Oil Tank Converted To Loader Bucket

Oil Tank Converted To Loader Bucket TRACTORS Loaders 33-2-35 Art Freymiller needed a large capacity tractor bucket to move firewood, but he didn't want to spend any money. Instead, the Woodman, Wis., innovator turned a 250-gal. furnace oil tank into a big cargo bucket. Freymiller got the lightweight tank for free, laid it on the flat side, took its legs off, and cut the top and front side off, leaving the bottom, back side and a 10-in. lip at the top. "I cut a hole on each side at the front so you can slide in a piece of 3/4-in. steel water pipe once you're loaded to keep the wood in place during transport," he explains. "Underneath, I bolted on a couple of boards as skids, using 1/4-in bolts. That way I can pick it up with pallet forks and chain the bucket to the forks." Freymiller also drilled six holes in the bottom of the homemade bucket to allow rainwater to drain out. He likes the fact that he can unchain the unit and park it without having to unload it first. The bucket holds about 1/3 of a face cord of wood. "Besides a bit of scrap, all it took was a little acetylene, oxygen, and about four bolts," he says, noting that steps must be taken to eliminate all fumes in old fuel barrels before cutting into them. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Art Freymiller, 14161 Town Hall Rd., Woodman, Wis. 53827 (ph 608 533-3506).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.