FELs and digging

[Mart5130]

You could get a pond scoop.

https://www.northerntool.com/images/product/2000x2000/256/256079_2000x2000.jpg

Have you used one? Just curious how well they work?

 

[bdhsfz6]

The issue with a light gage material bucket, versus a heavy gage excavation bucket is the light gage bucket has a single bottom sheet and digging with it (even with a tooth bar installed) can cause a smile in the bottom sheet that is hard to remove. Most dealers sell a new unit with a light gage bucket. I have both.

I also have both. I usually leave the heavy construction grade bucket on but the extra weight cuts into the FEL lifting capacity.

 

[nacl9163]

I attach a bucket attachment spade on my [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] L3400. That said, I'm very carful to make sure it's exactly centered on the FEL, and dig only when there's been a good rain and the earth is as soft as possible. I go in at a shallow angle from multiple directions, then more directly to break down the edges of the hole. This works fine. But I never try to plunge the thing in more vertically and then try to pry out a large chunk.

 

[5030]

Not an issue with either of my M9's. Plenty of lift capacity always.

 

[SaddleBronc]

IMO, you are asking a good question, as there is a real difference between utility tractors and excavation equipment. I learned this in the military, but the market has changed a lot since then so here's my current real-world experience.

I own a JD 110TLB. This is a small backhoe intended for contractors, ranchers/farmers, etc. But don't let size fool you - it's a very stout example of a backhoe. The frame is more robust. The loader arms are massive with gussets and fishplates that aren't seen on utility loaders. The drivetrain is strictly hydraulic and very sturdy, again bigger in size and volume than other hydraulic systems. The hoe is simply a smaller version of that found on full-size backhoes, and it's just as robust as the loader.

I owned this and a very comparable JD 5300 w/loader at the same time. HP for the 5300 was higher but weight was similar. There was simply no comparison between what the two loaders would do when it came time to dig. I now own a considerably larger [AFFILIATE=1, nofollow=true, newwindow=true, title="Kubota"]Kubota[/AFFILIATE] M8560 w/loader, and even it can't match the 110TLB. I'll note that all the buckets interchange, so it's not a matter of bucket design.

You can spend a lot of money on attachments and features for your utility tractor to help it dig, but they'll mostly be band-aids and will likely disappoint.

If you're serious about digging, rent a backhoe for one of your more challenging jobs and feel the difference. Do this before you spend a lot of money upfitting your utility tractor.

 

[JethroB]

You could get a pond scoop.

https://www.northerntool.com/images/product/2000x2000/256/256079_2000x2000.jpg

Pond scoop, or called a dirt scoop around here. I have one I bought slightly used at a farm equipment graveyard for $200. (no FEL here) Definitely old school and it has it’s limitations but works well once you figure out its quirks. Dig a trench or skim going forward or scoop from a pile in reverse. People ask “why not a FEL”. Well currently they are back ordered for about a year, cost $6000, and I don’t have much use for one, I mostly mow.

 

[5030]

Pond scoop, or called a dirt scoop around here. I have one I bought slightly used at a farm equipment graveyard for $200. (no FEL here) Definitely old school and it has it’s limitations but works well once you figure out its quirks. Dig a trench or skim going forward or scoop from a pile in reverse. People ask “why not a FEL”. Well currently they are back ordered for about a year, cost $6000, and I don’t have much use for one, I mostly mow. View attachment 778384View attachment 778386

Yours is about 1/3rd the size of my 2 M9's. I run R1's as well with cast centers.

 

[dhjmd]

I can at least give you my experience. I bought a NH TC24DA with 60” FEL smooth edge bucket back in 2004. That tractor with FEL weighs something like 1500 lb. I typically used for mowing using a 60” MMM. In 2010, I went to build a 28’x48’ outbuilding and had decided to put in a 4’ deep perimeter foundation. Our soil in central IL is a little bit of black dirt sitting on feet of clay. Instead of renting a Backhoe or a small Excavator, I dug that footing and foundation with this little tractor, something I wouldn’t realize the damage from until almost a decade later. I’m an engineer and should’ve known better. I’m also frugal and decided to use the investment/tool I had sitting there! It had done the job, but in 2020, I was moving some loose material and all of a sudden the tractor quit moving and sank in the middle. Yep, the tractor had literally split in two. Now, in 2014, I bought a Cat 289D CTL to work forestry on some other property we have. That machine weighs nearly 12K lb. It has an 84” tooth bucket but the moral is that this machine is purpose built for digging virgin ground. A compact, utility, or ag four-wheeled tractor is not purpose built to use a FEL (regardless of edge) for the same. There are lots of good points in this chain, if you choose to still do so. Taking small/thin bites, pre-processing to break up if possible, etc. Using a tooth bucket just gives you a false sense of security IMHO. Again, all lessons learned…and I have worked for Cat for 26 years now so have seen my share of what happens when the wrong tool is used for the job

 

[JethroB]

Yours is about 1/3rd the size of my 2 M9's. I run R1's as well with cast centers.

Huh? Your point? Oh yeah, always bigger, faster, stronger, better……

 

[5030]

My point is, you buy what you need to do a job correctly. Not on price but on capacity and you don't have that because you bought with your wallet.