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Dan: I have a loader, but it's not for sale (unless you want to give
me enough money for a John Deere utility tractor with a bucket)!! I think
$15,000 would do it. But with old ETs going for $2,500, my price might be
a bit rich. Mine is attached to an E-15, which is a bit light duty for the
bucket. I have broken axle spindles, and the floor (frame) flexes with
each scoop lifted. But I did move 4 yards of topsoil easily around the yard
this year, even with my very very old batteries in need of constant recharging. One interesting feature of this design is that it is a quick
disconnect design. There are brackets bolted to the bottom of the ET
floorboard which allow the bucket to be unplugged and unpinned. Then you
simply back out of it. Sounds easier than it is in practice, but I have
done it a few times. These can be seen in illustration 2 of the booklet
on the web site. Here's a link to some info on my bucket: http://www.plitch.com/loader1.htm As far as I know, the manufacturer is long out of business.
I have even been through that town in Iowa, and found no evidence either in
person or on the web. Over the years, I have only heard of a few ET buckets
- one other sounds identical to mine, one or two scoop-like (low lift) buckets,
one considering a rear mounted scoop. If all you want to do is move materials around the yard, perhaps
you can build a simple scoop and lift that will not raise high enough to dump
into a pickup, but could shuttle stuff around the yard. Such items are
available for ATVs and use a front mounted electric winch for lifting power.
Perhaps it could be adapted to an ET, but would probably require a much heavier
winch than the ET lifting motor. Here's an example: http://www2.northerntool.com/sporting-goods/atv-accessories/item-2500875-2.htm I'd be happy to reply to any questions From:
elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu
[mailto:elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu] On Behalf Of Dan
Childress Have
a lot of yard work to do. It would be very nice to have a front
bucket. Does anyone know where one could be located? Dan |