Need input from Front End Loader owners

[Thomas]

Greg,
Having down pressure that lifts the front tires of the ground just a tad, I found out back dragging w/ the FEL does a good job.

Also the down pressure comes in handy lifting the front tires when stuck,and have to fill in the holes. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Looks like Bird cover it very well about the float & lifting the front. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif


Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[glennmac]

bsauter-

Why do you have a 2910 and a 3010? Several people have more than one tractor, but having two that are adjacent in the current lineup seems unusual. I think I remember a post by you in which you expressed a strong preference for the 3010 over the 2910. Just curious.

Glenn

 

[roysallis]

Since I do not have a 4wd the ability to curl the FEL to lift the front end and push the tractor backwards has come in handy for me several times when I have had the back wheels stuck.

 

[bsauter]

Hi Glenn

I don't have the B2910 anymore. I had it for 22 hours and decided I wanted a heavier tractor. It was a huge difference in the feel, comfort and operational capabilities for what I needed even though they are close in HP. I had a couple problems with the B2910 and the dealer and Kubota offered to take it back. I am also much more comfortable with the larger operating deck of the L series. You're right, if I could justify having to tractors I would have kept the B2910 for it's small size and got something like a 3710 but I had to comprimise and go the in between route. Heck, I'd love to have a barn full of Kubota's!!!

Brad, Kubota L3010HST, loader, R4 tires
Pictures at http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=179207&a=9183978

 

[glennmac]

I was pontificating yesterday from memory. This morning I played with the 2910. The wheels will lift at all bucket positions. They lift the least, about an inch, when the bucket is at maximum curl. I speculated yesterday that the bottom edge of the bucket would be vertical at about 90% dump. Actually, this happens at about 98% of dump on my FEL.

On a safety point, if you lift your front wheels with the FEL, you should be sure to apply the parking brake after they are lifted. I lift the wheels when I remove and install my 72" mid deck, and I am constantly worried about the tractor coming down when it is lifted. Obviously, setting the parking brake reduces this liklihood. Also, make sure you release the parking brake before you lower the wheels, because the tractor will move backward when the wheels are lowered (and forward, when lifted) with the FEL. If the brakes are locked, the tractor won't be able to move backward properly. You only release the parking brake, of course, when you are back seated on the tractor.

Glenn

 

[W5FL]

Glenn

With my old Massey, the brakes were so bad that pushing the bucket against the ground was the ONLY brakes it had to keep it from moving while hooking up to the 3 point, (The period doesn't work) Unfortunately it had a rear muffler and you nearly choked to death on diesel fumes while you were hooking it up

The geometry is a little different on many tractors and loaders, Everything about a loader is a compromise between depth that it can go below the front wheel ground level, how high it will lift, and how much it will lift, John Deere builds a loader with two seperate positions for the lift cylinders depending on what is most important to you,

My M6800 uses the LA1002 Kubota loader and probably names the positions, but one position raises, one lowers, one dumps, and one rolls the bucket back, I seldom use the float position, but found it useful when the bucket is slightly tipped back from level and you want to drive into the pile as deep as possible at ground level, Unfortunately termonology is not particularly important to me, so if I confuse things, please let me know, The manufacturer's marketing department try to name everything by some dumb terminolgy that they have invented, so someone looking at several different tractors will spend a lot of time trying to figure out several names for gear transmissions including synchro shift, collar shift and lots of similar names,

It is actually predicted that it will rain in Texas this weekend, We can sure use it, Fortunately rain is rain almost everywhere that it is not frozen on the way down! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Harv]

Greg -

I guess it's been explained to death at this point, but I don't want to be left out of the fun. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

My LB400 certainly lifts the front wheels off the ground no matter what position the bucket is in. That silly picture I posted shows wheel-raising in the "flat" position (see attachment). Don't worry that you weren't clear on the loader controls -- I didn't even realize it had a float position 'til I read some posts on this board (so much for my manual-reading retention /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif).

What surprises me now is how often I use both the float and the wheelie. I raise the wheels when a) I'm trying to compress and smooth the soil (or crushed limestone), and b) I want to seriously engage the ground, as in digging a ditch. For the latter, I stand the tractor up on the cutting edge of the bucket (close to 'dumped' position) and then power slowly forward at 'creep' speed. I also found this method works in reverse -- that is, I reach across to the far side of the ditch, stand on the cutting edge of the bucket and drag backwards. This gives better definition to that side of the ditch.

Glenn -
You were very clear in your explanation of bucket positions -- you sure you're a lawyer? /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Oh, yeah -- Greg, I know what you mean about the difference between a 2910 and a 3010 (maybe we shouldn't leave off the letter). I was originally confused about the differences between different tractors with similar horsepower. My L2500 has about the same hp as a B2710, but when I saw them in person there was no comparison. L's are simply bigger, heavier machines. I opted for the larger machine 'cuz I know how things shrink when you plop them down in the middle of 42 acres. I was right -- an 'M' wouldn't look out of place in the middle of that property.

Now I'm jealous 'cuz you got the size and the horsepower that I wanted. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[gerard]

Harv,
Sorry if this is obvious but your picture of backblading had an empty bucket so I thought I'd mention it. Next time you want to compress/backblade try getting a full load of material in the bucket and leave it there. This will give you an extra 400-500 lbs of down pressure and be more effective. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

Gerard, I recall even seeing a manual once that recommended doing your smoothing with a full load of material in the bucket. And you're right, of course, it does give you that extra pressure. The problem is with that comment to "leave it there." When I tried it I always managed to either forget and curl or dump the bucket, or decide to back up too fast, or one thing or another, and spill what I had in the bucket/w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif, so I abandoned that idea./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[Harv]

Gerard -

I thought about putting something in the bucket for weight, but a) with the bucket in the flat position I thought the material would fall out, and b) the material that was in the bucket is what I'm trying to compact.

What you suggest requires forethought and planning. I'm not that advanced yet. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif