Front-End Loader Worst things to do to a FEL

[IslandTractor]

Please explain

Lift capacity with FEL is usually 500-2000 lbs. Yes you can push but the FEL bucket is not really designed to push against a narrow object (the tangent of contact between stump and bucket edge is typically 6-12 inches). The FEL arms are certainly not designed to push. It is a front end loader not front end dozer.

On the other end however we have a perfectly positioned drawbar engineered to take anything the tractor can dish out in pulling power.

My point, perhaps poorly expressed, was just that it is fine to dig out the roots of a big stump with the FEL but if the bucket is popping off while trying to displace the stump it means that stump would be better dealt with by wrapping a chain around it and pulling it out. My rough estimate was that a tractor can pull about three times what the FEL can lift.

Sorry for the confusion. Happy to debate stump strategy but I gathered from your post you didn't understand what I meant.

 

[LD1]

I thought that is what you were trying to get at. And I agree that the tractor can pull WAY more than it can lift.

BUT, the wording in your post in response to gaproperty read as if you could pull more than you could PUSH, not lift. Pull force would be the same (or nearly the same) as the push.

I push stumps out all the time. Some may argue that a chain and drawbar would be better, but the FEL is designed to push on things. Usually it is dirt, and not in just one location on the cutting edge, But I have found that my loader is stout enough to handle all the pushing force my tractor can deliver.:thumbsup:

 

[IslandTractor]

I thought that is what you were trying to get at. And I agree that the tractor can pull WAY more than it can lift.

BUT, the wording in your post in response to gaproperty read as if you could pull more than you could PUSH, not lift. Pull force would be the same (or nearly the same) as the push.

I push stumps out all the time. Some may argue that a chain and drawbar would be better, but the FEL is designed to push on things. Usually it is dirt, and not in just one location on the cutting edge, But I have found that my loader is stout enough to handle all the pushing force my tractor can deliver.:thumbsup:

I kinda agree. I do the same thing but with a grapple so I don't have the problem of the bucket suddenly popping off the stump and the forces are better distributed as I get the grapple underneath the stump rather than against it so I am not really pushing, I am lifting and pushing at the same time.

I know we all so it but it still seems reasonable to point out that CUT FELs are designed to lift more than push. Yes they dig but that is in relatively soft material and the force is broadly distributed across the bucket. If CUT FELs were really designed to withstand max pushing forces they would look exactly like bulldozers. Short, thick and oriented only forward.

My point was mostly that even in a discussion on FELs, and even though we all break the rule, we shouldn't forget that the drawbar is really the designed feature on a CUT for applying maximum horizontal force to a static load like a stump.

 

[reggiejr]

imo the fel is one of the most usefull versetal tools on a tractor.being over cautious in regaurds to the uses of the fel is a waste of a very usefull tool as long as respect for the machine is there when operating/and making choices of the approch taken to preform a task.scooping only loose material and polishing your bucket after each use is a joke to me.you can lift,scoop, dig,push,carry,level,fill on and on the lists of things you can do with it are only limited to your skill level/imagination and your feel for the hydralics.the dynamics of the fel are very simple the biggest things to watch for is the position of the tractor when handling loads on slopes,soft ground,slippery conditions,rough ground ect. always try to square up to your final target before fully lifting load so minimal turning is made with the load elevated.adjustments must be made to conditions at hand be safe and productive.be aware of your surrondings around the machine.everyone makes little mistakes to learn the tricks of the trade of loader work the secret is to not put your machine in a position to make big mistakes.biggest thing I see people doing wrong with fel's not knowing any better is driving the tractor around with the loader raised up higher than nessary or even see people driving fel all the way up there is no faster way to get yourself in trouble than doing this with or without a load.working road construction everyday this practice is just not seen unless your looking to get fired or kill someone so whenever i see someone doing this it makes my skin crawl knowing the potential danger.If i could only choose one tool to have on a tractor it would be a fel for me all the way.have fun,enjoy be safe.dont be afraid to work it! no polish nessesary

 

[k0ua]

imo the fel is one of the most usefull versetal tools on a tractor.being over cautious in regaurds to the uses of the fel is a waste of a very usefull tool as long as respect for the machine is there when operating/and choices of the approch taken to preform a task scooping only loose material and polishing your bucket after each use is a joke to me.you can lift,scoop, dig,push,carry,level,fill on and on the lists of things you can do with it are only limited to your skill level/imagination and your feel for the hydralics.the dynamics of the fel are very simple the biggest things to watch for is the position of the tractor when handling loads on slopes,soft ground,slippery conditions,rough ground ect. always try to square up to your final target before fully lifting load so minimal turning is made with the load elevated.adjustments must be made to conditions at hand be safe and productive.be aware of your surrondings around the machine.everyone makes little mistakes to learn the tricks of the trade of loader work the secret is to not put your machine in a position to make big mistakes.biggest thing I see people doing wrong with fel's not knowing any better is driving the tractor around with the loader raised up higher than nessary or even see people driving fel all the way up there is no faster way to get yourself in trouble than doing this with or without a load.working road consruction everyday this practice is just not seen unless your looking to get fired or kill someone so whenever i see someone doing this it makes my skin crawl knowing the potential danger.If i could only choose one tool to have on a tractor it would be a fel for me all the way.have fun,enjoy be safe.dont be afraid to work it! no polish nessesary

+1,:thumbsup:
Well Said.

James K0UA

 

[2458n]

Throwing a single chain around the middle of your front loader bucket can collapse the bucket when picking very heavy object. Very hard to reverse this process.

 

[Bdavis]

Also remember if you put something in your bucket like chains, chainsaw etc and forget about them when you start digging into a pile of gravel. I know many people whom have done this...

Glad to know this , I thought I might be the only person that buried a shovel
under 3 loads of dirt. <Grin>

 

[creekbend]

Anything that compromises the structural integrity of the FEL and the tractor thus stretching the capabilities in regards to safety issues and jeopardizing the welfare of the operator is, in my opinion, wrong. All of us probably have tried various unsafe methods with our FEL, but hopefully this thread and subsequent posts will serve as a reminder that there exists a "wrong way" and the "right way". Everyone have a safe and productive "seat time". :tractor:

 

[LD1]

My point was mostly that even in a discussion on FELs, and even though we all break the rule, we shouldn't forget that the drawbar is really the designed feature on a CUT for applying maximum horizontal force to a static load like a stump.

Agreed. I sould probabally use the drawbar more than I do, But I usually find it just easier to push. That way , if I cant quite get it out, I dont have to jump off, unchain, turn back around, and dig some more. If I cannot push it out, I just continue digging.

Plus, I usually have the bushhog or heavy blade on the back, making it a PITA to get the the drawbar to hook a chain up.


But I guess that is the beauty of being an experienced operator and owning my tractor. Because I know the risks involved, and how to minimize them, as well as knowing the limits of my machine. If I break something, I will fix it and move on:thumbsup:

 

[IslandTractor]

Plus, I usually have the bushhog or heavy blade on the back, making it a PITA to get the the drawbar to hook a chain up.

Yep. Making the drawbar available is one of the best reasons for using a dedicated weight box on the 3pt instead of depending on a bulky implement. One of these days I might even get around to building one.