tractor coop wheels

[mendozer]

Saw this on a craigslist posting. what are these hardware pieces?

 

[chfite]

The piece shaped as an "L" is a brace for the corner. The flat metal piece with the large hole appears to be to mount the wheels on a movable piece to rotate into and out of the position for rolling or parking the coop.

The wheels look to be the $8 wheels from Harbor Freight. Excellent wheels, by the way.

There are hinges and a barrel bolt. The bolt would be to lock the doors closed.

It is not obvious how the wheels would stay deployed for movement.

Chris

 

[mendozer]

I was thinking that MAYBE the piece that the wheel goes onto with the hole in the middle swings past to hook that hole onto the other bolt head to lock it in place. This would require lifting a corner of the coop to kick the wheel into gear and vice versa to unhook it.

If that's even how it works, how much weight can this wheel assembly truly tolerate?

 

[aart]

I was thinking that MAYBE the piece that the wheel goes onto with the hole in the middle swings past to hook that hole onto the other bolt head to lock it in place. This would require lifting a corner of the coop to kick the wheel into gear and vice versa to unhook it.

If that's even how it works, how much weight can this wheel assembly truly tolerate?

I would say, not much, that plate look pretty thin.

But......they don't really show how the wheel plate is supported when it is carrying the weight, nor do they show just how the wheel is attached to the plate.

I wouldn't buy it without seeing it in action first.

 

[mendozer]

the wheel is attached to the bolt on the bottom of the long piece. After looking at it more, i think you lift up the run, kick the wheel under and it hits the second bolt head to stop then when you lower it to the ground, it's SLIGHTLY angled inward keeping the wheel there. Then you have to push the coop in that direction only, no pulling otherwise the wheels would slide out. Maybe you pull it to park it. Simple and effective, no?

 

[LoneOak]

Visit your local HomeDepot and get some of these parts to put the wheels on your tractor. They have some really inexpensive heavy duty brackets in the electrical conduit section that do the job really well. Look at the Superstrut 90 Degree 4 Hole Channel Bracket and the Superstrut 4-Hole Flat Straight Bracket, you can build the same thing nearly for a lot less money. I used threaded rod and lag screws to mount mine, you will most likely have to drill out one 5/16" hole to mount your wheel, all the bracket holes are 1/2" and the wheel arbors are 5/16". A castle nut or nylock lock nut work great as the last piece to hold the wheel to the threaded rod, you just use bolt and washers to hold the threaded rod on. You can build lots of options with these brackets and they don't rust.

I got my wheels at Harbour Freight and if you watch and get the coupons they put the 10" pneumatic wheel and tire on sale ocassionally for only $3.99. These wheels don't have to be the best made because they don't move around very much. I saw what looked like the exact same thing at Tractor Supply for $24. You can order on the web from Harbour Freight if one isn't near you.

 

[aart]

the wheel is attached to the bolt on the bottom of the long piece. After looking at it more, i think you lift up the run, kick the wheel under and it hits the second bolt head to stop then when you lower it to the ground, it's SLIGHTLY angled inward keeping the wheel there. Then you have to push the coop in that direction only, no pulling otherwise the wheels would slide out. Maybe you pull it to park it. Simple and effective, no?

Yes, it does look pretty good, but I still wouldn't buy it until I had touched/operated it myself....but as a 'trained to look for failure points' engineering tech, I can be rather skeptical...plus I'm broke, so can't throw good money away.

Both the plate function and the wheel attachment could be wonky under load, especially turning on soft ground/long grass and especially because you push it rather than pull it...or it could work just great. Might actually be able to flip them for installation, moving them far enough away from that end and pull it rather than push it.

Is it near you, so you could go see? If you buy it, post back here on it's operation. Good Luck!