Loader lift capacity and ballast

[sideskraft]

Recently I had 44 yards of fill sand hauled in that I'm using to level an area that I will use as a parking area. On several occasions, the loader wouldn't pick up the sand. This happened when I stuffed the loader into the pile with the bucket just above ground level and attempted to lift. I can understand that the sand above the bucket was over the loader's "breakout force" of 3430lb and lift capacity of 2041lb (at pivot pin), but what surprised me is that the back wheels of the tractor didn't come off the ground. I only had a 6' back blade attached to the hitch, but the tires are filled with beet juice. Everything that I've read online about using loaders on compact tractors convinced me that I'd need filled tires AND a filled ballast box to keep the back end on the ground when doing serious loader work. So either this isn't true, or else my loader's capacity is well under spec. I'm new to tractors and loaders, so maybe I'm misunderstanding something.

 

[jeff9366]

Most STANDARD contemporary loader buckets can pick up a load of DRY material without the rear coming up, without Three Point Hitch ballast. This varies somewhat between tractor models. If you have an extra capacity LIGHT MATERIALS BUCKET heaped full, FEL may not be up to lift.

Heavier lifts than DRY sand, in my case Oak tree trunk sections to 50" diameter, will lift the rear tires before the FEL comes up without Three Point Hitch ballast.

Someone else will give you an estimate for weight of your sand if you provide cubic capacity of your bucket. That will give you a clue as to whether FEL cylinder pressure is up to spec.

I trust your FEL has been greased on a regular schedule throughout its service life. Kubota calls for greasing FEL every ten hours of operation. FEL pivot pin friction can reduce FEL lift substantially.

Look at the pins. If the grease oozed out around the pivot pins is dry, dusty, hard and opaque it has been a long time since the FEL was greased. If pivot pins have not been greased regularly, pins may be scored.

 

[RNeumann]

My 1538 is the same way. I have the beet juice and keep a box scraper out back. I’ve never really felt the back end get light but I have ran out of lift. My model Mahindra was a bit longer (if I recall correctly) than the others which helps too.

 

[LD1]

In the case of mahindra, they are typically ALOT heavier than similar machines. Mahindra touts this as a benefit....which is debatable. Not sure on your specific model.

Still a good idea to ballast well out back though. Because it takes weight OFF of your much smaller front axle

 

[Dmz2540]

It's weird that your 2540 couldn't lift the sand .. I have the same model and I haven't had any trouble picking up dirt from a pile .. I don't have my back tires filled with anything but I do use my back blade as ballast, and I don't rev the engine . I usually use it at 1700 rpms when doing loader work.

 

[JerryK]

While you enter into the pile, you should be making a curl/scooping motion with the bucket. If you drive the bucket into the material, then try to pick it up/curl... you are trying to move quite a bit more weight than the loader is designed. You have the weight of the bucket filled with sand, plus all the sand above it. Scooping up material with your FEL is a learned technique that you will master over time. You will still screw up once and awhile, even stall the tractor out sometimes, but most of the time you will be a pro operator....

 

[BobG_in_VA]

While you enter into the pile, you should be making a curl/scooping motion with the bucket. If you drive the bucket into the material, then try to pick it up/curl... you are trying to move quite a bit more weight than the loader is designed. You have the weight of the bucket filled with sand, plus all the sand above it. Scooping up material with your FEL is a learned technique that you will master over time. You will still screw up once and awhile, even stall the tractor out sometimes, but most of the time you will be a pro operator....

What he said....once you go into the sand, start to curl your bucket upwards, ..it should do fine...if its still a tad iffy..don't take such a big bite...BobG in VA

 

[Jabonee]

Are you running at full throttle? Are the relief valves set correctly? :confused3:

 

[Reg]

That is the problem with reading posts by folk with OLD IDEAS.
Whatever politics you care to believe in ...LIABILITY ISSUES have caused loader capacity to not exceed stability.
Even 20 years ago a local dealer had a sales rule of; Won't sell that tractor with a loader unless the customer also orders the rear tires loaded.
Never mind the particular tractor brand and model, that dealer believed that tractor/loader combination was potentially unstable.

Sure, plenty of posts here about the "NEED" to fill a 55 gallon plastic drum with concrete or gravel and hang it on the back - largely "feel good" nonsense.

 

[ArlyA]

Jerry's comments are right on. Its a trick to pick up a max load. With the little tractor pictured below, I could readily get the bucket fully loaded via the lift and curl method, (farm kids already knew how to do this;-) but then the rear tires had little or no weight on them, so it was a balancing act.