Is this practice bad (Ramming something with FEL)

[mswlogo]

I was cruising on my gravel road today with BoxBlade.

It was popping out 100lb boulders every now and then like water mellon seeds. Hardly even noticed until I looked back and saw it.

Anyway I was cruising along in 8th gear and suddenly the tracker completely stopped cold. Thought it was a huge boulder so I backed up raised boxblade just a bit and tried to go forward and it would not budge.

So I raised it full backed over it and it was a huge root.

So I used the FEL to cut it.

I rammed it slowly in low gear and it didn't cut.

Then I rammed it a little faster (maybe 4th gear pedal to metal).

And it snipped off fine.

Bucket was about flush with ground.

Is this really hard on pistons?

Or is this normal par for the course for the tractor?

 

[peterc38]

generally speaking I would say ramming fixed objects with the FEL is not a great idea.

 

[texasjohn]

Well, there is a theme here regarding your normal operating procedure

"cruising...popping out 100 lb boulders...hardly even noticed"

" rammed a little faster"

I once knew a fellow who would load 1300 lb round hay bales on a lowboy flatbed with a 3ph hay spike by running backward with the tractor at the end of the flatbed. When the rear wheels of the tractor struck the flatbed, the end bounced down lifting the rear wheels of the towing pickup off the ground, BUT the tractor DID climb into the trailer, then, all he had to do was hit the brakes in time to stop the tractor from hopping into the back end of the pickup, drop the hay bale then catch air as he flew forward again hurling toward the next bale.

It worked, he loaded about 40 bales this way.

I also had a pickup and flatbed and my own tractor... I used ramps to climb into the trailer from the rear and blocked up the rear of the trailer so it would not dive down and lift the rear of the pickup.

We were hauling the hay thru town from his place to mine, about 6 miles round trip. He put the pedal to the metal and always passed me on the road, coming and going.... made about 2 trips to my one.

I still have my pickup and trailer.

He long ago completely destroyed his pickup, trailer, tractor and all other equipment he used. He got the job done. He's no longer farming.

I don't know if there are any lessons here, but your post did remind me of this experience.

 

[radman1]

If you like repairs or repair bills, keep on going with your method. It is only a matter of time. The interesting question will be - will it be the box blade, tractor or FEL going first?

 

[mswlogo]

Well there isn't much choice when it comes to hitting bolders now and then that are under the gravel road. I'm not gonna dig up road and sift it. I have the tines as high as they can go. If I hit something I hit it. The tractor wasn't even phased nor was the light duty box blade. I've been doing it for 2 years and even the BX24 handled it fine.

When taking out a tiny (i.e. 6 inch very dead trunk) with BX24 it was 10x harder on the tractor than popping bolders with the boxblade. And I would never ever do it again. And folks talk about much bigger trunks here. I guess their machines days are numbered too.

I'm not ramming a tree. I'm cutting a root flopping out of the ground. I think part of it broke already when I hit it. Doesn't seem like it would be much worse than ramming into pile of gravel to get a good scoop. I'm just asking is this bad like it's bad to toe the bucket and scrap backwards.

Sounds like I'm talking to folks that wax their tractors on the weekend. I expect this thing to do some serious work and it does.

 

[mswlogo]

Well, there is a theme here regarding your normal operating procedure

"cruising...popping out 100 lb boulders...hardly even noticed"

" rammed a little faster"

I don't think you realize how slow low gear is on this thing. You can walk about 5x faster. 4th gear is pretty slow too.

 

[tallyho8]

Well, I don't think you want my opinion. I guess I'll just go wax my tractor.

 

[BigD23]

Well there isn't much choice when it comes to hitting bolders now and then that are under the gravel road. I'm not gonna dig up road and sift it. I have the tines as high as they can go. If I hit something I hit it. The tractor wasn't even phased nor was the light duty box blade. I've been doing it for 2 years and even the BX24 handled it fine.

When taking out a tiny (i.e. 6 inch very dead trunk) with BX24 it was 10x harder on the tractor than popping bolders with the boxblade. And I would never ever do it again. And folks talk about much bigger trunks here. I guess their machines days are numbered too.

I'm not ramming a tree. I'm cutting a root flopping out of the ground. I think part of it broke already when I hit it. Doesn't seem like it would be much worse than ramming into pile of gravel to get a good scoop. I'm just asking is this bad like it's bad to toe the bucket and scrap backwards.

Sounds like I'm talking to folks that wax their tractors on the weekend. I expect this thing to do some serious work and it does.

Wax their tractor on weekends? You asked for opinions/answers and it sounds like you're not getting the ones you want. Good luck.

Don

 

[mswlogo]

Wax their tractor on weekends? You asked for opinions/answers and it sounds like you're not getting the ones you want. Good luck.

Don

No I'm getting folks all fussing over the stupid bolders. The bolders were nothing. It didn't phase the tractor or the boxblade.

And folks saying I'm ramming fixed objects.

I was looking for a technical reason and I believe there is none. This normal direction you ram in to snow, gravel or what ever to scoop it up.

 

[two_bit_score]

No I'm getting folks all fussing over the stupid bolders. The bolders were nothing. It didn't phase the tractor or the boxblade.

And folks saying I'm ramming fixed objects.

I was looking for a technical reason and I believe there is none. This normal direction you ram in to snow, gravel or what ever to scoop it up.

Would a 100 pound rock really qualify as a 'bolder'?

Anytime somebody is talking about 'ramming' something it makes it sound like something uncontrolled and erratic.

Does that describe what you were actually doing?

My guess is probably not.