Home Brew Bucket Level?

[WranglerX]

That's why I might want an electronic one. I never need to be exactly level, but I'd like to know when stuff might sluff into or out of the bucket.

Electronic one is not going to tell you anything different than pure mechanical one.... Electronic may be pretty with "der blinkin lights", but it is only more complex with switches and bulbs to go bad.......

Dale

 

[ovrszd]

I agree. I'd have no use for electronic.

I also liked you pic posted to 4570. Pic is worth a thousand words.

 

[Diggin It]

Electronic will (should?) tell me true level, not just even with the machine plane. Now, do I need to know that? Not entirely sure.

 

[ovrszd]

True level, or "bubble level" will be worthless knowledge almost every time when using the bucket.

It would have some value with forks or a bale stabber.

 

[4570Man]

It’s still not that hard to do without one. I can easily pick up logs off the grass with pallet forks and not dig up the grass. Taking a even cut with the bucket is a little harder to do. It has to be a little past level or or won’t cut but too much and it digs in. Scooping out of a pile is also easy without the level indicator

 

[shooterdon]

I believe being level with the incline of the tractor is what would be most useful....but having less than 20 hours on a tractor makes my opinion next to useless. But most of the places I will use tge FEL are level or close to level....so it may not matter.

I wish I could get enough tractor time to be more like 4570man, but I am in my late sixties and will be dead before that happens. So I will be adding a rod type unit. I saw the thread by Waxman on the electronic unit he made a decade ago. Very impressed with his talent but seems more than I can justify.

 

[ovrszd]

It’s still not that hard to do without one. I can easily pick up logs off the grass with pallet forks and not dig up the grass. Taking a even cut with the bucket is a little harder to do. It has to be a little past level or or won’t cut but too much and it digs in. Scooping out of a pile is also easy without the level indicator

Do you use a spinner knob?

 

[dnw64]

As has been suggested, what is "level"? Level to the ground, or parallel to the tractor? What do you want it for? How would you use it?

Personally I feel the most useful thing would be a live video display showing the bucket from a front-quarter view. How you would do that (practically), I have no idea.

 

[countrybumpkin]

As has been suggested, what is "level"? Level to the ground, or parallel to the tractor? What do you want it for? How would you use it?

Personally I feel the most useful thing would be a live video display showing the bucket from a front-quarter view. How you would do that (practically), I have no idea.

You do that with a front mounted camera, like many of us have.

 

[WranglerX]

Electronic will (should?) tell me true level, not just even with the machine plane. Now, do I need to know that? Not entirely sure.

If you want pure level you need a series of sensors like one finds on cell phone or tablets where it can give you angle or bubble level or some such gimcrackery.... You going to strap a $500 Android tablet to your bucket where you can not see it....

If tractor is not on a pure level, bucket is not at pure level ... You are missing the point of tractor/bucket being parallel to ground...Bucket and ground form a parallelogram.... If bucket lip is "UP" (curl) bucket will push up over whatever you are trying to load, if bucket lip is down (dump) it will try to go into earth at downward angel below whatever you are trying to load.... When bucket is parallel it will skim across ground and only pick up what ever is above the "level surface of ground....

Dale

 

[4570Man]

Do you use a spinner knob?

Do you mean on the steering wheel? No, why?

 

[WranglerX]

As has been suggested, what is "level"? Level to the ground, or parallel to the tractor? What do you want it for? How would you use it?

Personally I feel the most useful thing would be a live video display showing the bucket from a front-quarter view. How you would do that (practically), I have no idea.

Level is parallel to ground and tractor's horizontal axis to ground...The picture I posted explains it pretty well... You have two parallel lines, tractor/bucket and ground...

level in most cases is misnomer unless you are on a concrete dairy barn floor.... Out in wilds it no longer level but parallel.... Because you may be operating at a incline or decent, hence parallel...

Dale

 

[WranglerX]

In picture below if rod is even with end of tube bucket is parallel to ground surface and usually resting on ground or sliding over ground....... IF rod is extended above end of tube front edge of bucket is pointed up and will be pointed above earth, somewhat towards sky, if rod end disappears down into tube the front edge of bucket edge will be angled down and digging into earth...

Dale

 

[mapper]

One of the earlier posts mentioned notching the tube so the rod doesn't just disappear completely. The level indicator on my tractor came that way. It's really handy for making fine adjustments when you want just a little bit of down angle on the lip of the bucket to keep from digging in too aggressively.

 

[chim]

A thread from yesteryear:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/256886-bucket-level-indicator.html

 

[WranglerX]

A thread from yesteryear:

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/256886-bucket-level-indicator.html

Shows that this bucket level thing is a never ending story....

Dale

 

[chim]

Shows that this bucket level thing is a never ending story....

Dale

Yup. There are many of them. I find myself posting information I either saw or posted myself from years back. We have many people who've been around a long time on this board and another forum I frequent. There are also new members who come along or sometimes switch brands and what is old stuff for some is new and has some value to others.

 

[ovrszd]

Do you mean on the steering wheel? No, why?

A spinner knob is handier than sliced bread. A level indicator isn't far behind. Both are tools that improve operational efficiency. Neither are necessities. But neither is power steering.

 

[ovrszd]

One of the earlier posts mentioned notching the tube so the rod doesn't just disappear completely. The level indicator on my tractor came that way. It's really handy for making fine adjustments when you want just a little bit of down angle on the lip of the bucket to keep from digging in too aggressively.

Yep. I prefer that style over the rod in a tube style.

 

[Diggin It]

Once I got the pieces in place, it's obvious how simple it is. Sometimes I just can't wrap my head around things before that point. Still have to make some changes though.