Whoa Baby - Too heavy

[SteveH_CT]

I just want to share with all the other new users out there... maybe some of you experienced guys have done this. I chained a large root ball to my FEL Saturday. The darn thing was so heavy it pulled my front wheels off the ground for a moment when I was pulling it out of the hole. Anyway, while I had it lifted with the FEL - just high enough to move it - one of my wheels hit a depression, the load shifts, and my tractor starts getting a tilt towards the left. Well I dropped the load quick enough and I avoided anything worse happening. I shifted the BH over to the right to counter balance the load - this worked OK.

Well I got it to the pile and with great relief I dropped it and ran. So I just wanted to relate this to say how important it is to keep a heavy load low, well balanced, and watch how level your ground is. I can't tell you the feeling I had when the tractor started to lean... it's a big old wake-up call. Accidents happen quickly, even when it seems like you're moving real slow.

Take Care,

 

[Bird]

Steve, I'm trying to imagine how chaining it to the FEL could lift the front wheels off the ground. Did you mean rear wheels (which I've done) or am I missing something?

 

[SteveH_CT]

Good Morning, Yes - My explanation wasn't too clear. 1st I pulled the root ball out of the hole... that's when the front wheels came off the ground. It was right on the edge where I had left it after working it out with the BH. I left the BH arm curled around it so I could drag it away a 1' or so - just enough to maker sure the beastie didn't fall back in again. As I inched forward the thing didn't want to move at 1st and I did the aforementioned Wheelie.

Once it was clear I chained it to the FEL. Thats when the real fun began! I know what I did wrong now - I should have had the FEL bucket under it as much as possible and then chained it to the bucket. Instead I had the bucket about 18" off the ground - ran the chains around the roots then hooked onto the FEL. As a result my FEL bucket was about 4' high when the root ball lifted... bad plan... very bad plan. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Hopefully that clears it up - it's all part of the "earn while you learn" education that I'm doing with the Deere. If they had classes around here I think I could benefit greatly from them. I'd like to know a lot more about these machines.

Thanks,

 

[Bird]

Steve, these little tractors are lots of fun and get lots of work done, too, but I'll bet most of us have scared a few years off our lives with them. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[jpr62902]

I did the same thing with a 9' pine I was moving for a neighbor. I was carrying it the same way you were with that root ball. Turned on to the driveway, which was raised about 1 1/2 " and the BX starts slowly going up on 2 wheels. Dropped the FEL right quick. I'm now researching FEL mounted pallet forks for my future tree moving endeavors. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[SteveH_CT]

Good Idea. I have a toothbar on order, and it will help with picking up the gnarly stuff like this. More than anything though - I learned, keep it low!

ps - glad to know I'm not the 1st to do that move /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[MossRoad]

On Saturday I was popping out roots with my pallet forks. I jam them into the ground under the roots and then lift. I had them burried under some giant roots and stepped on the reverse pedal. The rear wheels come up real fast and you look at the ground coming at you(remember, I'm sitting in front of the engine on this thing). So, I slap the FEL into float and down goes the rear end. Makes for a fun ride. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Always wear my seat belt. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[AndyMA]

MossRoad

Maybe a PowerTrack is different but I am presently rebuilding a loader cylinder that blew it's packing on a Ford 2120 by using forks in the way you describe. It's incredible the leverage in the wrong direction this type of operation can apply. I'm $35 and about 8 hours into the rebuild (yes the cylinder came apart hard) into the rebuild and not done yet.

Andy

 

[MossRoad]

The little PT is very light and the hydraulics are very strong. Couple the locked in the ground forks with the 4WD front tires and you can stand them on their noses pretty darn quick.

Also, it has enough power in the curl to bend the forks should you get it somewhere that has no give. I did it once while messing with some large, heavy steel implements and wedged it in there. I curled when I should have backed out and it actually bent one of the forks up about 4 inches.

Very powerful for such a small tractor.

 

[frank_f15]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( glad to know I'm not the 1st to do that move )</font>

NOPE, u ain't the first and most certainly not the last /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif early last fall i was moving some dirt from one spot to another, just going low and slow, and the rear whell would hit a little depression and u swear the whole thing was going over. of course it was not really going anywhere but it sure does get your attention REAL quick /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif