FEL -- Rear wheels in the air!!

[ecoslik]

We are adding 30'x60' and 26'x60' shed roofs to the sides of our shop building.

We have been moving sacks of concrete for the post/column holes and 20', 26' and 30' steel members. We have foamed rear tires on our tractor.

I know how often this comment is made, but I must add that it is amazing how easy it is to lift the rear wheels with a load on the FEL.

 

[kayco53]

I have a L2500 with load tires.On rough ground with a load in the bucket I like my weight box on or a heavy 3pt attachment.

 

[TripleR]

Yeah, that's why I usually put weight on my 3-point when using the FEL.

 

[psvines]

I know how often this comment is made, but I must add that it is amazing how easy it is to lift the rear wheels with a load on the FEL.

The dent on the side of my truck bed reminds me every day. I was only moving a little bit of gravel to the truck so didn't bother putting the heavy rear blade on the BX2660 to counter balance. It was like slow motion, the FEL falling into the truck side while I couldn't respond quick enough to move away.

 

[Baby Grand]

Lifting your rears can also be very hard on your front axle.
Be kind to your machine & yourself & ballast for the job.


Whenever I try to shortcut doing this I seem to get myself in all sorts of trouble.


-Jim

 

[DavidAubke]

It was like slow motion, the FEL falling into the truck side while I couldn't respond quick enough to move away.

I wish there was a way to practice for these events... some sort of loader hazard drill. The handful of times I've gotten into trouble with the loader, I have not responded appropriately quickly enough. I tend to just instinctively try to counterbalance the tractor with my body weight which is a pretty ineffective strategy. Once I even started to put my foot out like a kickstand.

I'm getting better at remembering to drop the bucket but I wish I didn't have to think about it.

Is there ever a scenario where it would NOT be appropriate to drop the bucket to the ground if the tractor begins to lose its center of gravity?

 

[TripleR]

I wish there was a way to practice for these events... some sort of loader hazard drill. The handful of times I've gotten into trouble with the loader, I have not responded appropriately quickly enough. I tend to just instinctively try to counterbalance the tractor with my body weight which is a pretty ineffective strategy. Once I even started to put my foot out like a kickstand.

I'm getting better at remembering to drop the bucket but I wish I didn't have to think about it.

Is there ever a scenario where it would NOT be appropriate to drop the bucket to the ground if the tractor begins to lose its center of gravity?

Prevention by appropriately loading your tractor is always the preferred method of dealing with this IE avoiding it in the first place. Time in the seat is the second best as you will learn to feel how your machine and controls work and react. This is kind of hard to do for the casual user.

I can't think of any situation in which dropping or lowering the FEL isn't the right thing to do.

 

[regularjay]

I wish my loader had the Ooomph to lift the rear end!

 

[nebraskasparks]

The L5740 has strength to lift itself either from the front or the back...I can relate. I had two sets of weights put on the rear tires to counter the FEL when I purchased it. I was moving ag lime into the pole barn and the weight of the heavier duty round bucket and the material it handled fine without a counter balance but I was moving pretty slow but digging into the pile of material and lifting it out...I could feel the rear end getting a lot lighter.
Congrats...you purchased one heck of a machine...be careful.:thumbsup:

 

[Grateful11]

We've had our L3940's 6' bucket completely heaped with wet manure and it
feels extremely stable with nothing but loaded rear rears. It handles 4' round
bales with ease. The only time we've lifted the rear wheels is when the
toothbar snagged a large root when the bucket was being lifted.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

While you are doing concrete, form up a 1/2 cubic yard box with 3-point attachment pins. A half yard of concrete weighs about 1800 lbs. Hang that from the 3-point and you will have plenty of weight on the rear to do loader work.

 

[jonyyuma]

Good details here, Newbie to the Loader scene, I must remember to put the front axle in drive, before approaching going down hill. Most of my loader work will be moving dirt down a 30 deg. grade to fill in a cavity behind the house. I am considering maybe backing down the slope? Plan to use a boxblade for ballast, first...I hope 20 yrds of dirt is enough to do the job.I am sure he would be glad to send more too.It would probably be better if I had Ag tires? Thoughts?JY.

 

[repete]

Good details here, Newbie to the Loader scene, I must remember to put the front axle in drive, before approaching going down hill. Most of my loader work will be moving dirt down a 30 deg. grade to fill in a cavity behind the house. I am considering maybe backing down the slope? Plan to use a boxblade for ballast, first...I hope 20 yrds of dirt is enough to do the job.I am sure he would be glad to send more too.It would probably be better if I had Ag tires? Thoughts?JY.

4wd is your friend when going down a grade with a load in the bucket. Occasionally I forget and I can't get the thing stopped. I have to just put the bucket on the ground to regain control.

 

[jonyyuma]

Thanks for the tip, drop the bucket..be sure the seat belt is tight...How many seconds? Puckerfactor might be pretty high. I am going to play in the garden a while before i take on this loader scene. If I go into the hole it would not be pretty, i could bury a VW in it. JY.

 

[newbury]

I like to keep my BH on, about 900lbs of weight.

 

[TripleR]

Good details here, Newbie to the Loader scene, I must remember to put the front axle in drive, before approaching going down hill. Most of my loader work will be moving dirt down a 30 deg. grade to fill in a cavity behind the house. I am considering maybe backing down the slope? Plan to use a boxblade for ballast, first...I hope 20 yrds of dirt is enough to do the job.I am sure he would be glad to send more too.It would probably be better if I had Ag tires? Thoughts?JY.

On that steep of a slope, with a full bucket, I back down. Another option, if you don't have to drive far is to take smaller loads. I drive about a mile round trip from my gravel and dirt source, so I carry as much per trip as I can.

I use Industrial tires on my L5030 and get good traction. My M8540 has Ag tires.

 

[RFB]

My SA (situational awareness) drill is:

1. FEL load carried as low as possible.

2. Single movements whenever possible.
(FEL or tractor, not both) There are exceptions of course, working piles etc.

3. Right hand never leaves FEL when filled with a load...with a continual memory loop of "drop the bucket" playing in my head.

 

[jonyyuma]

RFB, outstanding advice. Thanks.JY.

 

[crazyal]

It just gives you more reason to buy a backhoe for it.

 

[Reg]

We are adding 30'x60' and 26'x60' shed roofs to the sides of our shop building.

We have been moving sacks of concrete for the post/column holes and 20', 26' and 30' steel members. We have foamed rear tires on our tractor.

I know how often this comment is made, but I must add that it is amazing how easy it is to lift the rear wheels with a load on the FEL.

Yeah, loaded rear tires and/or back-hoe on there - backing up in 4WD with a heavy load can certainly raise the pucker factor, especially if you're backing up hill.
Trying to pluck a shrub out with a chain on the FEL bucket - again while backing up in 4WD can also convince you that;
"Physics is physics and it's laws don't get suspended for special projects".