Hydraulic pressure based load weight monitor.

[Gettin by]

Always wanting to know the weight of ‘stuff’ be it grain, bales or even soil. Rarely financially important enough to drag to local weigh bridge and some things can’t easily be balanced on top of the cattle crush weigh scales!

With hydraulic pressure gauges now having the option of a few more modes it should be feasible and relatively cheap to set up a system that could theoretically be used on loader tractor or handler when required to give a good estimate of weight.

Thinking 1/4 or 3/8 quick release connector into lift line somewhere convenient and visible from the seat.

Length of chain hanging down from loader headstock or something similar to use as a consistent reference point for height ‘tare’.
As an example, bucket of grain is lifted to point where chain is just off the ground. Bucket sides crowded to horizontal.
Calibrated with empty bucket and known weight ( bag of fert evenly loaded).
Ratio of weight to hydraulic pressure can be calculated for that scenario.
Different for bale spike and different for handler but in principle I just need a crib sheet for each application?

Level ground, consistent height and crowd position, evenly distributed load and note pad!

What have I overlooked?
Thanks

 

[Nearly]

Make the top of the cattle crush flat?

Scrap feeder wagon from farm sale and make it into flat trailer?

 

[tinman]

You havn't overlooked much tbh.
That's the biggest drawback to the design you've talked about where unless the cylinder on the loader is at the same position every time then it's inaccurate.
That saying, your aware of that and seem to be happy to work with it, it's not going to be precise but close enough for what you want maybe.
Converting your cylinder pressure to kgs will take a bit of working out, that could be the tricky bit.

Failing that Nearly's idea would be best to convert an old feeder.

 

[Gettin by]

Ideal, thanks. I did expect that on the handler my gauge would need to be the right side of the lowering check valve.
Kits were around the £1500 mark when I last looked and can be configured to give a straight weight reading rather than pressure where as newer electronic gauges are around the £100 mark. That’s a lot of fiddling scope in my mind and ticks the rough weight box nicely.

 

[Bloders]

ive done that for giving a guide how much fertiliser is left in the spreader - just t'd it into the lift cylinders and calibrated with 0, 1, 2 and 3 bags in.
Its very useful!

 

[Gettin by]

Now you’re on to something Bloders....
Drill, and spinner guide for the mere mortal farmer without thousands of acres.
Previously wondered about weigh scales for the drill. No need now. Thanks

 

[DrWazzock]

Pressure gauge on my grain trailer tipping pipe gives me weights to about 1% accuracy as long as the body is lifted just off the chassis and loaded fairly evenly along the length.
Don't see why this same thing shouldn't work for a loader as suggested in OP as long as same position every time and same load distribution and level ground.
Good idea.

 

[jon.newbould]

Hi - It is relatively easy to do all you need is a pressure sensor 4-20mA/0-100bar range on the return line of the ram connected to an arduino or small PLC. As you lift your load the downward pressure is read by the pressure sensor using an empty loader this is then set as the zero point. Add a known weight such as 500kg fertiliser bag this then gives you the scale of the 4-20ma so for example 10mA is 500kg there fore the 1ma is 0.02kg.

 

[Bloders]

Hi - It is relatively easy to do all you need is a pressure sensor 4-20mA/0-100bar range on the return line of the ram connected to an arduino or small PLC. As you lift your load the downward pressure is read by the pressure sensor using an empty loader this is then set as the zero point. Add a known weight such as 500kg fertiliser bag this then gives you the scale of the 4-20ma so for example 10mA is 500kg there fore the 1ma is 0.02kg.

Im not "dissing" your method, but a pressure guge tee'd into the lift cylinder is easier andgives the same result?
the upside of your method is you can have the readout anywhere as opposed to having to run a hose to a gauge.
For someone like me, id lose interest at programming the PLC!