Big Tree Spade Mounts On Front-End Loader

Big Tree Spade Mounts On Front-End Loader MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous It ll dig out a 3 in dia tree in 2 minutes or less says Duane Myklejord about the big hydraulic tree spade he built to mount in place of the loader bucket on his Deere tractor
    Mounting the spade on the loader provides the operator with a great view says Myklejord I ve moved hundreds of trees with it and I ve never had any trouble
    The 3-bladed spade is about 7 ft high 4 ft wide at the top and narrows to about 2 ft at the bottom The hydraulically activated blades which are each 3 ft long were made by cutting apart a 36-in dia 300-gal liquid propane tank with 1/4-in thick walls A 3-in dia hydraulic cylinder with a 36-in stroke powers each blade The three 36-in stroke hydraulic cylinders are off a car transport trailer
    The top part of the spade s frame is made from 2 by 4-in rectangular tubing and the bottom part from heavy 4-in angle iron that s 3/8 in thick
     The controls mount on a metal bracket that s bolted to one of the loader arms next to the tractor s steps says Myklejord From the ground I can see how I m doing as I push the spades into the ground one by one I used it last spring to move 31 4 to 5-ft spruce trees with a 100 percent success rate
     To cut the propane tank I took an abrasive blade off a chop saw and mounted it on a skil saw I used a 4 1/2-in angle grinder to sharpen the blades to a point at the bottom
    Myklejord spent less than $1 000 to build the spade I bought the 3 hydraulic cylinders from a friend for $75 apiece and spent $150 on hydraulic hoses $150 for a new pto-driven hydraulic pump and $100 for the control valves I bought the tank at an auction for about $100 Comparable commercial models sell for $4 000 and up
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Duane Myklejord 34683 350th Ave S E Fosston Minn 56542 ph 218 435-6820; dom@gvtel com

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