Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials

   / Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials #1  

Toolguy

Platinum Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
731
Location
West Michigan
Tractor
B3030
I will have a lot of bark mulch to move in the spring and am starting to think of ways to make the job go faster. I plan on having a large load dumped next to my driveway and then using the FEL to move it to the areas that need mulching. The mulch is relatively lightweight and I know my loader will lift a lot more than what will fit in the bucket, as is. I am thinking about adding some steel plate along the cutting edge of the bucket and also along the sides and top. Has anyone else done something like this? I have an idea about how to make it but I am always looking for a better idea.

Thanks
 
   / Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials #2  
"I have an idea about how to make it but I am always looking for a better idea. "

Have thought about the "bucket extender" idea myself when cleaning bedding out of the chicken coop.

My thoughts were along the lines that it would be mounted similiar to the toothbar.. using the existing holes to bolt on. The attachment would lengthen the bottom & sides of the bucket to hold the light weight material.
 
   / Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials #3  
I needed a high capacity bucket for moving chicken litter (bedding) and saw dust around. I went to the local sheet metal shop and had them bend me a sheet of 12ga X 7' wide metal at the same angle as my regular bucket. Then I welded sides on it. To make the bucket strong I welded some rectangle tubing at the top, a new grader blade for a cutting edge, and 3/8” X 3” flat bar around the edges. I also put some flat bar to reinforce the center a little. Of course I welded up the attachment parts by copying the angles on my standard bucket. It took about a day to build and about $150 in metal. The only problem I had was that the angle should have been a little less for a high capacity bucket than a standard bucket.

Just as no one tractor is best for all jobs, no one bucket will work best all the time either. I’m sure you could easily get by with scabbing on some bucket extensions but it sure is nice to have another specialty bucket.

Eric
 
   / Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials #4  
Here's one member's solution to a similar problem. One Large Scoop
You would probably have to reenforce the edge somehow but for light materials it might work OK.
 
   / Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials #5  
Here is another members extension. Don't ask me which one as I only saved the picture /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 

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   / Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials #6  
I have a 1955 ford 660 with 1-arm loader. The bucket was made intentionally small so as not to over-tax the tractor and attatch point ( remember.. it's a 1-arm loader ). Musch of the work these loaders were doing was maneuer pile maintenance.. and so the bucket had a toothbar.. the teeth were 2' long almost. A backing plate was added along the teeth that extende dthe bucket nearly 18" since the maneuer was so much lighter than say.. clay or dirt.

So yes.. it is a common practice to extend the bucket for lighter materials.. even back in the 50's.. etc. Incedentally.. this extension plate was a dealer supplied item.. not a farmer fabrication.

Soundguy

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   / Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials #7  
Nobull,

I saved that same pic. As I recall, he built it to move snow.

Ron
 
   / Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Thanks for the ideas guys. It gives me more to think about. I had thought about using wood but I didn't think it would be strong enough. I am going to rethink that now. It just might work for me and would be easy to make compared to steel. I would not need to make it as large as the one in the other thread so with some steel reinforcement I can see it doing the job. Steel won't be too hard to make either so I might still do that. I still have a couple of months to figure it out.

Soundguy, I am very familiar with the Ford one arm loader. We had one on an 850 back in the '60s. My dad still has it and used it on the 3000 that replaced the 850. He even made a plate that bolted to the manure forks so we could load "bank run" gravel for the driveways and lane on the farm. Ours was not the hydraulic bucket version though, it was the trip type. To operate the loader arm on the 850 a diverter valve was mounted on top of the transmission case. The diverter valve directed the hydraulic flow from the 3pth to the loader or vice versa. That way you could have a rear blade on the 3pth and use the diverter valve to operate the blade or the loader separately but not at the same time. The 3pth postion control lever operated the loader, but without postion control. The 3000 has a remote valve and lever to operate the loader. They are a strange looking loader but they get the job done. We never had any problems with it and the tractors handle it well although the right rear tire always spins first if traction is poor. The nice thing about it is the quick attach ability and the fact that only a couple of lightweight brackets remain on the tractor when the loader is removed.
 
   / Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials #9  
The trip version is the 711, the full hyd version like I have is the 722.

My 660 has a dual spool block mounted ont he top cover. I can use the loader and the 3pt hitch at the same time.. only limited by the massive 4gpm hydro pump on the side of the engine /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Soundguy
 
   / Increasing FEL Bucket Size for Light Materials #10  
To load cut and split firewood I made a sort of extension basket affair using 2 1/2" x 2" flats with rods to form a 'mesh' bottom. (had lots of rod).

I placed the flats the length of under the bottom of bucket almost to the back and welded hook sort of flats to 'clip' over the cutting edge like a tooth bar teeth would do.

I then took 2 chain lengths with hooks that attach to the top of the bucket corners.

This carries 3X what the bucket alone would.

IDEA:
How about an old 200 gal heating oil drum.
Cut oof all one large flat side as well as one end.
Perhaps taper the sides at 45 deg or so 'a la bucket'.
Add some flat for a 'cutting / wear edge'.
There then would remain some device to 'keep it in' your tractor bucket.
Depending on bucket style a mere flat bolted to the rear of the bucket might serve as a lip under which to jamb the tank end .

Naturally your tractor bucket need be wider than the oil tank.

A caution is however the longer the bucket extension the easier it will be to lift the rear end.
While a tractor might handle 1000 lbs safely the rules of arms and moments* might result in 200 lbs at ,say, +4ft ext actually lifting the rear off of the ground.

*(It is the center of gravity calculations used for aircraft and fork lifts for safety.)

Just ideas, good luck!
 
 
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