[AT] Weekend issues

Alan Nadeau ajnadeau1 at myfairpoint.net
Tue Sep 20 05:39:10 PDT 2016 

My take on equipment ramps is that the safest thing going is the arched 
aluminum ramps.   While relatively expensive they have a lot going for them.

Traction is very good because of the welded in crossbars.  Your machine 
won't lose traction and spin off the ramps, sideways when you are halfway 
up.

The ones I have had small, attached cables with "S" hooks to hook under the 
truck bumper so they can't kick out from under you.

They are light enough to be easily handled.  Granted they are thief bait 
unless you lock them up, pretty much a fact of life if you have anything 
valuable now-a-days.

My biggest fear when loading anything on ramps is to have a ramp break, kick 
out, or let the machine slip off the side.  Any of those scenarios have the 
potential to put the machine partly or completely upside down with the 
operator underneath it in one degree or another.  That puts the operator in 
a position of being bruised & sore at the minimum or suffering from vastly 
more serious or even life threatening injuries.  There is pretty much no way 
anyone can get clear fast enough to hit the ground running if your ramps 
dump your sorry butt.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike M" <meulenms at gmx.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 2:16 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Weekend issues


> Dennis, if you are spry enough to crawl under a truck and install and
> modify then reinstall an oil sensor,  you are spry enough to lift what I
> calculate to be a 50 lb ramp. Most of this list is made up of gents of
> similar vintage. Farmers glue lam would be no lighter, neither would a
> 2x8 oak board.
>
> Regard,
>  Mike M
>
>
> On 9/19/2016 10:59 PM, Dennis Johnson wrote:
>> Mike,
>>
>> Being an old man, I get concerned about weight. Yes, it would work.
>>
>> Thanks
>> Dennis
>>
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>>> On Sep 19, 2016, at 9:14 PM, Mike M <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dennis, to borrow on Farmer's idea, what if you were to make a
>>> sandwiched beam with (2) 2 x 8's screwed together with a plywood center
>>> as a stiffener? Like a load bearing header.
>>>
>>> Mike M
>>>
>>>
>>>> On 9/19/2016 7:40 PM, Dennis Johnson wrote:
>>>> Farmer,
>>>>
>>>> I agree that there are many solutions to this, engineered wood (but 
>>>> they would not like rain or elements), store bought aluminum ramps if I 
>>>> locked them in place, steel ramps, and combinations of wood and steel. 
>>>> Custom cut from a mill with full 2" thickness might be the best option 
>>>> if I can find a mill and take some time to go get them. Maybe it is 
>>>> time to switch to 2 X 12 boards but will need to carry them on edge 
>>>> because I do not want to have mower offset too much to the side.
>>>>
>>>> What is frustrating is that I have used 2 X 8 or 2 X 10's for 20 plus 
>>>> years to load LAWN MOWERS. That is why Cecil's comment about good wood 
>>>> going outside the USA got me to thinking that he may have a valid 
>>>> point. I switched to 2 X 10's when I got mowers a little bit heavier 
>>>> than what I had 20 years ago. Every 5 to 10 years something happens and 
>>>> I need to replace the wood. The center support method has some issues 
>>>> on dealing with truck and trailer suspension flex. When I have 
>>>> something a bit heavier (like my Bolens 1502H) I had done the center 
>>>> support blocks.
>>>>
>>>> I like this method because they are reasonably light, cheap, weather 
>>>> resistant if treated. They are quick to put up and down. And I have a 
>>>> post welded to the trailer and a hole in one end of the ramp where I 
>>>> can just put them down over the pin and drive off with no worry. I have 
>>>> not had problems with anyone trying to steal a board.
>>>>
>>>> Another thing that bothers me is that the new board has about 1 inch of 
>>>> extra deflection compared to the old 2 X 10 that has aged 3 or 4 years.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks
>>>> Dennis
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>>
>>>>> On Sep 19, 2016, at 3:27 PM, Indiana Robinson 
>>>>> <robinson46176 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> If I wanted wood ramp boards I think I would consider laminated 
>>>>> engineered
>>>>> lumber. Really strong stuff and no weak points.
>>>>> If I ever was suspicious of loading boards / weight combinations I 
>>>>> reduced
>>>>> their length by half with blocks under the middle but with a warning.
>>>>> Blocking under the middle can make one end or the other lift (and 
>>>>> move) at
>>>>> the end like at the truck bed. To prevent that movement the middle 
>>>>> blocks
>>>>> should be low enough that the middle of the boards can flex down a 
>>>>> couple
>>>>> of inches before contacting the support blocks. That keeps weight on 
>>>>> both
>>>>> ends of the board.
>>>>> I needed a shortish pair of ramps for loading my Cub several years ago 
>>>>> so I
>>>>> made them out of a couple of pieces of light-ish "I" beam cut from a
>>>>> removable mobile home hitch and used them flat. I cut a couple of 12"
>>>>> pieces of an old "U" steel fence post and welded them across one end 
>>>>> of
>>>>> each ramp cup down. That sits on a support across the back of several
>>>>> trailers. They will also work to roll logs onto my little Woodmizer 
>>>>> sawmill
>>>>> (if I ever get a chance to use it).
>>>>> The Cub weighs about 1,800 pounds and it does not flex the ramps. They 
>>>>> are
>>>>> maybe 5' long.
>>>>> I have not shown anything for several years but I think I can next 
>>>>> year. I
>>>>> finally completely quit the Atorvastatin and the Zetia both and at 
>>>>> long
>>>>> last actually feel like I am really healing. The Atorvastatin 
>>>>> (Lipitor) was
>>>>> really destructive on muscle tissue along with a whole basket-full of 
>>>>> other
>>>>> bad side effects. The Zetia was causing severe shortness of breath. My
>>>>> regular Dr. is quite open minded about treatments but the cardiac 
>>>>> folks all
>>>>> seem to be playing a one string banjo... It largely involves a bad 
>>>>> case of
>>>>> denial of any side effects of those two drugs.If I croak more quickly 
>>>>> from
>>>>> not taking them it will still be better than the life I was living 
>>>>> with the
>>>>> side effects...
>>>>> I could have asked son Scott to haul a tractor to a show and he has in 
>>>>> the
>>>>> past but he does a huge amount to keep us going as it is. He and I did
>>>>> visit 3 nearby shows this summer together.
>>>>> I saw a quote on-line this morning: "Sometimes it takes me all day to
>>>>> accomplish nothing."  :-)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> .
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Mon, Sep 19, 2016 at 1:07 PM, <tmehrkam at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You need to borrow better equipment. :-}
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     On Monday, September 19, 2016 8:44 AM, Cecil Bearden <
>>>>>> crbearden at copper.net> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sounds like the typical quality problems we endure these days. Cover 
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> bottom of those ramps with a 1/8 sheet of steel or aluminum and they
>>>>>> will hold together.  All the good lumber in the US is shipped
>>>>>> overseas.  We get the crap.  Those senders were probably made in 
>>>>>> China
>>>>>> or India.  Parts houses don't carry the fittings they used to. 
>>>>>> Hardware
>>>>>> stores are the best bet on that now...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Cecil in Okla
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 9/19/2016 12:42 AM, Dennis Johnson wrote:
>>>>>>> All
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The last few days I have been hit with stupid little stuff.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Borrowing my son's V10 Ram to haul some mowers to Okla. leaving 2 
>>>>>>> there
>>>>>> with someone and hauling my Hustler back after doing some mowing 
>>>>>> there.
>>>>>>> V10 failed an oil pressure sender Wednesday near Ennis Tx. Changed 
>>>>>>> it
>>>>>> out in parts store parking lot, which was not fun on hot engine. This
>>>>>> morning on the way to church the replacement sender also failed, 
>>>>>> putting a
>>>>>> small stream of oil out the electrical connection, just like the 
>>>>>> first one
>>>>>> did. Got replacement under warranty, but went to 6 places looking for 
>>>>>> 1/8
>>>>>> NPT 45 elbow and could not find. Want to move sensor so I can get a 
>>>>>> wrench
>>>>>> or sender socket on it. Finally found short nipple and coupling that 
>>>>>> should
>>>>>> move it away from block slightly. Tomorrow morning will try to 
>>>>>> install the
>>>>>> second sensor when engine is cool before I start it.
>>>>>>> Yesterday I snapped one of the blade spindle housings in two pieces 
>>>>>>> on
>>>>>> my Hustler Fastrack SD mower. Was able to fine some replacement parts 
>>>>>> just
>>>>>> before store closed. Was able to finish mowing this afternoon.
>>>>>>> This weekend the 2 X 10 ramps I use to load mower failed near a knot
>>>>>> hole. Friday I got a new 2 X 10, and it snapped in two pieces on 
>>>>>> Saturday.
>>>>>> Yesterday got a second replacement on that also.
>>>>>>> Dennis
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sent from my iPad
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>>>>>
>>>>> -- 
>>>>> -- 
>>>>>
>>>>> Francis Robinson
>>>>> aka "farmer"
>>>>> Central Indiana USA
>>>>> robinson46176 at gmail.com
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