Mini Dump Truck Handy For Everyday Jobs

Mini Dump Truck Handy For Everyday Jobs TRUCKS Miscellaneous Andrew Salisbury sized his mini-dump truck to his compact tractor loader The 4 by 5-ft bed with 1-ft sides can handle several scoops from his small Kubota’s loader     “I’ve used it to move a lot of dirt including a remodeling of a 2-car garage into a house addition ” says Salisbury “I excavated for a basement and hauled all the dirt with the mini-dump I also use it every year to haul firewood It’s really handy ”     Salisbury fabricated the main frame from mostly 4-in 1/4-in thick channel iron He used 1/4-in thick 2 by 4-in rectangular tubing for the front axles The driver’s deck fenders and control panel were made with 1/16-in thick steel plate with 2 by 2-in square tubing as an underframe     He mounted a 16 hp Honda-clone engine at the rear of the frame Power is delivered to the transaxle via a torque converter system common to snowmobiles with a clutch and drive pulley     The transaxle has a 1 500-lb working capacity and is rated for a 20 hp engine It came with hydraulic drum brakes and forward reverse and neutral built into it Salisbury ordered it from Surplus Center     “It works great ” he says “I only wish I had ordered two as they no longer carry it ”     He used 11-in rack and pinion steering with spindles from an old go-cart While not as heavy as he would like they’ve done the job as has the go-cart shocks on the front They stabilize the front end and reduce sway     Leaf springs provide suspension on the rear They are rated for 2 250 lbs more than enough without being too stiff The front axle is designed to pivot in the center for a smoother ride on rough terrain     The dump box is framed with 3/8-in 1 1/2-in angle iron and lined with 1/8-in steel It is hinged to the back of the frame with hardened bolts     “The box doesn’t haul enough weight to need lubrication ” says Salisbury     The lift for the box is provided by a cylinder pump and tank purchased from Tractor Supply Salisbury used a log splitter valve for a dump valve and powers the pump with a 5 hp electric start engine also recycled from a go-cart     Throughout the project Salisbury looked for the lowest cost component or reused a component he had on hand The exception was buying his hydraulic cylinder pump and tank at a local Tractor Supply     “They were more expensive than I might have found elsewhere but I could go in and pick out what I needed ” he says “Even with that I only have about $3 000 in cost That was more than I wanted to spend but it works great and I use it a lot ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Andrew Salisbury 114 Quaker Hill Rd Morgantown Penn 19543 ph 610 256-0317; m21alta@msn com

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