Build Yourseld A Loader Boom

Build Yourseld A Loader Boom TRACTORS Loaders 7-3-8 Dudley Johnson, Kanawha, Iowa, wanted to paint his 2-story house but he didn't have an extension ladder. So, he made a boom to fit on his tractor that would reach those tough- to-reach spots. Johnson explains: "First, I removed the pitch control bucket from my loader and mounted the boom on the loader frame. The boom will reach up 28 ft. in the air. It's made from tubing and rod, and cost about $85 to make. The barrel is a 55 gal. drum. A cable fastens to the bottom of the barrel and runs up through a pulley on the boom frame and back to the lowest pivot point on the loader. This keeps the barrel in a vertical position as the boom is raised. "A heavy spring fastened on the top of the barrel to the boom frame keeps the barrel stable. To make it easier to climb into the barrel, I cut a piece out of the top. A hinged rod flips across this cut-out portion as a safety measure. "When I'm painting a building, I run a light-weight cable from the barrel to the hydraulic lever on the tractor. By parking the tractor parallel with the building and having someone lift me up, I can gradually let myself down by pulling gently on the cable. I have a restricter (orifice) mounted in the hydraulic lines so, if a hose should break, the boom will settle gently to the ground. "I also use the boom for trimming trees, fixing roofs, and for changing storm windows. Last fall, I removed the barrel and fastened a 3-pt. hitch bar in its place and lifted the rafters for 3 new machine sheds. Some of the beams were 56 ft. long. The contractor said he'd never seen anything work so slick." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dudley Johnson, Kanawha, Iowa 50447 (ph 515 762-3342).

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