Help a tractor newbie with a FEL

[SugarCubes]

Thanks to the advice given here, I purchased a little Kubota BX last weekend with a FEL and drive over 60" mowing deck. So far, I’m absolutely loving it, but I am looking for tips and tricks for learning how to get better with the FEL.

I’ve been mucking stalls directly into the bucket and have done just fine driving it back to the manure pile and dumping the bucket, but I am terrible at trying to “scoop” things up with the bucket, like manure in the paddocks. Today, I wanted to try to dig out some of the mucky mud right in front of the manure pile and get down to firmer ground but I barely got anything in the bucket and gave up.

There are areas of the gravel driveway where water pools after a hard rain that I’d like to fix at some point, but I need to improve my skills a LOT before taking that on, and we are having topsoil delivered next week and I’d like to be competent enough with the FEL by then to scoop and spread it! Any tips or tricks to help a girl out?

[gumtree]

Just about any first time users will gain a whole new respect for those who make it look easy.

It’s a learning curve. A longer one for some than others. When I have friends around and they watch how quickly I can compact and “mound” our rather big manure pile and then I let them have a go out it. They are shocked at how difficult it is.

My bucket is operated by a “joy stick” so it is kind of like a video game. But it takes a while to get used to “pushing/pulling and rolling/rotating” your wrist to become fluent and smooth all in one motion. The bucket moves smooth and exacting.

Digging takes a combination of bucket angle and moving the tractor at the same time. Steep bucket angle low range 4WD moving forward as the bucket digs in and then “rolling” the bucket up. To get deep and really dig in the front wheels of my tractor maybe raised off the ground at first and settling back on to the front wheels by pulling back on the joy stick to the desired depth.

Even with 4WD a tractor can get bogged down in soft ground. But it can be pulled, “crabbed walked” out with the bucket. This takes a bit of practice.

It is best to find a place on the property to “play” and learn on before trying to do things where you most likely will tear up things and make it worse then better.

The learning curve on a FEL is a lot easier than a backhoe. Once one has it down there are a LOT of things one can do with a FEL then just digging up something or moving piles around.

Practice makes perfect.

[GoForAGallop]

Keep in mind with a little wee thing like that, you may just not have the power/leverage/weight you’ll need for certain tasks. Even my 80hp Belarus FEL is sometimes stumped.

But you should certainly be able to grab some bucketloads out of piles. Just keep practicing! Shoving the manure pile around is a great place to start.

[SugarCubes]

@gumtree;8610670

Just about any first time users will gain a whole new respect for those who make it look easy.

It’s a learning curve. A longer one for some than others. When I have friends around and they watch how quickly I can compact and “mound” our rather big manure pile and then I let them have a are shocked at how difficult it is.

Ain’t that the truth :lol:! I had a feeling I would need an area I could destroy in order to “play”, so at least I was smart enough to practice in the woods where my mess is hidden! I think I’ll be practicing moving things back there for quite a few days until my skills improve!

Thanks for the tips, I was concerned when I would dig in and feel the tractor kind of resist…do I tip the bucket up a little when that happens or hit the gas a bit? Or is it kind of a combo, roll the bucket up a little and drive forward?

[DHCarrotfeeder]

The major technique points are mentioned already.

It should also be mentioned that tractor buckets do a terrible job at scooping up a single bucket worth of material. The bucket only loads up by having more material to push against. So if you empty a pile of 30 bucketloads, you’ll truck along until the last 1 or 2. At that point I actually park the bucket and shovel the last bit in.

Also take note if your loader has a level indicator. This shows when the bottom edge of the loader bucket is level to the ground when it’s down. The indicator matters since you can’t really see from your seat, and if the angle isn’t right it will ride over or dig in too hard.

Take care to not try to remove every last bit of material - the tractor can easily scrape away the ground. For a manure pile this is trouble since you can skim your ground until the manure pile is below grade. When it doubt leave a bit on the surface.

David

[goodhors]

It really is all about practice, time spent just doing it, that will increase your skills with the FEL.

It does seem like the little things, manure piles in paddock are really hard to get up with the loader. Sometimes you just CAN’T do that with the machine.

Other tricks like dragging backwards with the edge down, are going to work better for you in certain applications. like smoothing out lumps, or making a pile to scoop up for removal.

I have probably 80+ hours of just FEL work with mine, certainly not a great expert yet. Better than before, paddocks look good, dirt moving to fill holes, but not always nice and smooth on the first pass, have to come back again. I don’t have a manure pile, we spread it daily in the spreader. But I have cleaned stalls into the FEL to use bedding to cover lumpy spots, kill and rot stumps faster, so how I spread can be important there.

Read your manual, especially the parts telling you how to BE SAFE. I am constantly amazed at how many folks drive around with the bucket way up off the ground or in the air, just mowing!! This is asking for trouble, especially if bucket is loaded, it throws off the whole dynamic of balance on corners, turns, control of the tractor. You travel with bucket tipped up, carried as low as possible without hitting the dirt, loaded or unloaded while traveling places, to be safe and in control.

I got that same information while training with Fork Trucks. Forks and load carried to your destination as low as possible, to prevent tipping the Fork Truck over with weight leverage being too high. People get badly hurt when tipped, usually the machine lands on them BECAUSE they are not wearing their seatbelt with the ROPS. Tractors are machines, they don’t care about you, so take the time to do things right, be safe.

You may want to invest in a box of ear plugs, wear them EVERY TIME you drive the tractor. Save your hearing for your old age. I have found the foamy ear plugs to be rated higher protection than the ear muff type protection. Also does not hurt my jaw nerves like the ear muff styles will.

[sk_pacer]

One thing to learn to do is keep an eye on the bucket level rod - should be a line on it that, when set to the top of the rod holder, the bucket will be level. Otherwise, practice…you will eventually learn how to remove the top layer of sod, scoop up things on the ground without shovelling the last bit by hand and back-blade with the bucket to level ruts and bumps on your driveway but that one is tougher to learn as it requires going backwards at a decent rate of speed and using the edge of the bucket to move material.

I learned to use the bucket on an older Bobcat where you use foot pedals to alter tilt and height of the bucket; for the first couple of years I had the joystick, I would still look frantically for the pedals if I got into a tough spot.

[Frog_Pond]

[QUOTE=gumtree;8610670]
Just about any first time users will gain a whole new respect for those who make it look easy. [/QUOTE]
I haven’t driven a tractor in decades, but I bought a 4wd Gator with a hydraulic plow a few months ago and learning to plow snow & push the manure pile back has been much more of a learning experience than I expected :lol: Let’s just say I have some work to do with an iron rake out there, putting the driveway gravel back where it belongs, and unrolling a few curly-q’s of grass here and there!

Never explain, OP, that’s my tip for newbie drivers of farm tools :winkgrin:

[Miss_Motivation]

As everyone says, practice. And you can practice at the dinner table, by thinking about how you use your fork to pick up peas!

Easier to do when there are a lot of peas…

[Buford]

I don’t recall if a bx has a quick attach bucket, but forgetting/not latching properly can get people hurt when it lands in your lap. not to mention what it will do to the machine. As was said, youll see people sometimes run equipment with the loader at it’s highest point. If the bucket is loaded, or even not, this is dangerous if the machine is not heavily ballasted.

[sk_pacer]

Forgot one about safety - carry a loaded bucket low to the ground and only raise the bucket in safe areas.

[ReSomething]

I had a PIT license for a long time and I still can’t work an FEL worth a darn. For one thing the levers have too much play for my spoiled self.

Lower, level, slide in, tilt back, lift is the sequence for lifting pallets with a forklift. Level requires knowledge of the ground under you and what you are lifting as well or you’ll peel off your dirt outside, in a warehouse those wooden pallets require you don’t go too high or low or they self destruct and/or you punch holes in whatever is on the pallet - oooh icky mess. Always stay low, never travel across a significant slope with a large load, always up or down or at least at an angle. The new tractors have the seat cut offs and I know for the lighter people that can be a real nuisance when you hit a bump but it’s important to keep that safety feature. And for God’s sake don’t be like half the people around here and take your little kids for a ride on the side of the machine! Just one bounce!

There are scads of OSHA vids on youtube, but not enough for the small scale tractor operator IMO.

[airhorse]

It’s a loader, not a digger. Those utility buckets are just about useless at digging, and if it’s a small tractor, forget about it. To be effective, you really need a bobcat style bucket, preferably with teeth, and at least a 40HP tractor.

[Pocket_Pony]

[QUOTE=DHCarrotfeeder;8610710]
The major technique points are mentioned already.

It should also be mentioned that tractor buckets do a terrible job at scooping up a single bucket worth of material. The bucket only loads up by having more material to push against. So if you empty a pile of 30 bucketloads, you’ll truck along until the last 1 or 2. At that point I actually park the bucket and shovel the last bit in.

Also take note if your loader has a level indicator. This shows when the bottom edge of the loader bucket is level to the ground when it’s down. The indicator matters since you can’t really see from your seat, and if the angle isn’t right it will ride over or dig in too hard.

Take care to not try to remove every last bit of material - the tractor can easily scrape away the ground. For a manure pile this is trouble since you can skim your ground until the manure pile is below grade. When it doubt leave a bit on the surface.

David[/QUOTE]

Ditto.

When I’ve had a house sitter stay at my place I didn’t want them to drive the tractor so I’d have them dump the manure in a certain spot and I’d move it when I got back (the manure pile was too far away and up and down a hill to ask them to do it by hand). Using the bucket I could get most of it, but you end up sort of pushing stuff around, so the last bucket or two I’d have to scoop by hand. They aren’t for delicate refined work.

The only suggestion I can offer is to practice. Just like in riding horses, it is hard to describe how to get that “feel” that you are using the tools in a correct way to get the desired outcome. You need to develop your own feel and that only comes with practice (and mistakes).

[DHCarrotfeeder]

One more: when you’re making it move under heavy load (lifting by raising the arm, or lifting by curling the bucket), only make one directional movement at a time. Lift, then curl. Push the tractor in, but don’t lift at the same time if you have a hydrostatic transmission.

The valving and pumps that make things move are most efficient and powerful when they work alone. Most of the time it won’t matter but when the bucket is buried in a heavy pile take a little more time and make the lift and curl separately without a foot on the forward/reverse.

[Hilary]

It’s also helpful to have someone on the ground to tell you when the bucket is getting full, or that you are digging too deep/shallow etc. Have some hand signals for forward, stop, curl up, dump out etc. Stop is very important…

It’s definitely a skill that takes some practice.

[SugarCubes]

Thanks for the help and tips, all! I was wondering about that level indicator, now that I know what I’m looking at that is definitely helpful! So far I’m loving the bucket more for bring hay and water to the pasture and to muck stalls into than anything else, no more heavy lifting for this girl - woohoo :D!

[SugarCubes]

[QUOTE=Hilary;8612539]
It’s also helpful to have someone on the ground to tell you when the bucket is getting full, or that you are digging too deep/shallow etc. Have some hand signals for forward, stop, curl up, dump out etc. Stop is very important…

It’s definitely a skill that takes some practice.[/QUOTE]

YES!! I was actually going to have DH advise from the ground until I get a feel for what I’m picking up! I think that would be very helpful!

[Jim_in_PA]

As a very long term BX owner and user, I’m going to suggest to you that you also get some significant weight on the back to balance things better when you fill up that bucket as well as provide better traction. I happen to use my backhoe for that (mine is a BX22), but a weight box (relatively inexpensive to buy and fill with stone or to make from various things yourself) will balance things out nicely.

I’m hoping you got the ag/industrial tires, too…turf tires have minimal traction when trying to move material. The ag/industrial tires will work just fine for mowing as long as you are careful not to be in 4WD when mowing and don’t goose it around corners, especially on wet grass. If you have turf tires, it’s likely that your dealer will swap them out if you ask nicely…that’s what I did. My original one came with turfs and after about two weeks, it was clear that they were not the best choice for “real work”.

I’ve also found that the Pat’s quick change system for the 3PT makes swapping out attachments faster and easier and it’s something to consider as you add more and more “toys” to your arsenal.

[SugarCubes]

[QUOTE=Jim_in_PA;8612882]
As a very long term BX owner and user, I’m going to suggest to you that you also get some significant weight on the back to balance things better when you fill up that bucket as well as provide better traction. I happen to use my backhoe for that (mine is a BX22), but a weight box (relatively inexpensive to buy and fill with stone or to make from various things yourself) will balance things out nicely.

I’m hoping you got the ag/industrial tires, too…turf tires have minimal traction when trying to move material. The ag/industrial tires will work just fine for mowing as long as you are careful not to be in 4WD when mowing and don’t goose it around corners, especially on wet grass. If you have turf tires, it’s likely that your dealer will swap them out if you ask nicely…that’s what I did. My original one came with turfs and after about two weeks, it was clear that they were not the best choice for “real work”.

I’ve also found that the Pat’s quick change system for the 3PT makes swapping out attachments faster and easier and it’s something to consider as you add more and more “toys” to your arsenal.[/QUOTE]

Jim,
Is a ballast box a weight box? Is it just a box attaching to the 3 pt hitch acting as counterweight? Forgive my ignorance, but besides a backhoe, what other rear implements would be be a good counterweight…box blade? If yes, what is that good for? Again, I’m new to this whole thing so I don’t even know what half of the implements in the catalogue even do :lol: I’d rather buy a rear implement that can do things around the property other than just adding weight, if that makes sense.