How to use the front loader to dig?

[hondarider]

I have a 4-in-1 front loader. How do I use it to dig for dirt? I need to get dirt to make a motocross jump.

Thanks

 

[Deerlope]

Practice make perfect. Practice,practice,practice.

 

[alchemysa]

I have a 4-in-1 front loader. How do I use it to dig for dirt? I need to get dirt to make a motocross jump.

Thanks

I've got one too, but I'm not sure that a 4in1 makes digging much easier than a normal bucket - although the dozer blade makes scraping off an inch at time pretty simple. The main thing I've learned is to just take it easy and take small bites. Don't be impatient. As soon as the tractor stalls just back off and start again. Try not to lift the front wheels off the ground too much. If the ground is suitable you can tilt the bucket down, put some weight on it and wobble the bucket SLIGHTLY to break through the top crust (while the tractor is stationary). But you have to be a bit careful doing that or you'll stress the rams.

 

[Ken Cunningham]

If the ground is hard, then a tooth bar will help alot with digging. Think more along the lines of scrapping the top layer than digging and you will get more work done. Once you are below ground level then you can force the bucket into the side of the hole and using tilt and raise motions brake that dirt loose. Hopefully you have 4wd cause it makes all the difference in the world.

 

[Gary Fowler]

If you have a box blade, lower the scarifier teeth to maximum depth and use these to loosen up the dirt. Use the box blade to drag it to a small pile that you can scoop up with the FEL and move to where you want it. I find that trying to dig with a FEL is near to impossible unless you are in sand or really loose soil.

 

[NSBound]

Agree on the take small bites at a time comment, even with a toothbar. I find that I only angle the bucket downward **ever-so-slightly**. And if you do use the FEL this way, try to take an even bite across the width of the loader, or you'll put angular stresses on the loader arms and rams. There's likely an engineering term for this, but I'm not an engineer!

 

[cmh61271]

I use the box blade method. It is very effective. I'm sure a tooth blade would help and this is my next upgrade.

 

[foggy1111]

The tooth bar and box blade rippers are good suggestions. I have used my tiller to loosen things up first - with pretty good results.

 

[powerstroke444e]

We use a tiller in hard clay then leave the bucket flat it seems to be the fastest I have found to move large amounts of dirt in short time and if the dirt is hard and dry add a little water when placing it, compact it in thin layers to get the best results.

 

[JANDG]

I have dug over 30 large stumps & a couple 1000'of large ditch useing the cutting edge of bucket & getting the front tires off ground as to use the front end wieght of tractor for digging & just wiggle it ever so slightly & curl. I have no bent anythingon my 3000 series JD. If ground is rock hard forget it. or do it in spring. Just gently let the tractor come back down on it's front tires. I have watched my masterfull neighbor do this with JD tractors for 30 years on stumps or anything else you can imagine. His tractors run as new,none have broke a cylinder or messed loader up, just make sure if you distribute load evenly across bucket cutting edge. If you hook a root on a corner just gently let off. I have put in alot of colverts also with FEL, in fact it is all I use for that task. My dad used to do this also with a little JD 750 & no problems, this is were light tractors might be a plus, as in just enough to dig, but less likely to tear something up.People will say just get a backhoe, easier said then done in real world sometimes as far as $ avalible when these projects arise.
Joe