FEL level indicator

[JDAOWNER]

I USED THE ONE ON MY KIOTI WHEN I NEED IT. ALAS, IT STUCK UP TOO HIGH OVER LOADER ARM AND A BRANCH BENT IT. I WOULD LIKE ONE THAT DOSN'T STICK OVER THE LOADR ARMS. I KNOW THERE ARE SOM HOME MADE ONES ON HERE, BUT I DON'T USE IT ENOUGH TO BOTHER.

 

[rScotty]

I get by with just this type. I can see the top flat and I can level at any height. When I place things above head height on a shelf this works well. When the top flat is level the bucket is level regardless of the height off the ground. The rods and such only work at ground level I think and the flat bar on the bucket works there too.
View attachment 736114

Thanks for the photo. Our Kubota has two of those handy horizontal brackets - one on both sides. It looks similar to yours, although on ours the reflective tape is on the top horizontal flat part.

It was nice of Kubota to make them so visible and weld them on exactly parallel to the cutting edge.
I wish I'd thought to do that with our other tractors years ago.

No moving parts, no rattle, instinctive to use, and always shows the true bucket angle. From on the ground on up to about half max height I can judge bucket angle with one glance at that bracket.
It's particularly handy to keep the bucket angled up a few degrees moving snow so it doesn't dig in.

I find the brackets to be more instinctive & useful than the tube & rod system. But some folks don't like to judge level that way and a few even get passionate about it. I don't understand why.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

There's not one on any tractor available to me. 14 tractors.

 

[RalphVa]

I USED THE ONE ON MY KIOTI WHEN I NEED IT. ALAS, IT STUCK UP TOO HIGH OVER LOADER ARM AND A BRANCH BENT IT. I WOULD LIKE ONE THAT DOSN'T STICK OVER THE LOADR ARMS. I KNOW THERE ARE SOM HOME MADE ONES ON HERE, BUT I DON'T USE IT ENOUGH TO BOTHER.

You could bend it down right at the level point. I probably should do that on my PVC pipe. Could heat it up and bend it.

 

[Henro]

I don't remember if I posted to this thread or not.

BUT every time I see a thread about bucket level indicators, I keep wondering what they actually do.

I have the simple type indicator like the one member "repeat" provided the picture of. It tells me the relationship between the ground and the loader bucket bottom, or whatever other reference I might want to compare to.

My impression is that level indicators that are somehow mechanically linked to the tractor, show when the bucket is "level" with the tractor frame. I guess this could be useful in some cases, but I often find myself in a situation where I don't want the bucket bottom to be parallel with the tractor frame. I want it to be angled in reference to something else other than the tractor frame...

So what am I missing? Are these things really, overall, that useful? I do get it that if moving snow on a surface you might find them useful, until the surface angle changes and the bucket edge either digs in or effectively raises when the surface drops away.

 

[BnRidge]

The grapple here has tines that curl up at the end. If they are just right, they can rake everything in their path. If not, I'm either excavating or doing nothing. And I can't see a thing down there when it's buried in trash, branches, leaves, brush. We too have other tractors, some with loaders, and buckets or forks. Don't have, never had, and don't need one there.

 

[rScotty]

I don't remember if I posted to this thread or not.

BUT every time I see a thread about bucket level indicators, I keep wondering what they actually do.

I have the simple type indicator like the one member "repeat" provided the picture of. It tells me the relationship between the ground and the loader bucket bottom, or whatever other reference I might want to compare to.

My impression is that level indicators that are somehow mechanically linked to the tractor, show when the bucket is "level" with the tractor frame. I guess this could be useful in some cases, but I often find myself in a situation where I don't want the bucket bottom to be parallel with the tractor frame. I want it to be angled in reference to something else other than the tractor frame...

So what am I missing? Are these things really, overall, that useful? I do get it that if moving snow on a surface you might find them useful, until the surface angle changes and the bucket edge either digs in or effectively raises when the surface drops away.

On uneven ground or for back dragging the rod and tube level can't help much. For that it's better to look at the bucket.

But so many people like their R&T level indicators that they clearly have a place. I can see how that is really handy on gravel drives, snow, or anytime the bucket is on the ground and the ground is flat. And that's the kind of work a lot of tractors are used for.

Neither is very good for keeping the bucket level at max lift.

 

[Midniteoyl]

On uneven ground or for back dragging the rod and tube level can't help much. For that it's better to look at the bucket.

But so many people like their R&T level indicators that they clearly have a place. I can see how that is really handy on gravel drives, snow, or anytime the bucket is on the ground and the ground is flat. And that's the kind of work a lot of tractors are used for.

Neither is very good for keeping the bucket level at max lift.

My main problems areas are when using forks, as I cannot see the tips at all, and using my specific grapple, for the same reason.

 

[WranglerX]

I don't remember if I posted to this thread or not.

BUT every time I see a thread about bucket level indicators, I keep wondering what they actually do.

I have the simple type indicator like the one member "repeat" provided the picture of. It tells me the relationship between the ground and the loader bucket bottom, or whatever other reference I might want to compare to.

My impression is that level indicators that are somehow mechanically linked to the tractor, show when the bucket is "level" with the tractor frame. I guess this could be useful in some cases, but I often find myself in a situation where I don't want the bucket bottom to be parallel with the tractor frame. I want it to be angled in reference to something else other than the tractor frame...

So what am I missing? Are these things really, overall, that useful? I do get it that if moving snow on a surface you might find them useful, until the surface angle changes and the bucket edge either digs in or effectively raises when the surface drops away.

ITs called living on the edge.....

 

[beowulf]

Thanks for the thread - a reminder that I need to reinstall my bent up rod that came with the tractor and which I did learn how to use before I bent it and took it off. There are those times when I am just guessing if it is level. . . and making mistakes. This gives me something to do with the tractor today. If I can find the rod.