Close call with FEL

[Dave M7040]

Thought I should share this close call with others.
I have a new M7040 with cab and FEL. Rear tires are ballasted.
I was moving fill from my farm to my brother's home a short distance down a paved road.
I wanted to pile the fill on some tarps to make clean up easier.
The tarps are heavy. The first one was rolled up, a strap placed around the middle of it and connected to a hook on my bucket.
The tarp hung down so the bucket had to be high to prevent it dragging on the road.
When I realized I would need a second tarp, I had a bright idea to save one trip. I would fill the bucket with fill and then repeat the same procedure by attaching the second rolled up tarp via a strap to the hook on my bucket.
Again I had to have the bucket high to keep the tarp from dragging. However, now I had 2/3 of a cu yard of fill in the bucket.
As I reached my brother's home I deviated from my plan of leaving the paved road at right angles because I was focused on where I wanted to place the second tarp.
I left the road at an angle and the lawn is below the paved road. Remember the full bucket is about 7' high.
Suddenly the tractor was up on two wheels and about to roll. It did not roll but not because of any great skill on my part.
For years I had an old Nuffield 465 with a FEL. The tractor probably weighted twice what the kubota did and its center of gravity was low enough to tolerate stupid moves.
I feel foolish and very lucky!
Dave M7040

 

[kennyd]

Good story Dave, thanks sharing!

As you found out, luckily not the hard way that having ballasted tires is not sufficient for FEL use, great for traction and stability but not to transfer weight off of the front axle onto the rear.

 

[rekees4300]

Thanks for sharing that Dave. The only time I raise the FEL high is on level ground moving slowly with lite bucket weight contents. My tractor is only 3,000 lbs. so it wouldn't take much sideways high weight to act as a lever to roll it.

 

[Fawken]

Glad all is OK. About the only good thing from a roll over with the FEL up high is the FEL will prevent a a complete roll over, but it would still be painful.

 

[Wagtail]

Thank you for sharing, Mate. Blokes telling their experiences here on TBN are a reminder to us all.

 

[AaronS]

Glad it didn't turn out worse!

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Hopefully your heart rate has dropped back to normal! You would think these 4wd traxtors would have a little better setup for loader operations since so many of them are sold this way. Don't feel bad though, I have managed to get my loaded rears off the ground even with almost 2klbs of counterweight.

 

[k0ua]

I know of no better way to turn a tractor over than traveling at some speed with a loaded FEL up high. It is the perfect method. If you are going to have a loaded FEL up high you need to be creeping, not traveling. And turning needs to be like a snail.

 

[big bubba]

when doing fel work attach something on 3ph like box blade or heavier. having balasted rear tires is not enough.... no brainer. glad you made it through safely.

 

[rmk700]

Slamming that bucket down as fast as possible has saved me a couple of catastrophe's. My hand is on the bucket lever all the time when in them situations.

 

[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.