Loader float function- what happens exactly?

[jmc]

Hello All,

When using different tractors at different times, my results seemed to vary.

Say you have your fel bucket lip on the ground and tilted down so the lip is a few degrees lower than horizontal. If you put the loader into the float position and moved the tractor forward, the loader should dig into a flat grade. Now, do only the cylinders on the loader arms float or do the curl cylinders on the bucket float as well? Or does it vary by tractor model?

Thanks,

John

 

[aczlan]

Only the lift cylinders on the loader arms float.

Aaron Z

 

[radioman]

aclan is correct - the lift cylinders valves are open and free to flow in either direction. The curl is not affected by float .

 

[john_bud]

Hello All,

When using different tractors at different times, my results seemed to vary.

Say you have your fel bucket lip on the ground and tilted down so the lip is a few degrees lower than horizontal. If you put the loader into the float position and moved the tractor forward, the loader should dig into a flat grade. Now, do only the cylinders on the loader arms float or do the curl cylinders on the bucket float as well? Or does it vary by tractor model?

Thanks,

John

Should....that's the operative word. what really happens is the dirt will pull the bucket lower pretty quick. That makes for some nasty gouges. best method is to learn to feather the loader across the bumps and hollows.

 

[JohninCT]

Should....that's the operative word. what really happens is the dirt will pull the bucket lower pretty quick. That makes for some nasty gouges. best method is to learn to feather the loader across the bumps and hollows.

Exactly. Going forward with the bucket lip pointed down and in float is going to cause it to gouge uncontrolled.

 

[LJH]

Should....that's the operative word. what really happens is the dirt will pull the bucket lower pretty quick. That makes for some nasty gouges. best method is to learn to feather the loader across the bumps and hollows.

Pretty much what I was doing before I realized Baby John had a float function and what I went back to after not much liking the results I got floating - the above-mentioned divots. I'm thinking float is for loading out of a stockpile of something loose & consistant, like pea gravel? The big boys loading out trucks at the quarry hit the stockpiles pretty hard and those buckets always looked dead straight until they started to curl up to fill. Sure wish I'd paid more attention back in the day and saved myself learning all this stuff the hard way.

 

[art]

Your lawn will grow back!

 

[aczlan]

Pretty much what I was doing before I realized Baby John had a float function and what I went back to after not much liking the results I got floating - the above-mentioned divots. I'm thinking float is for loading out of a stockpile of something loose & consistant, like pea gravel? The big boys loading out trucks at the quarry hit the stockpiles pretty hard and those buckets always looked dead straight until they started to curl up to fill. Sure wish I'd paid more attention back in the day and saved myself learning all this stuff the hard way.

Curl the bucket back more and it will stop digging in and making divots... We use float to clear snow off of our gravel driveway without messing up the gravel, to smooth out loose dirt, etc, etc, etc and it works well when the bottom of the bucket is level or slightly curled back.


Aaron Z.

 

[jmc]

OP here. Thanks, All. Looks like it's unanimous that only the arms float.

BTW, I was not recommending using the float for controlled skimming off a flat grade. I was trying to describe what I'd encountered several times. But aczlan and radioman put it more succinctly- the bucket cylinders don't float.

 

[joshuabardwell]

It's important that the curl cylinders don't float. The way float is often used is, you will set your bucket to a given attack angle, then float the loader and drag backwards. The angle of attack determines how aggressively the bucket drags. If the bucket is flat, or even curled slightly, then it won't dig in very much. If the bucket is dumped, the cutting edge will dig in deeper. One approach is to start backdragging with the bucket dumped a few degrees, and then as you approach the end of the pass, gradually curl so that you finish the pass on the flat bottom of the bucket. This causes the aggressiveness of the bucket to taper off gradually. If the curl cylinders also floated, the angle of the bucket would change mid-operation contrary to the operator's desire.