My first project! ... and it's not a welder cart. :)

[dayve]

...not that a welder cart is a bad first project. It's on my list. It's just that I'll need this sooner.

After trying to push snow last winter with a 48" blade on my garden tractor with no rear weights (didn't go very well), I decided that I HAVE to have some kind of weight(s) for this winter. Sears wants $55 each for 55 lb. wheel weights, or $29 for a rear bracket to hang one of those wheel weights off the back of the tractor. I'm cheap, so I thought I could do better (and cheaper).

I have a pile of square 40lb. kitty litter buckets in my garage. I have a scrap metal yard 5 minutes from my house, so I headed over there and found plenty of 1.5" angle. I'm sure that's too heavy duty, but I'm making a weight, so who cares. I made this little bracket that holds two of those buckets right behind my tractor. I can fill them with sand, salt, water, etc. to get however much weight I need.

I didn't really plan on it, but I can actually still use my trailer even with the weight shelf/bracket attached.

Dave

P.S. Time to buy the MIG kit for the little HH125 (what I made this with). I've been taking MIG classes for the last few months at the local tech college. This is actually the first project I've done with flux core. I'm so used to no smoke/splatter now.

[Hotfoot]

Very Nice! Great job, an well executed! Plus, in the summer, you could put a cooler back there filled with ice and beverages of your choice...or a radio..or a Hamster Cage...whatever!

[M Squared]

You could also hang weight from it as well if the buckets aren't enough. Add some expanded steel and it's an extra table surface for working with little planters or whatever.

Looks good.

[whateg0]

Originally Posted by Hotfoot

... a cooler back there filled with ice and beverages of your choice...

That's kinda what I was thinking, even in the winter while pushing snow. Looks great!

Dave

[usmcpop]

Wintertime = less ice required = more beverages + excuses (it was slippery... visibility...numb...) Do the math

Nice work, by the way!

[realitycheck]

You could fill the kitty litter buckets with concrete!

[dayve]

Originally Posted by realitycheck

You could fill the kitty litter buckets with concrete!

I could, but that would defeat some of the "adjustableness" and versatility. Actually, scrap metal would be a pretty good choice if a person had a lot of smaller pieces (so they pack in fairly well without leaving too much free space). Especially brass, bronze, cast iron, etc.

Table of masses

[jamesdart]

nice rack! haha! if i had enuf brass bronze and copper to give my tractor traction, id sure as **** take it to the scrap yard and sell it rather than throw in on my tractor and ride around with it.

[Jim-Tx]

I like the idea of a hamster cage. Just get some hamsters (different sizes of course) and adjust the weight accordingly.

Seriously, it's a nice rack and will do the job.

[petersenj]

That dude's nice. I love seeing people's designs. 10 different people would have done that 10 different ways. Could make a nice seat for the kids. Keep them from sneaking up behind you while drinking and driving. Plus they could hand you a drink from that bronze cooler.

Dirt or water would be about the cheapest ballast in existence.

[whateg0]

Dave, just wonderin', is that the HF $49.99 hood in you avatar?

Dave

[dayve]

Originally Posted by whateg0

Dave, just wonderin', is that the HF $49.99 hood in you avatar?

Yep. It's the one I use, too. Seems like a great hood for $50. I've never tried any of the more expensive auto-darkening ones, so maybe I just don't know what I'm missing. I have tried a very nice fixed-shade hood. I didn't like that nearly as much since I couldn't see what I was doing unless I had an arc struck. Maybe that's just because I'm a noob. I think I'll stick with auto-darkening, though.

Dave

[Blacksmith]

I have always liked sand for winter ballast. If you get on some ice and the sand's not frozen, use some for a traction aid. I used to throw 300# (6-50# bags) of play sand in the plastic bags in the back of my pickup truck, right behind the cab. In the spring, refill the kids sandbox.

[robsd]

Originally Posted by realitycheck

You could fill the kitty litter buckets with concrete!

You could fill the kitty litter buckets with kittys!!