Buying A FEL In A Crate

bp fick · Mar 18, 2010

My wife and I reached an agreement on upgrading from a BX1860 to a B2320. In a nutshell, the ONLY reason for upgrading at all would be the added ground clearance for cultivation in our organic gardening field. Our agreement simply is that if this year's contract pays out, we will step up to the B in fall. If we find that our contract doesn't provide the monetary returns we hope, then we will certainly not bother buying a tractor larger than our needs to the rest of our private gardens, yard work, drive maintenance and snow removal. The BX we have now certainly does all those things.

While at the Kubota dealership today, working through all these things, our salesman, Steve, who is genuinely helpful and not a hard sell guy, suggested he could help us out in the meanwhile. In anticipation of selling our BX, I had sold the front hydraulic blade and Quick Hitch last month, during the snows, for what I had paid for it, $1750. Those plows were in short demand.

Steve suggested that if we kept the BX through next winter, we'd have to replace the blade with something to push snow. Further, if the crop does pay out and we did upgrade to the B in fall, we would get 120% (that's right) of our investment back in buying a FEL from him, either in trade in value or sell it outright.. Knowing those LA203 FELs usually sell, with tax, out the door for $2300, I asked, "So, what's the price?"

$2000 out the door. So, what's the catch, if any? He'd load the FEL, still in a crate into my trailer and I'd install it myself. Looked at my wife and she had "the look of total agreement" on her face. What's a guy to do?

In a few minutes, a big burly guy, driving a fork lift, appeared from behind the barn. Slipped it right into my 5x8. I guess those 6 bales of straw we were going to pick up will have to wait for another trip. There wasn't any more room in the trailer for straw. We had lunch and drove home, but the smile hasn't left my face yet!!:licking:

jayste · Mar 18, 2010

I like it! I'd like to have an LA1002 the same way!:thumbsup:

BXpanded · Mar 18, 2010

I didn't realize you didn't have an FEL on that BX! Man, you're gonna' LOVE IT! You'll find more uses than you can imagine.

bp fick · Mar 18, 2010

Un-crating. Makes you wonder about the guy or gal who's job it is to pack these up at the factory. God bless 'em. They do a good job!!

mantis · Mar 18, 2010

Nice!

FEL is at the top of my wish list.

TripleR · Mar 18, 2010

Absolutely can't bear a FEL; wish I could put one on everything.

bp fick · Mar 18, 2010

Three hours of hard work. Whew, I am bushed. Turns out my thinking the air gun would be a great help, well... it is mostly grunt work.

The "installation manual" is not a great work of American literature, in fact, it was fairly useless. Anyhow, it's on. I am tired and sweaty and heading to the shower. Got it all greased and most of the air bled out.

I tell you guys, I am very, very open to being tutored on how this quick on and off stuff is supposed to work. Right now, if asked, I'd say I'll never take it off.
I certainly open to you pros who might have some insights, cause I admit my total lack of confidence in thinking it is easy enough to do, ever!!.

JOHNTHOMAS · Mar 18, 2010

bp fick said:
Three hours of hard work. Whew, I am bushed. Turns out my thinking the air gun would be a great help, well... it is mostly grunt work.

The "installation manual" is not a great work of American literature, in fact, it was fairly useless. Anyhow, it's on. I am tired and sweaty and heading to the shower. Got it all greased and most of the air bled out.

I tell you guys, I am very, very open to being tutored on how this quick on and off stuff is supposed to work. Right now, if asked, I'd say I'll never take it off.
I certainly open to you pros who might have some insights, cause I admit my total lack of confidence in thinking it is easy enough to do, ever!!.

Leave it on and drive it around for a couple of weeks, Then one day you'll be "over" the installation aggravation and you'll start looking at the bucket, and you'll locate the pin that holds the legs up and you'll let it drop and see how by moving the bucket that if the side pins were removed and it's on level ground how it would hold itself up and how easy it is to disconnect the hoses and then how easy to back away from it but not today or tomorrow,

Just drive it around and appreciate your hard work. No man that can install the entire thing can be stumped by the taking it off and on process. I will admit my first time taking mine off was fairly easy and horrible putting it back on but I believe it will be alot easier the next time.

buckeyefarmer · Mar 18, 2010

Take loader off:
Raise loader into the air, put down the legs / stand on the loader and lock in place.
lower the loader to the ground so the legs touch (good to have on a solid surface or put a board under the legs).
tilt the bucket whichever way will take the load off of the two connect pins. Usually this is done by tilting the bucket down.
pull the top pins once you have the load off of them by adjusting the bucket.
Once the pins are removed, tilt the bucket up (back of the bucket will go down), this will lift the loader out of the bracket on the tractor.
once the loader clears the bracket, you turn off the tractor .
with the tractor turned off, roll the loader valve in all directions, to remove all pressure from the loader cylinders. If the loader valve has a lock, lock it now.
remove the hydrolic line connections, put on the caps.
turn tractor on, back out from under the loader.

hope this helps, once you get used to it, it's real fast. find a good level surface to park it on. connecting is the reverse.

bp fick · Mar 18, 2010

buckeyefarmer said:
Take loader off:
Raise loader into the air, put down the legs / stand on the loader and lock in place.
lower the loader to the ground so the legs touch (good to have on a solid surface or put a board under the legs).
tilt the bucket whichever way will take the load off of the two connect pins. Usually this is done by tilting the bucket down.
pull the top pins once you have the load off of them by adjusting the bucket.
Once the pins are removed, tilt the bucket up (back of the bucket will go down), this will lift the loader out of the bracket on the tractor.
once the loader clears the bracket, you turn off the tractor .
with the tractor turned off, roll the loader valve in all directions, to remove all pressure from the loader cylinders. If the loader valve has a lock, lock it now.
remove the hydrolic line connections, put on the caps.
turn tractor on, back out from under the loader.

hope this helps, once you get used to it, it's real fast. find a good level surface to park it on. connecting is the reverse.