Front-End Loader How can you tell that your toothbar is from KY?

[beenthere]

This is exactly what I was doing when I broke the ring and pinion in the front of my tractor. When you are curling the bucket and going forward trying to pop out the root ball you are putting all the stress on the front axle. Let me tell you it gets expensive in a hurry.
Bill

Hooked
So I should quit doing that with my Deere 4300 and forks?

I drive the forks under the surface roots on both sides of the tree trunk, curl the forks up as I drive forward. That shears off the top roots. Then raise the FEL to push the tree main stem about 5-6' up, and normally it pushes over with a root ball. Pop some more surface roots, and some hangers-on a bit deeper. Then put the fork tine right under the root ball and usually can roll the tree out as I push forward.
These are 30' white spruce trees. (they are growing too fast and crowding out my red oak trees).

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Hooked
So I should quit doing that with my Deere 4300 and forks?

I drive the forks under the surface roots on both sides of the tree trunk, curl the forks up as I drive forward. That shears off the top roots. Then raise the FEL to push the tree main stem about 5-6' up, and normally it pushes over with a root ball. Pop some more surface roots, and some hangers-on a bit deeper. Then put the fork tine right under the root ball and usually can roll the tree out as I push forward.
These are 30' white spruce trees. (they are growing too fast and crowding out my red oak trees).

I guess it all depends on how deep the roots are and how hard the stump is coming out. In my case I was lifting the rear wheels off the grond with the box blade on. This was too much. You have to decide what your limits are.
Bill

 

[shu]

I've had a toothbar almost as long as I've been tractoring (about 7 yrs; HN TC-30, 'bota L3400).

It doesn't, as one might think, do much for dirt work. It gets in the way while scraping and leveling with the FEL. Does not 'dig in' to hard-pack much better than the sharp edge of the un-toothed FEL blade.

But it is unsurpassed for several jobs:
..adds extra length for carrying around pipes or railroad ties with the FEL. Without the toothbar I can carry one railroad tie, after dismounting and huffing it onto the FEL. With the bar on, I take a run at a stack of railroad ties pick up two without dismounting.
..strong attach points for a chain to pull out fenceposts with the FEL; lift up the front end of the riding mower to lube the blade spindles; etc.
..good for 'combing' logs and junk out of tall grass when mowing an unfamiliar lot.

For pushing out trees, gives some protection to the FEL blade. Sometimes I get lucky, with the ground sloped to allow catching a root on a corner tooth, but a back-hoe it is not!

Generally, I seem to keep the toothbar on the FEL about half the time, off about half the time,

-shu

 

[sandman2234]

Well now that I have settled down from the original shock of what you did to "my" fel, I thought I should say something. (3rd try, computer's acting up)
I think you need to ease back on the horsepower when operating the loader. It will only take so much abuse, and one of these times it's not going to pop back into position, by doing the same thing to the other side. (glad it did that once, LUCKY!!)
I doubt rental of a backhoe is in the budget, but is replacing the FEL after you bend it to a point it can't be repaired? My thoughts are if you're going to do something that the FEL isn't designed for (and I am famous for that type of stuff), then take it slower,work in smaller bites. You can do it the same way as you would eat an elephant, one bite at a time. Don't get in too big a hurry, as haste makes waste and tractor stuff isn't cheap!
Make a photo copy of the receipt where you paid for the Front End Loader and tape it to the hood just past the steering wheel. Maybe that will remind you just how badly you don't want to tear it up. Taking a few extra minutes, or even an hour won't make that big a deal in the overall picture, but tearing up the FEL will only cause me to have to come to Ky to pick up the pieces to bring home and take probably hundreds of hours straightening out the pieces to put it on my Ford. (Oh, wait a minute, what was that first rule of tractor ownership?) Maybe I shouldn't have told you that one so soon...
Take care, take your time, and keep learning. One day tractoring will be fun, lol! When you master the repair technics, like 3RRL, then you too can abuse your loader till the cows come home. Good to hear from you, friend
David from jax

I wonder if having a "bar" instead of the singular teeth would have made a difference??? (thinking out loud??)

 

[magicheater]

I've had a toothbar almost as long as I've been tractoring (about 7 yrs; HN TC-30, 'bota L3400).



But it is unsurpassed for several jobs:
..adds extra length for carrying around pipes or railroad ties with the FEL. Without the toothbar I can carry one railroad tie, after dismounting and huffing it onto the FEL. With the bar on, I take a run at a stack of railroad ties pick up two without dismounting.
..strong attach points for a chain to pull out fenceposts with the FEL; lift up the front end of the riding mower to lube the blade spindles; etc.
..good for 'combing' logs and junk out of tall grass when mowing an unfamiliar lot.



-shu

Just some of the qualities of Loader Buddy. Don't have to take a run at it, just wiggle underneath, with the extended lip. Use it for "combing" all the time. Tines down is a common position. I use a hook mounted dead center but could use the tines too to pull fence posts/small trees. Always thinking about centering loads if possible. Don't have to take it off to do scraping and leveling, the heel is used for that and having the tines there helps when encountering a rock, flick it out of the way and proceed. Great for pushing over small trees and don't have to get lucky to catch a root and when you do the force is between the loader arms. An L3400 is a nice size tractor LA463 loader if I am not mistaken. More weight and HP than my B7800.