Front-End Loader Most powerful third party fel brand?

[JDeereman]

General question that came up the other day that stumped me and got me thinking too hard so i though i'd ask it here: what third party north american made fel brand is generally considered the strongest (strongest boom, hardware, etc) and most powerful (greatest breakout, greatest lift, etc) for a given frame size in say the 40 to 75 hp tractor class range?

Theo

 

[akajun]

I know the Bush Hog 1487qt on my 1428 massey is very strong. I have tested it to its limits and was very impressed.

 

[firefighter9208]

I have a Bushhog M346 loader on my M4800 Kubota. I have abused it and it has come back for more. They are made in Selma Alabama. I actually chose it over the comparable Kubota loader. BTW, you can get them in green to match your tractor if it's a John Deere. Check the out @ Bush Hog&reg - Performance You Can Count On .

Chris

 

[JDeereman]

I guess most of us think of woods and bush hog right away in terms of third party brands. my friend had brought up the koyker brand but i'm not seeing any proof or specs where they are any stronger. the discussion wasn't about a loader for any particular tractor and really centered around the idea that one would have to build one for oneself if a really heavy duty loader was needed - meaning one markedly better than a new tractor manufacturer would typically offer.

Theo

 

[kennyd]

How big and heavy duty are you talking? You are still limited to what the tractor can handle. I am sure the big aftermarket company's like Woods, Bushhog, Koyker, and Westendorf all strive for the best specs as a selling point-but they can't risk tractor damage just to get highs specs.

 

[JDeereman]

How big and heavy duty are you talking? You are still limited to what the tractor can handle. I am sure the big aftermarket company's like Woods, Bushhog, Koyker, and Westendorf all strive for the best specs as a selling point-but they can't risk tractor damage just to get highs specs.

Completely true and no one smart would ever want to exceed the front axle carrying capability as that could be a costly mistake. on the other hand, my friends and i feel we are seeing a tendency by some tractor manufacturers to skimp on their loaders on newer models with an obvious eye toward lower cost and perhaps less strain on their machines to the detriment of the needs of buyers and users. of the four brands you mention, which do you feel provide the strongest products frame size for frame size?

Theo

 

[kennyd]

of the four brands you mention, which do you feel provide the strongest products frame size for frame size?

I have not looked at the specs for any of them...My loader is OEM and if I bought a new tractor it would be OEM also.

 

[JDeereman]

I have not looked at the specs for any of them...My loader is OEM and if I bought a new tractor it would be OEM also.

I should restate my last message to point less of a finger at the tractor manufacturers and more of a finger at some of the dealers ordering them. fact is that some of the strangest combinations i've seen personally were most likely mismatched at the dealer level.

Theo

 

[kennyd]

I should restate my last message to point less of a finger at the tractor manufacturers and more of a finger at some of the dealers ordering them. fact is that some of the strangest combinations i've seen personally were most likely mismatched at the dealer level.

Theo

I agree...I have seen a lot of new tractors with aftermarket loaders also I just wonder if it has to do with better specs from the dealers perspective and/or better profit margin?

 

[RickB]

I agree...I have seen a lot of new tractors with aftermarket loaders also I just wonder if it has to do with better specs from the dealers perspective and/or better profit margin?

The more typical reason is a less costly bottom line for the tractor/loader package. After all, the number one reason to buy/sell an aftermarket loader is price. Features and specs normally are distant second and thirds in whatever order. Aftermarket manufacturers have to price under the OEM's and if they can beat their specs, so much the better. If the package isn't price competitive, it doesn't matter how pretty it looks sitting on the dealer's lot.

 

[JDeereman]

The more typical reason is a less costly bottom line for the tractor/loader package. After all, the number one reason to buy/sell an aftermarket loader is price. Features and specs normally are distant second and thirds in whatever order. Aftermarket manufacturers have to price under the OEM's and if they can beat their specs, so much the better. If the package isn't price competitive, it doesn't matter how pretty it looks sitting on the dealer's lot.

So is the only reason to buy a third party loader cost savings? or are there third party fels out there that are a step up in strength and power vs oem? if so, i'd like to know where potential buyers should look.

Theo

 

[john_bud]

The factory FEL's will most often be the neatest installation with the closest fitment etc. The aftermarket is one size fits many brands and there are tradeoffs.

The listed mfg's are all good.


One thing about fels. The old time 50's & 60's tractors had some spindly front axles and most of them could hoist 2000# without blinking. They often had issues over time, but still...

jb

 

[JDeereman]

The factory FEL's will most often be the neatest installation with the closest fitment etc. The aftermarket is one size fits many brands and there are tradeoffs.

The listed mfg's are all good.

I think its a given that the tractor manufacturers are in the best position to supply the best looking, best fitting, most compatible loaders for their machines - but are they the strongest and most powerful too? i suppose in some cases yes and some cases no. so maybe my impression is wrong and there are no hard and fast rules in the tractor fel world. some third party loaders might be better but they might also be on those machines simply because they are cheaper. maybe there is no one third party brand that stands out as a generally superior choice. not the answer i had expected but an answer just the same. thanks.

Theo

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have a Koyker 160 on 28 Hp Jinma. I just recently loaded 3 pieces of steel I beams for a friend to take to the recycle place. The 2 pieces weighed in at 7,080# total. I was able to pick up 2 pieces and drive but the third piece was probably 15% heavier so I just picked it up and had him back the trailer under it. Both him and myself were impressed. I have also picked up the front end of a Dodge 2500 van to get it off a rock when the phone guy drove over it while fixing my service.

By the way, they were paying $165 a ton for scrap steel of that grade so it was a good trip.

Chris

 

[Wayne_Freeman]

Having owned a Jinma/w Koyker 160 before my Kubota L3400/w L463 loader I can say there is no doubt the Koyker 160 is a well built and powerful implement. It also exceeds the capability of the tractor (front axle, transmission) to handle the weight and forces that can become very costly in repairs. The manufacturers are more inclined to match a machine to implements whereas third party vendors will give you specs and let you do the math. The bottom line is most of us at one time or another push our machines to the limit and then some. In the case of my Jinma on more then one occasion I spent days and dollars working on what I should have been riding on! The weight you picked up with the Koyker is impressive. I have been there and done and know all too well that just because I can do it doesn't mean it wouldn't be prudent to do one at a time.

 

[john_bud]

I have a Koyker 160 on 28 Hp Jinma. I just recently loaded 3 pieces of steel I beams for a friend to take to the recycle place. The 2 pieces weighed in at 7,080# total. I was able to pick up 2 pieces and drive but the third piece was probably 15% heavier so I just picked it up and had him back the trailer under it. Both him and myself were impressed. I have also picked up the front end of a Dodge 2500 van to get it off a rock when the phone guy drove over it while fixing my service.

By the way, they were paying $165 a ton for scrap steel of that grade so it was a good trip.

Chris

Chris, I flat out do not believe you on that story. There is no way that a Koyker 160, rated at 1500 pounds lift, is going to pick up and carry 7080 pounds. It is even less probable that it could pick up one that is over 8000 pounds. Quickly checking Koyker web site shows the largest loader they make for a 145-275 HP tractor would not be able to lift over 6000 pounds.

I also don't believe that a 3000 pound 28 hp tractor could pick up 7000 or 8000 pounds. It would require a counter weight in the 5000 pound range to keep the rear tires on the ground. Since the 3pt capacity of the Jinma 284 is 876 pounds, well that's a bit shy of what would be needed....

I also checked the weight per foot of I-beams. There are only a few that are over 100 pounds per linear foot. The heaviest I saw was 112 pounds per foot, making your 15% heavier than 7080 pound beam over 70 feet long. By the way, those are bridge girders 10" wide and 18" tall and VERY thick.

jb

 

[JDeereman]

I have a Koyker 160 on 28 Hp Jinma. I just recently loaded 3 pieces of steel I beams for a friend to take to the recycle place. The 2 pieces weighed in at 7,080# total. I was able to pick up 2 pieces and drive but the third piece was probably 15% heavier so I just picked it up and had him back the trailer under it. Both him and myself were impressed. I have also picked up the front end of a Dodge 2500 van to get it off a rock when the phone guy drove over it while fixing my service.

By the way, they were paying $165 a ton for scrap steel of that grade so it was a good trip.

Chris

Thanks for the input on koyker. a guy near me gets a lot more for his scrap steel. i have no idea how he does it. must be telling a blind buyer that it is gold or something.

Theo

 

[JDeereman]

Having owned a Jinma/w Koyker 160 before my Kubota L3400/w L463 loader I can say there is no doubt the Koyker 160 is a well built and powerful implement. It also exceeds the capability of the tractor (front axle, transmission) to handle the weight and forces that can become very costly in repairs. The manufacturers are more inclined to match a machine to implements whereas third party vendors will give you specs and let you do the math. The bottom line is most of us at one time or another push our machines to the limit and then some. In the case of my Jinma on more then one occasion I spent days and dollars working on what I should have been riding on! The weight you picked up with the Koyker is impressive. I have been there and done and know all too well that just because I can do it doesn't mean it wouldn't be prudent to do one at a time.

Well, let me relate a little of the story behind the story. one of my small circle of friends bought a used skidsteer loader a while back instead of a loader for his new (to him) tractor. seems he can do a lot more with that skidsteer than others of us can do with our tractor fels. it does beg an interesting question. should my next tractor (which will not be a deere) be purchased with an fel? or for the same money plus maybe a little more should i buy a used skidsteer like my friend did? and hence the followup question re how to get the absolute strongest loader for a given tractor instead of going the oem loader route or used skidsteer route.

Theo

 

[JDeereman]

Chris, I flat out do not believe you on that story. There is no way that a Koyker 160, rated at 1500 pounds lift, is going to pick up and carry 7080 pounds. It is even less probable that it could pick up one that is over 8000 pounds. Quickly checking Koyker web site shows the largest loader they make for a 145-275 HP tractor would not be able to lift over 6000 pounds.

I also don't believe that a 3000 pound 28 hp tractor could pick up 7000 or 8000 pounds. It would require a counter weight in the 5000 pound range to keep the rear tires on the ground. Since the 3pt capacity of the Jinma 284 is 876 pounds, well that's a bit shy of what would be needed....

I also checked the weight per foot of I-beams. There are only a few that are over 100 pounds per linear foot. The heaviest I saw was 112 pounds per foot, making your 15% heavier than 7080 pound beam over 70 feet long. By the way, those are bridge girders 10" wide and 18" tall and VERY thick.

jb

I think he meant one piece at a time.

Theo

 

[Renze]

Buhler Allied builds a very heavyweight frontloader.
If the added weight trades off in extra strength vs. a Swedish built Quicke.... i dont think so.