PhraminP
Member
How do you strap the truck plow onto the FEL?
Snow Clearing snow with a backblade
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Tommy V
Member
Anything can be bent. Plowing in reverse with the blade turned around and I found an immovable object. First photo, bent turnbuckle, second looking down from the rear, bent right lower arm, third, both arms next to each other. My fault, not Kubota's. I will get it straightened and go on with life.
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charliepff
Silver Member
I wish I had pictures of my tractor when I did that to mine. My lower arm bent the same way and the adjustment link actually broke I bent it that bad. I was actually disapointed at the damage that came from hitting the object.
DavidVT
Gold Member
PhraminP said:
Actually it is not strapped on but rather 'pinned on'.
I made up a quick attach plate for the FEL. On that plate are the pins normally under the front end of a truck. A hook on the top of the plate takes the lift chain. I have a third control on the FEL for turning the blade.
Dyer retired
Gold Member
Tommy V, It's amazing how much this looks like what I did to my lower arm pushing a blade into an ice packed snowbank a couple of weeks ago. I didn't bend the arm quite as bad, but did break the turnbuckle. I was able to weld that back pretty quickly and the lower control arm is still useable. I had not been hitting the banks with great force and have been doing this for a few years. The tractor may swing the front a little, but that was o.k. with me...it was never a violent front end swing or anything like that. I almost exclusively push the blade in reverse for snow removal and will straighten the arm this summer....if summer ever gets to Maine that is, and am considering reinforcing the arm somehow.
Do you have any concerns about the arm being weaker after straightening it or, if reinforced, do you think there is greater potential to do damage someplace more critical and harder to fix than the arm itself. So far, my plan is to go slow, stay paranoid, and keep fingers crossed...do you have any solutions for allowing minor give? Dyer, retired
Do you have any concerns about the arm being weaker after straightening it or, if reinforced, do you think there is greater potential to do damage someplace more critical and harder to fix than the arm itself. So far, my plan is to go slow, stay paranoid, and keep fingers crossed...do you have any solutions for allowing minor give? Dyer, retired
Dyer said:
Pretty sure the arms are engineered to be weak enough to bend in the event of a impact with something that does not want to move. I would not reinforce them. You will end up breaking something very expensive!!! I bet the rear housing on your tractor is at least $2000.00, plus several hours labor to replace it.
Northland
Platinum Member
I bent one of my turnbuckles slightly when ploughing in reverse with my rear blade. I don't understand why many TBN'ers feel it is better to plough in reverse.
My B7800 w/6 foot rear blade makes a beautiful clean path when going forwards. When I put chains on the front tires this winter it was unstopable.
But then we got so much snow this winter here off the north shore of Lake Superior that I had to buy a used 5 foot rear snowblower. It's fantastic but I miss the clean path the rear blade gave me and I don't like the snow blowing back in my face
My B7800 w/6 foot rear blade makes a beautiful clean path when going forwards. When I put chains on the front tires this winter it was unstopable.
But then we got so much snow this winter here off the north shore of Lake Superior that I had to buy a used 5 foot rear snowblower. It's fantastic but I miss the clean path the rear blade gave me and I don't like the snow blowing back in my face
Dyer retired
Gold Member
TommyV,
I've kind of arrived at that same conclusion and will just be more careful with the back blading. I think the problem was that I got away with doing it wrong for so long that I felt comfortable that nothing was going to get hurt in it all. I really thought I had been the lower arm worse than I had. It did bend, but not as bad as yours and was just twisted on the pivot shaft balls. I've got it back up and working, but will just go slower....I'm doing o.k., but don't really want to spend $2000 (probably conservative guess) for something that could have been avoided. Plus, they tell us that winter is going to end here by August! Dyer, retired
I've kind of arrived at that same conclusion and will just be more careful with the back blading. I think the problem was that I got away with doing it wrong for so long that I felt comfortable that nothing was going to get hurt in it all. I really thought I had been the lower arm worse than I had. It did bend, but not as bad as yours and was just twisted on the pivot shaft balls. I've got it back up and working, but will just go slower....I'm doing o.k., but don't really want to spend $2000 (probably conservative guess) for something that could have been avoided. Plus, they tell us that winter is going to end here by August! Dyer, retired
Dyer retired
Gold Member
Northland,
You sound like you have the same experience I have, the snow will find a way to swirl back into your face no matter which direction the wind is coming in from...or for that matter, even if there is a wind. I start the season out with the blade facing forward and pushing it backwards. In the light snowfalls, it works great and rides over any potential danger spots, but once the ground is nice and frozen, the blade cleans nicely down to the hardpack in reverse. I do pull it also at an angle, but keep turf tires on year round and even in lighter snows and 4 wheel drive, pulling the blade will end up stopping the tractor. I have thought about chains or ag. tires, but it's like a generator for me....whever I think I need them the most, the power comes back on. I have been stuck once with the Kubota and not surprisingly, it was completely my fault and predictable. I pile the snow using the blade at one end of the driveway or the other and then use the blower to toss it all into the woods. I get the same little 1/4 inch of snow left on the ground when I use the blower, set my me with the skids...I found that any lower than that and I'm changing out shear pins all day.
I just need to slow down because my drive is not so long that I don't know where the problem spots will be. I just caught a bank with underlying icepack the day I bent the lower arm. Thanks for getting back. Dyer, retired
You sound like you have the same experience I have, the snow will find a way to swirl back into your face no matter which direction the wind is coming in from...or for that matter, even if there is a wind. I start the season out with the blade facing forward and pushing it backwards. In the light snowfalls, it works great and rides over any potential danger spots, but once the ground is nice and frozen, the blade cleans nicely down to the hardpack in reverse. I do pull it also at an angle, but keep turf tires on year round and even in lighter snows and 4 wheel drive, pulling the blade will end up stopping the tractor. I have thought about chains or ag. tires, but it's like a generator for me....whever I think I need them the most, the power comes back on. I have been stuck once with the Kubota and not surprisingly, it was completely my fault and predictable. I pile the snow using the blade at one end of the driveway or the other and then use the blower to toss it all into the woods. I get the same little 1/4 inch of snow left on the ground when I use the blower, set my me with the skids...I found that any lower than that and I'm changing out shear pins all day.
I just need to slow down because my drive is not so long that I don't know where the problem spots will be. I just caught a bank with underlying icepack the day I bent the lower arm. Thanks for getting back. Dyer, retired
Dyer retired
Gold Member
2Botas,
Sorry about that, but my 9:26 response to TommyV was meant for you. I agree with not taking the chance of reinforcing something that will break the more expensive item later. Dyer, retired
Sorry about that, but my 9:26 response to TommyV was meant for you. I agree with not taking the chance of reinforcing something that will break the more expensive item later. Dyer, retired