Harbor Freight trencher gets drive tires!!!

Adding wheel motors to the harbor freight trencher from the husqvarna zeroturn parts machine

[@farmer9180]

Sure are a lot of experts . Nice job. I let mine stay hitched to my tractor for most of my digging.

[@wallacemerritt]

Instead of mounting the mower frame solid to the rear of the backhoe frame I might would have found a way to mount it so it would a swivel left and right. Essentially the mower frame itself would be able to swivel/spin left or right and actually steer the rear left and right based on how you push the levers. Just a thought but looks great and is a great idea.

[@johnlandry8970]

You could put the drive system on the front of the unit and install the swivel tires on the rear.

[@leroybrown9828]

I'm going to buy one of those someday soon as I find one close in my area.. another great video Nate

[@NaterTater01]

@@leroybrown9828 thanks buddy!

[@barthanes1]

Nice machine. Try retracting the boom arm all the way back to give you more traction. If you had two more hydraulic cylinders you could extend the outriggers without getting off the machine. If you place the drive wheels up under the boom and the caster wheels in the back it would put more weight on the drive wheels.

[@NaterTater01]

@@barthanes1 I thought about putting the drive tires up front

[@NaterTater01]

@@barthanes1 so what do you think would be the best way to put the drive wheels under the boom and still keep a low center of gravity and not be in the way of the outriggers?

[@barthanes1]

​@NaterTater01 What is the overall width of the drive tires, and what is the length between the inside elbow of the outriggers when they are stowed?

[@NaterTater01]

@@barthanes1 overall width of drive tires is 43", distance between outriggers is 51", top of the drive tires is 22" and distance under the boom to the ground is 14" with the outriggers extended. So the tires would rub the frame under the boom, then the outriggers also wouldn't touch the ground. I may need to get some 6" square tubing and put the drive motors inside it. Any other ideas?

[@johnalexander4356]

Looks like you need traction tires instead of the turf tires. And lots of weight. I've been thinking of building an adapter that would connect the trencher to the front of my grasshopper mower. It has a front mount deck that is easily removed. Then remote the grasshopper controls to the trencher.

[@purplebooger6410]

New subscriber here. When you said let it dry, talking about the welds cooling I laughed pretty good! We all know what you meant but it was still funny, I’m gonna start using that around the shop if you don’t mind. I personally think that you should also. Little funny play on words keeps me from getting bored. Maybe you should put it on a shirt!? Or a hat?!

[@NaterTater01]

@@purplebooger6410 😂😂😂 that's a great idea!! I wondered if anyone would catch that!!

[@purplebooger6410]

@ just an idea for weight on the back I would just ad or build a strong metal box and put a little concrete in it adding a little bit until it works pretty good.

[@robertrabhudsonhornet5869]

I would say wheel weights and you could use tire chains most of the time you will be on dirt or grass gravel or mud

[@tallfarmboy1975]

Either fill the drive tires with windshield washer fluid, or build an undercarriage and make it into a track hoe already. That’ll definitely solve the traction issue.

[@terrybeazley7414]

Or better tires and filled with fluid but either way awesome

[@NaterTater01]

@@terrybeazley7414 I thought about filling the tired with fluid. It makes great traction with tractors, but I don't like how the rims will be soaked in the morning from the humidity amd condensation where I live. So I actually let the fluid out of tractor tires.

[@mountainchild9322]

Good build, Bro

[@NaterTater01]

@@mountainchild9322 thanks!

[@dennisfarley9649]

Put a box on it weld a nut on it and ball run it out to go up in Hitch then it will be detached easy

[@Obscuristan]

Maybe a 55 gal drum with water to start. You could adjust weight as needed. You may need something to temper sloshing.

[@frrapp2366]

dont you just hate that all the grinders have different spanners!! metal pan but put 5 gallon jugs of water / rv antifreeze easy to remove to work on stuff and lot of weight, course best would be to move drives up by boom but thats a lot of work down the drain!! interesting project !!! keep having FUN

[@peddlpusher]

When you learn that they don’t actually have to fit the holes to work, it makes life a lot simpler! One pin in the hole the other pin outside!

[@TheTurboDee]

Won’t need the hitch. 2x2 steel in a drum of concrete. Slide it in where the hitch receiver was and pin it. Leave it nice and long. Further out you go less weight needed

[@MINItraktor196]

Отлично

[@woutervanduijn4331]

Gold bars are heavy and compact counterweights but maybe lead is cheaper and will not get stolen over time.. 🤔

[@robertmoreland1220]

Move your drive controls to the rear and mount the seat about 12" past the platform

[@joespicer9577]

Tractor weights may work

[@michaelpreston2392]

You also need adjust your system relief valve. You are hitting relief before putting enough to the wheels. Honestly don’t think you have enough motor there!

[@theupscriber65]

Move the front caster wheels to the back and move the drive wheels to the front.

[@michaelnagy4603]

Load the tires with windshield washer fluid

[@giggitygiggitygoofg6069]

You may have been better off cutting the front excavator part off and just conecting it to the zero turn wnd the reinforcing the crap outta it. Nice work either way

[@NaterTater01]

@@giggitygiggitygoofg6069 that would be a cool project

[@Jamie-kb8ct]

👍👍

[@terrybeazley7414]

Hang tractor weights on back

[@bretthays2674]

So there were just spare valves already on the unit? Or did I miss a prior video where you swapped out the valves?

[@NaterTater01]

@@bretthays2674 yeah there's an earlier video where I swapped the 4 lever valve body to 3 levers and 2 wabble sticks. I think it's called HF trencher gets wabble sticks.

[@aaronhunt5001]

make a metal pan and fill it cement

[@kaggzaz]

Should of put the casters on the back and the drives on the front. Way to front heavy.

[@put301]

Fill back tires with sand

[@dalecraft3171]

should of put the drive wheels under the hydraulic tank

[@NaterTater01]

@@dalecraft3171 I thought about that too. I wanted to put them up front originally but couldn't think of any way to do that amd keep the center of gravity low and also not be in the way of the outriggers. Any ideas?

[@goldsbywashington3509]

First off the pump is to slow. The pump, joy sick, valve and motor from the zero turn should have been used in place of the trencher motor and pump.

[@michaelpreston2392]

You have gone about this completely wrong! First if doing it the way you have done the drive wheels need to be in the front. But the way it should have been done and what I thought you were doing is to just mount the excavator arm to the zero turn mower. Use the bigger engine on the mower Also I don’t think weight is your problem. If that digger can dig without raising the ass end then by the time you have add the wheels and motors you should have plenty of weight.

[@jodyhelbling861]

Load the drive tires

[@markdaigle9856]

chunnks of train track.

[@NaterTater01]

@@markdaigle9856 that's a good idea

[@Triumphwonderdog]

Take the skinny wheels off

[@fabioweldar7359]

You are putting the disk on the way or you are the nut look at it I seen a man put one in his neck and died on the spot

[@MrAjw312]

Dude,what??