FELs arn't worth the risk!

[knucklehead]

Re: FELs arn\'t worth the risk!

<font color=blue>"...flat as my living room floor with a few wet spots"

<font color=black>Yep - Sounds like my living room floor before the boys got outta diapers.....

Mark

 

[TBone]

Re: FELs arn\'t worth the risk!

Harv,

I'll bet you're right. If I had one I would probably find (or invent) a lot of uses for it, but right now I just can't justify the expense. Come to think of it though that's never stopped me before./w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif/w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif/w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

When my kids were small, we went to the Smokeys on vacation most summers. They were always fascinated with the rocks because they had never seen any in the creeks and rivers back home and to dig one up in a field is unheard of around here. They always wanted to bring some home with them.

The seven acres adjoining my house are slightly hilly but the other place (about 2 miles from my house) is in what is referrred to as the "flatlands". There are probably a thousand acres that are as flat as can be. Flat land has its advantages but I actually prefer some "hills and hollows". I especially like creek and river bottoms with some slopes. Oh well, we can't have everything.

P.S. I think you overpaid moderators are doing a very good job.

TBone

 

[tdenny]

Re: FELs arn\'t worth the risk!

TBone,

<font color=blue>"When my kids were small, we went to the Smokeys on vacation most summers. They were always fascinated with the rocks because they had never seen any in the creeks and rivers back home and to dig one up in a field is unheard of around here. They always wanted to bring some home with them."</font color=blue>

Around here rocks grow. Don't bring any home as you might end up with millions of them.../w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[Oliver1]

Re: FELs arn\'t worth the risk!

Tbone, I recently purchased a tractor with a FEL. The use will be moving two rolls of hay "one front and one rear" at one time, and loading rolls of hay three high on a wagon. Also, with gravel roads, it's always nice to have a gravel pile so you can easily repair you road after a heavy rain. Also, after heavy rains, it can be used to push rocks back into branches and creeks. Also, my place was logged a few years ago and there are still some logs and heavy bush in my fields that I hope to move. You can also do alot stuff you aren't suppose to do. The farmer across the road said he would stand in my bucket and trim the trees around my fields. It was tempting since I wasn't going to be the one in the bucket, but I passed on that one. As someone else said, it depends on your needs. I think that I needed one as opposed to wanting one.

One other thing, with a quick detach system, it's easy to remove that bucket.

 

[Alan L.]

Re: FELs arn\'t worth the risk!

I couldn't do without my FEL:

Moving heavy stuff thats in the way.

Moving dirt and gravel.

Moving bags of seed, fertilizer, sacrete.

Moving chainsaw, fuel can, brush cutter, misc to jobsite.

Digging.

Moving logs and brush and putting it ON TOP of the pile.

Shoving the entire brush pile out of the way.

Compressing the brush pile.

Hauling trash from all over to the trash bin.

Knocking down crosstie retaining wall.

Back-drag to smooth dirt/gravel.

Knock down fence posts.

Kock down trees.

Break rotten limbs I can't reach.

Stand in it for cutting branches, antenna work etc.

Tie a chain on it and pick stuff up like a crane - such as new implements you bring home on the trailer.

Picking up the front end of the tractor.

etc.

 

[Rockyroad]

Re: FELs arn\'t worth the risk!

Bought my JD750 in '86 WITHOUT FEL. Biggest mistake I ever made. Went all those years without, and just last Fall bought a Kelly 1000 from Shaeffer (great deal!) and installed it myself one weekend. What a difference in what I can get done in the limited time I have to work.

Just splitting firewood: load the chainsaws, gas can, bar oil, etc. into the bucket with the splitter being towed on the ball hitch. Drive to the wood pile (I buy my firewood tree length in 10 cord loads). I used to fool around with a logging chain to pull the tree trunks off the pile so I could get them down flat on the ground to cut them with the chainsaw. On and off the tractor endlessly. Now I can usually just use the FEL to roll the log off the pile. After the wood is split, I throw it into the bucket and dump it exactly where I want it on the side porch of my log home. I used to do this with a trailer, but that meant handling every piece of wood by hand to throw it off the trailer onto the porch.

I have built two good size brush piles with the loader that I will burn this winter when we have snow cover. The piles used to get really big, but now I can use the FEL to crush down the piles. Will probably burn better being more dense.

Stones is another story. Here in Rhode Island we have nothing but stones. I used to try to get them out using a chain, but now I can usually dig them out with the FEL. I can then put the stone where I want it on the stone walls on my property with the FEL.

Loading stuff in my pickup, moving stuff around the property, moving snow (that's why I bought it), moving brush, landscaping, the list goes on and on.

My first big project this Spring was to move and spread 40 yards of loam I bought. It wasn't even a weekend project with the FEL. Without it, I would have been at this for a month with a shovel and the trailer for my tractor.

Just another thing like my air compressor that you wonder how you ever lived without. Just since this Spring I can see the difference in how my property looks as a result of all the things I can do or do quicker with my FEL.

 

[steveky]

Re: FELs arn\'t worth the risk!

Hi Tbone, not sure if I need one our not. They are putting in on today and I've got lots of jobs lined up for using it. My neighbor has one on his little JD and says its the handiest tool he has with his tractor.

 

[fractal]

Re: FELs arn\'t worth the risk!

Sounds like you keep your property nice and clean. You might not need one. The local community had someone come and whack the weeds on our 20 acre "field" last month. Watched him drive around with the bucket just inches over the top of the field. That way he would hit any obstructions with the fel instead of the blades. Would not be an issue if the grass were kept short so you could see.

I bought my tractor for the fel and the box blade. I don't even own a mower for it. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Hillbilly]

Re: FELs arn\'t worth the risk!

I have a JD loader on my JD 4400 and I for one would not have a loader unless it was a 4 in 1./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Re: FELs arn\'t worth the risk!

<font color=blue>"I for one would not have a loader unless it was a 4 in 1"</font color=blue>

Well, while I would love to have a four in one bucket on my loader, I'll still keep the loader without the four in one bucket rather than doing without one. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

It's worth having for me just for ballast, balance and extra stability when I'm using the backhoe.