Modified Quick-Attach Plate Boosts Tractor’s Versatility

Modified Quick-Attach Plate Boosts Tractor’s Versatility POWER TAKE OFFS PTO S The multi-purpose quick-attach plate on Paul Zawalick’s compact tractor loader gives a big boost to versatility With its hydraulic motor powered pto and its 3-pt mounts Zawalick can attach his 4-ft wide rotary mower to trim brambles on the ground or 10 ft in the air It’s equally handy for mounting a drag rake lift boom or other normally rear-mounted tools pto powered or not “I welded a quick attach plate with 3-pt mounts to my loader’s quick attach plate and added a hydraulic motor driven pto to it ” says Zawalick “The hydraulic motor is powered by a pto driven hydraulic pumping station mounted on my rear 3-pt hitch ” The 17-gpm hydraulic pump was designed to mount directly to the tractor’s pto shaft Instead Zawalick mounted it along with a 20-gal hydraulic oil reservoir to a frame made from 2-in sq steel tubing He also added caster wheels to the framework’s legs making it easy to roll away for storage “The output on the tractor was too small for the hydraulic motor so I added the auxiliary pump ” says Zawalick “It’s about the same size as the motor ” Oil from the pump flows through a motor spool valve that lets it freewheel The pump isn’t dedicated to the front-mount pto Zawalick uses quick connects at the motor for the hydraulic hoses that run back to the pump They give him the option of using the pump for auxiliary hydraulic power as needed Currently its main use is for the mower “Having the mower on the loader makes it handy for controlling wild rose a major problem around here ” says Zawalick “I can pick it up while running and set it right down over the roses Being able to front mount tools like the mower or the drag is handy in tight areas ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Paul Zawalick 545 Sylvester Rd Florence Mass 01062 ph 413-584-4162; J0236@comcast net

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