Using a front end loader effectively

[century3045]

Another thing that might help is a bucket level indicator rod if you don't have one. If you do you can mark the rod with a piece of tape to let you know when you are level with the ground. Especially handy when loading a pile of mulch or something that has been dumped in your yard, it will keep you from digging up your grass or dirt that you don't want in your bucket. The rod comes in handy when you can't see your bucket real good.

 

[RalphVa]

You can generate a lot more force with the curl than just by pushing. To fill your bucket, you have to do a little push combined with a little curl. Do it right, and you'll have a full bucket. If you end up with a part bucket, you can shake it back by raising and full curling it about 3/4 height, not so high that you risk having stuff tumble back onto the hood of the tractor but near that high. Then lower and finish filling. I moved more than 20 tons of gravel this way.

Ideally, you need almost as much weight on the back as what you put in the bucket. I've a carryall now that I can load with a little bit more than a bucket's worth of stuff (by hand, unfortunately). Then I scoop up a bucket of stuff and carry the combo down my back hill. It's pretty stable then.

I haven't really gotten the hang of using my bucket forks; so they stay stored in the basement of my carriage house most of the time. Used them once to get up some paving that got lapped over the property line by my paver. Would never have been able to get it up without a lot of damage to the rest without the forks.

Ralph

 

[jrepp]

This is my technique for densely packed material (damp/wet) that is in a pile (4' to 5' high). Put the bucket in the dumped position, that is with the cutting edge straight down. Drive as close as possible to the pile with the bucket just above the top of the pile. Lower the bucket down into the pile. Drive backwards while lowering the bucket into the pile, dragging loose material down in front of the tractor. Drive forward with the bucket in the normal load position and you can usually get a full bucket of loose material.

 

[KentT]

Sometimes the FEL will not have the breakout force to curl or lift the full bucket while it is still in the large pile of dirt or gravel... it will bypass instead of moving.

So, begin backing up slowly and curl the bucket as you back out away from the pile... you'll reach a point where it stops bypassing and successfully curls the bucket. Then, lift it to slightly above ground level for transporting...

FELs typically will curl more than they can lift.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

"Don't think anyone has mentioned it but as you go into a pile hit your differential lock to give yourself more traction. "

Don't mean to intrude here but I remember reading about someone here that "broke" their diff. lock by hitting it while they were moving. I think they said that you have to stop, hit the lock and then let out on the clutch....Not too sure about this but worth a search. Personnaly, I've never had to use mine, lucky I guess. BobG in VA

 

[PineRidge]

Bob I didn't mean to imply that everyone should be hitting their diff. locks on the fly.

In the case of Class III Boomer's New Holland recommends that the diff lock be applied while moving slowly to prevent shock loads to the drive-line. They don't want it engaged if ground speed is over 5 MPH or if in a turn.

Everyone should check their own operators manual, but diff lock will increase your traction significantly.

 

[3RRL]

I try to "slice" off from a pile. Like the others said, drive into the pile slightly and start curling the bucket and I start raising it up at the same time. this method works good if the pile is sort of compacted and too hard to just drive into and stab it. Think of it as slicing a piece of cheese off a block on the upward movement of the bucket. It takes a little practice to know how much to drive in while doing this but pays great dividends in huge bucket fulls without being "trapped" at the bottom of the cut.

 

[MossRoad]

As others have stated, move into the pile with the bucket almost level. As you move forward, curl the bucket backwards while lifting. What this does is undercut the material that is above the bucket. The material will have nothing under it to support it and gravity will help fill your bucket. This is sometimes referred to as "crowding" the bucket. Practice for a while and it soon becomes natural. You will have to adjust your curl and lift speeds for the material that you are loading. Also, again, as others have mentioned, a tooth bar really helps with material like rock and large grade mulch.

 

[century3045]

I have always hit my diff. lock while moving. Thats when i hit it, when the tires start spinning. Been doing it for years and haven't broke anything yet. May just be lucky. 4WD In a pile of dirt don't really need diff. lock anyhow. As far as the toothbar goes, it is very nice in dirt but for gravel I like the smooth cutting edge without the teeth. You can scoop it up nicely and even spread it with the bucket using it like a box scrape. Thats just my opinion.

 

[daTeacha]

I've been having to remove extra gravel from a driveway lately. I use the back blade to move the excess to the center, then set the bucket at level or slightly downward. I drive up the driveway slowly, very slowly lifting the bucket to compensate for the weight being added in front as it fills. I've manged to load the 60" bucket with enough limestone that I could see it over the top of the unrolled bucket.

I then roll it back, lift it a bit, proceed up the hill, and slowly dump it forward, spreading a pretty nice even layer of gravel on the upper part of the drive.

If I don't get the lift part just right, it tends to dig too deep and leave a bare patch in the middle of the drive, but I can usually fill that with a couple passes from the back blade or back drag the bucket.

On the back dragging topic -- my Case loader seems to almost float with respect to it's angle when back dragging unless I keep working the valve a little. The 'bota didn't do that, it was just solidly in position. Any else notice anything like it? It can move toward the rolled back position, but not toward the dump position.