Skid-Steer Trailer Mover

[thetool]

My trailer hitch, about $300 in materials(steel has sure gone up). 2" x 1/4" square tube construction, ready-made receiver tube and a universal plate from BC.

I've seen less expensive plates with a short receiver tube in the middle, but I thought it would be hard to see over the top to hook up to the trailer. Also, mine lays flat when you disconnect, the shorty seems it would be prone to tip over and put your adapter in the dirt.

 

[Tazza]

Looks good to me! Just be careful pushing up hills, i have heard of people being killed when the hitch jumped off the ball and squashed the operator in the cab. If you lock it down i see no problem, just be careful.
Have you built any other attachments?

 

[perry]

Looks good to me! Just be careful pushing up hills, i have heard of people being killed when the hitch jumped off the ball and squashed the operator in the cab. If you lock it down i see no problem, just be careful.
Have you built any other attachments?

Man!, that sure doesn't look like $300 worth of steel?. I'm sure glad I have a metal scrap yard nearby..

 

[thetool]

Man!, that sure doesn't look like $300 worth of steel?. I'm sure glad I have a metal scrap yard nearby..

I know, huh?
20 ft square tube cut to 10 ft and 1 ft 2"x 1/4" strap=hunnerd bucks(did I get took?)
12" ready-made receiver tube 35 bucks
BC weld-on plate 180 bucks-(did they kiss me, too?)
And as all who do such-satisfaction.......priceless......hehe.
I don't like rusty scrap especially when I depend on good welds and painting----too much prep work.

 

[perry]

I know, huh?
20 ft square tube cut to 10 ft and 1 ft 2"x 1/4" strap=hunnerd bucks(did I get took?)
12" ready-made receiver tube 35 bucks
BC weld-on plate 180 bucks-(did they kiss me, too?)
And as all who do such-satisfaction.......priceless......hehe.
I don't like rusty scrap especially when I depend on good welds and painting----too much prep work.

I don't like rusty either until I found a product at NAPA that turns rust into black primer, It works great and, no it's not naval jelly, looks sorta like milk and just as thin. Wire brush the metal to get the large flakes off and brush it on. On a warm day it cures in about 15 minutes.
I did a few pieces last week and it started to rain before I had a chance to paint, the next day it was still black and no rust.
I forgot the brand name, NAPA has it in a white bottle.

 

[Tazza]

I don't like rusty either until I found a product at NAPA that turns rust into black primer, It works great and, no it's not naval jelly, looks sorta like milk and just as thin. Wire brush the metal to get the large flakes off and brush it on. On a warm day it cures in about 15 minutes.
I did a few pieces last week and it started to rain before I had a chance to paint, the next day it was still black and no rust.
I forgot the brand name, NAPA has it in a white bottle.

That sounds like rust converter, or phosphoric acid. I always found it didn't like being painted over, at least the stuff i had....
I use older steel, a bit of surface rust is no problem for the angle grinder and wire buff. The price sure is rite, but pitted steel i do try and stay away from.
It all welds the same for me as i mostly use my stick welder, bit of rust is no problem but the MIG does need nice new or clean ground steel.

 

[sterlclan]

That sounds like rust converter, or phosphoric acid. I always found it didn't like being painted over, at least the stuff i had....
I use older steel, a bit of surface rust is no problem for the angle grinder and wire buff. The price sure is rite, but pitted steel i do try and stay away from.
It all welds the same for me as i mostly use my stick welder, bit of rust is no problem but the MIG does need nice new or clean ground steel.

it used to be called extend still made under several different names any auto body supply should have rust converter it does work DONT sand it after application prime it and paint it.....Jeff

 

[Tazza]

it used to be called extend still made under several different names any auto body supply should have rust converter it does work DONT sand it after application prime it and paint it.....Jeff

I will have to give that a go i think!

 

[m610]

I will have to give that a go i think!

I use muriatic acid for steel cleaning, it knocks the rust off easily! My technique is to submerge the parts to be cleaned, and wait till the rust is loose, rinse it off and dip again. A final rinse then a dunk in a 55 gallon barrell with no top filled with water and lime. The steel is so clean and accepts paint readily. The rust never comes back unless the paint coating fails. While a skid steer makes the best trailer mover, it leaves black marks all over the pavement and decimates the lawn.

 

[perry]

I use muriatic acid for steel cleaning, it knocks the rust off easily! My technique is to submerge the parts to be cleaned, and wait till the rust is loose, rinse it off and dip again. A final rinse then a dunk in a 55 gallon barrell with no top filled with water and lime. The steel is so clean and accepts paint readily. The rust never comes back unless the paint coating fails. While a skid steer makes the best trailer mover, it leaves black marks all over the pavement and decimates the lawn.

I also use muriatic acid from time to time, a plastic garden sprayer works good, it keeps you well away from those fumes that take your breath away. Another use I found is flushing a radiator, it eats the rust and any deposits. Mine didn't leak afterwards, although I thought it might.

 

[jerry]

I also use muriatic acid from time to time, a plastic garden sprayer works good, it keeps you well away from those fumes that take your breath away. Another use I found is flushing a radiator, it eats the rust and any deposits. Mine didn't leak afterwards, although I thought it might.

Muriatic acid is great stuff for partly clogged heater cores too. It really reacts with the lime or rust deposits and it takes only a few minutes and you can flush it and connect it up.

 

[sp6x6]

Muriatic acid is great stuff for partly clogged heater cores too. It really reacts with the lime or rust deposits and it takes only a few minutes and you can flush it and connect it up.

I put a hole in my pallet fork and just drop a ball in it, keep one handy, move stuff in and out of barn easy.

 

[tndigger]

I put a hole in my pallet fork and just drop a ball in it, keep one handy, move stuff in and out of barn easy.

I have 3 sets of pallet forks and I welded a receiver tube to the middle rib on the fork carrier. I did have to put a hole in the rib to put the pin thru the tube. Now I can use the receiver hitch to move farm wagons, bumper pull trailers and gooseneck trailers. I have my skidsteers set up with rear counterweights so going up a slight grade with a light attachment can be a little tricky.

 

[TriHonu]

I have 3 sets of pallet forks and I welded a receiver tube to the middle rib on the fork carrier. I did have to put a hole in the rib to put the pin thru the tube. Now I can use the receiver hitch to move farm wagons, bumper pull trailers and gooseneck trailers. I have my skidsteers set up with rear counterweights so going up a slight grade with a light attachment can be a little tricky.

Shane, nice build. My brother has made a few like that. They are way stronger that the ball mount. He has bent the 3/4 plate the ball mounts to trying to pick up frozen down trailers.
I guess my minimalist design is somewhere between the solutions above. Just hang it on either side of the Bobtach and latch the pin. 1 piece of channel, 2 pieces of flat stock and an $10 receiver tube from the local discount tool place.

I wanted a compact solution that I could keep with the loader. I started to make up a mount so I could hang it on the loader when not in use. Since I only have two trailers I just made one of these for each trailer and leave them on the trailers. I thought I might need to add gusset plates to stiffen the channel. My largest trailer is a 12000 lb capacity tandem axle. So far no problems moving it around with a load on it.

 

[Tazza]

Shane, nice build. My brother has made a few like that. They are way stronger that the ball mount. He has bent the 3/4 plate the ball mounts to trying to pick up frozen down trailers.
I guess my minimalist design is somewhere between the solutions above. Just hang it on either side of the Bobtach and latch the pin. 1 piece of channel, 2 pieces of flat stock and an $10 receiver tube from the local discount tool place.







I wanted a compact solution that I could keep with the loader. I started to make up a mount so I could hang it on the loader when not in use. Since I only have two trailers I just made one of these for each trailer and leave them on the trailers. I thought I might need to add gusset plates to stiffen the channel. My largest trailer is a 12000 lb capacity tandem axle. So far no problems moving it around with a load on it.

Very nice! so simple and compact too. No doubt that is now on my "attachments to build" list

 

[Land-Tech]

Very nice! so simple and compact too. No doubt that is now on my "attachments to build" list

Steel plate runs a little over a $1.00 per lb here, out of a yard.I'm curious what it cost in other places.Scott

 

[Tazza]

Steel plate runs a little over a $1.00 per lb here, out of a yard.I'm curious what it cost in other places.Scott

Steel prices have gone crazy over here, but i think it droped off a bit recently though. I *think* at one stage it was 3-$400 per tonne to buy from a yard. So thats around $2 per lb for you guys (rough estimate).

 

[TriHonu]

Steel prices have gone crazy over here, but i think it droped off a bit recently though. I *think* at one stage it was 3-$400 per tonne to buy from a yard. So thats around $2 per lb for you guys (rough estimate).

I bought drops from Discount Steel in Minneapolis, Minnesota two weeks ago for $0.49 per lb. Right now it is just over $1.00 per lb for new.

 

[Land-Tech]

I bought drops from Discount Steel in Minneapolis, Minnesota two weeks ago for $0.49 per lb. Right now it is just over $1.00 per lb for new.

We are a stepchild of the lower 48 so prices are always higher.I love to fab with new metal and the scraps always go into little projects. High prices give me an incentive recycle what I have, plus I have no room to store stuff.
With the daylight coming back,I'll be working on more things.I have a small shop I need to finish getting roof and sides on.Just trying to build up the enthusiasm to start.
I will post some pics of stuff I put together over the years if you promise not to laugh too hard.Most of my projects started with a need, than I would take what I have laying around the yard,using pieces than were never intended to be used for what I used them for and make something useful for myself. Sub par craftmanship, lack of money never stopped me in my quest for a better way.It s always fun for me and I try not to take myself too seriously.If anyone has questions about what and why I did something, feel free to ask.I can handle the occasional "what you been smoking" remark too.Lots of failure has been part of the process, so from that, I've learned a lot. Scott
The 331 and Mustang skid are up for rebuild next winter after I get the shop inclosed.I'm sure this site will invaluable for that.