Loader using fel

[wade simpson]

IN the manual for the kl120 it said not to tip the bucket fwd to pull earth while going backwards. It said it could damage the tipping cylinders. It seems as tho everyone does it tho. Is it a common sense issue or is there a good chance of damage?

 

[IslandTractor]

It is a standard backdragging technique to "dump" the bucket then drag it along in reverse. However, when you dump the bucket the dump cylinders are fully extended and therefore vulnerable. I recall that is the way damage can occur. Bottom line is that if you are backdragging loose soil/gravel/sand it should not be a problem but you would not want to snag a stump or curb as that could twist the bucket and potentially damage the dump cylinder. That is my read anyway.

 

[wade simpson]

That's the way I understand it as well. The earth I'm moving is a mixture of rocks, clay, and soil. I use the loader to drag the dirt of the the top of a rise then scoop it up. Works great but occasionally there are rocks that lift the fel as it drags over them.

Maybe I do more shovelling to loosen stuff up prior to dragging it down.

 

[IslandTractor]

Works great but occasionally there are rocks that lift the fel as it drags over them.
.

That won't hurt anything. It is slamming the bucket into a stump or curb that is more likely to do damage. Riding up over a rock as it is dragged along will not deliver a shock load.

 

[beenthere]

When you are dragging with the bucket and the curl cylinders are fully extended, they are in compression. When in compression, there is not much strength as they are acting like a column (thin column at that). If you catch something, that "column" can easily bend. If the bucket is not curled all the way back, then backdragging isn't as risky.
I do it, but am very careful and slow if I use the bucket edge like a blade. Moving forward, then these cylinders are in tension which is not a risk to bending them.
Just know the risks, and you should be ok.

 

[wade simpson]

That's great..Man, I really wasn't looking fwd to much more shoveling. I still have to shovel sometimes, big rocks roots, etc but at least not the whole job. Kept me in good shape...well..except my back..shoulders (smile).

 

[sld]

Can you back drag with the flat part of the bottom of the bucket instead of fully tipped? The results should be the same.

 

[wade simpson]

I was doing that at first but it wasn't very efficient. I only do the after I've dumped the dirt on the road. To loosen the dirt or remove overburden to get undisturbed dirt from the top of a rise or pile I have to bury the edge of the blade around 1 in then drag it. The bottom works great for flattening and slightly compressing the dumped load

 

[Gittyup]

One point that made not have been clear enough: back drag but do so without extending the cylinders (full dump) all the way out. The shorter the exposed cylinder (less dump angle), the less likely there is of damage. I've done it plenty, but never with more than about 50% of dump angle. Use common sense and don't push your macine to do things it wasn't meant to do.

 

[wade simpson]

I just read an article here about a fella that bent the half moon parts of the fel. There may have been another problem but it may have been partly caused by using the bucket to backdrag at too great a down angle. I think I'll try again with the bucket a little closer to parallel. In that discussion a down angle of 30 degrees was mentioned, perhaps a wiser method.

Thank you all for advice