Tips for Using the Bucket?

   / Tips for Using the Bucket? #61  
Lauren,

Nice setup and rig - you seem to have all the tools for the 4 seasons. That Grattex is an impressive piece of equipment.
 
   / Tips for Using the Bucket? #62  
Thanks Carl. I'll be adding A/C to the cab in April and then I intend to give my wallet a rest and just focus on making some money with the L45. It has taken me some time and some $$$$ to get to the point where I have the tractor that will do everything I need it to do. It has been a pleasant learning experience and I have had a lot of help from folks here on TBN.

Lauren
 
   / Tips for Using the Bucket? #63  
Would loading my rear tires help?

ac

Not really...helps with stability (and I do recommend filling the tires) and some extra traction...but you really need chains.
 
   / Tips for Using the Bucket? #64  
That Grattex blade looks nice, I can see why you went for it. And the L45 is a very, very nice machine to put it on.
 
   / Tips for Using the Bucket? #65  
I grew up on a small farm in Southern Illinois where we had usually not less than 7 tractors in the shed at any given time. From small (24hp) to medium (65hp) tractors, some wide front end some narrow front. No FEL utility tractors like today. We've since sold the farm and I live in town but lend a hand to the kids on 16 acres so I have a new JD2320 and I only wish we had tractors like that back then. We just had 6 inches of wet snow from the storm going through to the East Coast and I mounted a 6 foot rear blade with the FEL and R4 tires. I pushed this wet snow with the FEL much better than using the rear blade, however, the rear blade provided the weight for traction. In all of the tractors we used over the years for moving snow, no matter the size of the tractor, having weight for traction on both ends works better. As for chains, there is a time for those but I would consider them as the last resort. Chains can present problems as well and are not a one size fits all occasions solution. In the winter of 76-77 we had a severe cold and huge amount of snow. Roads in this area drifted to over the hoods of 4 wheels Blazers, temps were 10 below zero, 30 mph winds. Chains slip in snow and freeze to the tires, then the frozen chains packed in more snow and it froze. The best tractor we had was a AC D17 with a 4 bottom mounted plow, it went through the snow, the other tractors couldn't get off the frozen snow.
Today I used the JD2320 and shoved wet snow on the side walk until I ran out of side walk, (about 300 feet), then shoved it in a pile. I went real slow, FEL down, edge level. Behind me the sidewalk was clear in one pass. The wet snow rolled up in the FEL and fell back into the bucket, out front, maybe 8 feet of wet snow moving ahead of the FEL. No chains, R4 tires in 4 wheel assist, no slipping just slow and steady. Throttle down low and when I hit a section of uneven concrete, the tractor would stop without too much of a jolt. I never met the limit to push because I ran out of walk way. Using the blade was another story, yes, it didn't work upgrade as I would spin out. On the level with the rear blade angled to let the wet snow roll away, it worked OK but for side walk work that wasn't near as good as the FEL. Even weight, front and rear and practice with the equipment is key.
After I spent time clearing the walkway, along comes a truck and trailer. This guy unloads the biggest Skid Steer I've ever seen, it looked like the size of an M1 tank. Crawler tracks and a huge snow plow blade, I quietly put my humble toy back in the shed.
 
   / Tips for Using the Bucket? #66  
Nice post Broken Axle46.:) There is always a bigger dog joining the pack but your JD2320 was getting the job done so it certainly is not a toy.
 
   / Tips for Using the Bucket?
  • Thread Starter
#67  
We got another ~4" of snow last night. I plowed the driveway with the plow truck and then took to the tractor to clean up the areas the truck doesn't do well and to push back the banks.

I am definitely getting better. I am finding that float works best with the bucket angled driving in reverse. I can peel snow away from the front of the garages very nicely.

Going forward I angle the bucket a bit more shallow and drive forward modulating the down pressure to keep the front wheels steering and driving.

ac
 

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