Quik-Tach Tire Scraper Mounts On Bucket of A Skitsteer Loader

Quik-Tach Tire Scraper Mounts On Bucket of A Skitsteer Loader TIRES/WHEELS New Uses 18-4-34 We used an old industrial-sized rubber earthmover tire to build a "quik-tach" tire scraper that mounts on the bucket of a skidsteer loader. We cut the 24-ply, 6-ft. high tire into four equally sized C-shaped sections and used one of the sections. We used angle iron and steel tubing to build a frame that bolts on top of the tire. The lip of the bucket slips between the angle iron and steel tubing, and a chain mounted on the back side of the frame secures the scraper to a hole in the top of the bucket. A chain tightener keeps the scraper rigid. It really works good. We can hook it up in only 30 seconds and it cost less than $50 to make it. Commercial tire scrapers sell for over $500 and aren't as handy because you have to bolt them to the bucket or to a bracket, or to the 3-pt. hitch. The rubber cleans like a squeegee and does a better job than a bucket. It's 2 ft. wider than the bucket and is 'cupped' so it can scrape much more manure. Cutting the tire was quite a job. We used a grinder to cut the bead off both sides of the tire. We chained the tire between two tractors to stretch it, then used a utility knife to cut it in half. We drilled a pair of holes opposite each other on top of the tire, then hooked a chain between the bolt and each tractor. We used chain tighteners to stretch the tire as we cut it. Once the tire was cut in half, we set it upright with the lugs on the ground so that we could cut it in half length-wise through the lugs. We used a sheet of plywood and chalk to mark the center of the tire. Then we again stretched the tire between two tractors. We used a skil saw to cut 1/4 in. deep along the chalk mark so that we'd be sure to cut straight. The frame that supports the tire to a steel plate bolts onto the top of the tire in four places. Large washers inside the tire keep the bolts from pulling through. We tried using a skit saw and chain saw to cut the tire, but it didn't work because the 24-ply rubber is so thick. This idea won't work with rear tractor tires because they're too small and the sidewalls too flexible. The weight of manure would cause the tire to flip over backward. The tire we used weighs 700 to 800 tbs. and has thick sidewalls that give it a lot of support. Tire companies that handle industrial scraper or earthmover tires are usually glad to give them away. (Gene Vaske, Rt. 2, Box 35, Masonville, Iowa 50654 ph 319 932-2132)

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