Digging with FEL

[PILOON]

Perhaps the Mitsubishi's are tougher than other brands as I use a tooth bar and back drag aggressively as well as excavate much like a shovel would and over 10 yrs or so have not damaged anything other than a scored cylinder rod (due to gauge on shaft from dynamited stone that got wedged) and a loose bolt that elongated an attachment hole.
My rears are weighted plus I have 300# counter weight and often have had the rear up in the air.
The one thing I never do is to smash bang the bucket into things. I let the hydraulics do the work and ease into stuff.
When loading I always curl as I lift, when rolling a big rock I place the bucket heel on ground and curl with the lip.
Hydraulic cylinders are very much like shock absorbers (same principal) and prevent lots of damage.
OK, I have only 1300 hrs on my tractor but everything is still tight and no bushing noticeable slop.(I do grease @ regular 8-10 hr intervals)

A tractor is a tool, to be used but not abused. INMHO, smash bang is the worst abuse smooth easy movements is the way to go.

 

[jeff9366]

It weighs 250 lbs. I think it's a bit lighter than other 48" BBs I've looked at. But the price is right. They will even deliver it for the $350. Not a bad deal.

Look in the Operator's Manual for your tractor. There will be a page: IMPLEMENT LIMITATIONS, or something like that.

Get a box blade near to maximum recommended for your tractor. There is NO hydraulic DOWN PRESSURE on the 3-Pt. hitch. The weight of ground contact implements is the single most important factor in how well they cut. Sometimes we have to compromise when buying used but if you buy too light a box blade it will not cut the way you expect.

 

[dodge man]

I think you can use a FEL just fine for digging. We have an above ground pool, and while it may sound strange, I had to dig out about 3 feet of dirt on one side to level it out. I used the FEL on my BX2350 to do this. Like someone else said, it does tend to dig in and gouge, but with some practice, it can be done. As far as back dragging, unless the soil is really loose, this won't dig down at all, but it does work well for leveling out the ground if you have a little loose dirt.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I'm not encouraging anyone to tilt the bucket on edge and back drag. I'm NOT saying to do that. For sure I'm NOT saying to tilt it back past straight edge and I'm NOT even saying to tilt it not quite straight up edge and back drag. NOT is what I'm saying. I am saying that I've been doing it that way for years with several Kubotas and never broke, damaged, bent anything. Never thought anything about it until I started reading here about how it will destroy my tractor and now when I do it I always look for the bucket to crumble, fall off, turn side ways and blow up my motor. I will concede I do it less often with the bucket pulled back further than straight up because when it hits rocks in that position and doesn't make them pop out of the ground the bucket makes this PING sound as the rock/bucket separate. WARNING do not do what I've been doing for years with my Kubotas with FELs. Again, DO NOT do it the way I've always done it because you could damage your tractor that you bought to do those hard jobs to save your back. If you damage it then your going to have an expense to get your working tractor fixed! Course I didn't think my tractor was going to turn over on its side when it did, thought maybe it would on some other times but NOT the time that it did. I am NOT a good example of how to use a tractor.

:drink: :thumbsup:

 

[radioman]

I am surprised at the comments here, you CAN dig with FEL. One thing I would like to stress though - you dont do digging with backdrag motion. KennyV is right , you are liable to break or blow a line/seals. You can dig, but you are not doing it like you would a hand shovel. You just tilt the bucket downwards enough to start digging and then start scooping lifting and tilting bucket up. Go slow and easy and it will get done. The amount you can scrape out by pushing into the ground going forward all depends on soil conditions.

 

[Midniteoyl]

You can't dig with a FEL? - Net Tractor Talk

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I have a slightly larger machine (B2620) with a backhoe and for what I was doing the bucket was WAY faster than using the backhoe.
It was a septic field install. Of course I used the backhoe to dig the hole for the tank but for the field I dug a 2000 square foot hole 12" deep with the bucket.

Once I had the leading edge of the field dug I simply used the bucket in a vertical position to shave off the edge then tilted bucket horizontal and scoped up the cutting.

In total I have moved 320 yards of material (almost 2,000 bucket loads!!) Would have loved a bigger machine but "I danced with what I brought" as the old saving goes and the B2620 different let me down 1 bit!!!

So this little machines are definitely slower than the full size machine BUT still very capable and a lot of fun as long as you are not in a rush.

sorry for upside down pics but have no clue on how to flip.

 

[Baby Grand]

Geeze, boakley, is that your Summer place in Antarctica?

 

[stuckmotor]

My dealer talked me out of a backhoe and I am very glad he did, because for less than that money, we got a boxblade, toothbar, a combo spade (though that is the implement I like least, it does have uses)

Thomas,
Could you tell me some of the things you don't like about the combo spade. I was about to order the pallet forks only version.
Stuck

 

[3v0]

The soil and how wet it it is makes a big difference in digging with a FEL. Mine is mostly clay. I have spots where it works and ones that don't. I give it a try and if it takes too much power I use something else or bust it up with the box blade points. Still learning.

I have a piranha toolbar on a BX2200.