Is a tooth bar a good add on?

[dex3361]

I have a question to all of the seasoned FEL equiped tractorowners out there.
I have run smaller utility tractors (35-45 HP range) for about 20 years but the L4400 is the first one with a FEL. ere is the question, does a tooth bar really help a great deal when using the FEL? If so, what are the tricks of the trade in using one? Thanks guys.

 

[LBrown59]

That's what they all say .
WITH A BH and a Tiller I've never needed one.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Yes, I would get a bolt on one if you use the fel at all for working with brush or wood debris - the teeth are great for pushing or pulling stuff along the ground and preventing it rolling past.
There are many other advantageous applications, but this is the most for me. One caution: with real hard forceful use you can damage the lip of your bucket with one. This can happen when just 1 or afew teeth take the full tractor force. The tooth will dimple the bucket edge where it interlocks. This causes a stress riser and your bucket may crack there later. This happened to me, but indeed the Mahindra presents an extreme case ability for forceful use.
larry

 

[SnowRidge]

The difference between digging with and without a toothbar is significant. On my property, I really can't dig without the toothbar.

 

[santacruzer]

I think it's safe to say that a toothbar is like any other tool...when you learn when and how to use it it's invaluable...and I'm just learning.

It's not the tool for everything but for some jobs it's a must. The cost is way below the effectiveness of the tool. I got a Markham shipped from the East coast to the West coast it was still only $289.00. As far as quality it's going to be hard to beat.

Good luck. Paul

 

[Tom_H]

That's what they all say .
WITH A BH and a Tiller I've never needed one.

Apparently, Lee, you have never needed to rip tangled masses of extensive small rooting out of the ground. How about huge overgrown patches of blackberry vines spread all throughout a woodland? Your backhoe and tiller are not going to do anything for you there, but a FEL bucket with teeth can drive through and rip thousands of vines out of the ground and off of trees in minutes.

For hard crusted ground that needs to be loosened and moved at the same time, the toothbar on the FEL will make excavation much faster. The teeth also can play the role of mini-forks that extend the lip, making it possible to lift and move larger items around (such as large trees in 25-50 gal. buckets at a nursery).

For the price, the toothbar is one of the most cost effective additions you can invest in for extending the usefulness of a tractor.

 

[txdon]

That's what they all say .
WITH A BH and a Tiller I've never needed one.

I have a BH and a tiller and the tooth bar is the add on that is the most used and useful. I do a lot of clearing with my FEL/tooth bar that a smaller tractor would need a BH to clear.
When you are turning and pushing underbrush out of the way it does not slide off the FEL and digging is easy as well as popping large rocks out. I've brought the rear of the tractor up and the lip on the FEL has never bent, but of course I have a Kubota HD bucket.

 

[PILOON]

Toothbar vs none is like day and night.

I added a 6 tooth on my 4ft bucket and can excavate full bucketloads of rock embedded soil which before was impossible to do.
Without teeth, even a 4-5" loose stone could deflect the cutting edge preventing loading, now I can virtually get a full load at every try.

The downside is I can no longer 'backgrade' with the FEL unless I remouve the toothbar.
Maybe I'll devise something to work around that such as perhaps welding a 3" X 3" 3/8 angle to the rear bottom of my bucket. Will ponder that idea a bit!

 

[escavader]

Its a good thing to have for digging projects,i have the MARKHAM .Ive used mine for removing a debri pile this summer,it helps get stuff in the bucket.Ive used it to help break up ice in the driveway,it makes slots,so if you go back and forth enough it will break it up.
Idid try it on blackberries,the backhoe with thumb did a better job of pulling them up by the roots and piling them ,then i could grab the pile with the hoe and hual off loads of them at once.,the tooth bar wasnt as easy,seemed to miss alot of them,and they get under the tractor tangling up in things.The bare fel cutting edge would have cut them all off at ground level,but of course they could come back.
Even though my markham will flip up,i like to have the bottom lip of my cuttingedge for back dragging vs the rear of the bucket
Iguess im 50/50 on a toothbar.My most important add on was hands down a thumb for my hoe.If i didnt have the hoe it would be a toothbar. just my honest opinion here
ALAN

 

[BX Tex]

FEL != Front End Digger
FEL = Front End Loader

Wonder if adding a toothbar might affect the warranty of the tractor