Loader FEL level indicator rod.

grsthegreat · Jul 26, 2013

JohninCT said:
Here you go. This is on my DK 40. In my opinion bucket level indicator is very useful. I use it all the time. When rod is even with the top of the tube then the bucket is level. I'm sure that you could find or fabricate clamps to hold the rod and tube brackets to the hydraulic cylinder if you didn't want to weld like the factory indicator is done.

View attachment 329105 View attachment 329106 View attachment 329107 View attachment 329108 View attachment 329109

oh well...i just got in with my pictures...but you beet me to it.

oh well.....

time to spare will be used hooking up the jet skis and hitting the lake...its HOT out there

StickFlicker · Jul 26, 2013

That is slick. Very simple but effective. Gives me some ideas and I'd much rather have it than always be rubber necking to get a better look at he bucket, like I do now. I've used tractors with the rod in the past and when you are moving a bunch of material it just makes it go better. Thanks

rmorey · Jul 26, 2013

StickFlicker said:
That is slick. Very simple but effective. Gives me some ideas and I'd much rather have it than always be rubber necking to get a better look at he bucket, like I do now. I've used tractors with the rod in the past and when you are moving a bunch of material it just makes it go better. Thanks

SF, I get that its good to have a project, but why not just go down to the dealer and buy one. They cant be expensive and would just bolt right on.

adirondackmtnman · Jul 27, 2013

Here are a couple pics of the setup on my Deere.

Where it mounts @ the top:

And at the bottom:

Looks like a setup like this is more out of the way than a stock level indicator for yours, being inside the loader arm, if you're inclined to try to build something. As was said before however, a stock setup would bolt right up and look like it came that way

Sent from my LGL35G using TractorByNet

StickFlicker · Jul 29, 2013

I'm just the independent type. Heck I even cleared my land, put in a road and built a really nice house on some bare land I bought in the woods.

Last summer I built a new deck, put in a large paver patio (complete with a hidden fire-ring (it's just below the brick and the flames come up through the spaces between the blocks. It turned out really well an it's freaking awesome).

On top of those projects I also raised my bridge onto my property 3 feet using bottle jacks and cribbing. Got it done in 2 weeks. Had to dig out both ends, remove the wood decking which consists of 30ish 12' 10x10 and bunch of varying length 4x12's, level it, jack it up, level the pads and form, reinforce and pour the 4'x12' abutments, set it back down and rebuild the road ends.

So for me I have a real hard time paying someone else to do anything I think I can do.

This weekend I did some tree felling/brush clearing. Worked on a few little projects and I rebuilt the starter on my pickup rather than bring it to someone else. And I even went to church. Almost every day I'm doing/fixing/building/rebuilding something and that's before I go to my 40 hour a week day job.

Part of it is probably where I'm from, which was a very small town in NoDakota. I grew up seeing my Dad working hard every day and I just followed his lead. Hard to change my ways but I know a day will come when I'm too old to live this way and I know it will about kill me to have to pay for getting something done that I know I could have done myself.

GMtb42 · Jul 29, 2013

StickFlicker said:
I'm just the independent type. Heck I even cleared my land, put in a road and built a really nice house on some bare land I bought in the woods.

Last summer I built a new deck, put in a large paver patio (complete with a hidden fire-ring (it's just below the brick and the flames come up through the spaces between the blocks. It turned out really well an it's freaking awesome).

On top of those projects I also raised my bridge onto my property 3 feet using bottle jacks and cribbing. Got it done in 2 weeks. Had to dig out both ends, remove the wood decking which consists of 30ish 12' 10x10 and bunch of varying length 4x12's, level it, jack it up, level the pads and form, reinforce and pour the 4'x12' abutments, set it back down and rebuild the road ends.

So for me I have a real hard time paying someone else to do anything I think I can do.

This weekend I did some tree felling/brush clearing. Worked on a few little projects and I rebuilt the starter on my pickup rather than bring it to someone else. And I even went to church. Almost every day I'm doing/fixing/building/rebuilding something and that's before I go to my 40 hour a week day job.

Part of it is probably where I'm from, which was a very small town in NoDakota. I grew up seeing my Dad working hard every day and I just followed his lead. Hard to change my ways but I know a day will come when I'm too old to live this way and I know it will about kill me to have to pay for getting something done that I know I could have done myself.

Now this is what made America so great.
I too grew up watching relatives who toiled the land and made do with what they made or fixed themselves.
Bailing Wire has fixed a many a things until it could be repaired correctly.
A level indicator should be a piece of cake.

tcreeley · Jul 29, 2013

I have a level indicator on my TC30, but I have never used it. I hate to ask this- but how does it work? What should I be looking for to tell me the bucket is level, and what does it mean if I can't see the rod, or I can see it?
I would start to figure it out, but then get bored and move on to something else.
I think I level the bucket by feel.

adirondackmtnman · Jul 29, 2013

tcreeley said:
I have a level indicator on my TC30, but I have never used it. I hate to ask this- but how does it work? What should I be looking for to tell me the bucket is level, and what does it mean if I can't see the rod, or I can see it?
I would start to figure it out, but then get bored and move on to something else.
I think I level the bucket by feel.

The bucket is level when the rod is even with the top of the tube it rides in, when the bucket's at ground level. Any other position of the loader it's kinda useless IMO because I can see the edges of the bucket. I find it works well for fork work, at least to prevent them from digging into the ground

Sent from my LGL35G using TractorByNet

GMtb42 · Jul 31, 2013

Here is one I ran across and looks pretty darn good, and on TBN site. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/264718-loader-bucket-levelling-aid.html Post #2 and the old FORD http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/75442-another-bucket-leveler-2.html Post #17

My idea of a good level indicator is snag free, not sticking above the tractor.

hammer54 · Jul 31, 2013

The indicator rod on my dk35se HST was down out of site in the support tube when bucket was level. I bough the tractor used with 250 hours and the previous owner put the 60" bucket from a DK40 on it as the stock bucket was narrower than the tread width. I welded an extension on it. I have bent the indicator several times wrestling trees & brush.