Dirt Moving Is a FEL truely built to "dig" or

[workinallthetime]

While helping a friend move alot of dirt last weekend it became obvious to me me that a FEL was designed more as a material handler and not a digging tool. He rented a smooth bucket b24 and due to the smooth bucket and tractor size he was unable to be very effective at "digging", my little girl has teeth on her bucket but i seldom use her for just out right digging. When i am in the situation where i need to dig i use the BH to break up the material and then the bucket to move it. I can dig with the FEL but seeing the pressure and twisting forces that are applied i perfer to use the BH.
When you drive by a construction site you seldom if ever see a piece of equipment digging except a dozer or a track hoe, the wheel loaders with buckets shaped like most tractors are just doing "material handling". On TBN there are so many threads posted about trying to get a scut, or cut to dig better when in fact i dont think these were ever truely designed to be effective "diggers" in anything but loose material.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I agree, none of the utility tractors that are talked about here on TBN were ever designed to do anything with there loaders other than to move loose material. I believe that you have to get into industrial type tractors before you get into units that are really even considered to have any digging capability and even then when there is serious digging to be done, it is almost always done with an excavator.

I doubt that there are ANY pictures in the sales brochures of the tractors that are talked about most often on TBN that show the tractors moving anything other than loose materials. Seems like mulch in the 30hp and under sizes and soft dirt with the 30-50hp sizes. A lot of the times with a back hoe on the tractor. 50hp+ show moving hay bales.

 

[bcp]

That's why it is called a "front end loader" and not a "front end digger."



Bruce

 

[newbury]

Yes. That may be why they are called Front End LOADERS not Diggers or shovels.
Bcp beat me to it

 

[Bluegill2]

Nope, never designed to dig and marginal for most stuff. It's an add on. But they are handy!

 

[sandyc]

You can dig a bit with the FEL if you use teeth but I agree, the BH is good for digging.

 

[TripleR]

Agreed, not ideal, but I don't have access to a backhoe or excavator, so we do some digging with ours. If it is more thn a few buckets, we run rippers or something then use the bucket to skim it up.

 

[gwdixon]

I've found digging in firm ground to be hard on the FEL components. Not necessarily the bucket but the frame and boom. It is just not heavy enough constructed for the amount of twisting and shock that can happen when digging. It can be hard on cylinder seals as well.

 

[nybirdman]

Break it up with a box blade or single bottom plow and then dig with your FEL.I have a tooth-bar and that helps a lot.

 

[Coyote machine]

Bucket is on the wrong way to dig anyhow. Digging with a bhoe/trackhoe is done using the hydraulics to pull the bucket's teeth toward the op and then curl up to keep from dropping material. FEL's are for scooping poo or snow or mulch, etc. They don't do a good job below grade, IMHO. Each tool has it's best uses, and digging is NOT a FEL's.