Close call with FEL

[oosik]

I've had the same situation with my first tractor. Going into a pile of sand with the bucket - raised the bucket as I reversed and the tractor "balanced" on the front tires. I dropped the bucket like a hot potato. My new tractor can still get that "light" feeling lifting chunks of big pine and I have a heavy box blade on the rear. I've learned to scrape the ground when the grapple has large loads - heck, any loads.

 

[Threepoint]

Thanks for sharing this, Dave. When you say you were up on two wheels, I gathered you meant two wheels on the same side, as you left the road at an oblique angle rather than 90 degrees. Is that right? If so, I'm not sure even having a heavy implement on the rear would have prevented the excitement.

 

[Dave M7040]

Yes Threepoint, it was as you describe.
Dave M7040

 

[Industrial Toys]

The ballast in the tires is good for stability but you should still have a counterweight on the 3ph to get weight off your front axle. You did not mention any. Sand is about the heaviest stuff you can carry in a FEL especially when wet, and you even added extra to your load.

 

[Garycw]

Glad it didn't roll and a good reminder for rear ballast & low as possible bucket.
I had just got my first FEL on a JD scut and anxious to try it out on some dirt that needed moved. Got a nice full bucket and started " slowly" up a hill on a right turn. Right rear wheel came up and I stopped immediately, lowered bucket and backed up, then dumped dirt out. Ahhh! Yes I need ballast. Forgot in my excitement to try it out. Hooked up a rear 3 pt dirt scoop, filled with dirt then a boulder. Worked much better and a quick lesson learned.

Sent from the mountains

 

[Parkanzky]

When I was test-driving tractors, I hopped on a 2032R with a FEL and no ballast whatsoever. I drove up to a dirt pile, buried the bucket, picked it up and was immediately standing on the front tires.

When I ordered my tractor I got it with a heavier-duty box blade than I needed for my size of tractor because I wanted it to double as ballast. That's worked pretty well, since it hangs a ways behind the rear axle. But I can still make the rear very light when I lift something heavy with the forks or take a heaping bucketful of wet topsoil.

I'll be adding Rimguard next.

 

[k0ua]

When I was test-driving tractors, I hopped on a 2032R with a FEL and no ballast whatsoever. I drove up to a dirt pile, buried the bucket, picked it up and was immediately standing on the front tires.

When I ordered my tractor I got it with a heavier-duty box blade than I needed for my size of tractor because I wanted it to double as ballast. That's worked pretty well, since it hangs a ways behind the rear axle. But I can still make the rear very light when I lift something heavy with the forks or take a heaping bucketful of wet topsoil.

I'll be adding Rimguard next.

One other advantage of the Rimguard is when you are actually using that boxblade and it starts to fill up and pull hard you will appreciate the Rimguard in the tires to help you pull that boxblade.