Mini Loader Built For Cub Cadet Garden Tractor

2017 - Volume #41, Issue #4, Page #22

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“I wanted a front-end loader for my Cub Cadet 1440 garden tractor but couldn’t find anything. So I built my own from scratch,” says 81-year-old Carman Fedele of Tidioute, Penn.
    He used 1/8-in. thick steel to build the bucket and 2-in. flat strap that’s 3/16 in. thick to build the cutting blade. The bucket measures 37 in. wide and 15 in. deep and can be raised up to 50 in. high to load a pickup bed. A local welding shop sheared and bent the metal for the bucket, and then Fedele welded the end plates on.
    The loader frame is made from 1 1/2 by 3-in. rectangular tubing and attaches to the tractor’s frame with 8 bolts. Fedele used 2-in. wide, 3/8-in. thick strap iron to build a mounting base on each side of the tractor. The base supports uprights that attach to the loader arms.
    A hydraulic pump shaft-driven off the tractor’s engine operates the bucket cylinders, which came off an old semi truck equipped with a cab-over-engine. Fedele added a 2-spool hydraulic control valve to dump the bucket and raise and lower the loader.
    “It’s fun to operate and easy to handle,” says Fedele. “I spent less than $1,000 to build it. The bucket has a capacity of 400 lbs. so it isn’t designed for heavy work, but it comes in handy for a variety of jobs that would otherwise have to be performed by a large tractor. Some examples are to remove snow from driveways, to scrape and spread gravel on the driveway, and to clean out ditches along the edge of a road in front of our home. The bucket is 1 in. wider than the tractor’s front wheels, so it won’t interfere with them when driving through snow or mud.”
    He welded three hooks on top of the bucket, reinforcing them with a length of welded-on rectangular tubing. “By attaching chains to the hooks I can easily pick up things around my shop, such as gas or oxygen tanks,” says Fedele.
    “The tractor came with exhaust stacks alongside the hood so the loader doesn’t interfere with the mower or opening the tractor’s hood. I added a counterweight on back of the tractor to counterbalance the extra weight up front.”
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Carman Fedele, Sr., 1 Main Street, Tidioute, Penn. 16351 (ph 814 730-9377).

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Mini Loader Built For Cub Cadet Garden Tractor AG WORLD “I wanted a front-end loader for my Cub Cadet 1440 garden tractor but couldn’t find anything So I built my own from scratch ” says 81-year-old Carman Fedele of Tidioute Penn He used 1/8-in thick steel to build the bucket and 2-in flat strap that’s 3/16 in thick to build the cutting blade The bucket measures 37 in wide and 15 in deep and can be raised up to 50 in high to load a pickup bed A local welding shop sheared and bent the metal for the bucket and then Fedele welded the end plates on The loader frame is made from 1 1/2 by 3-in rectangular tubing and attaches to the tractor’s frame with 8 bolts Fedele used 2-in wide 3/8-in thick strap iron to build a mounting base on each side of the tractor The base supports uprights that attach to the loader arms A hydraulic pump shaft-driven off the tractor’s engine operates the bucket cylinders which came off an old semi truck equipped with a cab-over-engine Fedele added a 2-spool hydraulic control valve to dump the bucket and raise and lower the loader “It’s fun to operate and easy to handle ” says Fedele “I spent less than $1 000 to build it The bucket has a capacity of 400 lbs so it isn’t designed for heavy work but it comes in handy for a variety of jobs that would otherwise have to be performed by a large tractor Some examples are to remove snow from driveways to scrape and spread gravel on the driveway and to clean out ditches along the edge of a road in front of our home The bucket is 1 in wider than the tractor’s front wheels so it won’t interfere with them when driving through snow or mud ” He welded three hooks on top of the bucket reinforcing them with a length of welded-on rectangular tubing “By attaching chains to the hooks I can easily pick up things around my shop such as gas or oxygen tanks ” says Fedele “The tractor came with exhaust stacks alongside the hood so the loader doesn’t interfere with the mower or opening the tractor’s hood I added a counterweight on back of the tractor to counterbalance the extra weight up front ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Carman Fedele Sr 1 Main Street Tidioute Penn 16351 ph 814 730-9377

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