Weak curl on LA680 loader ?

   / Weak curl on LA680 loader ? #1  

Arky217

Silver Member
Joined
May 6, 2009
Messages
224
Location
Hartford, AR
Tractor
Kubota L4200
Well, I seem to have found the limit of my tractor loaders curling ability.

The tractor is a Kubota L4200 with a LA680 loader. I have homemade 3' bucket forks for it.

When I went to unload a pallet of 12 bags of Quickcrete (total of 720#), the loader would lift it just fine but it wouldn't curl. In fact, when I would try to curl the bucket, it would go more to the dump position.

Of course, the forks are farther out, being bucket forks, and the center of the load was about 30" farther out than the bucket center, but I would think that the 680 loader should be able to curl that much weight.

I believe the LA680 loader is rated to lift about 1500# at the bucket center.

Does the inability to curl 720# at approximately 30" farther out than the bucket center seem par for this loader, or could there be a problem with the curl ?

Thanks,
 
   / Weak curl on LA680 loader ? #2  
Probably no problem with your curl. The weight is too far forward and the farther away it gets from the pivot point the more affect the weight has. That is the inherent problem with add on forks for a bucket.
 
   / Weak curl on LA680 loader ? #3  
Was the rear end little light due to out reach of weight..also good way to tell of limit.
 
   / Weak curl on LA680 loader ?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Didn't notice any lightness in the rear end, but the rear tires are loaded, plus they have 3 sets of wheel weights, and I had a box blade on the rear.

I haven't had any problem curling a bucket full of rock, but like magicheater said, those bucket forks sure put the weight farther out.

I've always thought that a loader should curl more than it could lift, and maybe that's true for weight in the bucket; I guess when you put the weight farther out, it's a different ball game.

But I just thought it should curl just 720# even that much farther out, but evidently not.
 
   / Weak curl on LA680 loader ? #5  
No doubt you were ready w/all that counter balance. ;)
 
   / Weak curl on LA680 loader ? #6  
Have you ever checked you FEL hydraulic bypass valve setting? It may be a few 100# low. Mine(L4400HST and LA703 FEL) was low and it made a difference. I didn't raise it above the factory spec I just put it at factory spec.
 
   / Weak curl on LA680 loader ? #7  
Your lift capacity should be 1499 lbs. at full height.
Your curl should be 2557 lbs. at the cutting edge...
I have put a skid steer adapter on my LA680 and with 4 foot forks it will lift a lot, don't know how much but I have chained some heavy stuff to the tips without any problems ... I will have to see at what load it fails to curl (after the rains stop). KennyV
 
 
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