# Hydraulic Winged Compact Snow Pusher Build for Deere 1445



## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Hey guys, long time member here but wanted to show my latest build. I've always enjoyed build threads and figured I'd share my latest project - I picked up a series 2 Deere 1445 this fall for some all season work.

On the way back to Iowa from Oklahoma










Mother tested and approved. One of the reasons I bought it was to help my parents reduce their mowing time on their 5 acre property in the summer compared to their 54" Deere ZTR.










Unfortunately mine didn't come with any Aux hydraulics so I tracked down a partial single spool kit that was missing a couple of brackets.


























Installed









From there I moved on to getting a cab for it. Found a used one for a decent deal up in Wisconsin so I ran up and picked it up. Don't judge the tow vehicle too hard, its a diesel Mercedes that got 28mpg empty and 22 with the cab acting like a parachute on the way home.










Unfortunately it had a decent bit of rust around the lower sections from use up north.










I set out to take care of that - sandblasting a couple of pieces.










Repainted










The heater box had a section that was rusted completely through so I drew up a replacement and had it cut and bent.










Installed. I still need to draw up replacement lower door sills and plan to do them out of stainless to mitigate any future rusting. Just haven't gotten around to those yet. They're just bolted into the cab frame so it should be a quick replacement once I get around to it.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

After that, I picked up a nearly new 60" JD blade for it and a weight mount kit.


















I also made some replacement side panels from 16ga vs the stock 20ga panels that typically get bent up and rusty on these.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Following that, I started work designing a pusher box for it. I wanted something versatile with the ability to be used on sidewalks as well as to cover large open areas. Having the ability to back drag was also a design requirement.

This was the result. I don't have the attachment arms modeled up yet as I still need to take some measurements for height and wasn't sure how my cutting edge would impact that. I've added a couple of features, primarily the front edge deflector, since these screenshots were taken so keep that in mind. 

Extended width is 102", retracted width is 48".


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Welding and assembly begins










Front edge guard



















Machining the ID of the DOM tubing for the main hinges.










Adding the grease holes










Getting these welded on squarely was a bit of a challenge on a large weldment like this and required a bit of quick fixturing. Unfortunately I didn't grab pics of that.


















One wing welded up










Both wings welded up


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

I ordered the cylinders and some 1" SBR for the cutting edge to test. I designed the edge to be modular so if I end up needing to angle the cutting edge I can quickly add a bracket to accomplish that or if a trip edge becomes necessary I can add that too. I also need to track down and hook up a dual spool valve to replace my single spool but have yet to tackle that. 

More to come once those parts arrive!


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## extremepusher (Aug 24, 2011)

nice keep posting


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

That's awesome! I'm jealous of your fabrication abilities and equipment. I can build stuff and make it work but you can tell the "farmer engineering" is at play most of the time.


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

Looks good. Nice work.


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## viper881 (Jan 14, 2009)

Very nice!!


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## scott3430 (Dec 28, 2010)

Very nice welds, my 1445 is a good machine, you will like your I'm sure


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Thanks all!



scott3430 said:


> Very nice welds, my 1445 is a good machine, you will like your I'm sure


Thanks! I've been eyeing these front runners since the 90s with the 9xx and 1145s and finally pulled the trigger on this one. Its only got 900 hours on it so it should have quite a bit of life left in it. I'm surprised how quickly I've been racking them up though.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

Wow... your work makes the stuff I build around here look like I should just take my stuff to the scrap yard.

Very nice work sir!!!!


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## plow4beer (Nov 16, 2016)

very cool!Thumbs Up


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## scott3430 (Dec 28, 2010)

toddman36 said:


> Thanks all!
> 
> Thanks! I've been eyeing these front runners since the 90s with the 9xx and 1145s and finally pulled the trigger on this one. Its only got 900 hours on it so it should have quite a bit of life left in it. I'm surprised how quickly I've been racking them up though.


My 1445 is a 2005 diesel with just about 3000 hours. I don't use it in the winter,only spring - fall. These mowers are like a tank, can't complain


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

scott3430 said:


> My 1445 is a 2005 diesel with just about 3000 hours. I don't use it in the winter,only spring - fall. These mowers are like a tank, can't complain


You don't use it in the winter? Have to have me build you one of these pushers so you can! 

I think for the dual control I'm going to use a couple of 3 way valves I've got sitting around to see how irritating it is to only have control of one wing at a time with my single spool aux setup. Long term I'll either add a dual spool valve or add a valve block on the the pusher itself hooked up to the power beyond on the tractors valve. We'll see.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Update - got the cylinders in yesterday and wrapped up the welding today.










Fold brackets welded










Pins and flags welded










One side assembled










Both sides assembled










Now I just need to pick up some NPT to JIC reducers for my valves, build a harness for those, get some hydraulic lines made and clean it up and paint it. The edge should be in on Tuesday so hopefully I can spend some more time on it next weekend.


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

Really nice.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Got things for the mount done last weekend and grabbed some pics along the way.

Design: 









Lined up ready for tacking:









Machining the pin holes in the mounting tubes. I wanted a different diameter than any of the drill bits available so I ended up doing it with an end mill.









Tacked up:


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Lifted, retracted:









Lifted, full width:









Lifted, extended:


















Cab view, here you can see I got some warping when I welded the cylinder mounting braces. I was planning on adding a brace along the top so it should straighten out when I get that bolted on:



























Perfect clearance for the door (didn't think about this and ended up getting lucky):









After this I got the cutting edge cut and installed. Right now the center section is running at 90* and it skips across the pavement so I'll be making a piece to tilt it 15-20* to resolve that. The next step is to get the valves mounted and plumb in the hydraulics then get it painted.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

are those gas cans right next to wear/were your welding and grinding?

ya might want to move them. or not.

when osha came threw a shop i worked at, they made us store all gas cans away/outside from the welding fabrication bays.
osha made us build a cage outside to store gas cans


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

John_DeereGreen said:


> That's awesome! I'm jealous of your fabrication abilities and equipment. I can build stuff and make it work but you can tell the "farmer engineering" is at play most of the time.


Me too, LOL


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

SnoFarmer said:


> are those gas cans right next to wear/were your welding and grinding?
> 
> ya might want to move them. or not.


Yeah, they've been empty for some time so there shouldn't have been any fumes around them. Good looking out though, I believe they need to be in an explosion proof cabinet.


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

Should be able to make some $$$ with that bad boy. Those mall walks should be cake. Good Luck


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## LogansLawnCare (Aug 3, 2007)

Wow just checked out the thread and you do some beautiful work. That thing looks like it will push some serious snow.


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## absolutely (Dec 9, 2010)

Wondering if you were able to finish it up and use it last season?


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

absolutely said:


> Wondering if you were able to finish it up and use it last season?


I wasn't. Once it cools down, I'll get the hydraulic valves installed and get it painted. After that it should be ready for some testing this season!


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## Avalanche 2500 (Dec 31, 2015)

Todd, Nice work/talent, keep us posted.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

I'm sure you will, but take a video during the first snow.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

JMHConstruction said:


> I'm sure you will, but take a video during the first snow.


For sure.

I still haven't spent much time on the snow pusher but have found myself working on a new project for this machine. I've been paitiently trying to track down a Deere 47 or 60" snowblower for the past year and a half and finally gave up the search in favor of adapting one to fit.

I stumbled on to this 48" uni-tach unit that came with the quick connect, drive pulleys and shafts to fit a smaller Deere garden tractor. I went in pretty jazzed up about this as it should still be small enough to use effectively on sidewalks.










Brought it home and started to do a fitup:


















Was pleased to find out that the 1445 PTO would fit the input shaft.










Shaft and quick attach:


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

The 1445 shaft uses a through bolt to clamp the collar on to the shaft which requires this for clearance:










Of course the input shaft on the blower didn't have this so some machining was necessary.



















After that I got it put back together and fired it up briefly. Everything spun free and as expected. After a couple second test run to make sure everything was running safely and the blower wasn't going to walk away from the machine with the PTO engaged, I went around to the front of the machine and came to a shocking realization:

The dang thing spins in the wrong direction!


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

I had to get things cleaned up for the weekend at that point so I had some time to chew on this predicament that I'd found myself in. My enthusiasm for this project was quickly depleting and I had a hard time reconciling how I could have overlooked something so obvious when I bought it.

After some contemplation I came up with the following solutions:

1) V belt running in a figure 8 to reverse the direction. 
2) Differential or gearbox to flip input and output direction.
3) Cut the housing apart to move the chute to the correct side.

Option 1 - I wasn't thrilled about this after looking at some of the horsepower ratings of various v belts. This would also require a way to adjust the tension and I wasn't happy with the space claim it would require. The belt would also get wet and be more prone to slippage in the required location.

Option 2 - Space claim was again a concern as was the cost associated with a specific gearbox for an application like this. Some of the earlier 47" blowers for the F9xx and F1145s used a gearbox that would do exactly what I needed but used gearboxes were in the $800 range, much more than I wanted to have in to this project.

I did some horsepower calcs and contemplated waterjetting some gears to build a gearbox that would get me what I needed. I was reasonably comfortable that it would hold up for the limited number of hours it would be running and would have a fairly light duty cycle. This would require sourcing bearings, machining shafts, building a housing etc. I was intrigued by this as I think it would have been a fun project and learning experience to take on but my time is a constraint right now.

Option 3 - The auger flights could be swapped left to right which would have corrected that pretty easily. The impeller would need to be cut apart and flipped around and the impeller housing would need cut apart. This appeared to be pretty straight forward until I noticed the impeller mouth was not circular. In the end I would end up cutting apart most of the rear of the blower to get this option to work and at that point I'd probably be better off just building a whole new housing. Decided not to pursue this option due to the time and cost constraints.

That left me with option 2.

I scoured the internet for a relatively low cost gearbox and stumbled across a right angle gearbox rated at 40hp for $170, the lower unit in this pic:










The specs showed this as having a clockwise rotation on one of the top shafts and a counterclockwise rotation on the other. Perfect I thought. It was a reasonable price, had the correct size shafts, fit in a compact package and had a decent margin on power rating for running a 4' blower. I pulled the trigger on it and my enthusiasm for the blower project was starting to be restored.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Earlier this week I received the gearbox and pulled it out of the box to inspect. Step 1 was obviously to play around with spinning the shafts by hand to see how smooth it ran. Who wouldn't? I was impressed with it until I came to the realization that the two top shafts spun did not spin in opposite directions.

What the heck I thought, this should have 3 stub shafts and 3 gears, what's going on here? My immediate assumption was that I'd been sent the wrong gearbox. After looking at the listing closer and looking at the shafts from the front, I realized that I'd misinterpreted the description of the listing.

I once again tried in vain to find a small gearbox that had the correct outputs that I needed but couldn't track anything down. A used differential off of a car would likely have worked, but the size and weight didn't appeal to me. Additionally the input and output shafts would require machining most likely.

Now irritated with the project once again, I pulled open the gearbox to see what was going on in it and if there was any way to salvage it.



















As you can see in the above pic, there is a through shaft that runs off of 1 gear - not the two gears and 2 stub shafts that I'd anticipated it having. I could track down the appropriate tapered bearings and races and cut the shaft apart but I'd still be short a gear. Unfortunately this does not appear to be a servicable gearbox and replacement parts aren't available.

I ended up ordering a second gearbox for parts - this time I purchased the 2 shaft right angle box shown above. This should have 2 bearing races already pressed in to the casing as well as 2 stub shafts so all that I'll need to do is machine the center of the casing and press in the 3rd race and then reassemble using all 3 stub shafts, 3 gears, etc.

Frustrating but at least we're learning here, right?


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## viper881 (Jan 14, 2009)

Shoot, I have a 60” that i don’t use and would have sold!


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## jvm81 (Jan 4, 2005)

Amazing work and great shop!


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

What happened to the blade?


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

viper881 said:


> Shoot, I have a 60" that i don't use and would have sold!


Logistics probably would have been a challenge for the price that I'm trying to stay under. If I end up determining that 60" will work for my walks, I'll hit you up though.



jvm81 said:


> Amazing work and great shop!


Appreciated. I get a kick out of doing this even though it's frustrating at times.



iceyman said:


> What happened to the blade?


Haven't made much progress on it lately. I've got a few weeks open over the holidays that I'll spend on getting it painted and the hydraulics wrapped up.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

I have been able to make some progress over the past few weeks on the blower.

Housing loaded up for machining for the additional race.









Machined









Race installed









Additional stub shaft installed









Here you may be able to see that the left outward shaft isn't parallel to right one. This caused the bearings to have too much load in them and prevented the gearbox from spinning freely. The housing casting didn't have much geometric control on the outside but I figured when they were manufactured the outside face was used to locate off of. Turns out this was not the case.

Here you can see the issue









Internals


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

On to attempt two.

Filled in









Machined with locating done off of the center of the cast hole instead of the outside face of the housing.









This was the correct way to locate it and the gearbox spins freely once everything was reinstalled.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Gearbox installed - I may switch the coupler to a lovejoy style flexible coupler. 


















Making a template for the side gusset


















Mounted


















Investigating U-joint angles


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

From there the last big piece was making the plates that would go from the lift arms to the quick attach plate.

Drawn up









Fitting up after tacking









Making sure this thing isn't going to run sideways 









Welded up



























This shows the running angle of the PTO shaft. 









Painted


















I ended up cutting off one of the cylinder mounts on the Unitach quick connect plate so that I could add an additional side gusset to the gearbox mount. There was more vibration coming through it than I wanted with the single side plate shown above. It runs smoothly now.

I still need to swap one of the quick couplers out on the chute motor and may add something to control the deflector angle. Otherwise we'll see how she does when the first snow arrives and then I'll get it sandblasted and painted.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)




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## DavCut (Jan 30, 2009)

Does it work as good as it appears to in the photos?


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)




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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

I've still got some tinkering to do with the design and hydraulics but overall it works well. Right now both sides are plumbed off of a single spool valve with a T. 

This works fine for a breakaway event but can be annoying trying to get both sides in to the same position when they don't move at the same speed. Long term will be to have individual side control with pressure relief valves to save the sides from damage when smacking curbs. 

I'm somewhat disappointed with the pressure and flow from the stock hydraulic system on the 1445 for running these size cylinders too. The answer might be an aux hydraulic pump run off of the PTO but cost could be prohibitive there. Still have some research to do on that. I'll probably get a pressure and flow meter plumbed in to benchmark the stock system but I've got plenty of projects that need attention as is.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

A couple additional pics in today's deeper snow:


























Its pretty ideal being large enough to clear wide areas quickly and when folded, small enough and maneuverable enough to get in tight spaces and walks. So far I've been impressed with how much its able to push and its general productivity.

One of these days I'll even get it painted.


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

toddman36 said:


> I've still got some tinkering to do with the design and hydraulics but overall it works well. Right now both sides are plumbed off of a single spool valve with a T.
> 
> This works fine for a breakaway event but can be annoying trying to get both sides in to the same position when they don't move at the same speed. Long term will be to have individual side control with pressure relief valves to save the sides from damage when smacking curbs.
> 
> I'm somewhat disappointed with the pressure and flow from the stock hydraulic system on the 1445 for running these size cylinders too. The answer might be an aux hydraulic pump run off of the PTO but cost could be prohibitive there. Still have some research to do on that. I'll probably get a pressure and flow meter plumbed in to benchmark the stock system but I've got plenty of projects that need attention as is.


My guess is that the hydraulics are pretty low flow, as they generally are just used for rotating chutes, angling brooms, etc.
If, for the moment, you just want them to move together, you can do it by getting double ended cylinders and plumbing them in series, if you have the geometric room required.


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

Sweet


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

I have a very simple back blade on my X720. I wanted to make it adjustable. So glad I found this thread, certainly have given me much food for thought.
Awesome work! I have a JD 60" broom I'd sell reasonable for you to play with. We aren't that far away, I have a cousin that lives in Ames. We are planning an eastern Iowa trip next summer, but that's on the bike.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Aerospace Eng said:


> My guess is that the hydraulics are pretty low flow, as they generally are just used for rotating chutes, angling brooms, etc.
> If, for the moment, you just want them to move together, you can do it by getting double ended cylinders and plumbing them in series, if you have the geometric room required.


Yep, that wouldn't do much better than the T that I've got in the two cylinders now though. The fluid will still take the path of least resistance. The right way is to have individual contol and there are several ways to get there, I just need to determine the best for my needs.



jonniesmooth said:


> I have a very simple back blade on my X720. I wanted to make it adjustable. So glad I found this thread, certainly have given me much food for thought.
> Awesome work! I have a JD 60" broom I'd sell reasonable for you to play with. We aren't that far away, I have a cousin that lives in Ames. We are planning an eastern Iowa trip next summer, but that's on the bike.


Glad it could help. Shoot me a PM with the details on it. I'm up in the Ely area multiple times a year so pickup isn't out of the question.


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

toddman36 said:


> Yep, that wouldn't do much better than the T that I've got in the two cylinders now though. The fluid will still take the path of least resistance. The right way is to have individual contol and there are several ways to get there, I just need to determine the best for my needs.
> 
> Glad it could help. Shoot me a PM with the details on it. I'm up in the Ely area multiple times a year so pickup isn't out of the question.


Maybe we could trade the broom for a blade? Or parts for a blade? And $$ on my end? My motorcycle mechanic works a day job just so he can use their mill and lathe on his own time and my shop is right next door to a welding shop.
I'll PM you later. Thanks!


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

toddman36 said:


> Yep, that wouldn't do much better than the T that I've got in the two cylinders now though. The fluid will still take the path of least resistance. The right way is to have individual contol and there are several ways to get there, I just need to determine the best for my needs.


Actually, it would tie them together. Not as good as individual control. Basically they would be in series, not in parallel, and so the fluid volume between the two would have to be identical and so the distance moved would be identical. As one moved it would push fluid into the other one. Electrical line trucks, for example, use this concept to move the upper boom when the lower one gets pressure. My telehandler uses a similar concept to keep the forks approximately level as you raise and lower the boom. You need double ended so that pressure on one will retract them and pressure on the other would extend them. The other issue is it is generally advantageous to have some valving to make sure that when they start to get out of sync they can be restored simply by fully extending or retracting.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Aerospace Eng said:


> Actually, it would tie them together. Not as good as individual control. Basically they would be in series, not in parallel, and so the fluid volume between the two would have to be identical and so the distance moved would be identical. As one moved it would push fluid into the other one. Electrical line trucks, for example, use this concept to move the upper boom when the lower one gets pressure. My telehandler uses a similar concept to keep the forks approximately level as you raise and lower the boom. You need double ended so that pressure on one will retract them and pressure on the other would extend them. The other issue is it is generally advantageous to have some valving to make sure that when they start to get out of sync they can be restored simply by fully extending or retracting.


Gotcha, I was picturing an actual double acting cylinder - a common base and two rods, similar to a bobcat quick-tach. I think you'd still end up with phasing issues due to the volume difference between the rod and base ends right? Assuming the same sizes on each side. At any rate, individual control is the way to roll, it's nice to be able to control the side of your windrow.


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

toddman36 said:


> Gotcha, I was picturing an actual double acting cylinder - a common base and two rods, similar to a bobcat quick-tach. I think you'd still end up with phasing issues due to the volume difference between the rod and base ends right? Assuming the same sizes on each side. At any rate, individual control is the way to roll, it's nice to be able to control the side of your windrow.


That's why you would need a hydraulically balanced cylinder - a rod sticking out of each side.

However, the complexity is not that much less than a dual independent wing setup.

Since you are good at fabricating, could you make up a mechanical mixer, where one cylinder moves both wings the same amount, and another moves them in alternating directions? Then until you got a second hydraulic function you could just use a fixed length in the alternating direction part, but they would move together.


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

toddman36 said:


> A couple additional pics in today's deeper snow:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Does that have some sort of trip mechanism? If not, that thing is toast when you hit an unmovable object (think manhole cover) or crack just right.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

WIPensFan said:


> Does that have some sort of trip mechanism? If not, that thing is toast when you hit an unmovable object (think manhole cover) or crack just right.


It has a rubber cutting edge and is fairly light weight so it hasn't had any issues jumping over obstructions in the surface. The wings breakaway - about the only to do a bunch of damage to it is to hit a curb squarely with both wings forward or with the center section. Same issues as with any pusher for the most part. Part of why I built it was to do durability testing with though.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Got some painting done, will reassemble this weekend.


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## acswaupaca1 (Jun 5, 2017)

Following


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## ServiceOnSite (Nov 23, 2006)

Im just throwing this out there, would you sell it, or make another one? Im drooling over here. Your work is top notch. What is your day job??


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

ServiceOnSite said:


> Im just throwing this out there, would you sell it, or make another one? Im drooling over here. Your work is top notch. What is your day job??


I'd be willing to entertain it. What are you wanting to put it on? I'm planning on making another with a skid steer quick attach plate for use on a small tractor with a loader. May do a steel edge with some trip functions if the rubber edge wear isn't satisfactory. I do want to continue testing with it this winter so if I make another it has any major structural issues dealt with. Shoot me a PM.

I've been in manufacturing most of my life, most recently have run a fabrication department and then moved to managing engineering testing for a self propelled sprayer manufacturing company. I'm currently in finance by day and snow plow design by night. 

A couple reassembled pics, ready for the 3-5" we're expected to get today. I still have some paint touch up work to do but you get the idea.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

An update for the next rev. I've been irritated with the weld distortion on the left wing which results in increased resistance on that side and a slower rotation. These bolt on bushings should solve that issue as well as making the wings easier to replace if needed.

I also noticed a cracked weld on the side that I've been curb testing with. You may be able to see the vertical reinforcement plates next to the main hinges that were added in the painted version vs. the original design. These will be on the back side on the next one but were far easier to add to the front on the one that's already made.










Also a quick back dragging video from today on a sidewalk and lot. Cold hydraulic oil and doing everything one handed resulted in a slow operation. My apologies.


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## farmass (Jan 13, 2018)

Awesome build toddman. I have a 1545 with dual hydraulics up front. This is my first winter with it and I have 47” JD snowblower with the power chute. Really throws the snow and I thought I was happy with it until I saw your build.

With your new bolt on bushings, I would run an endmill down the bushing part, offset the centerline the thickness of the material. It would make welding it straight without an elaborate fixture pretty easy.

Wouldn’t a trip mechanism only work with the wings extended? I would think with the wings even a little out front it would keep the trip mechanism from working, but maybe you are envisioning something different?

How thick of steel did you use for the blades?


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

farmass said:


> Awesome build toddman. I have a 1545 with dual hydraulics up front. This is my first winter with it and I have 47" JD snowblower with the power chute. Really throws the snow and I thought I was happy with it until I saw your build.
> 
> With your new bolt on bushings, I would run an endmill down the bushing part, offset the centerline the thickness of the material. It would make welding it straight without an elaborate fixture pretty easy.
> 
> ...


Thanks. How do you like the two speed on the 1545? I usually find myself wishing for more transport speed, but I'm not sure about stability with the short wheelbase. I almost pulled the trigger on a 1545 a few months ago but don't really have the need for a second machine and held off. If a 1565 passes through with a cab and AC for a good price though, I might not be able to hold off as easily. 

As for the bolt on bushings, I had that thought but the plates will likely be plasma cut on the next version and will most likely have more edge taper to them than waterjet or laser cut pieces. Not too much of a concern though, having a couple fixture plates cut at the same time should solve that problem pretty quick and eliminate any additional machining. Something like this -










The trip mechanism would only trip the edge, not the entire blade. In theory this would work with the wings in any position. We'll see how it holds up the rest of the winter and go from there. It may just be unnecessary cost and complexity with a box this light. I've got a few ideas in mind if needed though.

The primary sections are 11ga (1/8") with stiffeners being 7ga or 1/4".


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## farmass (Jan 13, 2018)

I’d still think you’d want to offset the bracket to make the blade be on the centerline of the hinges?

The two speed is nice for sure, for mowing I find myself in high gear pretty much all the time and snow blowing in low. Haven’t had much concern for the stability as it feels pretty solid and not squirrelly. I had originally been holding out for a toro 455D, but the unit I bought also came with a collection unit with hydraulic dump for the grass clippings and for the price couldn’t pass it up. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet and don’t know if I will. The blower for the PTO looks like it will stick out quite a bit from the side of the deck. Also haven’t read much on them if people like them or not.

What is your preference for cutting 2D parts out; plasma, water jet or laser? I know there are pluses and minuses for each, but I am trying to get my work to get something for our limited tool room and wonder what your opinion would be? It would be used a lot for brackets and fixture for use in a test lab running electric dynos.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

farmass said:


> I'd still think you'd want to offset the bracket to make the blade be on the centerline of the hinges?
> 
> The two speed is nice for sure, for mowing I find myself in high gear pretty much all the time and snow blowing in low. Haven't had much concern for the stability as it feels pretty solid and not squirrelly. I had originally been holding out for a toro 455D, but the unit I bought also came with a collection unit with hydraulic dump for the grass clippings and for the price couldn't pass it up. I haven't had a chance to use it yet and don't know if I will. The blower for the PTO looks like it will stick out quite a bit from the side of the deck. Also haven't read much on them if people like them or not.
> 
> What is your preference for cutting 2D parts out; plasma, water jet or laser? I know there are pluses and minuses for each, but I am trying to get my work to get something for our limited tool room and wonder what your opinion would be? It would be used a lot for brackets and fixture for use in a test lab running electric dynos.


It just depends on the hinge and fold geometry. It probably doesn't make a huge difference having them off center 1/8" for much other than manufacturability, assuming the design plans for it.

As for the flat parts - each method has their pros and cons as you mentioned. Really just depends on budget, what materials you'll be cutting, estimated use, etc. Tons of info out there for each system but feel free to shoot me a PM if you have specific questions. You'll need a dust collection system for a laser, most likely for a plasma unless you're doing submerged or 1 part here 1 part there type of production, which can be an overlooked system expense. Material handlers may be required, at least some type of overhead bridge/jib crane.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Quick update on the bolt on hinges as well as the next one for a compact utility tractor loader - current design is 60" wide folded, 12' unfolded.



























More snow is expected on Monday, should be able to grab some additional pics and hopefully another video.


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## acswaupaca1 (Jun 5, 2017)

Dual trip, cutting edge and moldboard


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

acswaupaca1 said:


> Dual trip, cutting edge and moldboard


If I put a steel edge on it I'll likely go down that path. With the rubber edge perpendicular to the surface it hasn't had any issues jumping over or folding back to date. I want to see how this works on the larger one with higher speed capabilities and additional weight.

Keep in mind this edge has several things going for it compared to a typical plow:

- Lower operating speeds
- Less mass driving it 
- Significantly lighter weight
- Vertical edge vs. angled
- Ability to roll/flex forward and backwards

This wasn't designed to be a normal plow. There are plenty of those on the market that work well and are mass produced. This is more suited for residential driveways, walks, parking stalls, etc. The need for a steel edge to scrape in these areas is significantly less in my experience. Will it bust up ice? Unlikely, nor was it designed to.  Having a steel edge on a 450 lb 8.5' plow probably wouldn't improve that significantly either.

To keep things in perspective, the snowblowers for these don't have any type of edge tripping with their angled steel edge. I've caught my blower on some uneven pavement cuts and while I don't have accelerometers in the cab, my seat of the pants estimation would put it in the "dramatically worse" category compared to anything I've experienced with the pusher.

That said, I did design this to be modular and those components can be added if issues arise. I'd rather test the less complex, lower cost and weight option first though. If it doesn't work, I'll know where and how it fails and can improve that area. Hope that helps explain the thought process. :waving:


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Got a couple new vids taken yesterday in the 4-5" that we got.


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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

Looks like a great little set up (that can push a surprising amount). Watching the fab-work in this thread was one of the reasons I signed up here. Carry on!


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

the Suburbanite said:


> Looks like a great little set up (that can push a surprising amount). Watching the fab-work in this thread was one of the reasons I signed up here. Carry on!


Agreed, I love watching something go from concept to an actual usable item.

To expand a bit on the edge design in use - around the 2:00 mark in the first video posted yesterday, you can see the transition between the gravel drive and the concrete pad. The gravel sits about an inch lower than the concrete and when using the Deere 60" plow, it would catch and trip every time I went over it.

You can see how the pusher glides up and over the transition in the video. Granted, some of this is due to the wings being a bit angled forward but hopefully it gives a visual to how it reacts to surface obstructions.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Since I've drug this thread all over the place already and everyone likes build pics, here is the 2000 to 540 RPM PTO adapter that I've been working on to run a 15kW PTO generator off the 1445. Still need to have it powdercoated and make a couple sheet metal covers for the chains. I'll also replace the double single strand chains with a double strand and flip the sprockets around at some point but I had the single stand on hand from the snowblower rebuild.

Should also be handy for moving trailers around. :dancing:


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Another update on the snow pusher. After some use, it became evident that the fold geometry could be improved on. The original design worked fine but the travel wasn't linear and it lost a lot of force in the full scoop geometry.

You can see that with the previous design, there was only 0.7" of cylinder travel for the last 45* of wing movement. The geometry also didn't provide much leverage on the wing to close with the box full of snow.










The Y axis is cylinder length, X is wing rotation. I should note that the new geometry doesn't close quite as far (~3* less) which is actually preferred as the current design allows the wings to contact the tires - a problem for the 14xxs and depending on rim offset, a bigger problem for the 1545 and 1565s. The new design also allows for a much more linear travel as well as increasing the moment about the pin ~75% when in the full scoop position.










It will need an additional pin which increases cost, but that's a pretty minimal trade off for the improvement. I'll clean up the linkages for clearance but this was just a concept to get the pins in the right location.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Couple updates:

Redesigned the mounting system to accommodate various different mounts, JDQA, SSQA, Kubota/Deere front mower mounts, etc. Also beefed up the fold linkages and knocked out the JDQA mounts. This one will be going on a 1025r and is currently at 336 lbs. Should be under 425 lbs when done.


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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

Nice work, with the multiple attachment options, you gearing up for production?


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

I've had a few requests and am planning on doing a small number for next season to get additional feedback under different operating conditions than I've got. Thumbs Up


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## Rat_Power_78 (Sep 16, 2008)

Any thoughts on running one of these on the same JD quick hitch the blowers mount to? Something like this would be very handy on our 1025r, ever more so if it could be interchanged with the blower as needed instead of on the loader arms.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Rat_Power_78 said:


> Any thoughts on running one of these on the same JD quick hitch the blowers mount to? Something like this would be very handy on our 1025r, ever more so if it could be interchanged with the blower as needed instead of on the loader arms.


Funny you bring this up, I was looking at an X748 with a quick hitch yesterday and was contemplating if it would work well on one of those as they suffer from the same stock Deere plow issues that drove me to design this originally for my 1445.

Couple thoughts for the JD quick hitch - you'll probably be limited on stacking height (more to come on this).

I'm not sure what that hitch is rated for in terms of lift capacity - it will handle the JD Broom which I'd guess is pretty similar in weight to this. It looks like it sticks out there pretty far too which is a good sign for the structural and hydraulics on the hitch too.

Another concern would be tire clearance. The hitch will have to be long enough to make sure the wings will clear the front tires. The upside to this is that by moving it forward, you'll gain some additional stacking height.

Interesting thought though - shoot me a PM if you're serious about it and I can dig a bit deeper in to it.


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

toddman36 said:


> Funny you bring this up, I was looking at an X748 with a quick hitch yesterday and was contemplating if it would work well on one of those as they suffer from the same stock Deere plow issues that drove me to design this originally for my 1445.
> 
> Couple thoughts for the JD quick hitch - you'll probably be limited on stacking height (more to come on this).
> 
> ...


Todd,
Keep in mind that the quick hitch is the same for the 1025r as the 700 series.
This would be a good application for moving snow from tight areas, out to be reached by a larger machine, so the stacking isn't so much an issue.
Just a thought.


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## Rat_Power_78 (Sep 16, 2008)

jonniesmooth said:


> Todd,
> Keep in mind that the quick hitch is the same for the 1025r as the 700 series.
> This would be a good application for moving snow from tight areas, out to be reached by a larger machine, so the stacking isn't so much an issue.
> Just a thought.


This is exactly my thoughts, with the ability to fold it up for sidewalks, at least on lighter snows. We seem to do mostly small, difficult jobs and something like this could speed us up a lot I think.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

A few updates on the revised version:

The wings are coming together, they still need the lower bent reinforcement plate welded on then they should be good to go.

I also designed a fixture for the wings and center panel. I struggled with locating these on the first version and they wanted to wander during the welding process. The fixture keeps them where they need to be. The wings and center section have different spacing so the fixture just gets flipped around to the C side for the center.

I am enjoying having full control of the design and manufacturing of this, in my previous life we had a pretty rapid response time (relatively) to issues like this but it would still take a couple weeks for things to get implemented. I can now design a fix, cut it and implement it in the same day.










For you guys that are in manufacturing, here is one of the skeletons from the nested 1/4" parts. My table is only 52x52" so the sheets had to be cut down. At least the skeletons can be handled by hand afterwords though. :hammerhead:










Also a couple videos of the parts cutting. The first is the JDQA loader mounting upper hook, the 4 plates that support the torsion tube on the QA. The second video is of the main front panel.


















Vids:










Enjoy!


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Made some progress on the center section the past couple days.










Fold Linkage:









And made and powdercoated an hour meter for the air compressor I'm rebuilding.


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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

The cutting table video was fantastic, and seeing the remainder of the sheet b/c of the nesting software is pure art. Thanks for posting. Carry on!


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Coming together!


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Some additional progress over the past couple days.

Two sets of main pin bushings machined, welded and descaled. These suckers are time consuming.










Progress on the JDQA adapter:










And not relevant but some new tie downs for my trailer.



















My recollection of my scrap material size was off so they had to be scaled down prior to being cut. As a result the bend location is off relative to the design intent. Oh well, they'll work fine for the light work they'll see.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

More updates, getting close! Just need to test fit the QA weldment, wrap up the hydraulics, do some final weld cleaning and paint her.

Updated bolt on hinges


















Extended










Even folds up nice for storage by pulling two pins. Obviously it was designed this way.  The hinges aren't fully tightened up on this and I haven't checked the model to see if it will do this when they're tight.










Wing folded forward










Hinge, linkages and cylinder mess - wing open










Wing closed










No step plate/hydraulic cover










JDQA bolted up (QA plates aren't complete yet)


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

What did you make the hinge pins and bushings out of? 

Steel on steel?

Any hardening?


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

Looks great!


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Aerospace Eng said:


> What did you make the hinge pins and bushings out of?
> 
> Steel on steel?
> 
> Any hardening?


Can't give away _all _of my trade secrets.  Yes, they are steel on steel though. The materials and tolerances are commonly used in the Ag and Construction industry for applications like this.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)




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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

I hate people like you! Such talent! What a great job,I have been following this thread great talent


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)




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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

stickers are a nice touch.


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## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

I can't wait to see the compact tractor version. I've got a little work in progress and have had some thoughts of something similar.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

EWSplow said:


> I can't wait to see the compact tractor version. I've got a little work in progress and have had some thoughts of something similar.


The larger 60" center version?


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## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

toddman36 said:


> The larger 60" center version?


Not sure. I saw in one of your earlier posts you were going to build one for compact loader . Looking back, I see your prototype was 48" folded.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

EWSplow said:


> Not sure. I saw in one of your earlier posts you were going to build one for compact loader . Looking back, I see your prototype was 48" folded.


Yeah, this one and the first build are 48" closed, 108" open. The larger version I'd mocked up was 60x144 iirc. This one has the Deere Loader attachment to fit their compact tractors.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Waiting for a couple hydraulic parts to show up so I cranked out a SSQA last night.










This is the result. The wings aren't fully closed in the backdragging position due to linkage interference with the pin flag nut on the wing. Will have to rework the linkages with a notch and re-powdercoat them.


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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

toddman36 you are killing me with this stuff.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

the Suburbanite said:


> toddman36 you are killing me with this stuff.


Haha, sorry man!


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

Killing it


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## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

Nice job. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait months to see it in action .


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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

Use shipping peanuts. I need more action pictures


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

Knocked out some test Deere front mower mounts yesterday.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

I have some rework to do on the Deere quick attach pins and am still waiting on a couple hydraulic components to arrive then she'll be wrapped up.


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## EWSplow (Dec 4, 2012)

toddman36 said:


> I have some rework to do on the Deere quick attach pins and am still waiting on a couple hydraulic components to arrive then she'll be wrapped up.


Nice.
By chance would you happen to know where I can buy/ order pin bosses? I'm reworking the loader on my subcompact.


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

EWSplow said:


> Nice.
> By chance would you happen to know where I can buy/ order pin bosses? I'm reworking the loader on my subcompact.


Not offhand unfortunately. I usually end up machining whatever I need. I'm sure there have been others that have had to do the same that could chime in or a google search could provide some off the shelf options.


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## farmass (Jan 13, 2018)

Any interest in selling a kit without the steel plate?


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## toddman36 (Dec 20, 2008)

farmass said:


> Any interest in selling a kit without the steel plate?


Sent you a message.


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## rrtrucking (Jan 26, 2009)

Damn nice work! I can't wait to see it finished.


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

Here it is. Haven't had any snow to try it yet.


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## the Suburbanite (Jan 27, 2018)

jonniesmooth said:


> Here it is. Haven't had any snow to try it yet.
> View attachment 187426
> View attachment 187427
> View attachment 187429
> ...


Man, that looks factory. More pictures please. I really enjoy seeing "home-made" projects taking it to a whole new level. Did you pick it up/get it delivered turn-key ready? Did you have to reroute or modify hydraulics?

Cool buy jonniesmooth.

Nice work OP. I've enjoyed seeing your projects across this, and a few other forums.


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

the Suburbanite said:


> Man, that looks factory. More pictures please. I really enjoy seeing "home-made" projects taking it to a whole new level. Did you pick it up/get it delivered turn-key ready? Did you have to reroute or modify hydraulics?
> 
> Cool buy jonniesmooth.
> 
> Nice work OP. I've enjoyed seeing your projects across this, and a few other forums.


Todd did a fantastic job on this. He delivered it the first time. And the hinges needed some re working, so he took it back to do that. So we took a long weekend to go get it. He did all the hydraulic valving to work with my Artillian 3rd valve.
I'll tell you this, have him build you something so you can go pick it up.
Just for the fact that you need to go have dinner at Hickory Park. Absolutely amazing BBQ!


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

Some video of the pusher being used .


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

A few more


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

The guys shot a quick video when they cleaned up the doors at the storage unit we plow.


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

Here's another one, shows good technique swinging out away from the doors as the bucket fills up.


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