Cheap fix

Bought a Mustang 940 skid steer around the first of the year. It's the same model I already have. My original needs all the chains and sprockets in the drives replaced. Approx $3000 worth of parts from the dealer and a lot of labor. I decided it wasn't worth the money on a machine with 10000 hours or so.

The "new" one has an engine that sat with water in the cylinders, and a pretty mangled up boom and roll cage. The chassis is actually pretty decent other than the paint. It has had some idlers, chains, and sprockets replaced. Still has a few original sprockets and some bearings that need some attention.

Plan is to work through the drives and chassis on this new one. When my old one finally gives up the ghost, I'll swap my engine, boom, and cage onto the new one.

Long story short.....These sprockets are the ones that attach to the axles. Around $250 each at dealer. Bought a couple sprocket blanks off ebay for $30 each. Cut the welds between hub and sprocket on the lathe, opened up the id on the new sprockets, and then welded them on.

So, instead of $500 in 2 sprockets, I have $60 and a few hours messing around. Now to figure out how to save that kind money on the chains.......

Farm n fleet ??? They might have the link chain your looking for ??

http://www.rollerchain4less.com/

We buy their chain at work, and it's good stuff at a fraction of local cost. Also higher quality.

I worked at a sprocket shop for 4 years when I started machining, and I did exactly what you did many times for farmers who brought in their junk sprockets.

I still bring ours out there for the same treatment.

Donovan from Wisconsin

This is some pretty stout chain. #80 hk. A step above #80 heavy as I understand it. Dealer price is $330 a side. Found a local place to get exact same chain for $250. I'd like to do both sides so I'm going to keep looking. I'm in no hurry.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Well done and expedient!! Jim

Do you know if the sprocket teeth are hardened? If you have a rosebud, you could flame harden them. I read about doing that in a book on welding I saw at a farm store. Probably info on the net too.

Nice looking work. I've done things like that many times over the years to get myself, or a customer out of a bind, and/or simply to save money over the cost of a new piece. Funny how many times I"ve been told "You can"t do that" when a part isn"t available, etc and I say, "I"ll just make it then...". Glad to see there are others out there that also enjoy doing the "impossible" by making their own parts.

Talent with machine shop tooling is invaluable. My first job after military, while going to college at U of MN, Farm Campus for a BS degree in Animal Science, was in a machine shop in St. Paul, MN. Learned how to run a milling machine, turning lathe, planer, and others. Bought my first lathe back then, (1968), a 1910 South Bend 13x72...still have it, along with a 1950s? 18 inch swing, 8 foot bed of another brand. Always fun to turn some steel and make something. Saving some $$ doesn"t hurt either!

That is a nice 7018 weld!

We needed some double strand heavy 140 chain. Got prices of about $1200 for 10 feet, delivery in 4 to 12 weeks. Found it on the internet for about $400 (if memory is correct), and ordered on Wednesday and had it on Friday. Worth looking around.

Good job. Stan

That overriding on the sprocket is due to a worn chain that has beed strected throw the old chain out or it will eat up the new sprocket.
Walt

when i first met my husband i went up to him with a broken part and his reply was "well, do you think we can fix it as strong, or should we just make a new one ? " not " fetch me a beer and the parts catalog " needless to say, he won my heart over rather quickly with that kind of thinking

The chain that's in there is worn, but not terribly. I believe a previous chain broke and wadded up around the front sprocket causing the rolled over teeth. There a couple bulges in the case above and below the front sprocket and matching scars inside as well.

My intentions are to replace it though.

My dad had a sign stuck on his tool box that read, "Man who says it cannot be done, should not interrupt man doing it."