Blade-Mounted Broom For Skid Steer

Blade-Mounted Broom For Skid Steer Roger Gutschmidt gave an old rotary broom new life by mounting it on a skid steer blade. He fabricated brackets from channel iron, with a base plate curved to match the push blade’s curve. The broom can be quickly mounted or dismounted by removing a few bolts. “I picked the broom up at an estate sale,” says Gutschmidt. “The seller had no idea where it came from but had intended to mount it as a cattle rubber. It was just bristles on an 8-ft., 8-in. dia. steel tube. The bristles were worn, but they looked like they still had some life in them.” Gutschmidt fabricated steel plates to match the tube’s inside diameter. After center-drilling them for a shaft, he welded them in place about 6 in. from the tube’s ends. He then mounted the broom on its shaft in the brackets on the blade. “I bought a hydraulic motor for $300 at a salvage yard,” says Gutschmidt. “I looked for one that matched the output on the skid steer. I knew that if too small, the hydraulic pressure could blow the seals on the motor.” Gutschmidt mounted the motor to the shaft and put the broom to work. “The big push blade is heavy for my skid steer, which is a smaller machine,” he says. “However, when it’s sweeping on the ground, there’s no strain on the skid steer. It works amazing pushing gravel off the grass. It would be great for cleaning entry areas in sheds where equipment is driven in.” The curvature of the blade protects the operator from flying material. The rubber belting that came with the blade provides even more protection. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Roger Gutschmidt, Gutschmidt Manufacturing, 202 Elm St. E., Box 311, Gackle, N.D. 58442 (ph 701-269-0537).

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