How practical is a bucket level indicator?

Anonymous Poster · Mar 4, 2003

If you have a JD bucket, you will not need one. As mentioned before, the top edge is level with the bottom. I had one on my 5400 for a short time, until pushing brush and it got ripped off. I haven't needed it since.

thcri · Mar 4, 2003

You can learn to get along with out one. But they are inexpensive and you will like it. I have two neighbors and we trade implements all the time and we also on occasion trade tractors. One of my neighbors has a JD4100 with no bucket so if he needs loader work he just comes over and gets my tractor. He loves the leveler also and if you doing site work it is a lot more acurate than the eye.

murph

cowboydoc · Mar 4, 2003

Get one. It lets you see exactly where your bucket is without having to look all the way down. Once you get used to one you will never go back to not having one.

bigpete · Mar 4, 2003

I had one thrown in with the tractor deal on my 2210 w/210. The mechanic who delivered it suggested that a lot of pros around here use two different colors of florescent paint to paint a color gradient on the rod at a couple of common angles, including level. He described a simple process of sanding to rough up the paint on the end of the rod, marking at a specific angle, masking, and spraying with day-glo orange for level letting it dry and bright white for the perfect digging angle. Of course you could use whatever color provides you the best quick reference for contrast. I'll get around to this little project after I take care of some other bigger issues around the homestead.

jimgerken · Mar 4, 2003

Buy it. You will do better work in fewer hours with it. I built my own, for the 410 loader. Both the holes I needed were there already, all I had to do was weld a 1" hex bolt on the side of a 3/8" diameter rod of about three feet in length, stick the bolt thru the hole in the bucket-attachment area and nut it with a nylock. Then a 1 foot pc of 3/4" pvc tube of 3/4" size was bolted on the the loader arm by the use of a band clamp (adel clamp) with hole in it. Took me about 15 minutes. You will use it. It is especially helpfull if you are scooping up something like dirt or snow and you don't want to gouge into the ground.

WCarlson · Mar 4, 2003

I vote with the "get it" crew. I have one and find it useful. Yes, you can use the bucket itself, however, it is not as accurate. I find it absolutely necessary when I use my fork lift attachment instead of the bucket on the loader....It would be impossible to level the forks from the tractor seat without the level indicator as any small angle that you are off level shows up significantly on the ends of the folks. Besides, they are simple and about the least expensive thing you can get from the JD dealer.

Bill

tdenny · Mar 4, 2003

Anybody have any idea how much John Deere is charging for a level indicator that will match my machine? I think this would be a very value added tool providing it's as cheap as people are indicating.

DK35vince · Mar 4, 2003

( On mine there is a short pipe at the top that holds the rod, the amount of rod above this pipe indicates how the bucket is in relation to the ground. I don't have tape on mine, I use rod length. Hope this helps. )

I pulled the tractor on a concrete pad, set the bucket cutting edge level.
Then cut the rod level with the tube.

WCarlson · Mar 5, 2003

As I recall, the level indicator was around $30.00 a couple years ago. My dealer threw it in on my last massive purchase, so it does not appear on the invoice. Suggest you call your dealer and see if he didn't "intend" to include it when you purchased your new tractor.

Bill

jmattox1 · Mar 5, 2003

After plowing a BUNCH of snow here in Indy a qucik eyeball and a flick of the wrist on the scv and off ya go. Save the money for something else. Remember, practise make more seat time