Repurposing broken actuators

[SignalHill]

I have a couple of 1000 lb rated actuators. One that came with the dish that was seized and another that failed after water ingress. I would like to repurpose them to operate the attachment hitch on my garden tractor and was wondering if any members had tried this. Drawbacks/challenges: 24 volt motor, plastic gears, turtle slow to move, no suitable attachment point on the motor end like purpose built electric actuators have. It just seems a shame to scrap them when the acme screws and nuts are in great shape.

Yours Sincerely

MacGyver's third cousin twice removed

 

[stecle]

I have a couple of 1000 lb rated actuators. One that came with the dish that was seized and another that failed after water ingress. I would like to repurpose them to operate the attachment hitch on my garden tractor and was wondering if any members had tried this. Drawbacks/challenges: 24 volt motor, plastic gears, turtle slow to move, no suitable attachment point on the motor end like purpose built electric actuators have. It just seems a shame to scrap them when the acme screws and nuts are in great shape.

Yours Sincerely

MacGyver's third cousin twice removed

I have often wondered about this myself. Could you use a satellite actuator as an electric trailer hitch jack? It would be easy to fabricate and weld the attachment bracket. A reversing switch would be needed and a 12v to 36v circuit would be easy to build.

Does it however have enough torque to lift a camper or a 24 foot utility trailer hitch?

 

[Titanium]

Most actuator manufacturers build models for many purposes. Electric jacks, slide outs, gate openers, bed lifts, steering, solar trackers, etc. All about gearing, motor voltage/current, and loading characteristics. Check out all of the industries and products that Venture Mfg Company supports. www.venturemfgco.com

Maybe see some ideas for your repurpose?

 

[(((Garyd)))]

Most actuator manufacturers build models for many purposes. Electric jacks, slide outs, gate openers, bed lifts, steering, solar trackers, etc. All about gearing, motor voltage/current, and loading characteristics. Check out all of the industries and products that Venture Mfg Company supports. www.venturemfgco.com

Maybe see some ideas for your repurpose?

Well my first dish in 1983 was a hand crank, I cut marks in it to mark where the birds were I used 2 of them once to create a X Y table with a video camera moving it in 2 planes now is so easy digitally but I could zoom in on a picture and move it while videoing it I agree not much use for one except I saw one guy use it to move his solar panels up and down as the season moves the sun he had them on a pole
View: https://youtube.com/shorts/Zn5s4nntctk?si=XQ0fvb-soE_mwnBz

 

[arlo]

12 volt to 24 or 36 volt conversion is easy. An ebay boost converter, search nearest first, with enough wattage could handle that. A reversing switch. Easy.
What would worry me would be using an actuator for something subject to impact. Like to angle a snow blade.
Look at your tube construction and see if blowing the guts out from the motor coupling end could be a thing.
Lifting a blade or implements might not be so bad if linked with a chain. Making sure that the tube itself wasn't a structural part of the mix. I guess you could fashion up a pair of lambo doors on the old F-100.

 

[wagonman76]

Most actuator manufacturers build models for many purposes. Electric jacks, slide outs, gate openers, bed lifts, steering, solar trackers, etc. All about gearing, motor voltage/current, and loading characteristics. Check out all of the industries and products that Venture Mfg Company supports. www.venturemfgco.com

Maybe see some ideas for your repurpose?

This link is what we use at work. But I like the Venture guide, it shows additional applications.

https://dresserutility.com/wp-content/uploads/NGS-IPG-0028.pdf

 

[telstar_1]

Seems I spent half of my C-band career swapping out bad actuators and trying to find a type that would hold up. I was in the later C-band era of the lightweight mesh dishes, so didn't need heavy ball-screw units, but winds would take a toll. One type I tried would even turn the motor and change position with enough wind pressure on the dish. Von Wiese was popular and very quiet as it was designed for hospital beds, but they'd get slop in them. Went through a lot of SuperJack models; finally landed on JGS before C-band was done.