Tractor Sizing How Much Can A Sub Compact Tractor lift?

[GManBart]

Glade, now that is a nice description.

Now if you could explain why so many care about maximum height weight. If I'm interested in picking up a heavy load and transpirtig it to another location . . Im going to transport at 1 foot or 2 foot or 3 feet above ground and then setting it in a truck or in a building or wherever. Nobody transfers a heavy load at max height . . They might pivot a few feet to dump at max height but thats it.

Yet evey brochure and most posters are always concerned about weight handling at a height they use the least.

Really...you can't see the utility in knowing the maximum combination of height and weight of the loader as the listed spec?

It seems you're making assumptions about others based upon your uses. Maybe you rarely use the max height with heavy loads, but others might use it very regularly.

Just because you only transport a heavy load down low doesn't mean you may not have to lift it up high to pick it up, or put it down.

Manufacturers list the maximum weight at maximum height to keep from getting complaints. If they listed the weight at a lower lift height, say 2 feet, people wouldn't know how much they could actually lift to full height, and might wind up with a loader that can't do the tasks they purchased it for.

In short, under promise, over deliver. If the loader can lift 2,000lbs to max height, you know it should do that much at lower heights, even without accounting for the bucket/forks/grapple weight, and offset from the pins.

It would be nice if manufacturers would also provide the lift capacity at a reduced height, as well as everybody agreeing to report numbers the same way, but that's not likely.

Unfortunately, this thread is turning into something other than just a discussion of SCUT loader capabilities.

 

[AxleHub]

Really...you can't see the utility in knowing the maximum combination of height and weight of the loader as the listed spec?

It seems you're making assumptions about others based upon your uses. Maybe you rarely use the max height with heavy loads, but others might use it very regularly.

Just because you only transport a heavy load down low doesn't mean you may not have to lift it up high to pick it up, or put it down.

Manufacturers list the maximum weight at maximum height to keep from getting complaints. If they listed the weight at a lower lift height, say 2 feet, people wouldn't know how much they could actually lift to full height, and might wind up with a loader that can't do the tasks they purchased it for.

In short, under promise, over deliver. If the loader can lift 2,000lbs to max height, you know it should do that much at lower heights, even without accounting for the bucket/forks/grapple weight, and offset from the pins.

It would be nice if manufacturers would also provide the lift capacity at a reduced height, as well as everybody agreeing to report numbers the same way, but that's not likely.

Unfortunately, this thread is turning into something other than just a discussion of SCUT loader capabilities. It's starting to sound like "small loaders are great, and maximum lift and height aren't all that important, so don't bother with anything bigger because you probably don't need it."

Greetings Gman,

I guess I'm confused by your interpretation of the thread. The title of it is about what scuts can lift . . the title is not what any kind of tractor can lift.

And I clearly posted from the beginning that my goal was to get real life numbers on what scuts can lift . . because I saw far to many threads where posters said scuts were too small to do any real work because they could only lift 500 pounds.

So I went about testing my unit in very precise methods . . no gimmicks . . no manipulated methods or numbers. My hope was and continues to be that there is a huge market of users that have traditionally either not been tractor users because of there locations or because they have mixed uses (like mowing and clearing tree lines or dirt work etc..).

With so much misinformation in brochures . . or lack of information in them . . or bigger tractor users deliberately downplaying scut potential . . . I thought it was time for some accuracy and some balance so that potential users or those trying to balance their needs with tractor sizes aren't misled . . Either accidently or intentionally.

Now if you sense this thread is about scut capabilities . . then congrats . . because thats exactly how its titled.

Or maybe you think I ask naive questions or very "green" thinking . . . then conrats again because it is my exact purpose. I want everyone to participate but often readers are afraid to ask because they might be ridiculed. Or they aren't confident at this point to stand up to negative posts . . so sometimes I ask or state it for them.

Why do I do that? Because there is knowledge needed. Sometimes on threads you'll even notice I encourage posters to stand their ground because someone might be trying to dominate.

Because brochures show lifting capabilities . . doesn't mean they are accurate or usable unless you are a very trusting soul. It also means if many others were testing their units with accuracy and reporting it . . it would make for much better decision-making between the new caliber of scuts and the very recent small compact market that has developed.

If I was unclear in my first half dozen posts on this thread . . I apologize. So let me be crystal clear . . this thread was started about learning scut's real life capabilities and not what brochures state. It was started independent of brand name. It was started to clarify real life capacities of lifting . . with truth and honesty and openness as the goal.

I hope I've done a better job of restating the original intent and statements.

Thanks for listening and to your future contributions here. And maybe you can encourage other scut owners to either participate or test and report their findings.

Thanks for listening.

AxleHub

 

[TomSeller]

That doesn't seem to be true with the BX 25. The rated maximum FEL lift is 745 pounds, but the real lift max in practice seems to be closer to 500 pounds.

What is happening when you max out? Is the rear end lifting off the ground? Do you know what pressure your relief is set at? How much does the bucket/grapple/forks (or whatever you have attached) weigh?

 

[jenkinsph]

Glade, now that is a nice description.

Now if you could explain why so many care about maximum height weight. If I'm interested in picking up a heavy load and transporting it to another location . . Im going to transport at 1 foot or 2 foot or 3 feet above ground and then setting it in a truck or in a building or wherever. Nobody transfers a heavy load at max height . . They might pivot a few feet to dump at max height but thats it.

Yet evey brochure and most posters are always concerned about weight handling at a height they use the least.

While transporting a load most sane people will keep it low or close to the ground, I hope we all agree on that. At the end of the transport it may be necessary to raise the load higher to put in a truck or dump trailer. That being the case you would want to know what the fel capability is at the raised position. I have a job coming up where I need to build a retaining wall using 62lb pavers and will have about 40 pallets of 54 pavers each. These pavers and pallets weigh about 3400lbs each, while I can pick them up enough to move them around I can't pick them up high enough to position the pallets as the wall is built. I can raise about 36 of these pavers to full height without issue, so it is easy to see that the raised fel height number is more important in this case.

 

[AxleHub]

While transporting a load most sane people will keep it low or close to the ground, I hope we all agree on that. At the end of the transport it may be necessary to raise the load higher to put in a truck or dump trailer. That being the case you would want to know what the fel capability is at the raised position. I have a job coming up where I need to build a retaining wall using 62lb pavers and will have about 40 pallets of 54 pavers each. These pavers and pallets weigh about 3400lbs each, while I can pick them up enough to move them around I can't pick them up high enough to position the pallets as the wall is built. I can raise about 36 of these pavers to full height without issue, so it is easy to see that the raised fel height number is more important in this case.

I completely understand that. I'm certainly surprised your unit would vary such a large amount between 3 foot height and 6 foot height . . 40 % of payload ??? Is that due to your tractor size?

How does that number compare to manufacturer's numbers?

 

[k0ua]

I completely understand that. I'm certainly surprised your unit would vary such a large amount between 3 foot height and 6 foot height . . 40 % of payload ??? Is that due to your tractor size?

How does that number compare to manufacturer's numbers?

You see the thing is, manufactures don't publish what can be picked up at low heights. They just publish the full height figure. This is where your experimentation comes into play. You moved a very heavy (for your tractor) pallet down fairly low. I am assuming you did not lift it to full height like you were setting it on a wall or something. We all agree, that you should not be moving with loads up high, but you must at times lift loads to full height as stated above, like loading a dump truck or setting shingles on a roof or any number of other scenarios. It would be nice if manufactures did list some agreed upon height rating, but they don't.

 

[man00]

I dunno about weight of wood but I tried to lift a 2004 Honda GoldWing that was stuck in reverse and the Kubota B2320 wouldn't clear off the ground at all. Did manage to lift the rear tire up enough to load the bike on a trailer. Not sure of the weight of the bike...but even lifting the rear my B2320 didn't want anymore.

 

[dragoneggs]

What is happening when you max out? Is the rear end lifting off the ground? Do you know what pressure your relief is set at? How much does the bucket/grapple/forks (or whatever you have attached) weigh?

Exactly my thinking. I can't speak for max load at max height via personal experience but I am lifting far more than advertised in the spec granted only 4ft or so off the ground with my BH on as counterweight.

 

[Egon]

From the op's approach most scut's will be found lacking in reach when loading or unloading. Ie, there may be problems dumping into a PU box like I found with my B7100.

 

[gladehound]

Now if you could explain why so many care about maximum height weight. If I'm interested in picking up a heavy load and transporting it to another location . . Im going to transport at 1 foot or 2 foot or 3 feet above ground and then setting it in a truck or in a building or wherever. Nobody transfers a heavy load at max height . . They might pivot a few feet to dump at max height but thats it.

I can't know what other people want to do with their SCUTs but the possibilities are endless.

You already suggested an answer to your own question. They may want to dump at max height. This is especially important for SCUTs because they have limited max lift height and very limited clearance under a dumped bucket.

They also might want to know max height lift capacity to support projects they are doing or have planned. Things like stacking lumber, stacking logs, making tidy brush/burn piles, getting a delivery off an 18 wheeler (not max height but close to 2/3rds height for a SCUT). A creative person with a SCUT could dream up all sorts of ways to use it. I've only provided a few ideas here.