Equipment Tie-down Question

[boggen]

I am finding this thread informative. Especially in regards to the FEL bucket issue. It seems that if the FEL and bucket were attached to the tractor, there would be no requirement to secure it if the tractor, itself, was properly and lawfully tied down and secure.Thanks for posting.

no idea of FEL and bucket for it, along with backhoes. but thinking for a moment about it...

is there a chance for FEL and bucket to swing up and hit a bridge? wind or something nails the levers, or weak hydrualics. what ever may be the case. i mean the bucket itself could act like a large parachut and just pull the arms of FEL up?

ya FEL arms wiegh a good amount, and so does bucket.

a Q, if the tractor is able to rock back and forth just enough, to barely cause drive shaft to spin. would that drive shaft spin enough, to turn the hyd. pump on tractor. and in that cause the FEL to raise possibly?

how many times have you set the FEL / bucket down perfectly. to a point once you shut tractor off, and then hit all levers in all directions to relieve pressure in lines. that bucket and FEL arms did not move a little bit?

adding to above. how good are your hydraulics. will they hold the FEL and bucket in place, or do the hydraulics valves leak some. allow cylinders to extend or contractor some? and more so once you shut down tractor, and relieve the HYD pressure in the lines?

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backhoes. the transport lock for the TLB (tractor loader backhoe) i have, was torn off before i got the tractor. and as a result i end up setting the backhoe bucket down on to the ground. an inch forward or backward and give it a 24 hours to a 9 days. and bucket will curl some, and allow entire backhoe to end up falling down.

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can wind alone cause a lever or joystick for FEL or backhoe to partially move? or perhaps a big old fat bug hitting a lever or joystick to cause FEL or backhoe to move?

 

[joshuabardwell]

wind or something nails the levers, or weak hydrualics. what ever may be the case.

Not sure how this could matter, since once the machine is shut down and the hydraulic pressure released from the lines, pushing the levers shouldn't do anything, should it?

a Q, if the tractor is able to rock back and forth just enough, to barely cause drive shaft to spin. would that drive shaft spin enough, to turn the hyd. pump on tractor. and in that cause the FEL to raise possibly?

I have no input on whether this is theoretically possible, but shouldn't the unit be shut down in neutral with the parking brake set? If it's in neutral, then it can't spin the drive shaft.

how many times have you set the FEL / bucket down perfectly. to a point once you shut tractor off, and then hit all levers in all directions to relieve pressure in lines. that bucket and FEL arms did not move a little bit?

Sure, but that's why I always rock the lever until all pressure is relieved from the lines as part of the shutdown procedure.

adding to above. how good are your hydraulics. will they hold the FEL and bucket in place

I expect gravity to pretty much hold the FEL in place, but I still strap down the bucket just in case. But no, I agree with you that the hydraulics can't be relied upon, especially after relieving pressure in the lines.

 

[robs660]

I had a trailer failure (not my trailer)
Situation. 2007 f250 gasser. Quad cab short bed. Trailer was a rental. Skid steer weighed 8200lbs. I was just under the 10k tow limit. Short of it was a tire blew out and spun the trailer and truck around 180 degrees on a major interstate. No damage to the truck skid sitter or trailer. Load was held down with 4 10k straps. There was NO movement of the load through the whole thing. After that I have gone all straps. I was very lucky durning this ordeal. I am aware of the condition of my straps but feel they will do everything I need then to do

 

[Ken45101]

Load was held down with 4 10k straps. There was NO movement of the load through the whole thing.

Were they 10K WLL (working load limit) or 10K breaking load limit?

Most straps that I have seen are breaking load limit and if so, you were lucky and your straps did not meet the federal requirements for commercial loads.

(Yes I realize that you may not be under the federal commercial requirements.)

Ken

 

[phiferpharm]

So, am I correct in assuming from what I see in some of this discussion, that it would be better to take the FEL off if it is not needed when trailering? I'm thinking along the lines of taking the Tractor in for servicing.

 

[Ken45101]

So, am I correct in assuming from what I see in some of this discussion, that it would be better to take the FEL off if it is not needed when trailering? I'm thinking along the lines of taking the Tractor in for servicing.

IMO, if you have the capacity to haul it (trailer and truck), it doesn't matter one way or the other.

When the dealer delivered my tractor, and when I haul it, I run the chain through the hollow tube that runs between the FEL arms.

Since the FEL doesn't swing side to side like a backhoe, I don't think it needs a separate chain. Then again, I'm not hauling commercially so I'm probably not required to jump through hoops from state inspectors.

Ken

 

[robs660]

My straps were breaking load limit. That is why I had 4 independent straps for 40k total. Machine weight was 20% of total breaking strength. I do not haul commercially and now I have a smaller truck / trailer and keep everything to under 7500lbs. Any bigger and I have someone do it for me

 

[rsewill]

I don't know of any state that requires load securement to be maintained in an accident.

As far as backhoe, etc. securement, I've run thousands of hours running a boom truck and never secured the boom or it's outriggers except to keep the boom from turning on the turret which was a simple pin dropped in a hole. Gravity does the rest of the securement.

It is absurd to have to chain a backhoe bucket. The bucket is pinned to the tractor and pins are adequate securement for any load. Containers are pinned to their trailers, bunks are pinned to their trailers, etc. Pins are very good securement so having to chain a bucket makes no sense.

 

[Ken45101]

My straps were breaking load limit. That is why I had 4 independent straps for 40k total. Machine weight was 20% of total breaking strength. I do not haul commercially and now I have a smaller truck / trailer and keep everything to under 7500lbs. Any bigger and I have someone do it for me

The working load limit on those straps was probably 3000# (3" webbing has a WLL of 3000#, 4" is 4000#). The two rear straps are the most critical and I believe federal regulations require the total working load limit (WLL) to be equal to the load weight. In your case that would have been 6000# WLL on the two straps so hauling a 8000# machine those did not meet the federal commercial requirement.

Two 5/16" G70 chains (4700# WLL each) on the rear would be the proper tie down for that load, plus front chains.

Ken

 

[Ken45101]

As far as backhoe, etc. securement, I've run thousands of hours running a boom truck and never secured the boom or it's outriggers except to keep the boom from turning on the turret which was a simple pin dropped in a hole. Gravity does the rest of the securement.

It is absurd to have to chain a backhoe bucket. The bucket is pinned to the tractor and pins are adequate securement for any load. Containers are pinned to their trailers, bunks are pinned to their trailers, etc. Pins are very good securement so having to chain a bucket makes no sense.

You can argue what's absurd, but the regulations are what they are. Sure, perhaps your boom was pinned, but I'll wager that half the backhoes going down the road don't have a pin. FWIW, my B21 backhoe only has a pin to stop the boom from dropping, nothing other than the hydraulics to keep it from swinging side to side. If a hydraulic line leaks or breaks, the boom could swing. If I haul it, I will follow the federal regs. YMMV

Ken