# Photos...My J-B Jr and Load Method..



## Willie Nunez (Feb 25, 2004)

The main reason I don't need a full-blown front-end loader is because I built a 3,000 lb capacity trailer that tilts/holds, and I can drive my tractor up onto to it and dump the bucket. I can load at least one cubic yard of material, no problem. This trailer will dump all the way until the back hits the ground. 
I use the cultivator to break up the ground, if I'm knocking down a hump, or whatever. I set this cultivator at 2" deep, and I can cut into grassy clay soil. If I want to go deep, I use the mouldboard plow, which will go down 9 to 10 inches.
I want to add my name to the list of satisfied Johnny Bucket Jr customers.

<img src=http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/WillieNunez/J-B_Jr_and_Cultivtor_003.jpg>

<img src=http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/WillieNunez/J-B_Jr_and_Cultivtor_006.jpg>

<img src=http://img53.photobucket.com/albums/v162/WillieNunez/J-B_Jr_and_Cultivtor_001.jpg>


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Willie,
That's a nice looking set up. I like your cultivator with the sweeps on it and the easy adjustability of the shanks. Great for hilling potatoes.

Those switches look like they belong were you located them.

Looking forward to seeing some in action shots of that JB.:thumbsup:


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## guest2 (Dec 27, 2003)

Willie
Am I reading that right? You built the trailer? How about some more info and pics of the trailer? Is it steel or aluminum?


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

Wow --- You are incredibly talented my friend. If you ever head through Louisiana (I-10 or I-12) across Baton Rouge, etc...let me 
know I would love to meet ya. Your GT there is quite a wonderful
setup. You take a tremendous amount of pride in your work and it
shows. Great job as usual my friend. Thanks for sharing.

Andy
:wontshare


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

Great job Willie it great to see someone really using there GT. Keep us posted on any other project you come up with and let us know how the Johnny Bucket works out for you.


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## Willie Nunez (Feb 25, 2004)

I replied, in detail, to everyone. But, it wouldn't post, I messed around with it and ended up losing everything. I'm sorry I don't have time right now to redo the whole thing.
Thanks for the compliments.


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

great setup willie.. how do you like the bucket? does it dig into a pile of loam fairly well? can you backscrape with downward pressure? how high does the bucket lift?


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

Nice Set up!:ditto: Let us know about your trailer when you get time. I have the expaned metal gate on mine and like it a lot! I have a 5'x10' 3500 lb axle and it has worked great so far. 



:fineprint


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## aegt5000 (Feb 22, 2004)

Willie...
The folks at AYP would be proud.
Let us know how you like the JBjr after you have logged
some more hours. The set-up looks super.


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## Styx (Sep 16, 2003)

Have you modified the bucket to apply down force yet? Please post pics if or when you do.


Thanks,


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## Willie Nunez (Feb 25, 2004)

sixchows & Stewart,
Yes, I built this trailer. I've lost count of how trailers I've built. This one is fancier than it looks. It serves many duties. It's steel tubing(a mix of light and heavy gauge) with 6061-T6 .120 aluminum sides and floor(stainless 3/16" Pop Riveted).Inside dimensions are 6' x 9-1/2', cargo capacity 3,000 lbs, Torsilastic suspension and surge brakes. The tailgate slips right off(sideways).

Andy,
My wife is from Shreveport, but has family in other parts of Lousiana(she's a Basham-Taylor). Our favorite food is sauteed crayfish followed by bread pudding souffle topped with Bourbon cream sauce(Commanders Palace in Garden District). I'll let you know, thanks for the invite. 

Jody,
Yes, it's a workhorse. I've got lots to say about the Johnny Bucket Jr....a little bit later.

The Rest,
I like the Johnny Bucket Jr, it's worth the money, and I'm glad I bought it. I would NOT want it without the power dump.
The problem with it is that the manufacturer needed to keep the cost down, so he used an affordable winch for the main-purpose function. Plus, on late-model tractors, he had a clearance problem to deal with, which is a hood that hinges and opens forward. My problem with it is that you don't have positive control of the "down" movement for the bucket. THEN, you lose some control of the up movement due to the over-run of the winch when you drop the bucket. You can't see how much slack you incurred in the cable, and when you start to meter out material(after you filled the bucket going forward) you push the switch and nothing happens(it's taking up the slack first), and you end up over-shooting the spot were you wanted to begin depositing material. Yeah, you can still manage(somehow) BUT it slows the work considerably, which perhaps is OK with a lot of people. But, it's too frustrating to me. It works great for scooping up loose material and transporting it to another site, or loading it on my trailer. You can backscrape loose material, but due to not having downforce capability, you can't pick and choose the places where you want to remove more material.
The bottom line is that this product would be the cat's meow if it had downforce capabilty. John Scheele, the manufacturer, has a downforce kit available now which consists of 2 gas springs(struts). He told me it added 60 lbs of downforce. In his defense, too much downforce could possibly damage something, if it was in the wrong hands. 
I'd like to have about 300 lbs of downforce, and enough travel in the down-swing of the bucket to lift the front of the tractor a couple of inches. Right now, it takes 6 inches of vertical cable travel to do what it does. I would like to adapt an 8" stroke actuator to replace the winch. I'm seriously considering it. 
More later.


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

Ok, Willie --- How much to build me a nice 16' channel or angle
iron trailer? You know a common 6 1/2' x 16' tandem axle utility? 
(7K GVW)



:furious:


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## DeereBob (Sep 16, 2003)

Willie,
I noticed a hydraulic cylinder on the JB jr bucket but your tractor appears to have a mechanical lever for raising and lowering the deck. What is powering the hydraulics on the bucket or am I missing something? My tractor has full hydraulics and I am assuming if I get the JB Sr. bucket that the tractor hydraulic system will power the bucket. Is that a correct assumption?


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## Willie Nunez (Feb 25, 2004)

Andy,
I've never figured out how trailer makers can build and sell trailers for the low prices that I see. Me, I couldn't even start to do it. For example, I always shop for the best prices, BUT just the materials and parts/pieces cost about $3,300 for this trailer. Conclusion: it makes sense to buy a Big Tex trailer 

DeereBob,
I paid $2,300 for my tractor, brand new from Lowes. I'm afraid it doesn't have "hydraulics". What you see is a clever way of introducing bi-directional force with a single-directional winch. John Scheele simply added those gas springs(struts) which are very powerful, so that he could offer the power dump feature by using the same model of winch which he uses for lifting the bucket. What you do is install these struts when the bucket is in the full tilt/dump mode. Then, the winch you see that's mounted on the left side of the bucket frame actually works against the force of these struts. When you spool-in the winch, the bucket tilts all the way back to the "transport" position. When youu spool-out the winch, the struts take over and dump the load. Pretty clever IMO. 
He's attempted to do the same thing with the up/down winch(which is center-mounted). But, it's harder to do because of the clearance restrictions. He hasn't sent me those struts and brackets because it's something he came up with very recently.
The actuator that I talked about adding(replacing the main winch), is the same as you see in my electric sleeve hitch(except with a longer stroke).
My tractor doesn't have hydraulics, but I've got a 725cc Kohler that has a generator that can put out a steady 17 amps(my measurement). I might as well put THAT to use.


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

I paid $550 for a 5x10 utility trailer with the expanded metal fold down gate. It is made out of square steel tubing and is pretty solid. Ther is a place her in Midwest City that sells them.

http://www.terrystrailers.com

Big Tex wanted over $700 for almost the same trailer. Big Tex uses round steel instead of square. I think I got a good deal. 
I like the tractor Willie thanks for sharing! :clap:


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## DeereBob (Sep 16, 2003)

Willie,
Thanks for the explanation and you are right about it being a very clever way to get two-way action. Sort of like a screen door closer in reverse. The lack of hydraulics means you get a much better work out than I do plus that is quite a beefy tractor for $2,300. Are those 23" or 26" tires in the back?


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## craftsman-man (Mar 21, 2004)

willie, to control the action of your JBjr you could use a piece of drive chain (#40) that is atachted to the upper part of your bucket that is routed around a sprocket on a motor (starter motor) on the lift frame and then down to the lower part of the bucket so when you rotate the motor it will move the bucket via chain into the position you want.


]0
] 0
] 0 < chain
] 0
] 0 
] -----*-< motor ------
] 0 
] 0
] 0


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## Willie Nunez (Feb 25, 2004)

craftsman-man,
You're right, there's several ways of accomplishing this goal. And, I think I've considered all of them. Just to clarify what we're talking about, let me say that I'm satisfied with the dump system on my J-B Jr and that this function is different than the raising and lowering of the bucket. I assume the raising/lowering action is what you are addressing. It's the one I'm going to try to improve.
Actually, I prefer a linear actuator over cables and/or chains. And, I've already made the brackets for the actuator. I'm going to wait on buying the actuator itself(the 8" stroke model costs $190) because I want to hear from John Steele regarding the price of his new gas spring kit. It shouldn't be too expensive, and I might want to try it out first.
Thanks


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