2019 - Volume #43, Issue #1, Page #31
[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story
| Read this issue]
Chemical Tote Manlift
“I wanted to change the yard lights to LED. But it’s not safe to climb up 30 ft. on a ladder against a power pole,” says the Saskatchewan farmer.
He welded square tubing pieces on the outside of a 4-in. square tubing frame. The tubing pieces are big enough to slip in the skid steer forks and distribute the weight on the front and back of the forks. He welded angle iron on the other end of the beam to support the 1,000-liter chemical tote. An opening allows him to climb into it easily on the ground.
“I knew I had to set it at an angle (about 30 degrees) so when lifted, it would be level at the height I needed,” Heuchert says.
To add stability - and safety - to the tote, he hooked two ratchet straps to the end of the beam and strapped them to the skid steer forks.
The tubing slips over the forks just like a pallet, so putting it on and taking it off doesn’t take much time.
The project was worth it because Heuchert installed about 25 lights around the farm. It’ll come in handy for tree trimming as well. With a 13-ft. pole saw in the bucket, he figures he can reach just about any branch.
Heuchert notes that his manlift is on a fairly large skid steer. Anyone building something similar needs to keep in mind that any time something is extended, equipment can become tippy and unsafe. So it’s important to have big enough equipment to handle the job.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Leland Heuchert (lelandheuchert@gmail.com).
Click here to download page story appeared in.
Click here to read entire issue
To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.