Need quick answer to bucket question...

Tractor Factor · Nov 23, 2008

Hi everyone, I've got a guy who's going to weld the steel blocks that come with the Markham toothbar on to the front end bucket of my BX25 tomorrow morning. I want to take the bucket off and drive it over to his shop in the back of my truck because I don't own a trailer.

Manual shows how to take the whole loader off, but says to do it on the ground. Does this mean I shouldn't try it on the back of my pickup? I'd rather just take the bucket off the loader, but I'm not sure how to go about it.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Riptide23 · Nov 23, 2008

Have never just dropped the bucket on my FEL, but I have pulled the BH bucket off before...

Nothing to it. Just pull the cotter pins and keeper pins, and knock the pivot pins out. Make sure there's no binding or tension on the pins. And don't flare the pivot pins over. I drifted them out using a pipe a hair smaller than the pivot pin.

You might want to rest the bucket in the truck prior to removal, because I bet the bucket weighs quite a bit by itself. ANd if you relax the hydraulics to get the pins out, be aware that the FEL arms might drop suddenly when you drift the last pin out. I would imagine you'll have to jiggle the FEL lever a little as you work to get the pins unbound, if that makes any sense.

While the pins are out, make sure there's no paint in the bucket bosses, and everything is nice and smooth. Might want to hit the zerks with grease prior to trying to remove the pins, alhtough with your tractor brand new, they're probably fine...

You can do it.

Tractor Factor · Nov 23, 2008

Thanks Rip. Think I'll do it on the ground, just like the manual says. I was having a major "doh" moment, thinking "how will I get the loader and bucket up on to the back of the truck from the ground"...

Then I remembered...

I have a backhoe (slaps forehead)!

This is what you get when you've gone years without a machine like this. You keep forgetting that you've got all kinds of capability now.