Things to make my life easier

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After looking at a lot of the projects on this forum, I'm not sure I want to show my stuff.  There are some amazingly talented people showing their work on here.  But what the heck, this stuff works for me and makes my life easier.Fred is my hired hand.  He was one of my first projects when I decided to get a welder (Thunderbolt) in the early 1990's.  The flat roller is made from a left over piece of a chain link fence post.  The rubber one is for a boat trailer.  Most of him is made from repurposed stuff.  After Fred, other than a couple of tomato cages and rebuilding the wear shoes on the snow blower, the welder mostly sat in the corner for many years.    A few springs ago, I was swapping the mower for the rototiller on the garden tractor and tweaked my back (again!)  I thought there had to be a better way, so I build this mower dolly.  Why didn't I do this 30 some years ago when I first got the mower?  Too soon old, too late smart, I guess.  I bought some creeper wheels from McMaster Carr for it.  The rest is stuff that was laying about. After making this, the welding bug was re-established and I am always looking for something to build/fix.Next was a stand for the chop saw.  Made this from repurposed stuff as well.  The wheel and pipe upright were from a friends scrap pile.  The pipe had some JD green under the rust and had been broken with a big rod stuffed down the center and welded.  The angle is from a "skidsteerized" fuel tank stand someone gave me.To be continued.................Tim
Reply:The mower dolly worked so well, I decided to make one for the tiller.  I do not have any photos of the near finished project, but here are a couple of it in progress.  It makes tiller attach/detach way easier.  Almost fun. Again, more repurposed material.  Here are a couple of photos.  The beginnings, and a test.  I'll have to try to remember to get a shot of it the next time I put the tiller on the tractor.Part 3 (last one) coming...........Tim
Reply:Here's a multi colored boom sprayer. It is mostly done, but there are a few improvements needed yet. It works good. Need a place to to store the hand wand and something to hold the storage legs up other than wire. In the early photo, the sprayer tank was held (but not very well) to the frame with bungees. The 2nd time I used it, when about half full, the mix started sloshing around and it fell off, breaking the pump. In later photos, the replacement pump is a different color from the original. I put some anti slip tread on the frame and added the pins so I could use a Hazard Fraught tie down strap to fasten it to the frame. Other improvements from the original were to add support to the hoses at the 3-way valve. Didn't want to break it as it was sorta pricy. Also added the removable hose holder for the hand wand.    Any suggestions to improve these things are welcome. Concept test After the maiden voyageCouple of tweaks.... Today's versionTim
Reply:That is good stuff.I never cared what anyone else thought about my work.
Reply:I have been thinking of ways of to make my life easier also, I had my 4th back Surgery on the 8th and today I did go in the shop and did a little welding just to run one of the welders. I will start looking to make a side boom or some kind of a lift in side my small shop. I have a lift out side to lift just about all I would need to work on.The good thing is that I feel good now and it has just been two weeks.
Reply:That is Great ! I'm the same way, I just love wheels. Anything that can make it easier on a persons body is gotta be good. A loader tractor, engine hoist, and a electric chainfall with trolley on a beam are my favorite.
Reply:I like the mower deck cartMillermatic 211Dewalt 14" ChopsawDewalt 4 1/2" GrinderCraftsman
Reply:Very nice. I like that you are reusing. All are nice but there is something about the chopsaw stand that really appeals to me. I just cant put my finger on what it is exactly. Oh, and I like the track roller holding down the gravel!            ChuckTo ride, shoot straight, and speak the truth. This was the ancient law of youth. Old times are past, old days are done, but the law runs true oh little son.Winpower 180 DCSA-200 redfaceXMT-304
Reply:Originally Posted by sled dogVery nice. I like that you are reusing. All are nice but there is something about the chopsaw stand that really appeals to me. I just cant put my finger on what it is exactly. Oh, and I like the track roller holding down the gravel!            Chuck
Reply:Thanks for the comments.  Thats Hot, I hope your back surgery works out.  I haven't gone under the knife, but have done plenty of suffering.  We are presently looking to relocate, and a bigger shop with some lifting apparatus is definitely on the wish list.  SWMBO is getting tired of doing the heavy lifting for me.  Tim
Reply:That's some really handy stuff you have built. Good job.
Reply:Nice work, I really like that you named your project Fred. I strongly believe in working smarter not harder.  I've had 4 back surgeries and know I'll have more in my future.  Just know that once you have surgery it seriously limits your options as far as other treatments are concerned.  I've got broken hardware in my back from surgery #2 and #3 and 4 were attempts to fix it which failed.  So I'm left worse off than when I started and most docs don't want to touch it.  It's like someone brought you something that broke and they tried fixing it themselves by welding it with a coat hanger only to make it worse...Best of luck to you and take care of your back.
Reply:Neat ideas... Keep the photos coming.... I might "barrow" a few of these ideas. My back is fine, I'm just lazy :-)Qualified & experienced at welding scrap metal
Reply:I know we are all a little competitive as the talent here is nothing short of amazing.  That being said, I am happy with my work and am glad to post it. So many here have great ideas and I love to see what folks invent. It's always a great source of ideas, so thanks for posting. I have never seen so much stuff I didn't know I had to have!!! Regards,RobGreat Basin WeldingInstagramBlue weldersRed weldersMy luscious Table DIY TIG Torch cooler
Reply:This guy is working with wood, but have a look at why he uses two winches on this home built shop crane
Reply:Nice looking projects and nice looking early model 200 series Deere.I have that same deck and can appreciate the dolly you built for it.Good job!ECAVE Still learnin'Lincoln AC225Lincoln 135SPHF ChopsawVictor O/ANumerous other items
Reply:Everything you made looks great.  The only criticism I have is your use of Quaker State oil!Mobil Delvac-1 is where it's at!       Attached ImagesLast edited by SuperArc; 07-26-2014 at 06:09 PM.Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:Originally Posted by richeyThat's some really handy stuff you have built. Good job.
Reply:This always makes it better, not sure about easier...
Reply:Originally Posted by jmink427This always makes it better, not sure about easier...
Reply:Continuation from a few months ago. . . . . I put the tiller on the other day and got a couple of photos of that.  Most of the photos were of my finger, but I cropped that out.Getting readyLowering into positionThe tiller needs to be low enough for the cross brace to go under the tractor's hitch.  Before, holding it here and dragging up to connect was the back killer.  This is much easier.Almost connectedDone!The curved bowl that the tiller sits in is a piece cut from an old propane tank.  Hopefully will get it painted someday.   I used to have a piece of stainless for that.  Someone had kindly donated it to this cause, but it's 3/16" and pretty heavy.The fold in brackets for the front castors are from old gate hinges.   I took this whole contraption to my friend's farm to work on it and forgot to take them. So they still need painted.  Maybe someday........Tim
Reply:Originally Posted by pin2hotToo soon old, too late smart, I guess.  I bought some creeper wheels from McMaster Carr for it.  The rest is stuff that was laying about. After making this, the welding bug was re-established and I am always looking for something to build/fix.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveGenius And the line about being too soon old, too late smart made me laugh........while thinking about all the stupid things I did before I got "smarter" - grumble grumble......
Reply:You could do with some tires like I have on my John Crafts Deere Man. Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveGenius And the line about being too soon old, too late smart made me laugh........while thinking about all the stupid things I did before I got "smarter" - grumble grumble......Originally Posted by BistineauYou could do with some tires like I have on my John Crafts Deere Man.
Reply:This should answer most if not all, but maybe more of your questions about the spray tank.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...spray+tank+MIG  You may have already seen this post, don't know.About the John Crafts Deere Man tractor. I had to do some repairs to the mower deck and then some on the fenders where they had started to crack. When I was done, I knew it needed to be painted, and I had some JD green and yellow left over from building my dumping yard trailer, so I used that to repaint the Craftsman. That's how it got the hybrid name. But mechanically it's all still Craftsman.