Couple more pics.
![Vehicle Grass Lawn Bumper Machine]()
![Vehicle Automotive exterior]()
Roger
Roger
Converting 45 Loader to JDQA - Build
MTF user badgerland01 brought up this subject recently about anybody doing this and I’ve been mulling about doing this for quite a while so I thought I was about time I did it.
I wanted to model my JDQA after the JDQA that is used on the H120 loader on the 1023/1025.
![Green Leaf Plant Vehicle Grass]()
So this is my version of what I did to make my 45 loader to have a quick attachment mechanism in order to quickly exchange the bucket to a set of forks, which BTW are yet to be built.
Since pictures seem to tell a better story this thread will be picture heavy.
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Started off by ensuring that I could get the 3/4” round bar, which JD refers to the loader “equalizer link pin” drilled out correctly for the pin fasteners.
![Green Vehicle Grass Lawn Mower]()
Used a 4 ¼” grinder with a very thin cutoff blade and first remove the bottom 1” square hydraulic cylinder over extension stops.
![Machine Angle grinder Pipe Machine tool Tool]()
![Green Machine Machine tool]()
Then used the cutoff grinder to carefully cut out the existing welds on the bucket brackets. Used a large adjustable wrench to wiggle the bracket side back and forth the snap off the rest of the weld that I couldn't get with the grinder.
![Tool]()
![Green Machine]()
![Green]()
Note: A 5” grinder with a thin cutoff blade would work better than the 4 ½” one I used.
Marked out the cut lines and using a hole saw, drilled the holes for the top 1 ¼” bar.
![Green Machine Vehicle]()
This pictures show the pieces that will be used on the loader side. In the end I didn’t use the two small rectangular supports as I felt I didn’t need them after thing were welded up.
![Green]()
Chamfered the holes on the back plate so that the locator pins would slide in easier.
![Circle Games Metal]()
Picture showing the bucket side attachment brackets and pins. The curved formed ones were bought from JD.
![Metal]()
Picture showing bucket bottom plates and pins with chamfered edge.
![Circle Metal]()
Pin ready to be welded in. Both plate and pin have chamfered edges in order to get a deeper penetration weld.
![Steel Metal]()
This is the set up that I use to get everything aligned before I tacked the side plates on. I used exact width spacers between the sides to keep them properly spaced.
![Machine Auto part Metal Pipe]()
Used a 1 ¼” round bar to align the top “fittings” of the JDQA and then clamped an angle iron next to it in order to have a reference line.
![Machine tool Metal]()
Removed the 1 ¼” round bar and tacked in the “real” cut to length top fittings and started to weld the loader side brackets.
![]()
![Machine Vehicle]()
Installed the brackets on the loader arms and then extended the cylinders to the point just before they started to bend. Clamped, tacked and then welded on the 1” square bars to serve as over extension limiters.
THANKS bagerland01 and AndrewOliver for the info on this!
![Land vehicle Vehicle Motor vehicle Grass Lawn]()
![Vehicle Motor vehicle Bumper Automotive tire Tire]()
Got the bucket lined up and welded on the bucket-side brackets.
![Machine]()
![Green]()
Tested it out on the dirt pile to verify if the brackets would hold up to riggers of loader work, thus things got a little dusty and dirty. So this is how my version of the JDQA looks on the loader.
![Green Vehicle]()
![Green Machine Vehicle Plant]()
![Green Machine Vehicle Metal]()
Now comes some touch up and green paint.
Roger
I wanted to model my JDQA after the JDQA that is used on the H120 loader on the 1023/1025.
So this is my version of what I did to make my 45 loader to have a quick attachment mechanism in order to quickly exchange the bucket to a set of forks, which BTW are yet to be built.
Since pictures seem to tell a better story this thread will be picture heavy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Started off by ensuring that I could get the 3/4” round bar, which JD refers to the loader “equalizer link pin” drilled out correctly for the pin fasteners.
Used a 4 ¼” grinder with a very thin cutoff blade and first remove the bottom 1” square hydraulic cylinder over extension stops.
Then used the cutoff grinder to carefully cut out the existing welds on the bucket brackets. Used a large adjustable wrench to wiggle the bracket side back and forth the snap off the rest of the weld that I couldn't get with the grinder.
Note: A 5” grinder with a thin cutoff blade would work better than the 4 ½” one I used.
Marked out the cut lines and using a hole saw, drilled the holes for the top 1 ¼” bar.
This pictures show the pieces that will be used on the loader side. In the end I didn’t use the two small rectangular supports as I felt I didn’t need them after thing were welded up.
Chamfered the holes on the back plate so that the locator pins would slide in easier.
Picture showing the bucket side attachment brackets and pins. The curved formed ones were bought from JD.
Picture showing bucket bottom plates and pins with chamfered edge.
Pin ready to be welded in. Both plate and pin have chamfered edges in order to get a deeper penetration weld.
This is the set up that I use to get everything aligned before I tacked the side plates on. I used exact width spacers between the sides to keep them properly spaced.
Used a 1 ¼” round bar to align the top “fittings” of the JDQA and then clamped an angle iron next to it in order to have a reference line.
Removed the 1 ¼” round bar and tacked in the “real” cut to length top fittings and started to weld the loader side brackets.
Installed the brackets on the loader arms and then extended the cylinders to the point just before they started to bend. Clamped, tacked and then welded on the 1” square bars to serve as over extension limiters.
THANKS bagerland01 and AndrewOliver for the info on this!
Got the bucket lined up and welded on the bucket-side brackets.
Tested it out on the dirt pile to verify if the brackets would hold up to riggers of loader work, thus things got a little dusty and dirty. So this is how my version of the JDQA looks on the loader.
Now comes some touch up and green paint.
Roger
1 - 20 of 36 Posts
Nice work Roger!! This inspires me to attempt this project.... Once I have the metal working part down! 
Larry,
Thanks! I hope to get it painted by the end of this weekend as I need to do some loader work. It will be a good test for it.
Roger
Bill,
Thanks! I fabricated everything except the bucket side "receiver" brackets which I bought from JD. The U-shaped pin brackets are made from 1 1/4" round bar which were drilled out and welded on two sides only. I then took my grinder with a thin cut off blade and carefully cut out the slot where the pin goes. It definitely took a bit of time to do this.
Roger
Andrew,
Thanks! Well to be honest it was one of your posts that you made in badgerlands01 thread about bending your upper mounts when using your forks that made me think about my original design (which was totally different then what I built) and that I needed to changed it somehow to prevent this.
In order to do this I realized that I needed some sort of reinforcement on the sides of the upper receiver bracket. What this entailed was to change the design so that the loader brackets were a little narrower so that the "stub" could fit up inside. Everything after that sort of fell into place.
I only used the plasma cutter to "rough cut" the piece out of the loader front brackets. I "straightened" the cut by clamping the two pieces together along with a piece of angle iron. I then used my grinder to grind down the edge until it reached the angle iron. The metal was cut to length using a metal chop saw and all holes where drilled on the drill press using metal hole saws.
The 3/4" bar that is between the loader bracket does keep the brackets aligned. I basically copied what JD did with their H120 loader.
Roger
Mike X485,
THANKS!
Roger
Deerx585,
Thanks and the intent on the write-up was to help anyone considering doing this type of mod.
Roger
badgerland01,
Thanks! It gives you something to think about when you get around doing yours. There are few things that I would change and one of them is the use of pins. It was a bit late for me to change the design as I already had them (pins) made and it was a lot of work getting everything aligned. I really like the way AndrewOlivers latch works on his QA.
Roger
Kyle,Nice work Roger!! This inspires me to attempt this project.... Once I have the metal working part down!
Thanks!!
What do you mean "attempt" ... As Yoda said: No, Try not, Do or do not, there is no try!
It really wasn't that hard to do. I think the hardest part for me was taking the grinder and making that first cut on the bucket brackets.
Roger
Jay,
Thanks, Still learning about that craftsmanship you speak of. I sometimes feel I'm $%^& lucky to have things turn out they way they do. What people don't see is how many times I have to remake a part or fix it somehow.
Don't tell anybody but I made 2 "lefts" of the lower bracket that are on the bucket. I welded the pins in and found my mistake, drilled one of the pins out, re-welded the pin in again only to find out that I made 2 "lefts" again. Cursed a few times and called myself an idiot. At that point I called it a day....
Roger
tractorPete,
THANKS!
Roger
Finally got some paint splashed on it.
Roger
Roger
Attachments
Roger,
Superb work. I know what you mean about making the first cut...
Now, take that 4-1/2" angle grinder & thin-kerf cutoff blade to those goal posts.
Andreas
Superb work. I know what you mean about making the first cut...
Now, take that 4-1/2" angle grinder & thin-kerf cutoff blade to those goal posts.
Andreas
1 - 20 of 36 Posts
