Driving tractor with the front end loader bucket elevated .

[Indiana haymaker]

Depends on what I am doing, most of my ground is pretty flat, if I am mowing under trees I keep the bucket up even with the top of my exhaust so I hit the limbs with the bucket instead of the exhaust pipe. If Im mowing along a fence I keep the bucket higher than the fence so I dont accidentally take out the fence, if Im mowing a strangers field i keep the bucket about 2 inches off the ground, feeling for stumps, concrete, you name it. With the bucket empty you chance of a roll over is pretty low, sometimes you just want the bucket where you can see it so you dont hit stuff below your sight line, like your barn

 

[NUTTERDW]

It can depend on many things.

I mow other people's fields for hire. Some fields I mow, it will be the first time I've ever been on the field. You don't ever get to see it for the first time "already mowed". Some fields, I've been on before, and I "know" the field.

I use my bucket as a tool to "find" surprises in the tall grass and weeds that "no one knows how that got there". I'm pushing the grass and weeds down intentionally with my bucket.

This field had weeds 10' tall in some spots, and at least hood high, all over the field, I'm using my bucket to push it down in front of me to see if "something" is in there:

View attachment 809809

In this field alone I "found"...

Stacks of pallets
Old vehicle tires
Old tractor tires
Chunks of concrete
Large mound of dirt

Right out in the middle of all these tall weeds, and randomly strewn about. My bucket, running low in front of me, ON PURPOSE, has saved me more times than I can count.

 

[NUTTERDW]

I use my bucket the same way. I have found many stumps that way. I also like to keep the loader close to the ground in order to keep the center of gravity low. If I was working flat ground I might look at it different, but where I live I'm usually on at least rolling ground. Having the bucket up does make the tractor more unstable.If I'm working in a field I know I like to take the loader completely off. My loader by it's self weighs 1900 pounds.

 

[Hermio]

Keeping the bucket low when shredding tends to fold over whatever you are mowing and loosen any seeds or chaff which immediately gets sucked into the radiator or rad screen.

That makes some sense. But I have seen some run with the bucket at maximum height. I don't think that makes much sense.

 

[hunt4570]

While brush hogging I favor removing the bucket for visibility and keeping the FEL frame work below my sightline over the front of the hood.
I have mowed with the FEL removed but the front traction suffers.

I may try this.. never thought to just remove the bucket!

 

[hunt4570]

When it's HOT out and I'm mowing a flat field, I'll sometimes raise the bucket a bit for better airflow to the radiator, not sure it really makes a difference, however.

 

[MHarryE]

One thing about running with bucket removed is being sure of your ground condition. I'm one of the few who have got stuck and needed the bucket to curl myself backward out of the hole. Having the bucket lower also limits how deep you drop your fronts. And having the bucket partly locked - one of my tractors did not lock one SSQA latch securely and it popped out at the bottom. Without the bucket strength, it twisted the torsion tube between loader arms. Fortunately I was able to repair easily but have read of many who had to cut apart and run a new tube.

 

[bgr]

Things I have found with the bucket mowing overgrown customers' fields:

Ford Model A rusted and collapsed down to 2 feet.
Giant child swing set.
Forgotten cellar hole unknown to new property owner.

As well as numerous steel pipes, spools of wire, giant rocks, abandoned farm attachments, 100 foot pieces of log skidder cable, stumps(in ground and out), large logs, many grocery carts, guy wires attached to standing utility poles 40 feet away, stone and concrete spring houses. tops of 6 inch abandoned water well casings, and every other bit of trash you can imagine..

I always keep a bucket within 1 foot of the ground unless I know the field and can see clearly ahead. It does send up a lot of chaff.

You have to watch the temperature gauge and stop to clean if getting warm AND stop every half hour to open hood and clear trash off any hot engine part to prevent fires. Stop in an area you have already mowed to avoid picking up ticks.

I have even high centered on a rock I missed and backed off gently, looked under to check damage, and found the rock had caught the edge of the oil drain plug and started to unscrew it. Luckily it had started to drip and I noticed it.

On a mowing job, I agree with customer before starting, removing trash and large rocks from field is something I always do and charge for.

The customer never has seen what you hit.

Mowing with the bucket raised can cause an instant tip if you hit soft ground or a tree limb.

 

[felixedo]

I would prefer to not mow with my FEL attached, but I do it for the additional weight. I usually take a scoop of gravel from the driveway to help. That being said, I always keep it low to the ground unless changes in elevation or other obstacles require me to temporarily raise the bucket to avoid. I will add, the last time I mowed, I found a very soft spot from an uderground spring that sank my tractor right into the mud. I was able to push myself free with the loader, but would still prefer to have adequate weight upt front.

 

[tjandrews]

Most of our mowing is hay fields with a mower-conditioner. We planted them, and tend to remove any boulders, tires, and other old car parts when we did so.
We remove the bucket but keep the frame, partly for visibility, but also because it gives a better ride.

But that's for mowing. For other jobs, it depends on what's more convenient. And as for how high we carry it when the bucket is on, that also is a matter of convenience, and the terrain where we are working. With very few exceptions, we don't take the tractor into spots where stability because of bucket position is a factor.