FEL Side Power

[JeffInDaUP]

My L4610 has been nothing but awesome so far! Most of the 50 hours on her have been pushing over trees, carrying trees, and clearing/leveling land. When pushing over the trees, I always center up the bucket to attack the tree. It is easy to center the bucket when you are in a large opening and can menuever easily, but I have to widen an old logging trail and will not be able to approach the tree from the center. Is it harmful to push or lift from only one side of the bucket?-will it twist the FEL placing uneven stress at weaker points? Basically, I'm trying to remove a tree and not destroy the one 1-2' to the right or left. The trees are in the light to medium difficulty range compared to some of the ones I have already removed(3-6" pines in sand).
Thanks for any input!

Jeff...MI.

 

[Harv]

Jeff -

You have twice as much tractor as I have, but in my meager experience, pushing or pulling off center is a good way to get real tippy, real fast! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

I does seem intuitively that pushing only on one side would cause the wrong kind of stresses on your tractor, but these things are built so rugged I will be interested in what the others have to say on the matter. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Bird]

Jeff, I don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer. It simply boils down to how much stress you put on it. I've done it a lot; very carefully and have never damaged anything, but too much force, hitting something solid too hard too fast, etc. certainly can damage the FEL.

Bird

 

[rbargeron]

Jeff - I'll get out on a limb and say if you put side force on that is lesss than it would take to tip you over, you won't damage the FEL. And with rear ballast, your front tires will probably slip before the tractor gets tippy. Usually you can bend a tree over without having the bucket too high anyway. If it won't push at mid height, get straighter and push with the edge. Bird is right about not hitting it fast, keep it slow and you'll be fine - and shouldn't damage the loader with side force. And if you do spring it a little, just rub up against something solid from the other direction. The loader frame is just steel - you can't hurt it unless you try pretty hard.

 

[JeffInDaUP]

Having never owned a tractor before, everything I do is approached pretty cautiously. The particular pines probably won't pose a "tippy" threat, and I do work the trees slow, never getting a "running start", ramming, etc. I try to gently push the tree over, then use the tooth bar to pick the tree up by the roots and place it on a pile. It all happens at a pretty calm pace, but I have a feeling I probably don't know how tough the L4610 actually is-she has surprised me numerous times at what she can do, seemingly without effort. Does any one have any experience with damage occuring by using the FEL from the side? Thanks for the comments Bird & Harv.

Jeff...MI.

 

[HR_Mutt]

JeffInDaUp
Lifting with one side of the bucket into a tree WILL lift the opposite corner of your tractor.The first time it happened I was kind of suprised as it happens fast/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif.All I had on for counter-weight was o.s. tires loaded, so I'd suggest rear weight and center up as much as possible, or can you say WHEEEEEEEE!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif.I've popped about 40 trees with my L4610 and got good at impaling the tree on the cutting edge, lifting it high enough to clear the ground and driving away with it still speared.
regards
Mutt

 

[JeffInDaUP]

Mutt,
Do you actually have to ram the tree? or do you you just keep pushing until it slices in? I have picked many trees(some 10-12" spruce and tamerack 30' high-fun,fun,fun!) but I have yet to have any stick to the bucket. What is your method? I would imagine it might be harder to do that with my toothbar on because of the doubled edge.
By the way, I have a 700# boxscraper on, as well as 1000 pounds of rimguard in rear, and I still pick up the rear often with those big suckers-scared the heck out of me the first time-it can happen fast!

Jeff...MI.

 

[HR_Mutt]

JeffInDaUP
I posted some pics and an explanation in the photo's section a while back.Apple trees gotta go parts 1 thru 4. 30' high sounds like toooo much timber dangling overhead using the method I used. Sounds more like a push over and then lift root ball.Check out those posts if you get a chance and let me know how you make out/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. Be careful with all that power you got there/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
regards
Mutt

 

[frank_f15]

i have noticed that if u are not fairly center to your work(even digging into dirt pile) the tractor will lift on opposite side, and it happens fast and is quite scarry.i would think if u are careful and the tractor dont get tipsy on u , u will not harm the fel.