Grading with a loader

[ovrszd]

Having said that,we should get togeather for plow days so some members can demonstrate their ability to preform feats they tell others how to do.

Smack.

 

[Alan W.]

We used track loaders, a 939 and 955, for the the majority of our excavation and grade work. Weight is your friend for back dragging. You could put the 955 bucket in float and back drag excellent. The 939 needed a little something in the bucket or some down pressure.
As others have said it does require some skill. Also Ive never seen a full size backhoe damaged by back dragging with the bucket curled back.
But the best thing to do is get out there and learn. Life aint perfect. Learn from your mistakes and have fun. Lack of knowledge never stopped most of us. Its just dirt.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Will this be a wheel loader with a large front bucket?

What type of materials are you moving around? Is it dirt, sand, gravel?

I own a bulldozer and a loader/backhoe. I used to have a boxblade, but got rid of it because it was worthless compared to what I already have to move and spread material.

I love to back with the front bucket of my backhoe. I tried to teach my dad, but he just never got it. So there is a little bit of a learning curve, but not much. After every load of material that you dump, use the back of the bucket to pull it backwards. With a little change in the angle of the bucket, you can go from build up the area you are dragging to, or digging down. The way my bucket is designed, it's also very easy to see when it's flat, so back dragging material and making it flat is also very easy.

The important thing to remember, is for this to work, the front tires "HAVE" to be off of the ground. All of the weight has to be on the bucket. You cannot steer, you just go backwards as far as you can, or as far as you need to, then stop, raise the bucket, go forward again and repeat by going in the same direction, or angling yourself in a new direction.

If you back drag too much material, or accidentally dug down too deep, you can push that material forward with the bottom of your bucket while angling the front edge up and going forward. I've found that to be an easier fix then trying to scoop up the material with the bucket and then dump it again, but sometimes that's the only option.

Most importantly, take your time and don't stop until you get it right. There will never be time to come back and do it again.

Same techniques I use. It is amazing how fast you can get the hang of it if you pay attention to the dynamics. One thing it is easy to fix mistakes the way you described. I use my rear blade to rough it then backdrag. Getting the wheels off the ground helps to compact it also. I have never had a cylinder problem with my little BX. I grade the church parking lot often as it is compacted gravel. Use a landscape rake with 500# of suitcase weight to scarf it up first. Lot is well compacted and graded so deep ruts and pot holes are not a problem.

Ron

 

[jaxs]

You mean like do a good job grading? View attachment 639652

That should do for starters. 120 volt HF welders could be on hand for loaders and hoes needing new teeth and such.

 

[redman135]

s219 on post #7 is right about some loaders being weak. MF loaders that have MECHANICAL self leveling are prone to bending the ridgid arm sections in compression as they were only designed to lift(tension), not back blade(compression).

 

[redman135]

Re post # 20, a filled bucket makes a huge difference if you have an older tractor that only has single action lift rams.

 

[dodge man]

I tend not to lift my front tires when back dragging, I think it depends on how much you are trying to move. It also depends on how loose the material is, I’m usually doing this with gravel or loose dirt.

 

[MechanicalGuy]

Backdragging, preferably with a toothed edge on the bucket, works for me, and a skid steer, or, better yet, a CTL works considerably better than a CUT.

A box blade on a CUT sort of works, if you have time and patience, but doesn稚 even come close to backdragging with a CUT..

What? It doesn't matter who's operating, my box blade with hydraulic top link is far far superior to backdragging. The amount of work and how fast it can be accomplished isn't even in the same hemisphere as my bb with hyd top link. What are you even talking about? I really don't understand such an outlandish statement.

 

[jaxs]

What? It doesn't matter who's operating, my box blade with hydraulic top link is far far superior to backdragging. The amount of work and how fast it can be accomplished isn't even in the same hemisphere as my bb with hyd top link. What are you even talking about? I really don't understand such an outlandish statement.

Few people carve with chainsaws. Even fewer finish grade backdragging and it so happen's all of them are on TBN.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm kind of confused by some of the comments suggesting that he shouldn't do the grading himself. Everyone starts somewhere and for something as simple as back dragging the front bucket, the learning curve is pretty simple. While I never cared for the results that my 80 year old dad left, it was still better then nothing and very easy for me to touch up once he was done. Rarely did I ever tell him that I fixed it since that really didn't matter to anything.

Every pro started out with the first time they did something. Most will have firsts on a regular bases. They just adjust, deal with it, and get it done. There is no reason that anybody should think that they cannot do this. What's the worse that could happen? It takes more time then they guess a pro will take? Does that include waiting for the pro to get there too? Will the pro use less fuel by getting it done faster, but it will cost more for his time?

If you can afford to have others work your land for you, that's great, but I think that most want to work the land their self, and enjoy seeing the results that they create, and maybe save a buck and learn something new while doing their own work.

 

[TractorGuy]

I have tried to do this with limited success for the last 4 years. I still have to finish up with my tractor using a disc harrow and landscape rake and it's still not perfect but the land flows well enough to mow after the grass grows. The short answer is, with practice, you can get a decent first step grade with a large loader.

A lot has to do with the shape of the bucket. The rear of the bucket on my backhoe has a nice flat angle to the bottom. I can't get the float to work on either my backhoe or tractor so I have to get the bucket as flat as I can and work the ground going forward and reverse. I have learned to get a decent level with it but still occasionally have to fix some divots if I tilt it too far forward while driving forward. Tilting the loader bucket the least bit forward while driving forward will result in it digging in and making a trench. With my backhoe I use forward motion to cut the high spots for leveling and it's imperative to get the bucket bottom flat on the ground.

The bucket on my tractor has a angle so with the bottom of the bucket flat it doesn't place the rear edge in contact with the ground. I haven't had much luck grading with my tractor bucket because of it's shape. I may weld a piece of angle on the rear to correct this one day. I have a MTL RK5 grapple for my tractor that has a solid rear panel. It has a sharp edge in contact with the ground with the bottom flat on the ground. I get decent results grading with that.

 

[finn1]

What? It doesn't matter who's operating, my box blade with hydraulic top link is far far superior to backdragging. The amount of work and how fast it can be accomplished isn't even in the same hemisphere as my bb with hyd top link. What are you even talking about? I really don't understand such an outlandish statement.

Should read 電oesn稚 come close to backdragging with a CTL?

The CUT is inferior to a machine like a CTL that is designed from the start for moving dirt around. Plus, the added weight of a mid frame size CTL has a major advantage over the CUT (8400 lb, vs ~<5000 lb). Even my old small frame Deere, at ~5000 lb was better for grading than the CUT.

The tractor has its place, but there are better choices for grading dirt. The tractor has a significant price advantage, though. Itç—´ well over 50% less expensive, new, than a CTL.

Any idea why this forum, and this forum only, doesn’t play well with Apple products?

 

[ovrszd]

I'm kind of confused by some of the comments suggesting that he shouldn't do the grading himself. Everyone starts somewhere and for something as simple as back dragging the front bucket, the learning curve is pretty simple. While I never cared for the results that my 80 year old dad left, it was still better then nothing and very easy for me to touch up once he was done. Rarely did I ever tell him that I fixed it since that really didn't matter to anything.

Every pro started out with the first time they did something. Most will have firsts on a regular bases. They just adjust, deal with it, and get it done. There is no reason that anybody should think that they cannot do this. What's the worse that could happen? It takes more time then they guess a pro will take? Does that include waiting for the pro to get there too? Will the pro use less fuel by getting it done faster, but it will cost more for his time?

If you can afford to have others work your land for you, that's great, but I think that most want to work the land their self, and enjoy seeing the results that they create, and maybe save a buck and learn something new while doing their own work.

Yep .

 

[ovrszd]

Any idea why this forum, and this forum only, doesn’t play well with Apple products?

Conspiracy.

 

[Industrial Toys]

If you could see the bucket edge using a tractor, then, especially with a hydrosat, you could probably get similar results to a skid steer or tracked loader.

 

[Peter 315]

Use what you have its only gravel, Fake it till you make it

 

[ovrszd]

Use what you have its only gravel, Fake it till you make it

"Fake it till you make it".

I gotta remember that one!!!!

 

[4570Man]

If you could see the bucket edge using a tractor, then, especially with a hydrosat, you could probably get similar results to a skid steer or tracked loader.

A tractor can never equal a CTL for grading. The tracks aren’t as sensitive to dips, the non pivoting front end is better, the bucket is closer to the front of the machine and then the already stated problem that you can’t see the edge.

 

[ovrszd]

A tractor can never equal a CTL for grading. The tracks aren’t as sensitive to dips, the non pivoting front end is better, the bucket is closer to the front of the machine and then the already stated problem that you can’t see the edge.

Yep.

It would take an A+ tractor operator to grade with a C+ CTL operator.

 

[grsthegreat]

I agree with Eddie. I have used buckets for back dragging successfully for over 30 years. Even my old and small JD870 did a fine job at it. Never ever had a hydraulic issue.