FEL capacity-realistically speaking

[Kenneth in Texas]

been a LOT of rain in my part of the state this year, ground is saturated.

I have read loader specs and capacity etc for my tractor in the past BUT realistically speaking what type of weight (dirt) would my kubota loader lift say a foot or so off the ground and move to another area? 200 lbs? 400? 700? what?

Reason im asking is the dirt is so wet that im not able to lift easily or at all what i used to lift when it was dryer back in the summer. Of course i know wet dirt is heavier than dry dirt but it seems like im now only able to pick up a significant less volume than i was.

 

[texasjohn]

lift capacity is limited by the hydraulic pressure exerted before the relief valve pops. It is different for each tractor model and for a particular model it can be adjusted by using a shim to increase or reduce the pressure required to pop the valve.

For the same tractor given no adjustments, the lift capacity in lbs will be very nearly the same for every lift. Yep, wet volume is heavier than the same apparent dry volume. Thus you will be able to lift less volume when wet.

In your Kubota manual there is a chart indicating the lift capacity of the loader at various heights. Keep in mind that the weight of the bucket itself and of a quick attach all reduce the max payload lift capability.

I agree... we've gotten lots of rain lately, my seeps have seeps on top of them...big difference from last summer where we were in exceptional drought conditions. :thumbsup:

 

[gwdixon]

You don't say what the model number is of your loader. If it is a Kubota loader, LAxxx, then multiply the xxx times 2.2 to get the capacity in pounds to the top of the lift.

In practical experience, lifting a few feet off of the ground before the hydraulics stall is somewhat more as the charts in the loader manual show - if you have one.

In the end, if it can be lifted then that is the capacity. The relief valve will protect the hydraulics as texasjohn pointed out.

Sooo....lift what you can and leave it at that.

 

[taborekle]

For a L2800, you either have the LA463 loader or the LA703A loader. The FEL can lift 1014lbs or 1543lbs (respective) in the center of the bucket. This is probably the lift capacity that you're seeking for the bucket.

I pulled this up off the Kubota site.

 

[dex3361]

For a L2800, you either have the LA463 loader or the LA703A loader. The FEL can lift 1014lbs or 1543lbs (respective) in the center of the bucket. This is probably the lift capacity that you're seeking for the bucket.

I pulled this up off the Kubota site.

I dont think the LA703A will go on the L2800 or L3400 it is for the L4400 only.
So the L2800 has the LA463 loader and it can lift about 850# 500 mm forward according to the spec sheet.

 

[gerard]

Are you saying you can't lift a full bucket of wet dirt? I haven't been able to find any loose material I can't lift, even if the bucket is full, from stone, to wet dirt to wet sand (though it struggles with a mounded bucket of wet sand). Now I doubt I can get to full height with the wet sand but I can move it from place to place. L2500, capacity 800 lbs, 5 foot width

 

[Chilly807]

You should be able to lift as much wet dirt as you can fit in the bucket in my experience, unless the relief valve is set low. The 3400 I have (LA463 loader) has scooped heaping buckets of wet clay and manure mix, enough weight that the rear wheels (loaded) were getting light on the ground.

Having said that, we may be talking apples and oranges as far as weight goes. If in doubt, plumb a gauge into the hydraulics and see what pressure you`re developing.

Chilly

 

[taborekle]

I dont think the LA703A will go on the L2800 or L3400 it is for the L4400 only.
So the L2800 has the LA463 loader and it can lift about 850# 500 mm forward according to the spec sheet.

Dex, you're right on that and I had mis-read the spec sheet. It's only the LA463. The weight that I quoted was for the center of the bucket (1014lbs). I figure that half the dirt is in front of the center of the bucket and half is behind. If anything, the bucket shallows to the front, so most of the dirt is to the rear, which would increase the lift capacity above 1014 lbs.

Regardless of whether we use the 500mm forward figure or the center of bucket, we're still quoting numbers much higher then the OP was thinking.

 

[Kenneth in Texas]

yeah its the LA463 loader. Dont get me wrong i can still lift a significant amount of dirt its just a few times i have stabbed a pile of dirt and went to raise the loader and nothing, dumped some out and all was fine. So you saying when it didnt respond i was over the weight limit for the loader? Now ive never really tried to pick up the absolute maximum load due to the fact that i usually only have a 400 or so pound box blade on the back as ballast and the few times i did get a huge load the machine felt a little squirrely on the back end

 

[texasjohn]

Ah, you say you stab into the pile and then have problem raising the FEL. This has happened to me when

1. I'm actually trying to lift a whole bunch of the pile at once...solution is to curl bucket, or back up a little to get a smaller bite of the pile.
2. wet material seals to bottom of FEL (think clay) and holds it down so it has to break this force as well as lift material in bucket.

If you on occasion feel the back end is squirley when lifting a very full, heavy load, this is a clear sign you need more weight in the rear. I strongly suggest you use significant more weight... think several hundred pounds...in the rear. It is amazing how much more comfort I have when doing lots of FEL work with heavy material if I have a heavy rear counterweight. I use a box blade with an additional 500 lbs hung on the very back of it Without the weight, you can be overly careful and slow going and be OK, but with the weight, the problems of uneven ground, lift height, bumps, etc. are greatly reduced...you still gotta be careful, but much less time is spent tightening the abs and feathering the speed.

Another thing to be aware of is that your relief valve may be set a little low. Mine was. I took it to the dealer, talked a good game with the mechanic who checked the hydraulic pressure (just below specs) and impressed him with how careful I am when lifting loads. He added a shim (actually just a washer) and increased the pressure to just barely over the max hydraulic spec. It made all the difference in the world... from CAN'T lift what I needed to (2800 lb concrete culvert) to CAN lift to height of 1.5 feet..... exactly what I needed:licking: Superb $30 improvement to attachment capability. But, this extra capability is ONLY usable if you have sufficient counter weight on the rear to use it safely.....and this means that it does NOT feel squirley when you have a MAX load on the front.

 

[cisco]

Your FEL can lift what it can lift - trial and error takes, what, a few minutes...unless, of course, you plan to weigh each scoop of dirt before you try to lift such (the manual will give the weight limits). The point, made by a prior post, about rear load as counterbalance is critical. A box blade is one convenient way, but I've had to resort to a heavy (Woods - 900 lbs) brush cutter on occasion. I have no clue where the FEL hydraulics pop-off valve is set on my L3400, but I've lifted the rear wheels off the ground (pivoting on the front wheels) when the FEL load is high and I've only had a box blade on the rear. That is not a good feeling, and is far more likely when the FEL load is asymmetrical (say, you've tried to take off a corner of a wet dirt pile, so there's more weight in one side of the FEL than the other; tractor can tip over sideways - been there, almost done that). And, remember to corner a bit gingerly, and not at too much of an angle, as the tire to rim seal can be lost (hence, acutely flat tire) on an inside (of the corner) and highly overloaded front tire.

 

[wushaw]

I haven't had any troubles with wet clay or gravel with my L2800, get the hydraulic pressures checked and just go from there.

 

[dex3361]

I would second checking the Relief pressure on the loader it seems that they leave the factory a little low.