Tips on scooping

[Ridgewalker]

I have a FEL question: I have a NH 7308 w/Markem toothbar, when I attack a pile of material the bucket seems to want to ride up over the pile instead of biting into it.

I compensate by working the bucket up and down trying to dig in with the tooth bar. I almost always pick up the front wheels off the ground a foot or so while doing this and have the bucket on a pretty steep down angle.

That gives me some success but I still struggle getting much in the bucket.

The piles in question are material that was pushed aside when a road was cut in, it's rocky and is mostly clay with a little topsoil.

So, What's the scoop?

 

[KentT]

Sounds like the cutting edge of the bucket is angled upward slightly, causing the bucket to ride up. Are you placing the rear of the bucket flat on the ground?

Note that a toothbar attached to the cutting edge will do that, if you let the rear of the bucket sit on the ground. You need to use the bucket tilt (i.e. curl) to keep the rear of the bucket elevated off the ground just enough to compensate for the thickness of the teeth extended down below the cutting edge -- approximately an inch, but you need to experiment with that.

With the tractor and FEL sitting on a flat, level surface such as paved driveway or garage floor, do a bit of experimenting to see what amount keeps the bottom of the bucket level. Then, use the float position on the lift arms when pushing the bucket into the pile.

 

[JB4310]

The pile is to tightly packed, use your tooth bar to break it up a little at a time then get under the loosened material to fill your bucket. Tooth bar should be perfect for loosening packed pile.

The way your approaching the pile (bucket angle) is causing you to ride up over the pile, but even with the right angle in packed material you would most likely just stall.

Good Luck, JB.

 

[KentT]

Another tip...

Once the bucket it about half-way into the pile, start simultaneously lifting the bucket and tilting it back, as you continue to drive into the pile. This will sort of slice a bucket-full of soil from the front of the pile, and will typically allow you to get a fuller bucket. It will also allow you to lift more at the cutting edge, combining lift and tilt hydraulic power, and makes it easier to break a full bucket loose from the pile...

Bottom line is that it takes practice, like most everything else. After a while, it becomes almost second nature.

 

[LBrown59]

The pile is to tightly packed, use your tooth bar to break it up a little at a time then get under the loosened material to fill your bucket. Tooth bar should be perfect for loosening packed pile.

The way your approaching the pile (bucket angle) is causing you to ride up over the pile, but even with the right angle in packed material you would most likely just stall.

Good Luck, JB.

I don't have this problem with a tooth bar cause I just use a tiller instead.
I can also use the BH if need be.

 

[3RRL]

I use Kent's technique a lot.
You want to have the bucket level and drive into the pile just a small amount. Then start curling AND lifting simultaneously. It's like slicing a piece of cheese from the bottom up. You might need to drive (slowly) into the pile all the while doing this. It's a learned technique where all 3 motions give the best result ... a full bucket when done properly.

Depending on how tall the pile is, there is a lot more weight on the bottom than on the top. So driving into the bottom is sometimes like driving into a brick wall. If that's the case, start near the top of the pile and try to get a bucket full from there. Your bucket should go into the pile easier than at the bottom. If you don't get a full bucket, back up and take a bite about a 6" or a foot lower to fill the bucket. Keep doing that and work your way to the bottom. Always use the same "slicing" technique as you lift the bucket up. It keeps the stress down on the FEL and hydraulics and allows the bucket to fill. When you get to the bottom of the pile, make sure your bucket is level and just drive into the material. It should fill up that way.
Always carry your load low when transporting.
Rob-

 

[john_bud]

If your controller is like mine, it won't curl and lift at the same time. For a tall tight pile, I raise the bucket about 1/2 way up the pile, tip it slightly lip up (2-3" higher in front from level) and drive into the pile slowly while lifting. Finish off by curling all the way back to get a heaping pile in the bucket. Backup, dump and repeat until finished.

jb

 

[schmism]

pointing the bucket just slightly down from level i push into the pile.

while keeping a steady slow (gear 1) pace pushing in i first lift slightly (again while still pushing) this usually will catch nearly a half bucket.

then its a dance between curl and lift (mine wont do both at the same time) while pushing in.

at some point my forward push usually stops and then i just move to lift.

If done well, i will max out my lift capacity and have to back out slightly in order to get something that i can actually lift with the laoder.

 

[KentT]

With my joystick control, the lift valve has first priority, but with 8gpm @ 2500 PSI, it will curl at the same time, though slower than if you aren't lifting...