Front-End Loader Worst things to do to a FEL

[Gale Hawkins]

I find the lines/hoses are not 'encased' to offer enought protection when using it to push over trees/brush.

The same goes of the hoe end too.

The flip side is the "hardened" units are a pain when a leak develops because you have to strip so much stuff to get to the problem.

 

[eray1066]

You should never use a FEL bucket before spending a day reinforcing it with wear strips on the bottom, side cutting edges, pipe along the top edge, hooks and reinforcing gussets at the pivots. A day and a half of welding 20 years ago and our Kubota 4150 FEL has only needed paint since.

 

[n8wrl]

DO exercise the Quick-Attach levers (if you have them) and keep them well-greased. Otherwise, they'll sieze up on you.

 

[pogobill]

Lots of good advise! I find that one should also practise operating the FEL in a smooth manner. Lifting or dropping a load quickly can pick those back wheels off the ground pretty quick. Also pay attention to the weight limitations when you read your manual.
If you are picking up a load, and your butt is grasping at your seat cover, the load is too heavy!

 

[Dr_Zinj]

You can do anything you want with an FEL.

But using one is like flying on the edge of the envelope. Slip outside, and things go bad, although you might be able to recover. Crash through the edge, and things go catastrophically bad in a hurry, and you've got no chance.

Unlike a truck-mounted snowplow, an FEL is NOT a high speed attachment. Use the lift or breaking capacity as a guestimate of how much abuse it can take.

My tractor weighs 3000 pounds. My FEL can lift 1032 pounds, and has a breakout force of 1571 pounds. Now if I hit something at 1 mph (about 1 and a half feet per second) with a sudden stop that takes 1 second, that translates as a force of 4485 pounds of force, 3 times the max breakout force of the loader, and 4 times it's lifting weight. You've blown through the normal use envelope right there. Now you're in the metal deformation, elasticity, and memory envelope, modified by how much give your hydraulics might have, and whether your tractor pitches up as the FEL gets forced under or over. Your FEL assembly has some spring to it, but it's not a tempered steel spring and it will deform permanently if you hit hard enough.

$3500 bucks is a lot of money to spend on a replacement, and that doesn't count damage to the tractor itself.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

You should never use a FEL bucket before spending a day reinforcing it with wear strips on the bottom, side cutting edges, pipe along the top edge, hooks and reinforcing gussets at the pivots. A day and a half of welding 20 years ago and our Kubota 4150 FEL has only needed paint since.

Good point to get it upgraded to industrial weight before bending/breaking it.

 

[rtd]

avc8130 - Both of my two loader equipped tractors have a float position. This means that the loader will 'float' over the surface it's on. There's no hydraulic down pressure, only gravity. You can't have the wheels off the ground in float position.

I will 'backblade' in float position, over a graded area with the bottom of the bucket only slightly above horizontal. This will do no damage to the equipment.

 

[Dirtstiff]

DO not dig with the loader bucket it is ment for loose materials only.


i also do not agree. If digging in a hard bank don't jack your bucket off. It tends to make the tires spin. Tires are expensive. When you hit the hard bank( not so hard it knocks you out of your seat ) pull up on the hoist till it stops then curl the bucket while maintaining pressure on the hoist, That works on loose material also. You will end up with a full bucket with less stress on the tractor. Also keep your bucket lubed. If you hear anything squeal its telling you to grease me now!

 

[jeepcj7]

don't ride the clutch - more people burn out the clutch trying to feather the tractor wit hthe clutch when filling the bucket. If you aren't shifting gears - keep your foot of the peddle.

 

[Eucr75]

Lot of good points here but one of the most important, and I think Dirtstiff may have been the first to mention it, is don't spin your tires and don't go flying into a pile of gravel or dirt in 8th gear lol. As soon as you begin to break traction, you loose your power; stop. Spinning your tires will accomplish you nothing but accelerating tire wear.

eray1066, another good point, but one thing I will add is be mindful on the positioning of wear plates especially on the bottom of the bucket. You'd be amazed of the slow damage you could do to the entire tractor and loader if you screw the bucket up. And trust me, I've seen it happen with our big 992 loaders at work because the welders positioned the wear plates incorrectly.