Lift pallet of wood pellets with front loader hack?

[Rod in Forfar]

The bucket of the loader on my TAFE has pre-drilled holes for bolt-on accessories. I added two white oak boards, 1 1/2" by 7" by 44" and presto, I had a redneck pallet fork set. The loader will lift to 11' and with the forks I was able to set the sheeting and shingles onto the roofs of a couple of garages we built a few years ago. The forks have received occasional use over the fifteen years since and have yet to show deterioration from loading.

 

[jyoutz]

I wasn't able to lift the rated load with forks on my MX5800 either. I checked the hyd pressure and found the dealer had it set 10% low for "safety reasons" they say. I reset it to spec and now get the rated 2400# lift at the pins.

How do you reset the pressure?

 

[LD1]

Just remember your rear wheels are the only wheels that have brakes on a 4 wheel drive tractor. Try this out with forks loaded with tractor facing downhill. Lock your brakes like you would for 'park' position. Slowly raise your forks with the load and watch rear tires raise off the ground. Let me know how long it took to reach bottom of hill or you quickly lowered your forks with the load back to the ground.

You have front braking IF its a 4wd tractor and IF you have it in 4wd

 

[LD1]

I wasn't able to lift the rated load with forks on my MX5800 either. I checked the hyd pressure and found the dealer had it set 10% low for "safety reasons" they say. I reset it to spec and now get the rated 2400# lift at the pins.

I can lift a ton on pallet forks pretty easy. (bridgeport series 1 9x49 with 8" riser on a oak skid). Estimating 2200#. But only high enough to transport.

Not sure if I could lift it off of something trailer height. Loaders have the most lift capacity at ground level. And the least at max height.

In the case of the MX, the LA844 loader is rated at the 2400 to max height, but half height (59") it can lift 3030# and at ground level its 4180# at the pins. And more realistic....19.7" forward of the pins, its 1840# to max height, 2450# to 59" and ground level its 3260#

Noticeable in the real world too. I load and move alot of logs on the dump trailer. Load them with the grapple. Sometimes I can grapple a log, raise it ~1-2' to get to the trailer, then go to raise it to load and can only get 3' or 4' before it just runs outta muster and have to cut the log smaller. So maybe it was a 3000# log, and the 3260# capacity at ground level was enough to lift and move it. But to get to 59" high to clear dump trailer the log needed cut down to 2450# per spec.

 

[bdhsfz6]

How do you reset the pressure?

It varies. Some tractors have an adjustment screw on the hydraulic manifold or on the loader valve. Some machines require placing shims in the relief valve.

 

[FERLING]

You have front braking IF its a 4wd tractor and IF you have it in 4wd

I lost my beer finding out that a four wheel drive Workmaster 50 has no brakes on the front wheels. All you have to do is look in your maintenance guide about replacement / adjustment of front wheel brakes. Some people say the engine holds back but my 3 cylinder was raising hell until the load hit the ground and stopped it. Mine had an 8 ft box blade on the rear as a counter weight.

 

[LD1]

I lost my beer finding out that a four wheel drive Workmaster 50 has no brakes on the front wheels. All you have to do is look in your maintenance guide about replacement / adjustment of front wheel brakes. Some people say the engine holds back but my 3 cylinder was raising hell until the load hit the ground and stopped it. Mine had an 8 ft box blade on the rear as a counter weight.

You dont NEED Brakes on the wheels if you have brakes somewhere in the driveline and its in 4wd. I dont actually know any modern tractors that have brakes out at the wheels.

IF you have a 4wd, and you have 4wd engaged....ALL FOUR wheels will actively brake when you push the pedal

 

[Jstpssng]

You dont NEED Brakes on the wheels if you have brakes somewhere in the driveline and its in 4wd. I dont actually know any modern tractors that have brakes out at the wheels.

IF you have a 4wd, and you have 4wd engaged....ALL FOUR wheels will actively brake when you push the pedal

That's also useful on a pickup, especially in snow; when you want to stop but the ABS says keep going. Just ease down on the parking brake...

 

[repete]

You dont NEED Brakes on the wheels if you have brakes somewhere in the driveline and its in 4wd. I dont actually know any modern tractors that have brakes out at the wheels.

IF you have a 4wd, and you have 4wd engaged....ALL FOUR wheels will actively brake when you push the pedal

I would say this is true only if you have a locking front differential. No lock then only three wheels.

 

[jyoutz]

It varies. Some tractors have an adjustment screw on the hydraulic manifold or on the loader valve. Some machines require placing shims in the relief valve.

I have the LA2065 loader. Your MX5800 should be the same. How did you adjust it?

 

[LD1]

I would say this is true only if you have a locking front differential. No lock then only three wheels.

If you understood how differentials work, you would understand that both wheels will brake with equal force. Just the same as equal force is applied to each wheel when driving

 

[mikester]

Is this insane? I can’t afford pallet fork at present but want to load palleted wood pellets in my garage. I really only need to lift the pallet up and drive the truck away. Then I can skid them around. Anyone ever try this?

Buy a used older cushion tire propane industrial forklift. 3,500 lb lift units are cheap. Doesn't do well on soft gravel driveways.

 

[Oaktree]

Just remember your rear wheels are the only wheels that have brakes on a 4 wheel drive tractor. Try this out with forks loaded with tractor facing downhill. Lock your brakes like you would for 'park' position. Slowly raise your forks with the load and watch rear tires raise off the ground. Let me know how long it took to reach bottom of hill or you quickly lowered your forks with the load back to the ground.

Why would anyone go forward downhill with a load on the forks/loader unless you're competing for some sort of Darwin award? I was taught that you always back down with a load.

 

[Jstpssng]

Why would anyone go forward downhill with a load on the forks/loader unless you're competing for some sort of Darwin award? I was taught that you always back down with a load.

I usually put it on a trailer, but that's just me.

 

[repete]

If you understood how differentials work, you would understand that both wheels will brake with equal force. Just the same as equal force is applied to each wheel when driving

So you are saying it is impossible to have just one tire skid on an "open" differential? Both tires on the same axle will skid? Doesn't that kind of negate the reason to have separate brake pedals and a link to apply both at the same time to avoid only one wheel from rotating?

 

[leonz]

That will happen on ice; a differential allows the machine to turn easier rather than skid if pressure is applied to two both brake pedals just as a no spin differential would do when turning a machine without braking that has an articulating dual axle system. A no spin differential equipped tractor will skid more on smooth ground or slippery surfaces. I dealt with a lot of no spin differentials when I was involved in underground mining for a living.

The use of separate brake pedals allows you to have better control moving the machine to the left or right when backing up and attaching ground engaging 3-point hitch implements like disc plows, moldboard plows, cultivators, bedders, rippers, chisel plows, rototillers, choppers and balers being implements that are very heavy and do not have hydraulic hitches that allow you to get within a range of movement for the hitch and connect the hoses to allow you to move the hitch to the tow bar.

When the insanity of the automobile was invented speeds became greater and this insanity prevailed differentials were born and allowed one tire to move faster or slower in turns as the front wheels could be turned in the desired direction of movement with the steering wheel, and the steering gearbox connected to the
tie rods etc.

In the case of mining machinery like articulated dump trucks and underground load haul dump mining scoops the articulating center which allows the machine to turn almost 180 degrees in movement a differential will allow the outside tires to rotate faster in the direction of the turn and the tires on the inside of the turn will rotate slower.

This does not happen with no spin differentials as equal force is delivered to both axle stubs from the sur and bevel gearing in the differential if a machine has a planetary drive system using no spin differentials and articulated steering.

There's always hope that caterpillar tractors with deep cletracs rather than finish dozer tracks will make a comeback for primary tillage.

 

[LD1]

So you are saying it is impossible to have just one tire skid on an "open" differential? Both tires on the same axle will skid? Doesn't that kind of negate the reason to have separate brake pedals and a link to apply both at the same time to avoid only one wheel from rotating?

I thought we were talking about the front axle, now you wanna talk about the rears?

 

[repete]

I thought we were talking about the front axle, now you wanna talk about the rears?

I do not mean to challenge you. I am trying to understand the differences between the rear and the front differentials. When I am seriously stuck and in 4WD (Kubota) I find one front wheel spins in the mud and one rear wheel spins in the mud. At that point I (carefully of course) engage the differential lock to the rear and usually get out of my position. I had assumed since only one of my front wheels spun, it was like a conventional open differential.

I had assumed that they were both "open" differentials and the rear being different due to the differential lock.

I had also assumed that if only one tire in the front spins when stuck that only one tire would have traction when the front driveline is the (for lack of better words) "brake". Only one wheel would again be stopped. Now I am questioning that assumption and honestly, I have never had an occasion to have either lock with a load in the bucket and I do have hills to go down.

I do like the IH584 in that the 4WD has a clutch for engagement (throw in at any time) and with the ag tires and rear diff lock it will power through most anything I ask it to do. The little L2550DT you just put your foot into it and hope you do not have to get your shoes muddy.

 

[LD1]

I do not mean to challenge you. I am trying to understand the differences between the rear and the front differentials. When I am seriously stuck and in 4WD (Kubota) I find one front wheel spins in the mud and one rear wheel spins in the mud. At that point I (carefully of course) engage the differential lock to the rear and usually get out of my position. I had assumed since only one of my front wheels spun, it was like a conventional open differential.

I had assumed that they were both "open" differentials and the rear being different due to the differential lock.

I had also assumed that if only one tire in the front spins when stuck that only one tire would have traction when the front driveline is the (for lack of better words) "brake". Only one wheel would again be stopped. Now I am questioning that assumption and honestly, I have never had an occasion to have either lock with a load in the bucket and I do have hills to go down.

I do like the IH584 in that the 4WD has a clutch for engagement (throw in at any time) and with the ag tires and rear diff lock it will power through most anything I ask it to do. The little L2550DT you just put your foot into it and hope you do not have to get your shoes muddy.

The front and rear are both open differentials on a tractor.

Open differential means EQUAL torque applied to both wheels but unequal speed. What that means is if you are stuck and only one rear and one front are spinning....the wheel that is NOT spinning is trying to move the tractor with the SAME torque as the one that is spinning.

Hitting a differential lock is EQUAL speed and UNEQUAL torque. So it allows more torque to be applied to the tire with more traction.

When you "brake" the machine and the front axle is engaged.....driveline braking is no different than applying power to the drive line. BOTH tires with brake the the SAME force.

If one tire has little to no traction.....then the other tire is gonna have little to no stopping force.

In some cases...slippery mud or ice....with driveline brakeing you can see one wheel going forward and one being forced to turn backwards. (same thing you can do in a pickup with rear jacked up but in park. Spin one wheel forward, other goes in reverse cause driveline cant move)

 

[repete]

The front and rear are both open differentials on a tractor.

Open differential means EQUAL torque applied to both wheels but unequal speed. What that means is if you are stuck and only one rear and one front are spinning....the wheel that is NOT spinning is trying to move the tractor with the SAME torque as the one that is spinning.

Hitting a differential lock is EQUAL speed and UNEQUAL torque. So it allows more torque to be applied to the tire with more traction.

When you "brake" the machine and the front axle is engaged.....driveline braking is no different than applying power to the drive line. BOTH tires with brake the the SAME force.

If one tire has little to no traction.....then the other tire is gonna have little to no stopping force.

In some cases...slippery mud or ice....with driveline brakeing you can see one wheel going forward and one being forced to turn backwards. (same thing you can do in a pickup with rear jacked up but in park. Spin one wheel forward, other goes in reverse cause driveline cant move)

Still confused about the lack of traction issue with one wheel in mud and the other dry.

I do understand a bit more on the "braking" aspect. The spider essentially locks both axles but it must also allow for different speeds of rotation while cornering but what if one front tire loses traction?

I find it really beneficial to "understand" how mechanical things work. You can use the knowledge to help fix things but I think even more importantly, how to avoid breaking things.