Front-End Loader My New Coldwater Front-End-Loader (FEL) experience

[kd5hnw]

My New Coldwater Front-End-Loader (FEL) experience.
Here is my 2 cents worth...

I wanted a new FEL for my Yanmar 2310. So after a lot of reading, blogging, questioning and honestly a lot listening about what to look for in FELs, I recently purchased a FEL online from Coldwater Tractors.

Ordering: Called and spoke with Henry many times before I ordered. When I finally decided to make the purchase he emailed me a PDF invoice for me to verify and approve.

Payment: Coldwater does not accept payment via credit card; only by Check or Bank Transfer. I opted for the Bank Transfer. Transferring money from my bank only cost $15.
This process scared the crapola out of me and I told Henry as much. He verified immediately when his bank acknowledged payment. I slept a little easier that night.

Shipping: Coldwater fabricated and shipped the unit within a week. I arranged for my own shipping. Coldwater packed the FEL on a pallet wrapped in plastic. I was extremely impressed how well and secure this packaging was done. It appeared that an engineer figured out the best way to ship the FEL. Nicely done! It arrived perfect! Henry sent me a picture of the unit on pallet before it left their dock. Weight was around 600lbs.

Delivery: The shipment arrived by truck in about a week. I had it shipped to my office/loading dock. I went back the next day with my S10 truck and small 5x8 utility trailer

Installation: What we got:
A wrapped up pallet containing:
Brace that fits under tractor
Brace that fits in front tractor
Brace adapter plates
All required nuts and bolts
All hydraulic lines pre-installed to FEL (except where connects to my tractor)
All hydraulic connections
Joystick controller
3 cylinders
5ft bucket (thick metal)

We used a hydraulic lift to remove the FEL pieces from the pallet. This is a very handy tool to have around. We un-wrapped the plastic wrap and removed all the packing wire. Once again, this was very well packed.

Everything was in perfect order. Hardest part was to get a mental picture of the end result never seeing this specific model installed. A little trial and error and we had all the nuts and bolts done in a little under 2 hours. Installation was actually very easy.

The next task was to connect the hydraulics.... the pre-connected controller had no markings (we found) for pressure in or out. We winged it and guessed the right line off the controller box was the pressure in connection. Made the cut on tractors hydraulic line and install the new ends. All the standard connections came on the lines. I like the fact that I could go to Napa or any local hydraulic shop and replace any of the connections or lines if I ever needed to. There appears to be nothing proprietary here. Checked the hydraulic fluid level and it was perfect. Started up the tractor and let it sit for a minute or two, then we raised and lowered the still connected box-blade, no worries, then hesitantly tried the FEL... wow, up it went, then down, then up... slow at first, then curled in, then out, up and down... a little sluggish, but responsive.

Turned off the tractor and checked the hydraulic level again. It was pretty low so we added 2 quarts of hydraulic fluid. Started the tractor and worked the FEL and box-blade a little more. The attachments were smoother and more responsive. Turned off tractor and checked fluid again. Right on the money!

Lastly, we secured the new hydraulic lines to the FEL frame with a couple of zip-ties.
Impressed so far - time to try it out - drove over to a pile of dirt and after couple of little rookie maneuvers, picked up and unloaded a couple large loads. Worked like a charm. May even sell my shovels (ok, not really). The front tires may need to be replaced soon (currently 6 ply) to a more substantial tire.

Final Thoughts:
I am definitely happy with this purchase. This FEL was the most expensive (and my wife hopes the last) and largest item we have ever purchased online and Coldwater made the process smooth.

Would I but from Coldwater again? - Yep !

Would I recommend Coldwater FELs to a friend? - Absolutely!

Suggestions for Coldwater? - include instructions with shipped units to end users. The unit was pretty self-explanatory once ya studied it, just would be nice to have a reference. (I made the suggestion to Coldwater and they are considering including instructions and pics in the future)

FYI - I am in no way affiliated with Coldwater Tractors, I am an end home user with a little acreage in North Central Alabama.

Reference:
Coldwater Tractors, Inc.
274 Dekay Rd
Hoquiam, WA 98550
(360)533-2160
Coldwatertractors.com

hope this help someone
73s - kd5hnw (aka james)

 

[kd5hnw]

Sorry the pix are so dirty - we couldn't wait to use it
- james

 

[spruce Deere]

Nicely done Was lookn' at a koyker FEL for the 240D for a while. It was a long while, cause ended up buying a 790 for an upgrade tractor, it came with an FEL.

You will find most of the time you need to use the tractor, its the loader that darn near half the time gets called on for the work needed....and thats not counting look'n for things to do with it

I did not know I needed one so bad till I had one.... kinda like a box blade, simple thing, so applicable to just about anything. All compact tractors should come with them.

 

[rScotty]

My New Coldwater Front-End-Loader (FEL) experience.
Final Thoughts:
I am definitely happy with this purchase. This FEL was the most expensive (and my wife hopes the last) and largest item we have ever purchased online and Coldwater made the process smooth. 73s - kd5hnw (aka james)

Congratulations on the online purchase. Coldwater sounds like they did you up proud. And themselves, too.

I've often thought that one of the under-sung benefits of a FEL is how it protects the health of a person's back muscles. You don't have to sell an old farmer - or their wives - on the benefits of a little tractor with a FEL for lifting and carrying. They already know.
Enjoy it... rScotty

 

[rbargeron]

Sorry the pix are so dirty - we couldn't wait to use it
- james

Good job - glad it went well. IMO the FEL about doubles the usefulness of a tractor. Do you mind if I ask the cost, and the load rating? It looks well-matched to the tractor - I like those side plates on the frame that bolt to the engine.

 

[milkman]

I noticed the side plates also and thought they look like a good idea to tie things together. You just doubled the usefulness of your tractor, just need a lot of weight hanging off the back. One thing I noticed and have a question about, was wondering if there's room to flip the control valve and hang it from the bottom of the bracket, that way no hoses sticking up to catch on something. I bet it was satisfying to do all that yourself and seeing it work so well. Have fun in the dirt and when the wife sees how useful it is, you may just get approval for another purchase down the road.

 

[ProdaddyTX]

Great review and pictures! A followup report after a year of use would be great too.

 

[kd5hnw]

Good job - glad it went well. IMO the FEL about doubles the usefulness of a tractor. Do you mind if I ask the cost, and the load rating? It looks well-matched to the tractor - I like those side plates on the frame that bolt to the engine.

We paid $1,800 for exerything (+ shipping that we covered) I believe this is not a secret and it is posted on Coldwater's site. Keep in mind that this purchace was made Dec of 2010, but it does give ya an idea...

I do not know the exact load ratings... hopefully Coldwater will post somje detailed specs for us.

 

[kd5hnw]

Great review and pictures! A followup report after a year of use would be great too.

Thx for the pix comments - made all with my phone - ain't that a hoot...
I'd be glad too do a follow up ... anybody want to send me a reminder

- james

 

[Grandad4]

Good on ya! That's a nice installation. You will find so many things that loader will be useful for, and you'll wonder how you ever got by without.

Don't want to be the safety police or anything, but please be safe when operating the loader. Your Yannie hasn't got a ROPS and will be easy to roll if you get that loader up high with any weight in it. Suggestions:
Keep it low when moving and watch out for potholes and uneven ground. Keep that boxblade on in back or something else that's heavy, and think about ballasting your tires if you haven't already done so.

And don't let your wife know how easy it makes garden and landscape chores or your "honey do" list will get out of hand! :laughing:

 

[Marveltone]

Welcome to the FEL club! Awesome photo essay on the install. Now you can sell your wheelbarrow.

Joe

 

[kd5hnw]

Good on ya! That's a nice installation. You will find so many things that loader will be useful for, and you'll wonder how you ever got by without.

Don't want to be the safety police or anything, but please be safe when operating the loader. Your Yannie hasn't got a ROPS and will be easy to roll if you get that loader up high with any weight in it. Suggestions:
Keep it low when moving and watch out for potholes and uneven ground. Keep that boxblade on in back or something else that's heavy, and think about ballasting your tires if you haven't already done so.

And don't let your wife know how easy it makes garden and landscape chores or your "honey do" list will get out of hand! :laughing:

Thank you...

The ballast and a ROPS are excellent ideas - I appreciate the suggestions - being a new users sometimes the obvious, common sense ideas are not so common or obvious

I am already fixin to water/antifreeze the tires as soon as it warms up a little. I am going for a 70/30ish mix.
The ROPS will be on the list for a future mod (sooner always better than later). Most of our property is flat, but that one time... nuff said.


- james

 

[kd5hnw]

Just short note follow up on note my 'new' Coldwater FEL.

We (me and now all my neighbors) have all been really using the FEL. Have only had one problem to date. The middle hydraulic piston broke. One of the pins came off and I did not do a walk around check before working, thus it was off center and the tension was too much. Use error, not FEL fault. Solution was simple too, went to Tractor Supply and got a piston off the shelf, all fittings were standard so we were back up in running in very short time.

Also the back tires now have water/antifreeze in them... great traction and much nicer ride too.

- james

 

[spruce Deere]

Excellent.

Fluid in the rear tires is nice. You will be able to pull more, lift more and have better stability, Its a good investment.

Having a machine with 'common' parts is nice to. Down time in the middle of projects is a real buz kill

 

[Brahmus]

Any updates on this, looking at one for a JD 790.

 

[RVGuy]

I'm new to this forum, but I wanted to throw in another experience with Coldwater Tractor and their FEL.

I have been looking for a loader for about a year since giving up on my Mitsubishi 372D after it kept throwing clutches and I got tired of splitting it. 5 clutches in 5 years with the center splines on the clutch plate disappearing. The plate surfaces and flywheel, and jackshaft from the transmission were all fine. Just the splines on the plate would go away. Anyway... I bought a very used Kubota B7500 DT Narrow. Normally you don't put a FEL on a narrow tractor, but I'd like to think I am smart enough to not go running on a sidehill with the bucket up. I am a firm believer in the laws of physics having survived with a healthy respect for them for 60 some odd years.
I had talked to the three best local tractor sources about putting a loader on my rig. The quotes came in ranging from $3500 to $5000. The loader of choice would be a Woods with a more expensive option of a genuine Kubota but there was some reluctance by the Kubota dealer to put the Kubota loader on a Narrow for fear Kubota might become displeased with the dealership. So an "aftermarket" loader was what was probably going to be used. I had seen many good comments about the Coldwater Tractor FEL. I figured that I would look at them and see if the price was in the same range. I gave them a call since they are just a few hours from my place. They are in Hoquiam, Wa and I am in McMinnville, OR. We ended up also exchanging a couple of emails and all the communications was very friendly and down to earth.
I was given two options... they would palletize the loader and ship it to me. I would have to possibly do some fabrication to make it fit the narrow if it wasn't mounted the same as the standard B7500DT, The loader would cost me $1800 plus $200 for shipping. Or, if I wanted, I could trailer the tractor up to Hoquiam and they would install it for me. The price was the same $1800 with no extra charges. They said I could drop it off and pick it up a week later, or I could make an appointment and they would do it all in one day. Wow, take a three and a half hour drive, get there around 8:00 in the morning, and come home that night with a new loader INSTALLED. Done deal.
I made an appointment for this past thursday, Feb 20, 2014. I drove up in the rain leaving at 4:00 am. I arrived at about 8:10 am. They were waiting for me and had the loader already fabricated and the mounts tack welded, waiting to be sure my tractor wasn't what they expected. They set to work was soon as I had it out of the trailer. I spent the next three hours talking to the owner about various topics of mutual interst while his guys finished all the fabrication and installation. By lunch (12:00 noom) I was loading my tractor into the trailer with a fully welded, painted and mounted FEL. I was back home in McMinnville, OR by 4:30 in the afternoon.
A couple of things to fill in the information dialog. Coldwater makes the FEL at their facility. They have steel delivered from a vendor and they make everything in the frame and arms. The cylinders, fittings, hoses, etc. are all standard parts, nothing exotic or hard to find. Their philosophy is to build a very good quality loader at a very affordable price. It may not be space-age fancy to look at, but it is nuts and bolts solid and ready to go to work. I only had one decision to make... what size bucket to put it. I opted for the 42" instead of the 48" to make sure I didn't overload the tractor. That was my decision, the cost would have been the same with either bucket. I paid $1800.00 cash. No extras or hidden charges. Because I live in Oregon I didn't even have to worry about sales tax.
Now that I am home, how happy am I? Very. I just came in from spending 4 hours working the loader pretty hard. I put a 48" brush hog on the back and then went out to knock down an area of blackberry brush that was over 8 feet tall. The area I was working in covers about 1/2 acre. The ground was soggy and I managed to get the tractor stuck twice. Mind you, this is a 4 WD tractor, but that just means you have twice as much opportunity to bury a tractor if you don't know what you are doing. If you are experiences using a FEL it can be very indispensable in getting unstuck. I was impressed with the power of this FEL. The hydraulics were plenty powerful to assist in pushing the tractor backwards to where I could get enough traction to drive out. My old loader would run into a load where the hydraulics would squawk and not be able to tilt the bucket or raise the arms under a heavy load. No such issues with this loader. It appears to be well matched to the capabilities of the tractor.
Another comment and I will close. Putting the brush hog on the back was a great counterbalance for the loader. I was able to use the loader to knock down high weeds and then run over them with the mower to chop them up. You will need something like this or a box blade on the back if you put a loader on the tractor. Otherwise, you will find that a heavy front bucket full of stuff will make the back wheels hop if you are not smooth on the joy stick.
I am very happy with my Coldwater FEL. I paid less than 1/2 the price of the competition and got what I consider to be a superior piece of equipment. I would recommend earnest consideration of doing business with these guys if you need loader for your tractor. They were straight shooters with me and left me feeling that they honestly appreciated my business. Great product at a great price.

 

[RVGuy]

Re: My New Coldwater Front-End-Loader (FEL) experience Update June 2015

A couple of follow-ons to my previous post regarding the Coldwater Tractors FEL...

1. I have been using mine for about a year now. Purchased in Feb. of 2014. I really like it. It is well matched to my tractor even though my tractor is a narrow. It has plenty of power for my uses and has been trouble free so far.
2. I broke it last night in an encounter with an oak tree while mowing in a stream bed. My fault. The joystick/valve assembly got wedged in the tree while I was looking the other way and the joystic mechanism broke off at the handle. Again, stricktly my fault. It took me about a 1/2 hour with a come-along to get the tractor out of the tree and I was able to work the loader with a screwdriver to get the bucket out of the ground and up so I could drive back to the shop. Only the joystick assembly was hurt. The valves are rugged and worked fine. I contacted Coldwater Tractor this morning and they helped me contact their supplier and I ordered a subassembly for about $60.00 including shipping that is on its way. Kudos to Coldwater and Bailey International for the great support without any hassles. Just shows this was the right decision for my purchase.
3. I was a bit worried that they might have gone out of business when I tried to go to their website listed above to see how to contact them. This morning I tried making a call to their phone number and they answered. They say they have dropped their website because it is getting confused with another company by the same name down in Georgia that sells parts... so just use the phone number if you want to talk to them. They are very good people in my dealings with them and they make a great product.

 

[arto98607]

Re: My New Coldwater Front-End-Loader (FEL) experience Update June 2015

A couple of follow-ons to my previous post regarding the Coldwater Tractors FEL...

I was a bit worried that they might have gone out of business when I tried to go to their website listed above to see how to contact them. This morning I tried making a call to their phone number and they answered. They say they have dropped their website because it is getting confused with another company by the same name down in Georgia that sells parts... so just use the phone number if you want to talk to them. They are very good people in my dealings with them and they make a great product.

I went by their business yesterday to buy spare knives for my S&R Pro Chip PTO wood-chipper - they are definitely still in business and making front end loaders for compact tractors etc.

 

[California]

He needs to hire a consultant who is a good website writer/coordinator.

Coldwater Tractors seems like a great business - with a totally useless PR face presented toward the modern online world. I think he could sell far more loaders with just a modest but reasonable web page.

 

[arto98607]

Maybe so, but the easiest thing in life is to say something negative!