Any suggestions on how to use FEL float on hills

[PEJ5]

Thanks for asking the question and the replies. As usual with TBN I have learned something (a newbie as well). I too experience issues with loss of steering control moving snow with my bucket in float. I'll go with fixed height and adjust as required.
Most of the winter I use the rear blower, but use the loader on the small initial storms. We had two good snow falls earlier, but rains washed most of it away. It has been cold lately so the driveway is frozen hard.

 

[1st Tractor]

To move large amounts of snow, gravel, sand, etc, curl the bucket all the way back, lower it to just above ground level, and use it like a bulldozer. For extreme amounts of material, you may need to raise the bucket several inches and make several passes.

Great idea duffer I didn't think of trying that. Next time I'll give it a shot.

 

[mikeman1]

I have edge tamers on my loader and i use float, works nice. one of the previous posters is correct, it does leave about half inch of snow on ground but that is fine with me. i think i put a video on youtube last year ...allthingsdiy mike.

 

[1st Tractor]

Well I hate to admit it but I DO have the edge tamers on my FEL bucket. Problem is my long gravel driveway has several hills and turns in it. If I don't adjust the buck's angle of attack correctly as I transition form up to down or down to up I'm either leaving behind a lot of snow, or digging in with the buck and lifting the front tires off the ground. Again, thanks to all that posted advise I'll just keep practicing but not anytime soon. It's closing in on the end of Dec and its pushing 60 F here in northern IL.

 

[keen99]

Sorry for a dumb question but my Max 26 HST with FEL is my 1st tractor.

Wait, your 26 XLT has float? Mine doesn't (that I can find! Loader control is next to the seat on the fender? How does your float operate? On my old 2415 you just pushed forward (loader down), then it clicked into float at the most forward....




a comment on the post about curling up and pushing - generally a bad idea. if you want to push, push with a level bucket, not with the bucket curled up or down. with it curled and brute force being added from pushing into something, that's a great way to bent some hydraulic rams... fwiw.

 

[1st Tractor]

Yes my 26 XLT HST with FEL has the "float" mode. The control is to the right of the seat. When the control lever is pushed forward you have to push with a little extra pressure to pass a "normal stop" and go into "float". Then to remove the bucket out of "float" into it's "normal operation" you need to pull the lever back to the rear past the stop once again.

 

[keen99]

Yes my 26 XLT HST with FEL has the "float" mode. The control is to the right of the seat. When the control lever is pushed forward you have to push with a little extra pressure to pass a "normal stop" and go into "float". Then to remove the bucket out of "float" into it's "normal operation" you need to pull the lever back to the rear past the stop once again.

appreciated - looking closer at the diagram, mine does indicate a float mode - but it definitely doesn't engage (stick stops hard forward, and doesn't stick in place, and doesn't flow (lifts tractor).

I'm going to try to see if I can find an adjustment - maybe the cables are just out of wack. There's definitely a lot of "slop" in the middle.

thanks very much for the confirmation that it should work!

 

[1st Tractor]

Agreed, I did not know I had the float mode either as my first few tries I was also lifting my front tires. I finally pushed pretty hard on the control lever and it popped into float (almost felt like I broke something). Think it seems to work a little easier now. May be it just needs to be used a few times to function a little easier.