Machine Builders Network+ Forums Machine Builders Network Skid Steer / Attachment Builds skid-steer auxiliary hose tensioner

I have a variety of attachments for a track skid-steer(compact trackloader) that are top-clamp style, like a root rake and a demo bucket..kept having the problem of the aux circuit attachment hoses hanging down and getting caught in the tracks and hinge point of the loader..more than once had a grab load of branches and tried to lift and dump and the hoses get caught on the return stroke..had a hose executed once by the hinge point of the bucket..so shortening the hoses wasnt the answer as length is needed to fully dump the bucket or rake..i sat back and surveyed the market and the only thing I could find was a small spring to tension the hoses..I thought lets just build something (MBN style) to hold tension on the hoses and up and away from the tracks and hinge..low and behold I just did a new torsion spring install on a garage door and there in front of me was two old garage door extension springs...hmmmm what can we do with those?



so a short section of the extension spring works great to keep tension on the hoses..they run to the top-clamp cylinders..the hoses were just supplied loose (draped) on the clamp rake..so now the spring lifts the hoses and bends to allow the hoses to follow the attachment as it swings to dump,plenty of bend flex, it will bend almost 180degrees..can't weld to the spring, as that will change the temper of the spring so I made a collar out of black pipe with set-screws to hold the spring into the mount collar..made from a clip of angle out of my scrap bin..simply welded that right to the rake attachment..tested it, works GREAT..problem solved

Awesome fix, and a scrounge to make an MBN member proud...

the extension springs like I used are soft steel, but the torsion springs are hardened- I couldnt even cut one with a bimetal blade bandsaw..FWIW

Looks like a factory made job! GREAT work!!!

just finished a second copy of the hydraulic hose spring-tensioner but on a skid-steer demolition top-clamp bucket..worked out good on the root rake so this bucket got it too

Get a patent on it!! should be a market for them.--- Ya, I know,---in our dreams,--RIGHT?????

its product liability that would get you; even with a dozen warning decals placed all over it, (not to get political)-but some liberal snowflake would break a fingernail on it and sue you,.. -even if you won the suit,you'd spend a million on defense..exclusive Patents cost big bucks,unless you want a patent company to take 60% of your product/devices profits, thats after the gov't takes a third on top of that.Im retired,got it made and dont really care for the time and trouble that would all cause

Ya ! I know!--- thats why I dont do that with any of my ideas. Had a neighbor at the other place that had 6 patents for some of his stuff! NOT going down that road!