New 425…Float feature…

[Modrob]

Whoa…I went to ask about float and totally forgot I already had!!
On our old 2001 model, I “accidentally” discovered the float feature, and started using it. (Any markings were worn away) It worked amazingly well, other than I had to start holding the stick in position. I don’t know why this new one acts much different—like you guys have said…it wants to drop and get run up on.
My main use for it is to lightly dig/smooth going forward. Maybe…it has something to do with the bar-tread tires? They’re a lot more “mushy” or “wiggly” so the unit doesn’t ride as smooth as our old unit with the turf tires…

 

[Modrob]

Minutes after my last post I decided to call Terry and ask about it—how it works and such.
He told me to always start the float task with the bucket about six inches off the ground (or more) then with a quick motion push the stick into float. He said the bucket will then automatically fall down to the ground level. I had been putting the bucket onto the ground first at close to the desired level. And…I may be looking at it wrong—in the past I was able to cut a very thin top off the ground, or maintain the cut to help eliminate my wash-board results…
I’ll give his suggestion a try…

 

[ponytug]

If the operator puts the lip too far into the soil, the force required to cut the soil loose increases to the point where the tractor will ride 70/over the bucket. So, if you find the tractor rising up over the bucket, I would try raising (curling) the bucket front edge slightly, to push the heel of the bucket down a little.

I wonder if your old 425 had enough resistance in the system to keep the float "stiffer" and enabling the tractor to take deeper shaves.

Personally, I don't use the bucket in float in forward motion. I haven't found that it works well on the soil we have here and the slopes we have. Moving forward to cut soil, I set the bucket lip at the level that I think is right, and then adjust the curl going forward to get enough cut in the right places without bogging things down.

I do use float using a partially open 4N1 bucket pulling the bucket in reverse. That shaves soil beautifully for me. The back blade of the bucket sets soil height, and adjusting the curl and bucket openness of the inner edge cuts soil into the bucket. That allows me to have a cutting edge nearly parallel to the soil surface for better cutting.

All the best,

Peter

 

[SpringHollow]

I am currently welding an 1850 adapter to a 1445(?) 4-in-1 bucket (I wanted the width to be as wide or wider than my tires).

Does the bucket bend if you hit a stubborn rock while cutting in reverse?

Ken

 

[ponytug]

I am currently welding an 1850 adapter to a 1445(?) 4-in-1 bucket (I wanted the width to be as wide or wider than my tires).

Does the bucket bend if you hit a stubborn rock while cutting in reverse?

Ken

I confess to bending the back portion of the bucket slightly on a few occasions, such as hitting things, and trying to get a strong grip to pull fence posts / trees. Opening the bucket until the movable section is vertical and pushing against an immovable object gets it back to flat. (I've used large stumps and retaining walls.) I accept any blame for not using the bucket "properly".

The back bucket edge does wear in the soil that we have here, so I did replace the edge with a boron steel (Bruxite) edge that was thicker (3/4"). That was a big improvement in bucket stiffness and resistance to wear. Full details here;

Bolt on blade for buckets

Just reading the description, the MET Impex looks like a high carbon steel.....very hard, but not very tough. If the bucket is wearing out from abrasion rather than impact it might be a good idea. If the wear out is more bending the other steel could be better choice. Boron tends to add...

www.tractorbynet.com

The boron steel needs to be kept hot for the entirety of the welding process to have full weld strength. (Preheat, weld, insulate for slow cooling) I used a helper to monitor temperatures during the welding and to apply more heat as needed. My million BTU torch came in handy.

All the best,

Peter

P.S. I haven't managed to bend the new Bruxite lip, yet.

 

[Modrob]

Update: I got some time in last few days to do a little more work. I tried Terry’s advice, and it pretty much took care of things. Still sometimes have a “run up onto the bucket” but I believe that’s because Im not starting with the bucket in the right position, causing it to dig in.

 

[bol4fun]

My 2017 425 doesn't float anything like it used to. I try to push it quickly forward to engage float and everything in between but it is really hit or miss....maybe 20 to 25 percent of the time, it works. It's very frustrating trying to level things out. Any tricks to get it to work better?

 

[bol4fun]

Update: I got some time in last few days to do a little more work. I tried Terry’s advice, and it pretty much took care of things. Still sometimes have a “run up onto the bucket” but I believe that’s because Im not starting with the bucket in the right position, causing it to dig in.

What did Terry tell you to do?

 

[ponytug]

My 2017 425 doesn't float anything like it used to. I try to push it quickly forward to engage float and everything in between but it is really hit or miss....maybe 20 to 25 percent of the time, it works. It's very frustrating trying to level things out. Any tricks to get it to work better?

If you have cleaned and lubricated the linkage, the valve may need to be cleaned. There is, IIRC a spring cartridge that might need cleaning, but I've never done it. I've cleaned the check valve in the valve assembly. Just get everything spotless, and then clean it again. Terry's comment to me was "open heart surgery clean".

All the best,

Peter

 

[Modrob]

What did Terry tell you to do?

Oops sorry just saw this…
He told me to raise bucket up about a foot or so, then move the joystick to the Float position. The bucket will drop down to a Float level. I was starting with it already flat on the ground and that’s when he said raise it up to start with. His directions made it much better, but I’m still having a little trouble at times. I believe it’s how I’m positioning my bucket that sometimes has me running up onto it…
Oops…I went back and read your post again…that might be similar to what was happening with my old one—I think the detent that held it in Float was bad or out-of-whack, but if I “jammed” it in and held it there, it usually worked. I figured at some point I’d need to take it apart and rebuild it…