Digging with FEL

[PhysAssist]

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.

That's not bad at all. I looked at my "Kubota-branded" ballast box today and the label on it reads that for B-series tractors, it should weight in at 500#, and for BX-series tractors, it should be at 300#.

Most of us seem to find that going over the ballast recommendations is preferable to under, so adding either a HF QH, which adds another 61#, and makes hooking up implements (as long as they fit the industry standard for Cat 1 hitch dimensions) dramatically easier (for approx $70-80 using the ubiquitous HF 20% coupon on sale).

The more expensive route is to add any other three-point adapter to make implement swapping easier (Pat's EZ hitch, JD or other QH (IMHO more money, but no > quality), or Stabilworks pin-adjusted 3-point stabilizers (and since only the QH's add any real weight), add some more more weight to the BB.

BTW, I, for one, second JohnThomas' post wholeheartedly!

Great post JT!

Kudos for so subtly making your point of NOT encouraging or instructing others to follow our obviously insanely lucky examples of foolishly digging with our weak, under-reinforced, flimsy, FEL's made of sheet metal and tissue-paper without bending them into Daliesque pretzels, possibly because of divine intervention.

Thomas ;- p

 

[Midniteoyl]

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

Was thinking he's an Aussie...

 

[PhysAssist]

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

Hey stuck,

Thanks for asking, and hopefully answering won't be considered thread hijacking

As jeff9366 said, it's hard to get enough down-pressure and/or traction with a little tractor.

The heavier models with more weight and beefier FEL's are much better equipped to utilize the rather bluntly-curved leading edge to pop out stumps and dig through packed soil.

I might be happier using the forks-only model, if I had a set of QA forks instead of chain-ons, but it's not clearly so.

That being said last time we used it, we had neither filled tires nor the ballast box, so when I get it back on in a couple of weeks to trench for my barn's electric conduit, and some drain line.

I have to admit that I am also using my angle grinder to put a semblance of an edge on the front curve, vs. blunt edge it came with.

Given your beefier tractors, and presuming that you have a set of QA forks, you will probably love it.

jeff9366's posts show what a heavier tractor (B3300) can do with them:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/266341-trees-removed-roots-using-fel.html

I don't recall if it was MtnViewRanch or IslandTractor, or someone else who also posted, having used the spade on real QA forks with good effect, but as jeff said, it could be the poor man's substitute for a backhoe on those occasional trenching or digging/planting/rock moving jobs.

YMMV,
Thomas

 

[Notforhire]

Kudos for so subtly making your point of NOT encouraging or instructing others to follow our obviously insanely lucky examples of foolishly digging with our weak, under-reinforced, flimsy, FEL's made of sheet metal and tissue-paper without bending them into Daliesque pretzels, possibly because of divine intervention.

Thomas ;- p

Is that 2 ply or single ply tissue?
I don't think Kubota was wasting material building loaders like the B26.

I think the point some of us were trying to make was, not that you can't dig with an ag. loader, just that that's not what they were built to do. If you use reasonable care you can get by. I have for about 40 years. The Ags are not nearly as sturdy as the construction line of tractors, that were built for that type of work.
There have been a few members of this forum that have looked for suggestions on how to straighten their loader arms.
It's possible that smaller tractors, because of their limited lift cap. are more forgiving . Then, there is always divine intervention.

Bill

 

[Chugbug]

Last year I put up a 30 x 40 poll barn. I use the FEL on my BX25

 

[dragoneggs]

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.

Boakley, is that stryofoam in your ditch? Please elaborate... oops another hijack attempt!

 

[Chugbug]

Sorry hit the send button by accident.....I used the fel on my BX25 to dig a 35' x 80' foot print for the barn and driveway. Grant it, it's not designed to be a dozer it took a full day and a little trial and error (low gear and four wheel drive) to complete this project but it did an excellent job. The foot print was anywhere from 8" to 20" deep and in one corner I used the BH to dig and the FEL remove and level. These machines can do a lot more than expected, they are work horses but you just have to be patient

 

[stuckmotor]

Thomas,
Thank you very much. At present, I have quick attach forks and am working out how to add a quick attach to my pin on loader. The price of the spade is much more attractive than that of a backhoe.

 

[Shutesbury]

I have a BX24, and use the BH for rear ballast, along with loaded rear tires. I use the BH almost every time I use the machine. I'm odd-jobbing in Western MA and we have rocks every place you break the surface.

I do use a Piranha Toothbar, and recommend it for cutting into stony soil, wood chip piles and uprooting small trees on the fly. My Ratchet Rake is handy for clearing brush and final leveling of rough ground after pulling brush and rocks. But my backhoe with a Bro-Tek mechanical thumb gets tons of use on rocks and stumps, lifting and moving tree trunks and larger rounds onto the splitter... and that ground you're opening up for a patio will likely have plenty of VT rocks to lift out... that BH will be a real blessing.

Go with the BX25D. Projects may take a little longer with the small machine, but you can do all of it. I plow a half dozen gravel driveways all winter too, and the FEL and a rear blade does just fine, with turf tires. I have a rear blower, but it's not worth swapping over unless you get an 8 inch storm.

Paul