Publishing Loader Capacity Numbers That Far Exceed The Capacity Of The Axles

[Sid Post]

One has to wonder if front axle “rating” is artificially low in that the manufacturer feels that if you load beyond the rating, the rear of the tractor may lift off the ground.
IOW A tractor may have a 5,000 lb front axle rating, but it is “de-rated” to 3,000lbs because if you fully loaded it, it would pull the back wheels off?

Sounds like my Kubota L4600. Even with water/beetjuice in the rear tires, it is too light for what the loader can lift.

 

[5030]

I look at the light rear as a good safety factor myself.

 

[rScotty]

Since I rarely have the occasion to haul weights in my bucket, I would like to know what a bucket full of dirt, sand, gravel, and firewood weighs. Those are the things I haul in my bucket. It is some information worth considering.

I didn't watch the video all the way, was there any mention of whether the hydraulics would lift that much? I always assumed (yeah, I know) that the hydraulic relief valves would keep me from overloading and damaging my tractor.

Doug in SW IA

You can certainly set the hydraulic relief valves at any pressure or lift force that you want. Relief valves are simple to set.

From the factory, I've noticed they seem to be set to not exceed the pressure ratings of the hydraulic components. Thats smart, and may be a valve, connector, or hose. Most compact/utility tractors use a grade of hydraulic component that has about a 2800 to 3000 psi max working rating. So the relief valve pressure you will see from the factory will be about ten to fifteen percent under that.

Curious mechanical TBNers can measure the pressure in most tractor systems with a $50 gauge. Or just leave the gauge permanently installed for interest.

rScotty

 

[rScotty]

My reaction to the video? Whatever. I was surprised Neal didn’t bash J.D. more but he refrained.

One point to be clear on, JD lists specific rear ballast requirements. He ignored that although I suspect it still overloads things by the axle specs. I owned a Kubota BX and currently own a JD 2025r. The 2025r has the same loader as the tractor in the video, just on a larger chassis, both the Kubota and the JD need ballast on the back.

I thought it was a pretty good video. My conclusions were roughly the same as yours. Its true that little tractors will usually lift more than its good for them.
Common sense keeps them from damage.

 

[dodge man]

One thing to keep in mind, loaded rear tires don’t help with the weight on the front axle. They do add to stability though.

My 2025r calls for loaded rear tires and something like 700 pounds of rear ballast. I probably have about 500 pounds in my ballast box plus rimguard in the tires. The bare tractor is something around 1900 pounds but by the time you add a loader, rimguard and ballast it’s around 3000 pounds.

Looking at the specs for my axle capacities is about 3800 pounds combined. I can lift around 800 pounds in the FEL but not to full height. That puts me right at those axle capacities.

 

[Sid Post]

I look at the light rear as a good safety factor myself.

That is a good way to tip or roll your tractor.

 

[Sid Post]

One thing to keep in mind, loaded rear tires don’t help with the weight on the front axle. They do add to stability though.

My 2025r calls for loaded rear tires and something like 700 pounds of rear ballast. I probably have about 500 pounds in my ballast box plus rimguard in the tires. The bare tractor is something around 1700 pounds but by the time you add a loader, rimguard and ballast it’s around 3000 pounds.

Yes, stability is often overlooked by new owners focused on engine Hp numbers and loader lift ratings without regard to overall stability on flat surfaces, ignoring the fact that they use them on less than perfect surfaces.

In my case, I take my loader bucket full of whatever to just high enough off the ground to clear the ground so my Cg is as low as possible. I have had to slam the bucket down to prevent a rollover once. The road I was on was crowned and the load shifted to one side and I was on 3-wheels before I knew what happened. Things like this go sideways extremely quickly and had I not slammed the loader joystick quickly to the ground with hydraulic pressure to hold the tractor, it could have been tragic.

 

[WinterDeere]

Since I rarely have the occasion to haul weights in my bucket, I would like to know what a bucket full of dirt, sand, gravel, and firewood weighs. Those are the things I haul in my bucket. It is some information worth considering.

There's wide variation in these materials, but as a general median:

Gravel = 2 tons per cubic yard
Sand = 1.4 tons per cubic yard
Dirt (dry/loose) = 1 ton per cubic yard

Figure for typical 1/4 yard buckets on 25 hp CUT's and 1/3 yard buckets on 40 hp CUT's. Not sure what buckets run on SCUT's, but probably something around 0.15 to 0.20 cu.yd.

 

[Sid Post]

There's wide variation in these materials, but as a general median:

Gravel = 2 tons per cubic yard
Sand = 1.4 tons per cubic yard
Dirt (dry/loose) = 1 ton per cubic yard

Figure for typical 1/4 yard buckets on 25 hp CUT's and 1/3 yard buckets on 40 hp CUT's. Not sure what buckets run on SCUT's, but probably something around 0.15 to 0.20 cu.yd.

Don't forget the weight of any rainwater in the material being lifted.

 

[WinterDeere]

Don't forget the weight of any rainwater in the material being lifted.

Yeah, that's why I spec'd "dry/loose" for dirt. Gravel won't hold much water, but sand is a toss-up.