Driving tractor with the front end loader bucket elevated .

[tjandrews]

I would prefer to not mow with my FEL attached, but I do it for the additional weight. I usually take a scoop of gravel from the driveway to help. That being said, I always keep it low to the ground unless changes in elevation or other obstacles require me to temporarily raise the bucket to avoid. I will add, the last time I mowed, I found a very soft spot from an uderground spring that sank my tractor right into the mud. I was able to push myself free with the loader, but would still prefer to have adequate weight upt front.

You must have a really heavy mower if you need that much counterweight. Our JD 4600 with the 460 loader is very front-heavy when there's nothing on the back. Makes it feel almost... ponderous to drive.
If not really needed, I prefer to have less weight than more. Less weight means less soil compaction.

 

[machinery-man]

I have noticed some people driving there tractors with the front end loader bucket about 3' to 4'ft
off of the ground while mowing or brush hogging and I am wondering why some people do so . I always keep the bucket low to the ground .

why even have the bucket on in first place...you can't see where your're going....

 

[Gord Baker]

Don't drive or mow what you cannot see. I had a similar situation clearing some pasture that I found was strewn with 3' boulders. I keep the bucket curled to avoid 'sudden' stops.

 

[5030]

I keep mine on and low to the ground. In taller grass / weeds if there is something I can't see like a tree or something I would much rather it hit the bucket than the tractor.

If I mow a hayfield for someone and I'm not familiar with it, I always walk the field first.

 

[hunt4570]

why even have the bucket on in first place...you can't see where your're going....

I can absolutely see where I'm going with the bucket on, not sure what you are talking about.

 

[Ridersupfarm]

I have noticed some people driving there tractors with the front end loader bucket about 3' to 4'ft
off of the ground while mowing or brush hogging and I am wondering why some people do so . I always keep the bucket low to the ground .

I always mow with the front end loader raised to avoid hitting my fences on turns and corners. For example, when dragging our arena I raise the bucket over the level of the arena fence to allow the tractor to get deeper into the corners. Those mowing in open fence free fields don't have this concern.

 

[tjus77]

I lift my bucket up high around the fence line so I can pay more attention to the shredder position. Also when approaching a fence to get closer to the fence before turning.

I drop it low under trees, but generally raise the bucket above my line of sight in the open field. I keep the bucket on to move fallen branches out of the way since I have medium duty shredder.

 

[WM75Guy]

My land is all I mow and it is pretty flat. I keep the grapple on for moving the occasional limb to the burn pile before mowing. During the day it is down, unless I am along the fence line. At night it gets raised up high enough so it doesn't block the headlights and cab work lights. I mow at 2.4 MPH, so it doesn't affect stability.

 

[ptsg]

If I'm mowing, tilling or subsoiling, the loader comes off. It's just in the way 11 times out of 10 when doing that type of work. Takes less than 5 minutes to take if off and put it on, although, I often go months before I put the loader on.

If I'm driving on the road, specially with the forks, the loader goes all the way up and point the forks all the way down. Last thing I need is poke something or someone with the forks approaching a roundabout or a T junction. That's how we have to drive a loader tractor on the road on this side of the pond.

 

[TXCOMT]

I

i lower my bucket and attach a 10 foot bar with 18” chains at 12” intervals to get critters out of the way when bushhogging.

Got a pic of that arrangement?

TXCOMT