Reasonable use of FEL

   / Reasonable use of FEL #1  

Z-Michigan

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2007
Messages
1,786
Location
Central-western UP Michigan
Tractor
Kioti DK5010HS
OK - fairly new to tractors. I have a new Deere 5105 (50hp utility, gear transmission) with a 522 front end loader (2100lbs lift capacity) with just the standard 73" materials bucket. I would like to make sure that I'm not abusing my setup and risking damage or premature wear to the FEL. I should note that I am planning to grease all the FEL fittings on the regular schedule, which I think is every 10 hours of use. Can anyone tell me if the following tasks are OK for this basic setup or really require something like a skidsteer or industrial backhoe loader?

1) Digging through soil that is mostly dirt but has a few rocks (of all sizes) and tree roots. I think this is pretty well within the OK realm, but just to confirm.

2) Digging through an old fencerow berm that has a lot of rocks in the 6-12" range, along with a decent amount of soil and some decent sized tree roots up to 3" diameter or so. I have already been doing a little bit of this with fair success, but I don't want to wear out my FEL in 50 hours.

3) Pushing into a pile of all rock in the 6-18" range and picking up buckets of loose rock to move elsewhere. The rockpile is from years of rock picking in our fields. I haven't tried this yet and I'm wondering if this is something that will damage the bucket or wear out the pivot points.

4) Moving single large rocks of 24-36" across in the bucket - probably slowly pushing the bucket under them until they're all the way in, and then wrapping chains around as needed to keep them in while moving them to another spot on our property.

5) Moving rocks larger than 36" - probably too heavy to lift, I think I would be digging around them and then just pushing them with the FEL bucket like a dozer. I know I've seen some pics on here of people doing this, but not sure how hard it is on the equipment.

Thanks in advance!
 
   / Reasonable use of FEL #2  
I don't have a setup nearly as big as yours so my opinion may not matter but, if my tractor/fel will do it, I do it. My thinking is, if it will lift it or push it it shouldn't hurt the unit to do so. However, I also recognize that repairs are part of the game.
 
   / Reasonable use of FEL #3  
Mornin Z,
Question 4 & 5, I would be thinking about a stone boat for large rock transfer. You have the 522 loader probablly not much different than Neils' 521 and I believe that bucket could be damaged trying to move or lift some huge bones IMHO. The hydraulics on that tractor are unbelievably powerful, kinda dont know its own strength type of thing ! Get yourself some 1/4" steel plate. Three feet by five or six feet and torch cut some pull slots for your chain hookup and pull them with your 3PT.
 

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   / Reasonable use of FEL #4  
U might b careful with the huge stuff, but the rest... go for it....
 
   / Reasonable use of FEL
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Stone boat sounds like a good idea. Would I then just push the rocks onto it, still using the FEL to push? Also, any idea why Neil connects the boat to the 3ph arms instead of to the drawbar?

Also, FYI for anyone about to mention it, my rear tires are filled (rimguard) and I usually have an implement hanging off the back as well. Ballast weight should be a nonissue for anything I can lift. So far I have lifted lots of stuff and have never once felt the rear end get light (nor felt the FEL strain!).
 
   / Reasonable use of FEL #6  
I recommend, highly:
1) a toothbar for your FEL... will increase efficiency of what you are trying to do by 5 to 10 fold, based on my own experience and that of numerous others who have posted on TBN. This is a must for what you are doing
2) Chain hooks on your FEL. Use a chain to cradle a large rock and keep it from rolling away from your FEL. Thus you don't have to get completely under the rock to curl it up and lift it with the FEL. I can't live without the hooks on my FEL.
3) All the things you mention are well within the capabilities of a FEL, assuming you don't do anything crazy like take a running start at a pile of rocks.
4) Always have the 4 wheel assist engaged when doing FEL work.
5) Make sure you have sufficient rear ballast to offset the FEL loaded weight. (HINT... it takes more than you might realize.
6) Don't raise your FEL way high while loaded and travel with it... too tippy and rocks fall off and chip the paint and maybe worse. Don't ask me how I know :eek:
7) Experience is the best teacher regarding how to approach a pile of material to pick up into the FEL bucket.
 
   / Reasonable use of FEL #7  
Relief valve should be the key not to over strain fel use,also if the rear end feels somewhat light w/full bucket or large object,you may want some rear ballast.
 
   / Reasonable use of FEL #8  
Since you apparently have the standard bucket as opposed to a heavy duty one (if such is available), about the worst thing I think you might experience is some denting of the bucket or bending of the lip. A tooth-bar or replaceable cutting edgle might mitigate some of that.

Have you considered a grapple? When I put something a little on the large side into my bucket, closing the grapple helps a lot in keeping it there, sometimes in just picking it up in the first place. It's also very handy working with brush piles, logs, manure, multi-flora clumps, and almost anything else you do with a bucket.
 
   / Reasonable use of FEL #9  
Z-Michigan said:
Stone boat sounds like a good idea. Also, any idea why Neil connects the boat to the 3ph arms instead of to the drawbar?

Also, FYI for anyone about to mention it, my rear tires are filled (rimguard) and I usually have an implement hanging off the back as well. Ballast weight should be a nonissue for anything I can lift. So far I have lifted lots of stuff and have never once felt the rear end get light (nor felt the FEL strain!).

Afternoon Z,
I believe the use of the 3 pt in this case is he is able to just slightly raise the front end of the stone boat to prevent it from digging into the soil. We dragged that big block of concrete from my Uncle Daves place to my house, almost a mile away, OK 3/4 mile :) no problems.

Also I bought a 330 gal propane tank from Neil that was better than half full and wrapped chains around both ends to lift it with his FEL to put onto a trailer to tow to my place. His tires are filled and the rear got real light doing that job ;)

Use the FEL to manuever the rocks onto the stone boat and go from there. To try and push 36" rocks any distance is non productive IMO.
 
   / Reasonable use of FEL #10  
Use rear ballast of some sort. A Ballast box with as much weight as possible is best (IMHO). As another friend at TBN wrote, get a toothbar...they help immensely! Hooks welded to the top center and both ends are great for many chores, especially if you have to move heavy items of any sort. They're cheap too...if you can weld. The dealer should be able to weld them (if you can't) for less then a 100 bucks.

Otherwise, use that tractor! It's built for work, so work it!
 
 
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