FEL Stress

[yellowsocks93]

I was wondering how bad it is for our tractors to have a FEL installed? Anyone see any areas that could develop stress cracks or other things like the engine block or frame? I suppose if we don't work the tractor and loader too hard there would not be really any stress on tractor parts.

 

[DocHeb]

I would think if you got the FEL made by your tractor's manufacturer, there shouldn't be any problems. It will be engineered so the hydraulic pressure relief valves should pop before any damage to the tractor happens.

 

[JDgreen227]

The last time I was at my local JD dealer my salesman wanted me to read a small brochure printed by Deere about the importance of proper ballasting when using a FEL. It made a point that if you properly ballast the rear of your tractor it would reduce the weight on the front axle and distribute it more evenly upon the entire frame and both axles.

It further stated that unless your tractor has ballast toward the rear, frequent FEL use will gradually lead to engine, transmission, and front axle repairs. While I believe this to be true, it makes me wonder if anyone has experienced damages to their tractor that they feel would have been prevented if they had been using the recommended rear ballast.

 

[yellowsocks93]

My dad never used rear ballast at all when we had a model 80 loader on our JD 970. Now when I got the 430 loader I convinced my dad that we need ballast on the rear more for safety reason than anything else. It would be interesting to see if anyone has has front axle damage caused by the loader. Its seems to me most everybody on this site has a loader on their tractor. Do most of you leave it on or remove it when not in use? I only have mine on during the winter months.

 

[755inNY]

My loader is mostly off except in the winter when it is always on but the tractor only gets about 20 hours of use in a normal winter. In the summer I use the tractor for mowing and the loader would be in the way.

Jeff

 

[JDgreen227]

I have only used my loader for about 4 hours of the 72 my tractor now has, dug up and moved sod, cleared two damaged trees for firewood, hauled landscaping stones and driveway gravel. Because 95% of my tractor use is for mowing, the loader comes off in late spring and is reinstalled only when the MMM comes off in the late fall.

 

[frank_f15]

my bucket is on ALL THE TIME i feel naked with out it. i do beleive the tractor manufactures will only put enough omph in the hydraulic system that that size tractor will handel.

 

[mahlers]

Something tells me that adding weight to the rear of the tractor isn't going to reduce the stress on the front... Ballast makes complete sense from a dynamic stability point of view, but as far as the statics go, you aren't likely to reduce stress by adding mass to the rear if everything else is kept the same. Now, if the tractor tips forward because of the weight in the loader, all bets are off because it isn't designed to support a load at a non-orthogonal angle to the ground. I'd like to see the analysis that the engineers did to justify the warnings in that manual. My guess is that they're assuming you'll tip the tractor and then break something.

 

[GregJ]

Weight on the back end does significantly reduce the weight on the front axle. I experience this everytime I pick up a pallet of firewood. I have to fill my fel with a load of dirt to keep the front wheels on the ground. Even with a full load of dirt, I am still light in the front end. However, I really am not too concerned about stress on the tractor. I have a Kubota tractor with Kubota fel and they are designed to work with each other. I am sure the front axles were designed to handle everything that the fel can pick up. (At least I hope so.....) /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Greg

 

[AndyMA]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Something tells me that adding weight to the rear of the tractor isn't going to reduce the stress on the front... Ballast makes complete sense from a dynamic stability point of view, but as far as the statics go, you aren't likely to reduce stress by adding mass to the rear if everything else is kept the same. Now, if the tractor tips forward because of the weight in the loader, all bets are off because it isn't designed to support a load at a non-orthogonal angle to the ground. I'd like to see the analysis that the engineers did to justify the warnings in that manual. My guess is that they're assuming you'll tip the tractor and then break something. )</font>

I think if you draw the force diagrams you'll see why the engineers say what they do. Rear end ballast definately reduces the strain on the front end from what I can see both on paper and in practice.

BTW in 14 years the loader has never been off my Ford 2120 except at the dealers for service.

Andy