LS R4041H Pallet Fork Test

[YardBikeBob]

Doing a little construction involving concrete block. They come on pallets. 5 rows on a pallet. Each row has 18 blocks. Each block weighs 37 pounds. Thus a pallet weighs 3,330 pounds + the weight of the pallet. No SCUT can lift that on the loader.

However, if you pull off two rows onto a Carry All (KK brand from Orchelin's), you'll have 1,332 pounds on the 3pt leaving 1,998 pounds + the pallet for the loader.

My R4041H can lift that. The center of the pallet to the lift pin is 3 feet. The tractor can lift it but it won't curl it. No problem for the 3pt.

The pallet forks weigh 325 pounds so were looking at 2,350 pounds on the FEL. I think I'm getting my money's worth here.

Yes, it is all the tractor wants and you want to stay on a very flat surface and go slow.

Bob

 

[George2615]

Good test. Seems like you are at your maximum since you couldn't curl. I haven't had to lift anything that heavy yet. Most of what I've lifted has been under 1200 lb. except an old pine tree that was cut down. 20' long by 24" dia. It was heavier than 1200 as it made the rear end real light but no clue as to what it weighed. That was when I didn't have the rear tires loaded, just the counterweight of 850 lb. I'm sure one of these days I'll find my max lift capacity.

 

[YardBikeBob]

It was heavier than 1200 as it made the rear end real light but no clue as to what it weighed. That was when I didn't have the rear tires loaded, just the counterweight of 850 lb.

Hello George,

Oooh, we can start a loaded tires controversy. . .

I'm moving these bricks up next to the footings of the cabin I'm building. Dirt is sloped up to the footing. I tried to turn the tractor up into the footing at an angle (no clearance for straight on). So I'm raising the pallet up over the footings and moving forward, uphill, to get as close as I can. . . And just about had a ROPS Performance Test, too.

Over she was agoing. Slam the loader joystick forward, dropped the FEL, and went back on all of the tires.

So being I'm not stupid, I sat and pondered and it occurred to me that the center of gravity was too high. Looked over my shoulder and saw the ballast was up at max. Say! Here is an idea!

I raised the FEL again and, when things started to teeter, I lowered the ballast on the three point. I could immediately feel the increased stability as the 3pt lowered. And that worked right up until the ballast rested on the ground.

Now it wasn't ballast no more and we were rolling over again. Drop the FEL and clean the seat!

Somewhere in there is a lesson to be learned.

Bob

 

[HarryN]

except an old pine tree that was cut down. 20' long by 24" dia. It was heavier than 1200 as it made the rear end real light but no clue as to what it weighed. That was when I didn't have the rear tires loaded, just the counterweight of 850 lb. I'm sure one of these days I'll find my max lift capacity.

Just FYI ... If that 20 foot pine was 24 inches in dia on both ends, that logs weighs about 2,300 pounds!!

 

[George2615]

Hello George,

Oooh, we can start a loaded tires controversy. . .

I'm moving these bricks up next to the footings of the cabin I'm building. Dirt is sloped up to the footing. I tried to turn the tractor up into the footing at an angle (no clearance for straight on). So I'm raising the pallet up over the footings and moving forward, uphill, to get as close as I can. . . And just about had a ROPS Performance Test, too.

Over she was agoing. Slam the loader joystick forward, dropped the FEL, and went back on all of the tires.

So being I'm not stupid, I sat and pondered and it occurred to me that the center of gravity was too high. Looked over my shoulder and saw the ballast was up at max. Say! Here is an idea!

I raised the FEL again and, when things started to teeter, I lowered the ballast on the three point. I could immediately feel the increased stability as the 3pt lowered. And that worked right up until the ballast rested on the ground.

Now it wasn't ballast no more and we were rolling over again. Drop the FEL and clean the seat!

Somewhere in there is a lesson to be learned.

Bob

Bob,
This is not the first tractor that I've had to load the rear tires. I've had several over the years that seemed to be better than others when lifting a load with just a rear ballast. I found this out real quick when lifting only 1200 lbs. that my rear tires were getting light. I knew then I'd not only need the 3 pt. counterweight by I'd have to load the tires as well. Some tractors seem to have a lower center of gravity and maybe a longer wheelbase to be able to handle it. My XR3037HC wheelbase seems shorter than other tractors I've had and a heavy load in the loader creates more leverage acting to lighten the rear.
Now that I've filled the tires I'll see if the 3 pt weight is enough. If not I'll have to build a heavier one. I have an old safe taking up space in my garage (roughly 40x40x40 that weighs well over 1k). I may make that a new weight.

 

[George2615]

Just FYI ... If that 20 foot pine was 24 inches in dia on both ends, that logs weighs about 2,300 pounds!!

The tree is still here. It actually measures 20" at the base and 16" at the 16' length. Not the 24" x 20' I guessed it was in my previous post. I'm am guessing it was still over 1500 lb.

 

[GManBart]

The tree is still here. It actually measures 20" at the base and 16" at the 16' length. Not the 24" x 20' I guessed it was in my previous post. I'm am guessing it was still over 1500 lb.

Yeah, it has to be over 1,500. My counterweight started out as a 1,300lb block of steel I bought from the scrap yard (weighed exactly 1300 on the nose). When my neighbor and I were going to start welding on it, I had to move it with the tractor, but had nothing on the 3pt. I lifted it with the pallet forks and the rear tires were very, very light. With 850lbs on the counterweight, the tires would have been solidly planted, I'm sure.