NEED HELP USING MY FRONT END LOADER?

[ccdck20hst]

Just a thought- If you have a vehicle with a trailer hitch and if you can drive it to the dirt pile and to where you might want to move the dirt then you really may want to get a used heavy duty 4 X 8 or larger utility or dump trailer with auto size wheels to load the dirt into to move it. You will probably save a lot of time. Clay is very heavy and it can dry to near rock like hardness. There are lots of threads here under trailers etc.

 

[flusher]

Man I about hurt my self 3 times this saturday trying to move dirt out of a huge dirt pile. I had a guy come with a big cat and dig out some of my pond. The dirt pile left is about 60' wide 30' deep and 12' tall. It has alot of big clay balls in it and alot of good black dirt. I kept spinning my tires try to get a good scoop full. I have a MAHINDRA 3525 35hp with a ML230 60" loader on it. I just bolted on my new markham toothbar on it and I thought I was gonna kick its asp! Boy was I wrong. I mean I got some good scoops but it took me a while. It took him 4 hours to dig it out and it looks like it will take me months to get rid of it! What gear are u supposed to be in? What about pto speed? HI or LO? Thought i was gonna flip it once.

Here's what I use to ballast my 21-hp Kubota B7510HST when I use the LA302 FEL (4 ft bucket). That's a 220-lb box blade with 360 lb of concrete weights.

Like you I had a pile of dirt left over from constructing my new home. Took me most of the day to move about 20 cubic yards of dirt with that small bucket.

Also be careful of wheel ruts when you're loading your bucket. My front wheel fell into one of those and made my little Bota really tippy.

 

[jbrumberg]

JHFV:

Welcome to TBN ! All the posts are good suggestions. I am in the process of moving the end product (dirt/clay/rocks) of my driveway project left from the heavy equipment operator. Flusher is right you have to keep your ruts filled in and level at your "approach point". Jay

 

[Timber]

Well as everyone has stated seat time and practice. I have the same fel and chasse as you but just a little more power. The thing I would like to ad though is 1 you need more Ballast. I don't personally use filled tires but I also want my tractor light at times. As you get use to loading your bucket and you get it to were you want. Now say you want to lift it over something like the side of a truck or fence or the top of a pile. With the bucket in full curl when it reaches full height it will throw dirt on to the bonnet and in you lap (don’t ask how I know) as you lift if you don't go up all the way and stop in mid lift to uncurl the bucket not only will the tractor buck but you will not reach full lift. Be careful and have fun

 

[AndyMA]

In addition to what everybody has said, I usually find it easier to take small bites from near the top of the pile. Many times I will also take what I call corner bites only filling one side of the bucket at a time. I usually take two bites before dumping. If I dig in near the bottom of the pile and do manage to get a good bite, it is so heavy that I need to back out a little to get the bucket to be able to be lifted. Wastes time which is why I start at the top. By the time I get to the bottom, it is easy to lift.

Andy

 

[N80]

If time is part of the equation, I've heard that it takes more time repeatedly trying to get the bucket full than just taking what you get with the first pass and then moving on. Don't know if its true or not.

I think the best advice you've gotten so far (all of it is good) is breaking down bits of the pile and then scooping them up rather than trying to get a 35hp, 2wd tractor to bury its bucket into a compacted mound of clay.

 

[JHFV]

Thanks guys. im gonna try some of yall's suggestions this weekend. I had a 6 ft box blade on it when I was working but i think i will put on my 6ft mower next time. weights alot more. Heah wushaw i live on Union Hill where it dead ends into Andrews. The log cabin on top of the hill. Feel free to stop by and give some pointers if you have time. Thanks again guys

 

[3RRL]

You got some great advice especially getting rear ballast and carrying very low at all times. For cutting into huge tall plies like you have, picture how you would slice a piece of bread or cheese off, only in reverse. That is, from the bottom up.

What works for me well is to drive into the pile low with the bucket dumped slightly. I try to bury only the tooth bar and then curl the bucket while raising it up at the same time. Like "slicing off" a 2" to 6" wall of dirt. this will depend on how strong your loader is of course. You must always work within the capacity of it. You can also drive into it slightly as you are doing this, if the pile allows it.

Once you get a good slice going, sometimes the top part will crumble down, sometimes not. If it doesn't, that's where I would reach up to pull some of the higher stuff down....but always with an empty bucket. Personally, I try not to exceed the top of my hood or not too much past eye level while I'm cutting off slices this way for safety and load reasons.

So in reality, the way I do it is not so much like you would pick up a small pile of dirt, driving into it and through it, then curl to pick up. It is more like slicing bread up-wards.

 

[john_bud]

JHFV,

You need 3 things, Ballast, Ballast and more Ballast!

If the back of the tractor is being lifted, you need more weight - a lot more.

Old tractors used to spec ballast at about 150% of the FEL's rated capacity.

jb

 

[schmism]

mines a 4wd and makes a huge diffrence when pushing into the pile. Rear ballast will help keep the rear planted. as mentioned, the more the better.

But like someone else said, make shure you keep your working surface (under your tires) level and flat. With a fully loaded (or nearly) your font tires will carry a lot of weight over a small area = compaction = ruts.

I inhearted a pile of 1.5-2" rock at my property. i spent some time playing with it the other day. a FULL bucket of that rock really made the rear of the tractor feel light even with my 400lb rear blade. (i was shocked at how much a full bucket of material would weight)