FEL Mods

Bulverde · Jan 20, 2004

I have a JD 4500 with 460 FEL. I bent the top of the bucket (doing something stupid). I am thinking of welding (and hopefully straightening the bucket) a piece of 3" c-channel to the top of the bucket. I have seen others with hooks,etc. welded on the top of the c-channel. Does anyone have any suggestions? Looking to strengthen and increase the utility of the FEL.

OkieG · Jan 21, 2004

Kurt,
C-channel would probably work great.

Here is a pic of my bucket. The photo is a little disorienting. It's taken from the front of the tractor, looking into the bucket, and looking up to the upper lip. You can see some flat bar welded to reinforce the center. Steel rod or pipe welded into the recess of the lip would help too. I have pulled logs out of a pile with a chain hooked to the top of the bucket with no bending.

OkieG

Bulverde · Jan 21, 2004

Okie,

Is that a large nut on top? Is it used to pull a chain through? Where did you get something that large? Does the plate welded in the center of the bucket interfere with anything?

I was going to weld plates on the sides of the bucket as well. The top of the bucket has actually split due to the bend and continued use.

Looks great /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Dave___in___CT · Jan 21, 2004

Hi...

It works...

Had that heavy duty "C" channel added (upside down) to the top of my previous Deere 67 FEL bucket w/ 3 chain grab hooks welded to it... not a continous weld... just every so often...

No bend in the bucket top what so ever... regardless of what was lifted with the grab hooks...

Dave...

leaddog · Jan 21, 2004

I welded angle iron to the top of my bucket and cut slots in it to hook my chain to. works great. Channel on edge with slots would work even better as it would lock the chain in better. It also adds strenght to the bucket.

PineRidge · Jan 21, 2004

Leadog that a nice idea but cutting slots in angle iron as deep as you did still leaves the angle iron & bucket more prone to bend at the cut point. Maybe a combination of angle iron & individual hooks would be a better idea?

OkieG · Jan 21, 2004

Is that a large nut on top? Is it used to pull a chain through? Where did you get something that large? Does the plate welded in the center of the bucket interfere with anything? 

Here's a picture of the nut (also a better(?) view of the welded reinforcement). The nut was my first tractor welding project, about 4 years ago. At the time, I knew nothing of TBN or Tractor Supply Co. I also didn't know that weldable hooks were the standard. My little brain had to think pretty hard to come up with the "nut" idea. I kind of laugh to myself when I look at it now. But it works just fine. It was steel yard scrap at 15 cents a pound. I have a chain with a slip hook on each end and a grab hook a foot or so from one end. I use a slip hook on the nut and take up slack with the grab hook. The flat bar welded in the bucket doesn't seem to interfere with anything.

All the suggestions you've gotten are good ones. If you reinforce the top of your bucket with channel, rod, angle iron, flat bar or...??, I think you'll find your bucket will hold up well.

OkieG

hcarter62 · Jan 21, 2004

I just picked up a some plow cutting edges that are 1/2'' thick by 6'' wide. I am going to bolt that to the top of my New Holland bucket and weld on a 2'' receiver hitch to it. Should stiffen it conciderably and allow a multitude of do hickeys to be utilized. Just a thought.

Henro · Jan 21, 2004

I used a piece of 1/4" angle and welded a slip hook in the middle and grab hooks towards the ends...

This setup works well. I could have stitch welded the angle, but wanted the practice running the beads... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hooks rank right up there with a tooth bar for usefulness. Be sure to add them, you won't regret it!

Bulverde · Jan 21, 2004

The one thing about this site that keeps me coming back is all the input from real world operators!!

Okie...You may laugh now but I love the nut idea. You can run a chain through it and hooks on the side would be even better.

I also think that the hooks and 2" receiver are a great addition.

Thanks to everyone and I hope the ideas keep coming. Looking to do the project this weekend (if I can find the metal).

OkieG · Jan 22, 2004

some plow cutting edges...1/2'' thick by 6'' wide. I am going to bolt that to the top of my New Holland bucket...Should stiffen it 

You betcha! Not only that...you'll be ready to scrape snow from any ceiling your tractor can get to. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

OkieG

GrayBeard · Jan 22, 2004

I put a piece of 3/8" x 2 1/2" x 48" flat iron on top of the bucket.
Then a 1/2" diameter "D" ring and plate was welded close to the outside edge of the bucket on each side.
In the center I put a 5/8" slip hook.
I used the D rings because they're much stronger (IMHO) than hooks. Also they can be "flopped" over to bring a chain up the back side of the bucket. (That's how a lot of add-ons fasten to the bucket.)
GrayBeard

Deerlope · Jan 22, 2004

If you want real strength weld a piece of 2-1/2"x2-1/2"x 1/4 hollow square tube on top of your bucket. then weld the hooks or whatever to that. with the hollow tube you can always slide a crowbar in there. Weld the tube about every 8-10 inches for at least 4".

Bulverde · Jan 22, 2004

What do you use the crowbar for???

Has anyone installed a tooth bar on their FEL? Do they work (rugged enough) and are they easy to remove?

CTyler · Jan 22, 2004

Peeps do it all the time. Yes they work good.

All kinds of uses for a crowbar or a digging bar. Moving implements, logs, cleaning stuck dirt out of the bucket, good for throwing when your mad /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif etc..

Bird · Jan 22, 2004

( Has anyone installed a tooth bar on their FEL? Do they work (rugged enough) and are they easy to remove? )

Are you kidding? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif If you do a search for "toothbar" I'll bet you find more than you want to read. But if you're not kidding, the answer to all three questions is "Yes". If you have any digging to do with your front end loader at all and you get a toothbar, you'll never want to be without one in the future.

Bulverde · Jan 22, 2004

Sorry

but can't say that I was kidding. First tractor and frustrated by digging w/ a smooth blade. Borrowed my friends Bobcat and what a diffierence. I know my 4500 is not built like a Bobcat but I figured the teeth would help.

Just want to make sure they remove easily for other work.

centex · Jan 22, 2004

After I bent the top edge of my 460 FEL bucket, I got a 3" diameter 1/4" wall thickness pipe from the scrap yard. I drilled and tapped 3/8" holes on 4" centers and used grade 8 bolts to bolt it to the bucket and do the final straighening of the edge then I welded it along the edge of the bucket and welded on a couple of chain hooks. I have since bent the tooth bar and the top mounting brackets on the bucket but the top edge of the bucket is straight as an arrow. The whole loader assembly is loose and it and the bucket rattle around on the mountings but that edge will outlast the loader by far since it is the beefiest part of the whole loader.

Bird · Jan 22, 2004

( Just want to make sure they remove easily for other work. )

You have to drill two holes in your bucket to mount the toothbar with two bolts, and if the toothbar is the proper length, then all you have to do is remove those two bolts to set it off when you want to.

Deerlope · Jan 22, 2004

Maybe where you live its not called a crowbar. some might call it a pry bar. Mostly used around here to make a small hole in the earth to start a fence post into. we use them for many things around here.