Increasing the lift capacity of a FEL

[CalG]

before making the cyl upgrade, etc, ensure the gpm flow of your tractor will handle the added cyl capacity. & of course, safety is also a primary concern.
may want to inquire w/a hyd shop or your service dealer to determine the new gpm flow requirements
good luck

gpm means nothing ... how fast do you need to lift a heavy load?

 

[CalG]

In addition to increasing the lifting ability of the loader you should determine how much weight the frame of the tractor itself is designed to handle. It would be a shame to lift the larger load only to destroy the tractor frame.

Speaking from experience, I have suffered a broken front axle casting due to excess loading on the FEL.

Another acquaintance experienced a broken stub axle casting on his Ford.

Keep your wits about you.

 

[CalG]

Just a note:

I put a power beyond, three spool aux valve on my Hurlimann 435.
The valve body pressure relief is set significantly lower than the original two circuit hydraulics. You might get everything you want by a valve adjustment.

 

[big bubba]

what impresses me on this site is just how many tractor owners, esp b & bx, not so much M series, try to push capacities beyond their designed limit usually jeopardizing their safety or equipment.

so important to think all this out before purchasing in the 1st place. in addition, a spin around the dealer's lot is a poor simulation of working field conditions
good luck to OP, am sure you'll find a way to inch up the fel capacity, best regards

 

[dodge man]

I have a JD 2025r and bumped up the pressure on mine, it was more towards the bottom of the spec. It made a noticeable difference in lift capacity. It’s also harder on the tractor. The only downside for me is the loader is a little jerkier at higher rpm’s.

Kenny’s Bolt on Hooks also sells a nice gauge setup that just plugs into your loader quick connects to check the pressure.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have an M7040SUHD with an LA1153 loader. For all practical purposes, this loader does a fine job. Occasionally I need to lift something that is closer to the max limits of the loader, and the lift cylinders just won't pick it up. Most of the time, I figure it is the distance from the pin, since the loader is rated at 24" from pin. Push it either further out, or push it right up against it's RATED limits, and it just won't do it. I can usually compensate by using the curl, but sometimes that isn't enough.
A friend has the same issues, and we talked about putting larger cylinders on the loader. My clinders "may" fit his smaller loader, so we could go together and just buy one set for my tractor. Another option is for me to buy a set and keep my originals in case the new ones have issues. A local hydraulic shop can be tasked into making new cylinders to fit, somewhere in the range of 1/4 to 1/2" larger in diameter. I am considering 1/4" larger, because I know me, and if I need to pick up something, I am probably going to push the limits right up to the max. 1/2" might be just enough to do the FEL frame in, so I am going to be a little more conservative.
Has anyone ever increased the size of their loader cylinders, and what was the outcome? Was it worth the expense, and just how much did it slow the hydraulics down as far as normal useage?
This is pretty much a pipe dream right now, but we are going to look into it, unless someone has already done it and can explain why we shouldn't.
David from jax

Be real careful. I had an M-7040 and tweaked the loader frame crossmember down by the attachment point. Luckily I was able to cut the crossmember right next to loader arm & re-attach it with a nice welding job.
So what I am saying is I don’t think their loaders are built to take much more than they are rated for.

 

[repete]

I always like to follow the load path to ground. My front axle is ultimately handling the weight of the tractor and loader. The two outer wheel bearings on my L2550DT front axle are 6207 ball bearings. These SKF bearings have a static load limit of approximately 3,440 pounds each.
At the maximum rated load capacity of the bucket I can haul 900 pounds. My tractor ballasted weight is 3800 pounds. Weight of loader is 800 pounds. Operator 200 pounds.
900+3800+800+200=5700 pounds. I recognize some will likely say you should not add the weight carried by the rear axle, they may have not yet experienced having a heavy load in the bucket having the rear axle come off the ground.
Under normal conditions, tractor not moving, there should be a margin of capacity in the bearings to give some flexibility on. Add a moving tractor and that may change the dynamics.
You have to do is figure the capacity of the casting that supports wheel. Having replaced two of these ends over the past decades, the only thing I can tell for sure is they were expensive and are no longer available....
Just follow the load path and determine the dollars/inch to replace.

 

[big bubba]

HD: yes, your point re:torquing fel cross member is well taken, happened few times to me when i was careless not to notice one side of bucket was unattached. i now use bungee cords to secure the connect levers.
i've been able to reposition the bucket level w/o cutting & welding, but it is now vulnerable for the same mishap.

overall, tampering with the hyd loads can also pose dangers for a hose blow out, & the operator certainly does not want to be in the line of fire if it happens, regards

 

[Tomtint]

I put different shims in my L3700s valve that raised the pressure and added more lift capacity. Im guessing ..and it's only a guess, but i think it added a few hundred pounds to what i can lift. I do know that i have been at or near to fully loaded as the loader would only go up a foot or so. That said, I could definitely feel that the front of the tractor was working. My concern would be the front axle. I don't use the tractor for heavy lifting often.. I have a skid steer that handles that duty. ..And i don't want to break my tractor...

 

[D&D]

2,326 lbs lift (full at 500mm)
2,536 lbs lift (full at 500mm)
The items I have been picking up with a lot of difficulty are in the 1500 pound range, so I need to look at the pressures and go from there.
David from jax

How much counterweight are you using?