703 loader weight capacity

simonmeridew · Jun 6, 2007

I just finished loading some pine logs into my trailer on the way to the mill; I now know the max. lifting capacity of my LA703 bucket on my L4400. The biggest log was Eastern White Pine, 10.5 feet long, 26 inches diameter top end, with a mid log diameter of 28 inches. From a Logging Forum calculating chart,: 1616 pounds + maybe 20 pounds for the chain. The tractor was just idling but would lift the log up maybe a foot and a half, then stop. I was able to lift it more by back curling the bucket, so I give this as the max useable lifting capacity, from the center hook. No tendency to drift down. Glad I have the sinch on the back as a counterweight.
simonmeridew

Jay4200 · Jun 7, 2007

simonmeridew said:
I just finished loading some pine logs into my trailer on the way to the mill; I now know the max. lifting capacity of my LA703 bucket on my L4400. The biggest log was Eastern White Pine, 10.5 feet long, 26 inches diameter top end, with a mid log diameter of 28 inches. From a Logging Forum calculating chart,: 1616 pounds + maybe 20 pounds for the chain. The tractor was just idling but would lift the log up maybe a foot and a half, then stop. I was able to lift it more by back curling the bucket, so I give this as the max useable lifting capacity, from the center hook. No tendency to drift down. Glad I have the sinch on the back as a counterweight.
simonmeridew

I've lifted a similarly sized log, and you can go bigger. If it moved a foot at idle, you can lift more - you need to rev up the motor to get more pressure behind the pistons. Besides, if your front tires aren't even flat yet...

.

JayC

FL4400 · Jun 7, 2007

I have lifted trees that have had the back tires off the ground and still moved them to the burn pile. And that is with loaded back tires and the weight of a root rake out front that weighs another 800lbs.

simonmeridew · Jun 7, 2007

I scaled the log at about 320 board feet.
I skidded the butt log and the middle log out together: the middle one was 10.5 feet and 24" top end, that scales at 270 BF, total of 590 BF with one hitch, not bad for a woods road skid, with no snow to help. I had one hill to bring them up that I had to drop the load, drive the tractor to the top of the hill and winch the load to me, then proceed to the landing.

Honestly it was too big a load to skid on a regular basis; it threw the tractor around some and didn't feel too good--not dangerous--but like it was straining the machines. That Farmi winch is a bearcat though.
simonmeridew