have said before, i only plow the driveway to i never really ram anything. just stop when the tires spin.


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

"i only plow the driveway to i never really ram anything. just stop when the tires spin"

I do the same and I still folded the ram on my actuator.


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## spyder666 (Jan 25, 2011)

good to know ganz. i will keep that in mind.


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## revdwg (Aug 28, 2009)

well i welded mine back up and put her to the test today. it is still holding


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

Ganz;1256552 said:


> "i only plow the driveway to i never really ram anything. just stop when the tires spin"
> 
> I do the same and I still folded the ram on my actuator.


Ganz what are the specs on your actuator?
I know mine was 1000lbs of static holding force and I want to say 500lbs when in motion.

just wondering?


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## Ganz (Nov 29, 2009)

1000lbs of holding force. It's a electric actuator that works like a screw jack. The ram is hollow and threaded so the electric motor turns a threaded shaft and that pushes the ram in and out. Being that it is hollow it can't take the side force when the blade is angled and the ram shaft caves in. Once you have a kink in the ram the screw will no longer go through it. It stops at the kink. A solid hydraulic ram like you have probably holds up better. When the pin is in it takes the pressure when the blade is angled so no more bend ram. Works great for me and I don't have to worry how much I try to push now.


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

got it. thanks for the replay that explains it.



sublime out.


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## spyder666 (Jan 25, 2011)

i dont know if mine makes a difference. its electric over hydrualic with a 1/2" solid shaft. i know the specs were something like 1500lb push and 1200lb pull. wasnt sure what the static pressure is.


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