Practice Removing Your FEL

[Boeing]

"lift the wheels off the ground" Thanks Chiily....THAT had not been mentioned before and might save me lots of ugly words. D

 

[banzai runner]

Just bought a 2000 New Holland TC33D with a new Bush Hog 1045 loader. It's going to stay on during the winter to aid in snow removal, but I'll be removing to mow once the grass starts growing again so I decided to get familiar with taking it off.

I've had two unsuccessful attempts so far, one requiring an engine lift to correct.

It almost seems as if the stand supplied with the loader aren't long enough to make the top connection on the loader clear the bracket on the tractor. The left-hand side pops out, but I cant get the right-hand side to disengage.

I'm doing this in the pole barn on a perfectly level concrete floor.

Any thoughts?

 

[Chilly807]

Do you have the owner's manual for the loader? If you don't, there may be a step you're missing. I've had a situation where the vertical part of the loader that goes into the pivot brackets wouldn't quite come out or clear the tires, but there's a fix for it. The Kubota process goes something like this..

1. Raise loader arms and lower and pin loader stands on each arm (mine stay attached to the loader, but fold up.) I have to raise the loader quite a bit to get the stands down and pinned.

2. Partly dump bucket to about 45 degree angle with the floor when arms are lowered. (Kubota didn't list this one, but I find it helpful). If you don't do this, the stands touch the floor first and can get bent if you keep lowering.

3. Lower loader until bucket lip touches floor, then lift tractor maybe 4-5 inches with loader.

4. Remove loader pins from mounting brackets. I have two large ones, with the tractor lifted there's no weight on them at all, it's a two finger job.

5. Lower tractor with loader arms, then slowly curl bucket until loader lifts out of pivots. As the stands touch the floor the loader arms should raise up out of the pivots, but can be stubborn. I find that with the bucket sitting flat on the floor there isn't always enough clearance over the front tires to back away, so if you try to raise the loader slightly at this time it angles the vertical part of the arms up enough that the pivots will clear the tires. This might be the problem you're having with the NH. Mine pop right out when you do this, the only other thing it can do is to raise the loader and with the pins removed it shouldn't be able to do that unless something is stuck hard. In fact, when I do this it actually shoves the tractor back or pushes the loader ahead. If you do have a sticky spot this might push it loose.

6. Shut off engine and wiggle joystick to relieve any residual pressure, then remove QCs and back away.

Replacing the loader is the reverse process, but if you have something bent it might not go as well....

Not sure if the NH is the same process, but it might help.

Sean

 

[crazyal]

I'm not even sure how important it is to have flat ground. I took mine off for winter and it's sitting on the lawn. It's sort of level but not like a garage floor. I see it as a practice thing. The more you do it the more you become comfortable doing it.

 

[crazyal]

2. Partly dump bucket to about 45 degree angle with the floor when arms are lowered. (Kubota didn't list this one, but I find it helpful). If you don't do this, the stands touch the floor first and can get bent if you keep lowering.

The 854 loader manual does tell you to do this and warns that the support brackets will be damaged if they come in contact with the ground before pulling the two main pins.

 

[Chilly807]

The 854 loader manual does tell you to do this and warns that the support brackets will be damaged if they come in contact with the ground before pulling the two main pins.

Exactly. The stands are meant to support the weight of only the loader, not the whole tractor.

Sean

 

[banzai runner]

Do you have the owner's manual for the loader?

I do have the manual, but it's a bit vague when it comes to dismounting.

the only other thing it can do is to raise the loader and with the pins removed it shouldn't be able to do that unless something is stuck hard. In fact, when I do this it actually shoves the tractor back or pushes the loader ahead. If you do have a sticky spot this might push it loose.

It looks like the Bush Hog loaders work differently. I can raise the loader without the lower pins in place, it's lowering the loader without being pinned that rotates bottom socket forward and allows the part of the bracket attached to the loader to raise out of the saddles on the top when the bucket is rolled back and the loader rocks forward on the stands. (At least that's what I understand from looking at it)

Thanks for all the suggestions, any more are also greatly appreciated.

I'll get it off eventually

- Doug

 

[Chilly807]

It took me a little while looking at the Kubota manual and the tractor to get it straight in my head what effect each step had. If I don't take it off for a while I need to go over it again slowly before it comes back to me. Like I said earlier, mine was little sticky at first until things wore in a bit, now it comes off slick as can be.

It sounds like the BH are a bit different, I was wondering that when I posted. The Kubota was the first QC loader I had anything to do with, and I have to say it's been easier than I expected. They really should have bigger feet on the stands though, otherwise you need a HARD surface to support them.

You may need to chain something heavy in the bucket until it starts to work more freely, I don't know how much margin there is for balance. If it's reluctant to come off, the bucket may not be heavy enough to counterbalance the force required.

Sean

Sean

 

[TripleR]

I'm not even sure how important it is to have flat ground. I took mine off for winter and it's sitting on the lawn. It's sort of level but not like a garage floor. I see it as a practice thing. The more you do it the more you become comfortable doing it.

I find it to be a little easier/quicker on a hard flat surface, but have done it on dirt and crushed rock that was not even; agree on the practice thing.

 

[banzai runner]

Just an FYI to anyone that currently or in the future might have similar difficulties dismounting a Bush Hog loader.

I've had some time to play around with my setup and it appears that the support stands supplied with the loader are too short!:drool:

After putting a couple of boards under the stands (about 3" high total), the loader dismounted exactly as it should with no problems at all.

- Doug