How much abuse can a FEL handle?

Seamonster124 · Dec 17, 2018

BX1880. I started using my little tractor for a bit of excavation and its doing it. I'm just wondering if I'm destroying the thing? Basically, I have a little hillside, and I have a flat area on the bottom. I'm using the loader to expand the flat area by digging into the hillside. Is this too much? Is a loader made to just pick up loose gravel?

Diggin It · Dec 18, 2018

I'm still learning mine too, but haven't tried to really dig much. They can scrape a bit, but not made for digging. The risk of damage may be more to the front axle components from some of the threads I've read here.

I've used a tiller to break ground up loose enough to scoop.

I've cut down an inch or so under grass to use the sod on a place I needed to patch. I'll probably do that again, but will use a subsoiler or similar to made the side cuts first so the sod will cut cleaner.

mddorange · Dec 18, 2018

I have used my loader for just about everything. It seems to be doing fine.

I have dug 5 foot holes with my loader with no problems.

If I am just moving dirt down a hill to fill in the bottom, I use my box blade.

dragoneggs · Dec 18, 2018

I'm only one data point but I have beat the crap... I mean worked my BX25D loader hard. One of the first things I did was to add a Piranha tooth bar to dig in very rocky hard soil. It has performed wonders. Being my first real tractor I didn't give it much thought until reading that was possible to damage your rig with offset lifting loads, and ramming into the side of a hill and lots of side hill digging.

I have to say, that I haven't been careful but after 400+ hrs of use (no mowing hrs) my BX is looking and working as new.

dougtrr2 · Dec 18, 2018

Take it slow and easy and you will be fine. Do not take running starts into the hill to get the blade to dig in. Also try to tackle everything squarely so you don't tweak the loader.

Doug in SW IA

mcfarmall · Dec 18, 2018

A friend of mine dug the basement for his house with a BX22 many years ago and it sustained no damage. Like others have said, if you aren't ramming it into a hillside or prying with one corner of the bucket, there's no reason why you can't use the loader to it's capacity...that's what it is designed for!

newbury · Dec 18, 2018

And if you can, put an implement on the back. Like a plow, box blade or backhoe that allows you to break up the material.

I've had excellent results dragging my box blade with scarifiers down, across hard packed clay (so hard I had to use a pick to break it up manually), then turning around and scooping it up.

kennyd · Dec 18, 2018

Have plenty of rear ballast and a tooth bar, both will help!

TheMan419 · Dec 18, 2018

We have heavy clay soil. Hard to dig into. I seem to be able to do so without damage. In the spring I am going to build a drive way (lime stone). I will have to dig down 4 inches or so. Plan to do that w my tractor with no worries. Just to make life easier I will run the tiller over it first.