I asked about bushings in my last post but forgot about pins. In reading I have done on other sites it looks like 4140 cold drawn steel would be a good tough pin. Elsewhere I see a suggestion of 1018 which is not nearly as strong but would machine and weld ok. I don't plan on machining any of it as I plan to find pins and bushings which complement one another. Also it would have to be something that I would be able to cut to length in my shop. My thought is I would rather have the pin wear than have to replace bushings more often so perhaps the 1018 would be sufficient for all the work I will be doing just around the yard etc. certainly no paid work will be done with my little old backhoe.