Ballast almost flipped the tractor, really need some help!

[Redneck in training]

I did similar "acrobatics" like thinggy42 with a skid loader. I just rented the machine and tried to get feel for it so I tried different thing like lift and lower the bucket, go forward and reverse etc. One time I moved forward when the bucket was lifted and when I stopped the skid loader fell on its nose. I was just hanging in the cab on the seat belt unable to reach pedals to lower the bucket and set the machine on all four wheels. It is the momentum of the bucket that rotates the machine forward when in stops. Tractor can also fall on its side because as the rear wheels lift from ground the tractor rotates side ways on the pivot of the front axle.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Yep, self-leveling loaders can keep the bottom of the bucket level with the ground. Many of them look like they have an extra set of arms running along the loader frame -- much like articulated windshield wipers that maintain an angle. Remember the old days when windshield wipers didn't do that ?

You select a "curl" angle (angle of tilt of the bucket) with normal bucket joystick controls and then that angle with the ground is maintained as you raise/lower the bucket.

I do not personally see that as being of any safety value and it is downright scary to see governments requiring it. What will they require next ?

2X on the remark about governments taking such action. One could expect it was funded by one who sold the feature and the competitor did not have the feature.

 

[MHarryE]

FunnelWeb - Does your tractor have a warning like mine showing a round bale rolling out of the bucket and onto the operator when fully raised? Could be a reason for requiring a self leveling bucket. I had a load slide back unexpectedly on me last week when I had my pallet forks on and was lifting a tub of liquid. Visibility to the forks isn't too good and I hadn't seen how quickly the angle was changing. The worst part about it was the dirty look my wife gave me, like what were you thinking anyway?

Thinggy42 - I am sure you shut down right away and your friend probably set it back down without starting the engine but there were a couple posts estimating the tractor angle at 44 to 53 degrees. The Cat engines we use in our product line have a normal limit of 35 degrees in any direction. Your oil pump inlet probably was out of the oil fr a little bit until you got the engine stopped, which is not a big deal. The front cylinder, however, had to really be slamming down into a solid slug of oil. Probably not a big deal but something to remember if you start hearing odd engine noises.

 

[FunnelWeb]

I did an Internet search on the New South Wales (NSW) government requirement that front end loaders be self-levelling. I found the following document, published by the NSW government.

Front End Loaders And Their Attachments On Tractors - A guide on health and safety standards

Diagrams on pages 5 and 6 of the document compare front end loaders with and without the self-levelling (or anti-rollback) feature. A diagram on page 13 explains changes in centre of gravity when a front end loader is fitted.

 

[FunnelWeb]

FunnelWeb - Does your tractor have a warning like mine showing a round bale rolling out of the bucket and onto the operator when fully raised?

Hi MHarryE,

Unfortunately I don't have a tractor at the moment. My wife and I are currently shopping around for a rural property. Once we secure a property, then I'll go shopping for a tractor. :thumbsup:

My tractor experience at this stage comes from growing up on a dairy farm. We had several different tractors over the years, but non of them had a front-end loader.

 

[Redneck in training]

I like the self leveling feature. I think it adds to convenience and safety as well. I dropped sand, gravel and top soil on the hood of my tractor from lifted FEL few times before I got hang of it. I think most if not all FEL on large (expensive) tractors have it.

 

[moored4]

Thanks for the link, Ian S. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

It's easy to get a tractor on 3 or 2 wheels. I'm moving a heavy sweeper and have nothing on the back.
2nd picture is me lifting the back of my tractor off the ground with a load of gravel in the bucket. The L35 model is very heavy on the front end when the backhoe isn't on the back.

Cantoo your photos help me and I expect others relative new to FEL's to grasp one can not just bolt one on and operate the same way when all that weight was NOT there.

Our old JD 310B weights about 12K+ pounds and the tires are dry. Even with the very heavy hoe with a full bucket with a full bucket I get the sense it needs to be kept near the ground when traveling with the load.

After digging up a good size tree and pushing it over I use the FEL to roll the root wad out of the hole and often one rear wheel will lift a foot which stops the pushing/lifting effort.

 

[Kenneth in Texas]

man that would have made me have to change my drawers

 

[slofr8]

You've gotten a lot of good advice. I wont add to it other then to say the views are awesome. Lovely place. Looks like a river n the valley?
I'm sure you weren't enjoying them from the elevated position of the tractor seat tho.