Mounting/Dismounting Loader - stay in practice or forgettaboutit

   / Mounting/Dismounting Loader - stay in practice or forgettaboutit #1  

cisco

Platinum Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2001
Messages
509
Tractor
L3410
I've had an L3410 for a decade yet have taken the loader off only ? 7-8 times for close quarters work with the rotary cutter or to minimize weight when trailering for service. First time through I likely made every possible mistake and it took ~ 15 minutes to get it off and probably 30 to get it back on, much colorful language generated in the process. The second time, about 2 years later, I had (1) forgotten much of what I'd learned about the process, and (2) dropped the loader on somewhat uneven ground off to the side of a field - an incredibly dumb maneuver. When I tried to get the loader remounted it took at least an hour, liberal use of a large crow bar plus heavy mallet and my back wasn't the same for weeks. Anyhow, many of my hunt club buddies have never taken the loaders off their tractors, usually the same guys who have never removed/sharpened the blades on their rotary cutters and complain when they get into modest brush that their tractor bogs down. And, I do sympathize cause I just went through my first loader change-out in 5 years and my memory was sufficiently rusty that it took about the same time as it did the first time a decade ago.....groan. The only time I was reasonably adroit at a loader change-out occurred during 1 year period when I'd gone through the maneuver 3 times for various reasons and "got the hang of it" - 5 minute removal, 10 minute mounting.
Any of y'all change-out your loader frequently, and if so do you have any tips for the rest of us (yeah, I know, read the instructions first and ALWAYS do it on level ground).
 
   / Mounting/Dismounting Loader - stay in practice or forgettaboutit #2  
:eek: Every time I take mine off it seems to take longer than the last time! LOL

I always take it off for service as it makes getting to the battery, filter and radiator much easier. I always have to 'refresh' my memory by reading the manual first but a few years ago I took the beat and cuss method.

Wisdom does come with age!! :drink:
 
   / Mounting/Dismounting Loader - stay in practice or forgettaboutit #3  
No tricks, just the more you do it the less intimidating it is and he better you get. I take mine off regularly and have done it as often as three times in one day though that is unusual. I can now even dismount and mount on less than ideal surfaces, just takes practice.
 
   / Mounting/Dismounting Loader - stay in practice or forgettaboutit #4  
With all the darn safety stickers plastered all over everything, I'd be willing to give up a little more orange paint for a 2"x3" sticker with instructions on the loader arm where you could see it from the seat. Don't feel bad, cisco - I always end up reading the manual just to make sure, even though it just confirms what I was going to do, anyways. And I have made the error of dropping the FEL on soft ground - if only I had put a 2x4 under those legs!
 
   / Mounting/Dismounting Loader - stay in practice or forgettaboutit
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Uh.....Triple R.....changing out your loader 3 times in a day?? What the heck were you doing - too much coffee that morning or are you and Alex Rodriquez going to the same clinic for meds? I feel like something's been accomplished when I get through a loader change-out once in a day, but 3 times, wow. Maybe you need to contact Guinness as they're seemingly always on the alert to "unusual" world records, and yours is likely unique. Sure as heck I ain't gonna try to duplicate it (see above re. how adroit I am at loader change-outs).
 
   / Mounting/Dismounting Loader - stay in practice or forgettaboutit #7  
Uh.....Triple R.....changing out your loader 3 times in a day?? What the heck were you doing - too much coffee that morning or are you and Alex Rodriquez going to the same clinic for meds? I feel like something's been accomplished when I get through a loader change-out once in a day, but 3 times, wow. Maybe you need to contact Guinness as they're seemingly always on the alert to "unusual" world records, and yours is likely unique. Sure as heck I ain't gonna try to duplicate it (see above re. how adroit I am at loader change-outs).

:laughing::laughing:

Are you familiar with the term SWMBO...

Yes three times was a "personal best" and a record for me and I did have a "ground crew". My wife now has her own "fleet" consisting of a BX2200 on which the FEL remains and a BX2660 which will in all likelihood never have the FEL on again, so I won't be doing this again.
 
   / Mounting/Dismounting Loader - stay in practice or forgettaboutit #8  
Man I take mine off so often it is second nature anymore! It is off more than it is on I really hate it on when all I want to do is normal tractor work, it is always in the way. Yea I have done some stupid moved removing or re-installing, and I will probably do some of the same in the future. There are some large scratches in the main brackets on the tractor which I will sand down and repaint (someday) but nothing real big because even though the loader is the same color as the tractor those main brackets are black so no real blending should be required.
But in answer to your question yea the more you do it the better you get, and yea the longer between the times you do it the more you forget! Even though I remove and re-install quite often 3 times in a day has never been the norm or ever been accomplished, but I could see it happening how does that saying go....... here holed my beer I go this one!:shocked:
 
   / Mounting/Dismounting Loader - stay in practice or forgettaboutit #9  
Guesseral I like a naked tractor for normal tractor work too. When we went shopping for a FEL for the MF 265 the used ones were junk we came home is an old 1983 JD 310B backhoe so the FEL and hoe are easy to get out of my way. I just park the JD and get on the MF. Now if I just had the second naked tractor I could just leave the bush hog and box blade on all time too. :)

Developing major physical limitation from arthritis in my 30's lead me to have to rethink things in a major way. Now 30 years later I am mentally better prepared to accept normal aging limitations.

It is not everyone's cup of tea having our FEL and hoe mounted full time on an industrial rated dependable tractor and the full price of the tractor, FEL and hoe being equal the just the price of a new FEL only for the MF made this route a low brainer for us.

So far we have just changed fluids and replaced the starter ($100 and a simple task) and some hoses. Now with the brush forks and thumb it is even more handy.

Again for many with good skills, level ground (important) and no physical or mental limitations I know mounting and removing things like loaders and hoes is nothing and having another $8K tied up in a 12K pound dedicated backhoe just does not make sense. Because it is large and has a crush resistant steel roof on a four point ROPS that protects some from the weather it setting outside for 30 years has done no real damage that I can see over the four years we have had it parked outside too.

I do think if one has a fast disconnect system removing it from time to time would be good practice perhaps AND a good way to catch issues that are easier to see on a naked tractor that was not designed to be fully serviced with a FEL installed.
 
 
 
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