I have a lot of skid loader experience and some movement of the main boom is quite normal. I wouldn't worry too much about your hydraulics feeling sluggish, it was really cold so that's normal too. Also, if you go to load your skid loader again, most of your weight is in the back, so back up into your trailer. The machine won't buck so much and it will feel a lot better and more controlled. If I were you, I would get some tire chains on at least the back two tires if you're going to operate on much snow/ice, that would help a lot. I have to say though, that you have a very impressive build. It has been a lot of fun to follow along.
Fantastic video and great test of your phenomenal machine!!! Wonderful ingenuity and construction!!! I highly enjoyed this video and your skill at creating something from the ground level to a working model!! Congratulations to you and I hope yourself and your family are all doing well! Looking forward to your next video!
It is nice that you feel up to coming back after your hard recent time. For a first test the skid steer seemed to work very well. Perhaps you are pushing the system a bit with the size of your bucket. This will be something you need to work out as you move towards the final design. Just the fact that you were able to do all that you did shows that your design is a good one. I look forward to the improvements you come up with and the finish work you still have to do. Take care, keep safe and warm, jack, In The Valley of The Sun, Arizona, U.S.A.
First, congratulations on a successful shakedown, that was awesome! I used to operate skid-steer loaders quite a bit in the past and yes, a bit of lateral play of the bucket is normal, but not a lot (a few cm). Keeping your bucket low while traveling is one of the major safety tips when working with loaders (particularly wheeled versions, they can get quite squirrelly with a load in the air while moving), so if a bit of lateral movement on your bucket has you wanting to keep the load low... I'd say that's a good thing! 😁 It did seem low on power, but it sounds like you have some thoughts about that. Looking forward to seeing it finished! PS: As a follow-on project after you finish the loader, you could look into making a set of tracks that go over the wheels. That would help with that wheel slip you were getting when trying to get the bucket to bite into the drifts. I've used equipment that had that style of track in the past and they help a lot in mud and snow.
I forgot to add. Having a counterweight on the rear of your metal friend will help with stabilising. It will also allow you to lift heavier loads as snow is not as heavy as sand or balast, for example.😁👋🏴
Engine does sound like it's struggling somewhat under normal forward/reverse movement (non-digging rolling motion should be very easy work for the engine and hydro system). Very cold hydro oil might be a slight contributing cause, perhaps a winter grade hydro oil would be helpful. From the sounds I heard it's possible you are running system oil pressure too high, try adjusting the pressure relief at the valve body. Decrease the operating oil pressure to the point where acceptable work can be done, but no more. This will only decrease system pressure, not oil flow. A permanently mounted pressure gauge would be helpful with these adjustments. My guess would be that the machine will require only about 1000psi max system pressure to handle most work. One needs to be realistic regarding how much push work can be accomplished with limited horse-power. Usually low HP skids have quite narrow buckets to allow deeper penetration into dirt/gravel, peeling sod or moving very stiff snow piles. This is not to say that your machine is useless, in fact it will likely prove to be very useful, but heavy digging work will take more time than with a machine of greater power and weight.
Hydra, not hydro. Hydro has always been used to refer to water, not to hydraulic systems as a whole. And yes, I am well aware that water is a hydraulic fluid. But that just proves my point.
I read a lot and enjoy catching spelling and grammar errors made by professional editors. Many times I've wanted to make corrections to YT posted comments, eventually I realized that I'm one of the worst offenders. I get your point on hydra vs hydro, I'm not saying I'm right, but I'm not saying I'll do it any different next time:)
I know this is now 2 months old but I’ll give you my opinion for engagement. I’ve been a mechanic for many years and have messed with a few different skid steers here in the US. You’ve built a really decent example and it looks like it works pretty well for a garage build. My only advice is to consider using a small industrial diesel engine. Every skid steer I’ve ever seen is diesel. The little gas engine you have doesn’t seem like it makes enough torque to keep all the hydraulics running under times of heavy load. Like when you were trying to drive into the trailer. A diesel would make the same horsepower as the gasser but at least double the torque. And be more efficient at the same time. Not to mention adding some extra weight to the rear if you ever have to lift something heavy in the bucket. I love what you’re doing. Your channel is what more young girls should be watching.
Hello. What an amazing amount of craftmanship and skill you have shown in this build. I totally agree that with time you will become much more fluid with the controls. I own and have operated my own Caterpillar 248 skid steer for many years and it took me some time to learn how it would react with control operation. I think your stalling issue may be the lack of sufficient flow through your hydraulic relief valves which overloads the engine and causes it to stop. Make sure your calculations included potentially dumping most if not all hydraulic fluid past the relief at full working pressure and flow that you will produce with your pumps. This will be different for lifting vs turning the wheels with each having its own settings to prevent overloading the engine. You want to stall hydraulically not mechanically. In my opinion your solution should be a balance of pressure and flow. I look forward to more in this series. Best regards from Michigan in the US... by the way moving snow with the skid steer is something I enjoy too.
Love your show. Love your accent. Was really sorry to hear about your recent loss. To that, I can only say one thing: Grief is the price of love. And, extreme grief is the price of extreme love. Please share where you're from? I'm thinking Greece, but not sure. Cheers!
Well done! I have been enjoying watching your progress. 'Should the boom arms swing that much?' A little movement is normal but you really want to take as much slack out of the system as possible. Think large bushings and wear pads, tight tolerances with lots of reinforcement. Side note, when load a skid steer on a trailer, do so in reverse. Back the machine onto the trailer, less chance of tipping back and falling off ramps. Keep up the good work!
The bucket seems a good size for moving earth. For snow it could be larger. When advancing into the pile of snow, start removing from the top of the pile not the bottom the bucket will fill easier. Aldo a bucket with teeth will have an easier entry into the material. I also built a complete loader and excavator for my tractor. Good luck.
Wow, Lucia. No wonder you built a skid steer. If I had to deal with that much snow, I would too! 😳😅 Good luck getting the machine dialed in, but you seem to be off to a great start. 👍
In a previous video I commented, "you need a safety bar.""Not for safety, but to rest your forarms on, to operate smoothly." The boom movement should be minimal because the boom should pretty ridged. But some skid loaders will still have a guide welded on to the frame. The boom will set in the guide, when lowered all the way down.
A lot of how easy you control a skid steer depends on how you sit in it. It helps to be able to lean back and 'fixate' yourself in the back of the seat. This makes it easier to balance the sticks in your hands. Allow your body to move as part of the vehicle while your hands follow the sticks. Eventually you will want to be able to work very precise, as well as very fast, which is one of the advantages of a skid steer. The jerking movement is caused by control hysteria, which you will eventually learn to control by getting the feel for giving continuous control input. After that, the jerking becomes a tool which is actually quite useful sometimes. One of the unique properties of skid steer is the ability to maintain directional control during a wheely, which in combination with the jerking move is an invitation for some very dynamic use. It allows for handling of loads well over its designed capacity.
I can't understand why you don't have a ton more subscribers yet. This is one of the most impressive youtube builds ever. I would have been very uncomfortable without more rollover protection before my first test!
Great build so far! I think for the hydraulics you should be able to dial back the system pressure enough that it won't stall the engine. I think an easy way to get to this setting would be to start with a very low set point for the pressure relief valve, run the engine at full speed, and then hold one of the hydraulic functions/controls at max travel so that the pump is forced to work at full (relief) pressure, then adjust the pressure up as high as you can without the engine stalling. I haven't done much work with hydraulics personally, so please get more feedback / opinions on the correct way to determine the maximum working pressure of your setup for your engine.
That is so awesome! What a great test! The muffler issue is minor. You looked so excited and we're all very proud! I've never noticed the direction issue you mentioned on a commercial skid steer, but I've never driven one on snow either, so that might be a factor.
I am sure I reflect others opinions...but we are glad you are well and continuing the family tradition of making awesome things!!!...and that looks like its so cold it could be Yakutsk!!!
Lucia, you have done an amazing job building that digger and you really demonstrated the advantage of a plasma table in fabrication. All you need now is bum time in the seat getting used to it. The hydraulic problems can be resolved as you go and will be part of the learning curb. Go girl
Yes, your so right about the feeling of making a "item" ,weather that is a tool or a piece of equipment, for someone else or you yourself. That feeling increases as you approach the functionality of more than 80% efficiency for that function of that task. This is the feeling of the creator creating it's creation !!!! That's just my opinion! Excellent Job Lucia !! I appreciate your value creation and the time, energy, and effort to bring your creations to life and allowing us, the viewing audience , a little peek into your world! Michael
My 50 year old Case loader has little side play. There is a substantial strut between the lift arms that appears to keep it steady. Lower HP definitely limits a machine, but I've managed to do serious work with mine. Just put in limits so you dont tear up the machine. Reinforce that roll cage before you do too much more testing. We want you to stick around putting out more videos. Great job so far. Your grandpa wpuld be proud.
Nicely done. Looks like your husband is going to love the little machine more than you. 😉 Good job working out the geometry on the lift arms. Stellar first performance. 👍
An engineering challenge for you - add bucket auto-levelling to the hydraulics. I have an old 1986 backhoe (that leaks everything, everywhere) but it has the auto-levelling on the front bucket. A really great feature as well as a safety item so you don’t dump on your head. Awesome videos. I really appreciate the effort this project has taken as I’ve built my own CNC plasma table (5’x10’) from scratch.
Well done. Some of those engines might have an oil level sensor. Which could kill the engine if it gets tilted too much. Usually they can be simply unplugged to verify if that's the cause stalling the engine. But again, what a cool machine!!
I'm so glad to see you back, Lucia. I know you and your husband have had a lot to deal with recently. My prayers are with you both, always. What i found quite surprising was just how well your tyres coped with the snow. The moment i saw the snow, i thought to myself. I hope they have bought snow chains with them. Otherwise, it will be a wasted trip. Well, it's not wasted as you got to see your uncle.😁 About the jerking. As you said, you managed to control the little metal machine 2 hours later. We have a saying in the UK. Practice makes perfect. Simple when you think about it. The more practice you get, the better you will be. Once the machine is complete with all of the welding finished, and the glass is fitted, you will find it will operate a little better. Hydrolics can play up in cold weather too as with engines that won't start. But your engine did start, yippee.🎉 Your test trip was a positive one because you have already found some teething issues that are easily fixed. As for the muffler breaking as it did. Sadly, it happens all to frequently these days for two reasons. The first reason is money. Companies cut back using cheaper materials. Secondly, some people who work on assembly lines do not necessarily do their job well, and they often do not put down enough welds. Also, the bolts used are not always a good quality or tightened up to spec, resulting in a broken muffler. There is another reason. Skidsteers in general, no matter what brand they are, all suffer with one fault. I've driven many makes and the one thing they all seem to have in common is that they vibrate so violently sometimes, that its enough to shake things apart. Sadly, breaking weld joints is a common occurrence and has nothing to do with how good or bad your welds are as the breaks often occur next to the welds, not because of them. I am looking forward to seeing your next instalment. 😁🏴⚒️
That engine may not be powerful enough for the task. Machines of that size are normally 35-40 horsepower. But I am impressed with the performance, capability and stability of the machine, that has to be one of the best built homebuild skid loaders out there. Congratulations on the first real test, well done!
That's true, but commercial units have bigger engines because they are designed to last a long time under heavy use. She's not going to be doing heavy work with hers and the engine longevity isn't as much of a concern. She may only get 500 hours out of it, but depending on her use that's probably going to be a lifetime.
You can hear its very underpowered. A bigger engine will make it much better to work with, this is just going to get more annoying longtherm@@TehButterflyEffect
600 series BobCat skid steers had 12 -18 HP Koller engines and some of them are still in use power is not the issue newer machines have more power simply for speed .
Yeah she should probably look into a diesel Engine, do you guys know if shes having a CC or OC hydraulic system, also am i stupid or are the controls wrong? like i know it that the left stick is for movement and the right stick for the hydraulics
Hello, thank you for the very enjoyable videos. I have many years experience running skid loaders in the USA. A couple things I note. No, I have never had a bucket that had side to side slop when traveling. When loaded it often would have the bucket bounce a little up and down, but very little, and only the bucket itself, not the arms. Secondly the roof should double as your roll over protection. You can see the roof wobbling side to side every time you hit a bump. This would crush on a rollover, but equally dangerous if you lift the bucket high and perhaps drop a rock on the cab it could easily crush the cab with you in it. I would recommend a much stronger motor, and much stronger cab section. Best wishes, and again thank you so much, my wife and I have very much enjoyed your build. You are doing so well!
Yes the boom arms will wiggle when they are lifted and the machine is moving, as long as it's not excessive it's perfectly normal and should be expected. As far as the power of the engine while you are working it reducing your working pressure of the hydraulic system might help but you don't want to negatively affect the function of the machine by reducing it too much. You might want to consider a gear reduction between the engine and pump to give the engine better lugging ability... It all kind of depends on how you sized your pump vs the requirements of the loader. I'm sure you left some margin when you selected the pump, you'll just need to tinker with it and you'll figure out what it needs. Worst case scenario would call for a larger engine. I bet you can avoid that though.
The point about tinkering with chain drive reduction ratio is excellent. Usually skid steer's are not very fast, a maximum skid steer ground speed might be equal to a brisk walk. Faster maximum ground speeds sacrifice pushing power.
This project is so cool - in every way. Perhaps you can add a ballast-mount centered between the wheels lower than the axles. You could also build some caterpilar-drives (don't know the english word), that you can mount in exchange of the wheels if you need more grip. And perhaps you could use the temp of the motor for warming up the hydraulics-oil (bypass-pipe around the exhaust) in cold conditions. And a switchable reduction-gear for more torque on the wheels could help. You should be really proud of yourself!
Nice build!! About the only thing I can add to the comments is that it is a lot easier to load it by backing up the ramp. The heaviest part is the motor in the back, and if you have that lead, you'll feel less like you're going to tip over. And if you want to keep the snow from sticking to the bucket as much, spray the inside with WD40 every so often (actually, cheap cooking spray will work in a pinch as well....... I did that as a job for several years)
Awesome test today! Hey about the arms being raised a little while driving. Look at the older New Holland skid steer design. They actually have rub rails that the arms travel up and down on the cab. This uses the cab itself to help keep the arms stable.
Watching this video, you must have been so satisfied with how your creation performed. The exhaust is a minor setback, but overall all your work is proven to be top quality.
What a fantastic example for my daughter and any young person to follow! She has set the standard for what anyone can accomplish with a desire to learn. I am so impressed with your skill sets. You honestly seem like genuinely good people. If people were as kind and genuine as you, most of all, our problems would be gone. What a wonderful ambassador you are.
Wow, another great video, thank you for sharing, always a pleasure watch your project, you are a great teacher and your explanation are nice and easy 👍👍👍👍
All I have to say is great Job! Even a manufactured skid steer has things that need to be adjusted for you to make your own plans and get it that good is something else.
Glad to see you have it working. Some side to side movement of the loader is normal. Also happy to see you all doing well. I have several decades of experience running skid steer loaders and it gets easier with practice, you seemed to become more confident as you used it and more fluid with the use of the controls. Perfect timing for the video as I'm working on replacing the axle bearings on my skid steer loader. Love all your videos. Can't wait for the next video.
Looks awesome!!! That is a good looking machine! You might be able to run a thinner wieght hyd oil to help the engine a little bit. Don't forget most machines that size run 50hp or more diesel. I think it doing awesome!!!!! Really happy for you!!!!
You have done what is called a lurning curve to understand how to operate your equipment. You actually did a great job building your first piece of equipment in that class. Love the update.
This was an amazing build and even more amazing test you did. What a champ of a machine you created, WELL DONE ! Can't wait to see you fix all the little things, and make all the upcoming improvements... GREAT content !
Excellent job Lucia and a great first test result with minor issues. Love ur vids & this build series has been fantastic. When the first Starship exploded, I believe Spacex termed it as a S.U.R.D. (Sudden Unscheduled Rocket Disassembly), maybe we call this one a U.E.D. (Unfair Exhaust Detachment), bit of weld & vibration proofing and ur ready to go again. TFS. Cheers
I admire that you took on this complex project and brought it to life. WOW! It works, and actually works very well. I'd never have thought to make a Skid Loader from scratch. Beautiful accomplishment!
First and foremost, Dear Lucia, husband & extended family. We all hope hope you have had some time to grieve and heal after the awful and tragic losses within your family. It's a pleasure to see you and your limitless creativity and engineering skills back on the channel. A brilliant real-world test of your machine and fabulous update. Big love from your UK 🇬🇧 audience ❤️
I'm with a lot of people here, this is definitely an impressive build. You should be getting more UA-cam clout than you have already. Is it strange to anyone that I find seeing real life in Russia almost as interesting as seeing the custom DIY skid steer?
Very nice test result to a long project! A couple of quick suggestions that may help your problems out. First, if you have a flexible hose on your exhaust, take the opportunity to mount your muffler to the body instead of the engine. That is a long muffler and the leverage of the vibrations will continue to stress mounted parts if it's mounted on the engine. Mounting it to the frame removes vibration stress which gets absorbed instead by the flexible hose connector. Second, many small engines come with a governer managed throttle option. This makes it so you set the engine speed you want and it adjusts the throttle based on engine load. While the engine may be powerful enough, there's a limitation with a gas engine at lower throttle positions. It's much easier to kill a gas engine at lower throttle because engine speed drops linearly with the throttle while power drops more exponentially. An engine running at 1800RPM (we'll say half speed) will be running at 1\3 to 1\4 power, depending on design. Those are guessed numbers, but you get the Idea. A managed throttle will overcome this by opening up under load and giving you true half speed power at half speed. If your engine has the option, look into making sure the throttle governer is connected and operational. It will save you from killing your engine. The other option is switch to a diesel engine, which I don't think you want to do. And for balance, most production skid-steers have a counterweight around the engine along with the weight of a diesel engine. Diesel engines are much heavier than gas engines of the same size, and you are running gas, which is much lighter. Add some thick steel plating down low around your engine area for weight and you'll find your machine handles more like what you would expect. Keep up the awesome work! You're inspiring to watch!
@@grzegorzolek9219 I'm just trying to cover my bases in case she made the engine herself and just forgot that part. You never know when this level of skill is involved...
It's good to see you back in the shop and back on UA-cam. I hope your family is doing well. There is nothing like building a machine and then making it come alive and operate. Making tools and fixtures is as interesting as the actual project itself, at least for me it is. You've done a fantastic job.
Nice work this is awesome! One of the only people on the entire internet making your own equipment! Skids are some versatile easily the most useful piece of equipment you can have
Hi Lucia 😊 Looks like a nice working machine now , but why didn't you put some primer on all the not protected steel since I see it starts rusting already ?
Your are the only woman i ever seen tackle such a huge project. And practice will make it oparate even better. You learn its sweet spots and what its not capable of. Congratulations on a fine build. Ready to see it painted
📌Friends, if you liked this video, I would appreciate your like👍 and comment💛😊This is important for me and for the UA-cam algorithms▶
I have shared your youtube with many others!
I have a comment. What country do you live in? Great tractor by the way, wish I had time to build one.
Good job!!
@@COLLAR01построте, мы просим обязательно!👍❤️
Are you going to make work lamps on it?
Very nice Lucia, your project works very well ❤
I have a lot of skid loader experience and some movement of the main boom is quite normal. I wouldn't worry too much about your hydraulics feeling sluggish, it was really cold so that's normal too. Also, if you go to load your skid loader again, most of your weight is in the back, so back up into your trailer. The machine won't buck so much and it will feel a lot better and more controlled. If I were you, I would get some tire chains on at least the back two tires if you're going to operate on much snow/ice, that would help a lot. I have to say though, that you have a very impressive build. It has been a lot of fun to follow along.
She has me wanting to build one now lol.
👍👍 Working out the bugs... Happens with everything. That's enough snow to justify a much larger articulated loader!
Fantastic video and great test of your phenomenal machine!!! Wonderful ingenuity and construction!!! I highly enjoyed this video and your skill at creating something from the ground level to a working model!! Congratulations to you and I hope yourself and your family are all doing well! Looking forward to your next video!
So happy for you Lucia such wonderful job God has blessed you much. Good videos
Brava Lucia! Nice work! Love your channel and love your work.
It is nice that you feel up to coming back after your hard recent time.
For a first test the skid steer seemed to work very well. Perhaps you are pushing the system a bit with the size of your bucket. This will be something you need to work out as you move towards the final design. Just the fact that you were able to do all that you did shows that your design is a good one. I look forward to the improvements you come up with and the finish work you still have to do.
Take care, keep safe and warm,
jack,
In The Valley of The Sun, Arizona, U.S.A.
First, congratulations on a successful shakedown, that was awesome!
I used to operate skid-steer loaders quite a bit in the past and yes, a bit of lateral play of the bucket is normal, but not a lot (a few cm). Keeping your bucket low while traveling is one of the major safety tips when working with loaders (particularly wheeled versions, they can get quite squirrelly with a load in the air while moving), so if a bit of lateral movement on your bucket has you wanting to keep the load low... I'd say that's a good thing! 😁
It did seem low on power, but it sounds like you have some thoughts about that.
Looking forward to seeing it finished!
PS: As a follow-on project after you finish the loader, you could look into making a set of tracks that go over the wheels. That would help with that wheel slip you were getting when trying to get the bucket to bite into the drifts. I've used equipment that had that style of track in the past and they help a lot in mud and snow.
It’s common to have shims to take up space where pins have some movement. May help with your bucket slop.
That’s crazy! Entire skid steer from scratch, what a neat project.
I forgot to add. Having a counterweight on the rear of your metal friend will help with stabilising. It will also allow you to lift heavier loads as snow is not as heavy as sand or balast, for example.😁👋🏴
Lucia, Wow! For me, you can do no wrong unless you stop.
I think you are doing an amazing job. Thank you for taking us along on your loader build ❤️
Engine does sound like it's struggling somewhat under normal forward/reverse movement (non-digging rolling motion should be very easy work for the engine and hydro system). Very cold hydro oil might be a slight contributing cause, perhaps a winter grade hydro oil would be helpful.
From the sounds I heard it's possible you are running system oil pressure too high, try adjusting the pressure relief at the valve body. Decrease the operating oil pressure to the point where acceptable work can be done, but no more. This will only decrease system pressure, not oil flow. A permanently mounted pressure gauge would be helpful with these adjustments. My guess would be that the machine will require only about 1000psi max system pressure to handle most work.
One needs to be realistic regarding how much push work can be accomplished with limited horse-power. Usually low HP skids have quite narrow buckets to allow deeper penetration into dirt/gravel, peeling sod or moving very stiff snow piles. This is not to say that your machine is useless, in fact it will likely prove to be very useful, but heavy digging work will take more time than with a machine of greater power and weight.
Thank you for the advices
Hydra, not hydro. Hydro has always been used to refer to water, not to hydraulic systems as a whole.
And yes, I am well aware that water is a hydraulic fluid. But that just proves my point.
Hair-splitters are the life of the party:)
@@terrylutke Some people just need to talk and say something, others say something you'd actually like to hear. And I just did one of the two...
I read a lot and enjoy catching spelling and grammar errors made by professional editors. Many times I've wanted to make corrections to YT posted comments, eventually I realized that I'm one of the worst offenders.
I get your point on hydra vs hydro, I'm not saying I'm right, but I'm not saying I'll do it any different next time:)
You are amazing, congratulations on doing what 99.99% of the population, male or female could not do, that should make you very proud.
Wow! It’s looking awesome!😮
I know this is now 2 months old but I’ll give you my opinion for engagement. I’ve been a mechanic for many years and have messed with a few different skid steers here in the US. You’ve built a really decent example and it looks like it works pretty well for a garage build. My only advice is to consider using a small industrial diesel engine. Every skid steer I’ve ever seen is diesel. The little gas engine you have doesn’t seem like it makes enough torque to keep all the hydraulics running under times of heavy load. Like when you were trying to drive into the trailer. A diesel would make the same horsepower as the gasser but at least double the torque. And be more efficient at the same time. Not to mention adding some extra weight to the rear if you ever have to lift something heavy in the bucket. I love what you’re doing. Your channel is what more young girls should be watching.
Hello. What an amazing amount of craftmanship and skill you have shown in this build. I totally agree that with time you will become much more fluid with the controls. I own and have operated my own Caterpillar 248 skid steer for many years and it took me some time to learn how it would react with control operation. I think your stalling issue may be the lack of sufficient flow through your hydraulic relief valves which overloads the engine and causes it to stop. Make sure your calculations included potentially dumping most if not all hydraulic fluid past the relief at full working pressure and flow that you will produce with your pumps. This will be different for lifting vs turning the wheels with each having its own settings to prevent overloading the engine. You want to stall hydraulically not mechanically. In my opinion your solution should be a balance of pressure and flow. I look forward to more in this series. Best regards from Michigan in the US... by the way moving snow with the skid steer is something I enjoy too.
I have been sad for your loss, glad you are back. 😊
Love your show. Love your accent. Was really sorry to hear about your recent loss. To that, I can only say one thing: Grief is the price of love. And, extreme grief is the price of extreme love. Please share where you're from? I'm thinking Greece, but not sure. Cheers!
Well done! I have been enjoying watching your progress. 'Should the boom arms swing that much?' A little movement is normal but you really want to take as much slack out of the system as possible. Think large bushings and wear pads, tight tolerances with lots of reinforcement. Side note, when load a skid steer on a trailer, do so in reverse. Back the machine onto the trailer, less chance of tipping back and falling off ramps. Keep up the good work!
A very big congratulations on a successful trial run on such a large project. Well done.
The bucket seems a good size for moving earth. For snow it could be larger. When advancing into the pile of snow, start removing from the top of the pile not the bottom the bucket will fill easier. Aldo a bucket with teeth will have an easier entry into the material. I also built a complete loader and excavator for my tractor. Good luck.
Wow, Lucia. No wonder you built a skid steer. If I had to deal with that much snow, I would too! 😳😅 Good luck getting the machine dialed in, but you seem to be off to a great start. 👍
In a previous video I commented, "you need a safety bar.""Not for safety, but to rest your forarms on, to operate smoothly." The boom movement should be minimal because the boom should pretty ridged. But some skid loaders will still have a guide welded on to the frame. The boom will set in the guide, when lowered all the way down.
It looks awesome! Better than anything you could buy. This is one of the coolest projects on youtube 💜
I am for one completely impressed beyond words! That you BUILT THIS!! That's incredible! I'm so beyond impressed. The snow had no chance!!
A lot of how easy you control a skid steer depends on how you sit in it. It helps to be able to lean back and 'fixate' yourself in the back of the seat. This makes it easier to balance the sticks in your hands. Allow your body to move as part of the vehicle while your hands follow the sticks. Eventually you will want to be able to work very precise, as well as very fast, which is one of the advantages of a skid steer. The jerking movement is caused by control hysteria, which you will eventually learn to control by getting the feel for giving continuous control input. After that, the jerking becomes a tool which is actually quite useful sometimes. One of the unique properties of skid steer is the ability to maintain directional control during a wheely, which in combination with the jerking move is an invitation for some very dynamic use. It allows for handling of loads well over its designed capacity.
I can't understand why you don't have a ton more subscribers yet. This is one of the most impressive youtube builds ever.
I would have been very uncomfortable without more rollover protection before my first test!
Great build so far! I think for the hydraulics you should be able to dial back the system pressure enough that it won't stall the engine.
I think an easy way to get to this setting would be to start with a very low set point for the pressure relief valve, run the engine at full speed, and then hold one of the hydraulic functions/controls at max travel so that the pump is forced to work at full (relief) pressure, then adjust the pressure up as high as you can without the engine stalling.
I haven't done much work with hydraulics personally, so please get more feedback / opinions on the correct way to determine the maximum working pressure of your setup for your engine.
Hey Lucia
Hope all is well.
Great achievement, very cool project .. you should be very proud of your self.
👍👍👍
NSW. AUSTRALIA
That is so awesome! What a great test! The muffler issue is minor. You looked so excited and we're all very proud!
I've never noticed the direction issue you mentioned on a commercial skid steer, but I've never driven one on snow either, so that might be a factor.
I am sure I reflect others opinions...but we are glad you are well and continuing the family tradition of making awesome things!!!...and that looks like its so cold it could be Yakutsk!!!
Thank you, I appreciate that! No, my uncle lives in Samara, it's central Russia. Just one cold night, but days were much warmer ;)
Lucia, you have done an amazing job building that digger and you really demonstrated the advantage of a plasma table in fabrication. All you need now is bum time in the seat getting used to it. The hydraulic problems can be resolved as you go and will be part of the learning curb. Go girl
Yes, your so right about the feeling of making a "item" ,weather that is a tool or a piece of equipment, for someone else or you yourself. That feeling increases as you approach the functionality of more than 80% efficiency for that function of that task. This is the feeling of the creator creating it's creation !!!! That's just my opinion! Excellent Job Lucia !! I appreciate your value creation and the time, energy, and effort to bring your creations to life and allowing us, the viewing audience , a little peek into your world!
Michael
My 50 year old Case loader has little side play. There is a substantial strut between the lift arms that appears to keep it steady. Lower HP definitely limits a machine, but I've managed to do serious work with mine. Just put in limits so you dont tear up the machine. Reinforce that roll cage before you do too much more testing. We want you to stick around putting out more videos. Great job so far. Your grandpa wpuld be proud.
Nicely done. Looks like your husband is going to love the little machine more than you. 😉
Good job working out the geometry on the lift arms. Stellar first performance. 👍
This is honestly the most impressive thing I have ever seen designed and built on UA-cam well done!
The cab could do with being majorly beefed up though for safety
@@ModerateDevShe is not finished with the cab.
It is only tack welded on in this video.
Rear counter weights will help with the loose steering with a bucket load.
An engineering challenge for you - add bucket auto-levelling to the hydraulics.
I have an old 1986 backhoe (that leaks everything, everywhere) but it has the auto-levelling on the front bucket. A really great feature as well as a safety item so you don’t dump on your head.
Awesome videos.
I really appreciate the effort this project has taken as I’ve built my own CNC plasma table (5’x10’) from scratch.
Snow bucket for next winter? Awesome work!
I was just thinking of you building the skidsteer. May God bless
For a first test I would be more than happy with the result. Well done. You’ve done such a brilliant job.
Well done. Some of those engines might have an oil level sensor. Which could kill the engine if it gets tilted too much. Usually they can be simply unplugged to verify if that's the cause stalling the engine. But again, what a cool machine!!
I'm so glad to see you back, Lucia. I know you and your husband have had a lot to deal with recently. My prayers are with you both, always.
What i found quite surprising was just how well your tyres coped with the snow. The moment i saw the snow, i thought to myself. I hope they have bought snow chains with them. Otherwise, it will be a wasted trip. Well, it's not wasted as you got to see your uncle.😁
About the jerking. As you said, you managed to control the little metal machine 2 hours later. We have a saying in the UK. Practice makes perfect. Simple when you think about it. The more practice you get, the better you will be.
Once the machine is complete with all of the welding finished, and the glass is fitted, you will find it will operate a little better. Hydrolics can play up in cold weather too as with engines that won't start. But your engine did start, yippee.🎉
Your test trip was a positive one because you have already found some teething issues that are easily fixed. As for the muffler breaking as it did. Sadly, it happens all to frequently these days for two reasons.
The first reason is money. Companies cut back using cheaper materials. Secondly, some people who work on assembly lines do not necessarily do their job well, and they often do not put down enough welds. Also, the bolts used are not always a good quality or tightened up to spec, resulting in a broken muffler.
There is another reason. Skidsteers in general, no matter what brand they are, all suffer with one fault. I've driven many makes and the one thing they all seem to have in common is that they vibrate so violently sometimes, that its enough to shake things apart.
Sadly, breaking weld joints is a common occurrence and has nothing to do with how good or bad your welds are as the breaks often occur next to the welds, not because of them.
I am looking forward to seeing your next instalment. 😁🏴⚒️
It looks like it's working very well. I can't wait to see it completed.
That engine may not be powerful enough for the task. Machines of that size are normally 35-40 horsepower.
But I am impressed with the performance, capability and stability of the machine, that has to be one of the best built homebuild skid loaders out there. Congratulations on the first real test, well done!
That's true, but commercial units have bigger engines because they are designed to last a long time under heavy use. She's not going to be doing heavy work with hers and the engine longevity isn't as much of a concern. She may only get 500 hours out of it, but depending on her use that's probably going to be a lifetime.
Remember, every machine was a homebuild once.
You can hear its very underpowered. A bigger engine will make it much better to work with, this is just going to get more annoying longtherm@@TehButterflyEffect
600 series BobCat skid steers had 12 -18 HP Koller engines and some of them are still in use power is not the issue newer machines have more power simply for speed .
Yeah she should probably look into a diesel Engine, do you guys know if shes having a CC or OC hydraulic system, also am i stupid or are the controls wrong? like i know it that the left stick is for movement and the right stick for the hydraulics
Hello, thank you for the very enjoyable videos.
I have many years experience running skid loaders in the USA. A couple things I note. No, I have never had a bucket that had side to side slop when traveling. When loaded it often would have the bucket bounce a little up and down, but very little, and only the bucket itself, not the arms. Secondly the roof should double as your roll over protection. You can see the roof wobbling side to side every time you hit a bump. This would crush on a rollover, but equally dangerous if you lift the bucket high and perhaps drop a rock on the cab it could easily crush the cab with you in it. I would recommend a much stronger motor, and much stronger cab section.
Best wishes, and again thank you so much, my wife and I have very much enjoyed your build. You are doing so well!
this is so good to see this working you built one hell of a machine and of course thanks for another great video
A fantastic WELL DONE!
It is easy to forget that you built the skidsteer from scratch.
Just saw this video. Looking forward to watching entire series. Great video!!
Yes the boom arms will wiggle when they are lifted and the machine is moving, as long as it's not excessive it's perfectly normal and should be expected.
As far as the power of the engine while you are working it reducing your working pressure of the hydraulic system might help but you don't want to negatively affect the function of the machine by reducing it too much. You might want to consider a gear reduction between the engine and pump to give the engine better lugging ability... It all kind of depends on how you sized your pump vs the requirements of the loader. I'm sure you left some margin when you selected the pump, you'll just need to tinker with it and you'll figure out what it needs. Worst case scenario would call for a larger engine. I bet you can avoid that though.
The point about tinkering with chain drive reduction ratio is excellent. Usually skid steer's are not very fast, a maximum skid steer ground speed might be equal to a brisk walk.
Faster maximum ground speeds sacrifice pushing power.
Well done. Huge achievement. It’s been a pleasure watching you build this. 👏👏👏🥂
This project is so cool - in every way.
Perhaps you can add a ballast-mount centered between the wheels lower than the axles. You could also build some caterpilar-drives (don't know the english word), that you can mount in exchange of the wheels if you need more grip. And perhaps you could use the temp of the motor for warming up the hydraulics-oil (bypass-pipe around the exhaust) in cold conditions.
And a switchable reduction-gear for more torque on the wheels could help.
You should be really proud of yourself!
Nice build!! About the only thing I can add to the comments is that it is a lot easier to load it by backing up the ramp. The heaviest part is the motor in the back, and if you have that lead, you'll feel less like you're going to tip over. And if you want to keep the snow from sticking to the bucket as much, spray the inside with WD40 every so often (actually, cheap cooking spray will work in a pinch as well....... I did that as a job for several years)
Awesome test today! Hey about the arms being raised a little while driving. Look at the older New Holland skid steer design. They actually have rub rails that the arms travel up and down on the cab. This uses the cab itself to help keep the arms stable.
Watching this video, you must have been so satisfied with how your creation performed.
The exhaust is a minor setback, but overall all your work is proven to be top quality.
Awesome 👍.. what you have done ✅ is very good 👋🇸🇾
Glad to see it working after all the hard work you put into building it.
Wow!!! I thought I was a good fabricator! That is amazing! Great job!
Looks great! I would say it was a very successful 1st test.
Pretty impressive!
What a fantastic example for my daughter and any young person to follow! She has set the standard for what anyone can accomplish with a desire to learn. I am so impressed with your skill sets. You honestly seem like genuinely good people. If people were as kind and genuine as you, most of all, our problems would be gone. What a wonderful ambassador you are.
Good Job. I'm glad to see it working.
You’ve done a really impressive job. My only comment would be that for light weight materials like snow it might be useful to have a bigger bucket.
Good to see it out. I suspect a cabin heater might be a welcome feature.
Wow, another great video, thank you for sharing, always a pleasure watch your project, you are a great teacher and your explanation are nice and easy 👍👍👍👍
All I have to say is great Job! Even a manufactured skid steer has things that need to be adjusted for you to make your own plans and get it that good is something else.
Glad to see you have it working. Some side to side movement of the loader is normal. Also happy to see you all doing well. I have several decades of experience running skid steer loaders and it gets easier with practice, you seemed to become more confident as you used it and more fluid with the use of the controls. Perfect timing for the video as I'm working on replacing the axle bearings on my skid steer loader. Love all your videos. Can't wait for the next video.
For not being finished and your first working test I say it was a success.
Nice progress and good to see that the testing was successful👍
Your work and attempting such a difficult project just amazes me. It runs like every skid steer I have ever driven. Congrats!
Looks awesome!!! That is a good looking machine! You might be able to run a thinner wieght hyd oil to help the engine a little bit. Don't forget most machines that size run 50hp or more diesel. I think it doing awesome!!!!! Really happy for you!!!!
It looks like a very successful initial test! I am looking forward to the next video in this series! 😃
Congratulations on the near completion of your project. I'm sure you'll work out the bugs.
You have done what is called a lurning curve to understand how to operate your equipment. You actually did a great job building your first piece of equipment in that class. Love the update.
This was an amazing build and even more amazing test you did. What a champ of a machine you created, WELL DONE !
Can't wait to see you fix all the little things, and make all the upcoming improvements... GREAT content !
I have no doubt that you will have this dialed in in no time. Very good first outing.
Excellent job Lucia and a great first test result with minor issues. Love ur vids & this build series has been fantastic.
When the first Starship exploded, I believe Spacex termed it as a S.U.R.D. (Sudden Unscheduled Rocket Disassembly), maybe we call this one a U.E.D. (Unfair Exhaust Detachment), bit of weld & vibration proofing and ur ready to go again. TFS. Cheers
In SpaceX they say RUD - Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly 😉
@@grzegorzolek9219 ah yes of course it’s RUD, I knew it was something like that, I was too busy laughing when I first heard the term.
YOU ARE AWESOME YOUNG LADY.....CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS!
I just love watching you take your talents and build things! Best to you and your family!
Выдающаяся работа. Вы должны быть очень горды. Вашему мужу повезло. Поздравляем!😃
I admire that you took on this complex project and brought it to life. WOW! It works, and actually works very well. I'd never have thought to make a Skid Loader from scratch. Beautiful accomplishment!
First and foremost, Dear Lucia, husband & extended family. We all hope hope you have had some time to grieve and heal after the awful and tragic losses within your family.
It's a pleasure to see you and your limitless creativity and engineering skills back on the channel.
A brilliant real-world test of your machine and fabulous update.
Big love from your UK 🇬🇧 audience ❤️
So glad it all worked for you. Amazing build.
I'm with a lot of people here, this is definitely an impressive build. You should be getting more UA-cam clout than you have already. Is it strange to anyone that I find seeing real life in Russia almost as interesting as seeing the custom DIY skid steer?
From one life ending sometime new is born, your Grandpa is VERY proud, minnor set backs that's what makes it fun. Great job from Minnesota.
Very nice test result to a long project! A couple of quick suggestions that may help your problems out. First, if you have a flexible hose on your exhaust, take the opportunity to mount your muffler to the body instead of the engine. That is a long muffler and the leverage of the vibrations will continue to stress mounted parts if it's mounted on the engine. Mounting it to the frame removes vibration stress which gets absorbed instead by the flexible hose connector.
Second, many small engines come with a governer managed throttle option. This makes it so you set the engine speed you want and it adjusts the throttle based on engine load. While the engine may be powerful enough, there's a limitation with a gas engine at lower throttle positions. It's much easier to kill a gas engine at lower throttle because engine speed drops linearly with the throttle while power drops more exponentially. An engine running at 1800RPM (we'll say half speed) will be running at 1\3 to 1\4 power, depending on design. Those are guessed numbers, but you get the Idea. A managed throttle will overcome this by opening up under load and giving you true half speed power at half speed. If your engine has the option, look into making sure the throttle governer is connected and operational. It will save you from killing your engine.
The other option is switch to a diesel engine, which I don't think you want to do.
And for balance, most production skid-steers have a counterweight around the engine along with the weight of a diesel engine. Diesel engines are much heavier than gas engines of the same size, and you are running gas, which is much lighter. Add some thick steel plating down low around your engine area for weight and you'll find your machine handles more like what you would expect.
Keep up the awesome work! You're inspiring to watch!
I am sure that if this engine doesn't have a governer she CAN make one. Hint: use hydraulics >pressure drop< as source 😉
@@grzegorzolek9219 I'm just trying to cover my bases in case she made the engine herself and just forgot that part. You never know when this level of skill is involved...
It's good to see you back in the shop and back on UA-cam. I hope your family is doing well. There is nothing like building a machine and then making it come alive and operate. Making tools and fixtures is as interesting as the actual project itself, at least for me it is. You've done a fantastic job.
Nice work this is awesome! One of the only people on the entire internet making your own equipment! Skids are some versatile easily the most useful piece of equipment you can have
Nice to see a new video and the progress you have made!! Пока Пока
Looks awsome😊
To make a skeed stear that works👍
Good job😆
Consider adding a small fan to blow hot engine air over the driver for winter time heat.
Lucia, a BIG THUMPS UP. Your skill sets always amazes me.
I'd say that's big success Lucia on building own skid loader it works very well congrats
This is one heck of an achievement!!! Amazing!
You chose a very difficult test scenario and only had very minor issues. So impressive.
Great you're back and so happy your testing was successful after all your hard work 🎉
Hi Lucia 😊 Looks like a nice working machine now , but why didn't you put some primer on all the not protected steel since I see it starts rusting already ?
Your are the only woman i ever seen tackle such a huge project. And practice will make it oparate even better. You learn its sweet spots and what its not capable of. Congratulations on a fine build. Ready to see it painted
Seems to be working well in general. Congratulations,well done.👍