Back dragging with bucket

TNhobbyfarmer · May 4, 2005

I have a Bush Hog brand FEL. The manual says not to back drag with the bucket pointed downward because it could be hard on and possibly damage the cylinders. It suggests that you should only back drag with the bottom of the bucket. Do you guys concur? Do any of your manuals suggest something similar? It seems that everyone I see back dragging is using the leading edge of the bucket. What say ye?

PineRidge · May 4, 2005

Once you add a tooth-bar the bottom and the back of the bucket is all you are able to use anyway for smoothing.

Most members that do serious digging will, or have added a tooth-bar to their buckets already.

MadDog · May 4, 2005

I'm no expert on this but, FWIW, I think that it is mostly a matter of common sense, i.e., it depends upon what kind of material you are backdragging and how deep you are running the blade. Back-dragging to establish a smooth final grade, where you are moving only a couple of inches of loose material shouldn't be a problem. On the other hand, if you have the blade down 8-10" into wet or rocky material, I suppose you could be risking doing some damage although even with that, I'm not sure that I understand why there is more damage risk doing back-dragging than there is pushing material forward with the blade.

Maybe someone who really knows about this will chime in. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

beenthere · May 4, 2005

I think a few years back, there were pictures of the bent bucket cylinder rods from being extended when backdragging. I suspect that if everything is going smoothly, it is no problem. But go a bit too fast, and catch something solid, that the buckling of the extended cylinder rods is fairly easy to do. Not much strength there in compression as it's a thin column. Just an opinion though. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

HomeBrew2 · May 4, 2005

Although, I don't have my manual in front of me, I took note of the warning, which I think it refered to as, and have applied it this way: if I'm spreading loose material, even smallish rocks, with nothing to get the bucket hung up on, I'll position the bucket anyway I want. If I'm using down force or in a rough area, I'll use the bucket bottom.

tawilson · May 4, 2005

I never read the manual, but I have backdragged, frontdragged, sidedragged, and done just about anything you could imagine to my loader with the bucket in any position I felt like and haven't had a problem.

skivt · May 4, 2005

I have a Massey 2300 and here is a quote from my manual:

"When back blading, angle the bucket downward to allow cutting edge to contact ground and prevent wear on bucket rear face."

"IMPORTANT: To prevent damage to loader, do not back blade material in the full dumped position. Bottom of the bucket should be at no more than a 45 degree angle from the ground during back blading."

Maybe if you keep the bucket angled, you can reduce the risk.

skivt

rdbrumfield · May 4, 2005

Yes you can bend your cylinders. I let a fellow borrow mine and that is how I got it back. I was able to take them off and straighten them. Just be careful with them. I only use mine to float soft, loose material.

SCB · May 4, 2005

Randall,
Are you any relation to the Brumfields out of Montesano? I grew up with a few there.

SCB · May 4, 2005

I'm with you on this one Tom. I lift my front wheels off the ground to get all the weight I can on it. My Dad ran construction equipment most of his life as the crew forman for a gas company and that's how I was shown as a kid. I have a toothbar on mine and I put the teeth straight down and backdrag clearing brush as I go. I do the same in forward. I have stalled my tractor when I find a stump or rock. No damage to the loader though. Maybe I'm lucky /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif but I am also not goingmach 5 when doing this.