Using FEL to dump trailer?

   / Using FEL to dump trailer? #11  
I used to pick up 2000# of Florida style pea rock with a small utility treailer all the time. The 4x8 trailer had 3' high removeable sides and I put 10-12 garbage cans in the trailer. When the rock was dumped into my trailer by the yard man, it filled all those trashcans and less than 15% went between them. Upon arriving home, I was able to wrestle them to the rear of the trailer and drop them to the ground. I then used a handtruck to move the trashcans which each weighed less than 200#. This was before I bought a tractor. I would be very leary of lifting the tongue more than 6" above its normal position. That sounds like a recipe for a bent tongue and ruined trailer. Round up whatever "containers" will fit on your trailer and use the FEL to remove them. A cheap pre-made container is a produce display pallet from a grocery store. It is a wood pallet with heavy duty 3' high cardboard sides. Pallets are plentiful and free all around here. Drive behind a shopping center and there are hundreds of pallets for free.
 
   / Using FEL to dump trailer? #12  
Try it with dirt at home first. Tongue weight should be 10% of the total so two tons of rock (including the trailer weight) would only make 400 lbs of tongue weight. Not a lot for a loader.

I intend to do this with slash and stumps since I want one burn area and have lots of slash piled up within the forest. Using a trailer would save thirty million trips with a bucket load of slash.

Let us know. I have seen photos of this on TBN where the trailer was loaded with clay soils and the clay wouldn't slide out of the trailer nomatter how high he lifted the tongue.
 
   / Using FEL to dump trailer? #13  
My concern is not for the loader capacity, but the trailer tongue construction. If it is an A frame heavy duty 2"x5" C or box channel with some reinforcing, then that is fine. 2"x3" C channel with no bracing may bend. I just bought my own new 16' dual axle trailer last month. During the shopping process I saw a huge variation in construction quality. I saw brand new trailers that would certainly bend under the loads described here. Oddly enough, prices do not match up with quality in trailers. Some of the highest priced ones I looked at were the cheapest made and had no brakes at all.

As far as the dirt or clay sticking to the trailer, a tarp laid down first will prevent that problem.
 
   / Using FEL to dump trailer?
  • Thread Starter
#14  
Thanks alot for the input so far. I'm leaning toward trying it and will post pictures for everyone when or if I do it. I was thinking along the lines of wrapping a chain around the tounge of the trailer and around the bucket of the loader and just seeing what happens.

Here are pictures of the trailer in question - I've already bought new chains and binders for the tractor so I don't need any comments on the broken straps in the pictures! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

http://padens.com/files/tractor/Kubota/Kubota_L4200_front.jpg

http://padens.com/files/tractor/Kubota/Kubota_L4200_rear.jpg

Thanks again for the input and keep the comments coming.
 
   / Using FEL to dump trailer? #15  
The tongue was designed to be able to withstand the tongue weight. Until you start lifting an axle off of the ground, the tongue is still working within it's design load. That trailer being dual axle is going to have the fulcrum way in the back so you'll have to lift the tongue pretty high. I would load it light the first time.
 
   / Using FEL to dump trailer? #16  
Regardless of how you do it, I don't think you'll get a huge angle before the rear of the trailer will be on the ground. Maybe enough to dump the gravel, but you may need to help it along some.

You tractor's owner manual may tell you how much rear ballast is required on the 3pt to achieve maximum loader lift. I wouldn't attempt to dump the trailer without having adequate weight on the rear. Don't leave a lot of distance between the loader and the chain so that you can control it better, and achieve enough lift. You're probably only going to be able to lift a short distance before the rear hits.

Go SLOWLY! Be ready to drop the FEL in the event of an unexpected happening and you should be fine.
John
 
   / Using FEL to dump trailer? #17  
I had the same idea about a month ago for a project I'm going to start. I need to move some dirt around. I'm already in the process of having a receiver tube welded to the top of my FEL bucket. I ordered a 10" drop ball mount so that I can drive the trailer around the yard (hitched to the FEL) while my backhoe is attached to the tractor. If the load isn't too big and things seem stable, I intend to dump loads by lifting the FEL as you describe. My trailer bed is only 8' long and has a nice edge on the back for tipping on. I even thought about setting up a rail tie or two on the ground at the dump site for the back edge to pivot on when I tip it up to dump. This would insure a level surface for the trailer to rest on and also keep the trailer that much higher off the ground to make it easier to dump the whole load. Let me know if I'm not making sense here, but it seems like it should work to me.
 
   / Using FEL to dump trailer? #18  
I would just use the FEL on the tractor and scoop it out the rear and distribute it where needed, You can build a ramp out of dirt.
 
   / Using FEL to dump trailer? #19  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( This would insure a level surface for the trailer to rest on and also keep the trailer that much higher off the ground to make it easier to dump the whole load. Let me know if I'm not making sense here, but it seems like it should work to me. )</font>
The only caveat I can think of with this senario is the possibility that as you raise the loader, the ball won't pivot properly as you get higher. You may get a binding before the trailer is high enough to dump.
John
 
   / Using FEL to dump trailer? #20  
I wouldn't do it. I think there are only two things that can happen here and neither one is good.
 

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