Toothbar for FEL bucket

[DVerbarg]

ErnieB,

Thanks for the info. You got me trying to remember where and when I've seen tooth bars used. They have always been used while digging and only digging, with one exception. One guy used the toothbar to help spread gravel by dragging the bucket backwards very fast across the gravel. The action that was created was incredible and the effect was great for doing a rough grade. After that, he removed the toothbar and then used the cutting edge to finish grade the gravel.

The guy who did my basement excavation also used the teeth and the septic installer also used teeth to dig the septic field/tank areas.

Thanks for the thoughts!

DaveV

 

[W5FL]

Dave,

I don't have a toothbar on my bucket. I use the scarfiers on the boxblade for digging and it works well.

Teeth on a bucket will do two things. It will make it easier to dig and make it easier to tear up either the cylinders or the loader mounts. But, it will make it easier to dig out a pile like you are using as the toothbar will break up the pile easier than the edge of the bucket. If you study the geometry of the removable loaders, they are not nearly as strong to dig with as a boxblade with scarfiers.

 

[paccorti]

Dave,

Just thinking a bit more here. Do you have a good reason not to have ballast (want to tread real lightly)? I'm having a hard time thinking that ballast would upset the balance of the tractor. After all, ballast will keep the wheels from spinning in those low traction situations. If you have alot of traction (and the wheels won't spin) well ballast won't hurt there either. I have 600# of methanol in each rear tire plus two 75# wheel weights per rear tire. On top of it all I have a 660# rotary cutter hanging off the back. I've yet to even use the diff lock!

Do you live in VA. Plenty of clay around here... Please let us know what you do.

Peter

 

[DVerbarg]

Peter,

I will use the tractor for finish mowing after a have a finished yard so don't want the tractor to be "too" heavy. But after reading your comment and others, I am beginning to wonder if maybe I should use some tire ballast at least until the digging work is done.

I live in Illinois about 60 miles SW of Chicago. I am building a house on a corner of my parent's farm. (My parents grow alfalfa hay)

I expected the cost of excavation for the basement and removing 6 inches of black dirt from the driveway to cost around $4000 to $4500 based on the estimates I received. The bill came in at $7300/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. At that point the driveway was dug and the basement dug but there was 1300 cubic YARDS of clay and black dirt sitting in piles, very big piles! I asked, with trepidation, what it was going to cost to distribute those piles of dirt to the low areas and grade the construction site. The guy (in his defense - he does fabulous work) did not want to commit to a number but said that it would definitely be more than $5000 and thought that he would be less than $10000 /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif! After I peeled myself off the ground and lowered my voice I said "Thanks, I'll need to look at my budget. I'll get back to you." Wow, what an incentive to get your own toy /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif! I figured that I could apply that $10k to a new tractor (which I would have to spend anyway) and end up with a great deal on a piece of equipment that I would need long term anyway. Well, that started the search in earnest. This area is a JD area and looked at their units and was pretty set on getting a 4400 when my brother asked if I had looked at the other brands. Is there anything other than JD?! I remembered Kubota but could not find a dealer in my area and was told about NH (I have a Ford 9N, but knew that ford was swallowed up but someone). Found a NH dealer about 75 minutes away and really liked the new Boomer series (I'm not a Baby Boomer, I'm an Baby Boomer Baby). Ended up with a couple miffed JD dealers, who are only 20 minutes away, when I went with the NH TC40D w/supersteer. Love the unit and would do it again.

Now I am moving all that dirt and am trying to find the most efficient ways of doing it. Attached is a picture of just one of the dirt piles. It is difficult to get a sense of scale but the pile is about 60 ft wide and about 14 to 18 ft tall. There are five other piles, lotsa fun /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif!

Thanks for all your feedback!

DaveV

 

[gerard]

The 15-18 ft high you mention doesn't come across well in the picture so my suggestion is going to have less appeal but here's my thought anyway. When digging into the side it looks like your trying to dig in from the base (which is what usually works best for loose material to fill the bucket) The problem in your case is that due to all the weight of the material on top, the base material is the most compacted and the hardest to dig into. If you enter the pile with the loader higher you'll have a better chance of breaking the pile up. What you have to be careful of is not trying to push into the pile too much with the bucket too high because of the leverage action once the bucket gets too high, and, digging out too much from the side and having part of the pile collapse on your hood. You can also attack it from the side and keep whittling away. The height of the pile seems to be the biggest problem from a safety perspective because if you create a vertical wall 18 ft high by removing dirt you run the real risk of a slide/collapse and hurting your tractor and maybe yourself. Is there anyway to move the dirst to form a ramp so that you could drive to the top of the pile and work from the top, pushing forward and just keep working down the pile?

 

[paccorti]

Dave,

Your logic makes sense to me. I want to finish mow eventually too. However, my dealer insisted that ballast was necessary for any loader work. Here is one last thing to try (before ballast or a toothbar). Do you have anything heavier than the boxblade? Do you have a rotary cutter? My rotary cutter is heavy (660#) and it sticks way off the back. The combination (weight and leverage) really adds a LOT of traction to my machine. Today, just for kicks, I removed the rotary cutter while digging into some pretty hard packed stuff. I had a lot less traction. In fact for the first time I needed the diff lock. If you have a rotary cutter then try it as ballast.

Peter

 

[DVerbarg]

Peter,

I do have a rotary cutter, a 5'. I'll try that and if it is not enough weight I will then try using my parents rotary cutter, 7' woods. Unforntunately I cannot try it for a few days.

Today while pushing some logs around in some dense grass I ran over a log which angled up at exactly the wrong angle and broke off one of the hydraulic hoses from the steering system. The right tire will not steer at all. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif The dealer was closed for the day and I don't want to bother my dealer rep at home so I guess I'll just have to wait until Monday to get the replacement part.

Thanks for the idea! I'll I can do for now is try to imagine how it will work. Just like I did a couple months ago when I was waiting for the tractor to arrive.

DaveV

 

[DVerbarg]

Gerard,

Your idea just might work. I can try attacking the pile from the side and create a ramp. I'm not sure that I want to go to the top of the pile and then work down. It does not seem that it would be safe to be at the top of pile heading down. Would it seem more plausible to use the ramp to go half way up and then work the top 9' off, then retreat to the bottom and work from the base up? Is this what you were suggesting? I'm all open for ideas to make this safe and faster (and in that order /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)!

The picture was taken from a vantage point about 22 ft above the base of the pile which does not give a good perspective. If you look closely at the pict you can see the tires tracks which I think are about 18" wide.

DaveV

 

[Bradey]

Ouch, sorry to hear about your steering problem. Do you think the hydraulic hoses are particularly vulnerable or was it just a "freak" accident? Hope you're up and running soon.

 

[Keoke]

I got a tooth bar from Len, he is in your neck of the woods. Here is a former post from Len with the needed info.
Hope you luck.
george, keoke,
I handle a line of bolt on toothbars that are custom built to fit the thickness of the cutting edge. If the toothbar is properly installed the teeth should be pushing against the cutting edge , not the side runners. You may contact me at sheaftractor@coiinc.com or 815-284-3226 for more details.