[Vicegrip]

Follow up to an earlier conversation on adding a "trunk" to the tractor. The front end loader (FEL) is a handy bugger for sure but it comes with some baggage. When it is loaded up with enough weight the nice big back wheels are way under-loaded and the little front wheels are often overloaded. More than one FEL equipped tractor has just spun the rear wheels when off balance. They can flop over or sink the front wheels deep in the dirt too. Being 4X4 and having power steering helps but the thing is still less stable when you are chugging around in rock strewn woods front heavy. I almost flopped it over already. One front tire was a bit low pressure and I rolled off the pavement with the fully loaded bucket higher than it should have been. Luck would have it that the low psi tire was also the down hill side. Almost a code brown. And yes....the entire event was watched by the Dear wife thus keeping my rep intact.....
I had previously built a 4'X4' plywood box to hold "up next" firewood in the garage. (Storing 1/2 a cord of ready wood in the garage is pure joy as you don't have to put shoes on and go into the cold to refill the wood bag). I would fill it by loading up the back of the PU at the wood shed then toss it in the wood bin. Toss in truck/ toss in bin. I took that bin apart, reinforced it with more wood then construction glued and screwed it back together. Also added a full width and height rear door for easier loading and a side access so shorter folks can reach in and get at the fire wood.
Dug into the steel drops pile and welded up 2 brackets so it can be attached to the tractor 3 point hitch. Now I can counter a full FEL with a full trunk when pulling wood from the woods. During wood burning season I can drive the tractor to the shed, load the back and FEL then drive the whole mess back into the garage and done. No unloading needed. So far I have found the box to be handy for moving bulky stuff, odd size and smaller wood and people too.
Figured I would use it a bit before installing the little side door and then painting it all up. Built strong but I will need to take some care not to overload the box. The 3 point hitch is rated to 1635 lb attachment lift weight so a chock full bin of wet oak rounds would be close to too much. Put less in or load in the bulky stuff. 4X4X4 is 1/2 a cord of wood. A seasoned full cord is (very) roughly 2200 lb so I am well under there.