Loader-Mounted "Cherry Picker"

Loader-Mounted "Cherry Picker TRACTORS Loaders 33-2-35 "We use it all over the farm. It's handy and far safer than using a ladder," says Mark Eilers, Tower Hill, Ill., about his loader-mounted cherry picker. It attaches to the bucket on his Case backhoe and will lift up to 25 ft. high. The 2 by 4-ft. self-leveling "basket" is made from 1-in. tubing. It swivels on a pair of steel pins and is kept level by a metal rod, which goes through a rubber tightener secured by a pair of bolts. Once the working height is reached, the person inside the bucket tightens one of the bolts so the cage can't swing. The cherry picker frame slips over a pair of metal forks welded to the bucket and is held in place by a cable and chain. "It takes only five minutes to hook the frame and chain up to the bucket," says Eilers. "It was far less expensive than buying a new commercial lift. I came up with the idea because it's so much safer than working from a ladder when trimming trees or putting Christmas lights on trees and buildings, and other such jobs. "The beauty of this cherry picker design is that it can be adapted to fit any bucket." Eilers says he's willing to sell plans. He estimates the cherry picker could be built for about $300. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mark Eilers, Rt. 1, Box 45, Tower Hill, Ill. 62571 (ph 217 259-7233; wedig2@yahoo.com).

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