OK to max out loader? (ie use it to its MAX capability)

[beppington]

What I mean is, if you need to lift something that your loader can barely lift, do you go ahead & do it? Or do you try to only lift things that don't seem to be excessively straining it? That seem well within its capabilities.

For that matter, same question for other uses. If you need to push a tree over, & your tractor can barely do it, maybe pushes & pushes but ends up spinning the tires, do you do that? Or, do you try to hold back some?

I had a large, dead curved oak trunk I wanted to move, & I could get my forks under it, but the loader could barely lift it. It did lift it, but I mean barely. I went ahead & moved it about 100' to where I wanted it. I could've put it back down, chained it & dragged it, but decided to carry it. Just wondered how hard that kind of thing is on the tractor.

 

[strum456]

Drive really slowly when carrying that much weight in the bucket. I worry most about the front axle when doing stuff like that.

When pushing a tree over, put it in low gear and let the tractor do what it can. Avoid dumping the cluch, ramming and jerking. A little wheel spin will only hurt your ground...the tractor will be fine.

 

[Dmace]

Tractors, loaders, backhoes, etc... are all designed to perform much stronger than they do because they need to last. That's the reason for the pressure relief valves in the hydraulics. Your loader could lift more with a different relief setting but how long will the pistons hold up or the hydraulic pump, is there enough ballast, etc...
They turn down the power on these tractors enough to make them last a long time, your not harming a thing working it until it stops. It was designed to stop before it breaks.

 

[Baby Grand]

If you have enough ballast aft of the rear axle (on your TPH) then you don't have to worry about it and you can load the FEL right up to bypass without worry. Just keep it near the ground and your hand on the control lever when you're moving and go slow. Loading up the TPH with ballast unloads the front axle.

I stopped pushing trees with the tractor. Almost had a top land in my lap. Tree looked sound, too. Some kind of critter had a home in a cavity about halfway up that weakened the trunk. Couldn't see any hint of it from the ground, though.

 

[TripleR]

Pretty much in agreement with Dmace. I use all my stuff to the max and have all my life, that's why I buy it. So far no problems.

We do have some welds on our MF 375 FEL from loaning it to a relative who used it to ram with.

 

[90cummins]

I agree with the others and also use mine to the max with the factory pressure settings.
I made a set of HD pallet forks and have concrete ballast that approaches the lift capability of the 3ph secured to a pallet that I can pick up when needed for stability and traction when using the FEL.
The rear ballast takes a lot of strain off the front end and also reduces the need for 4wd.
One rule to avoid injury & breakage is to carry low, go slow & don't ram-it!

 

[JerryK]

Me, too...!!! Made a one ton concrete ballast for the rear when using the 2700 pound capacity loader. If you don't weigh down the rear, as you pick something heavy up with the loader... you transfer the weight of the load AND the tractor to the front axle.

 

[jinman]

I ascribe to the 80/20 rule. If you use your loader to its full capability 80% of the time, then you probably need a bigger tractor/loader, I actually think pushing to and beyond limits about 20% of the time is acceptable. Those are just my preference numbers and I think reflect my total loader use.

With most of compacts, the hydraulic system pressure relief and the hydraulic pump is isolated from the dual-remote loader valve when the joystick is centered. There is no relief valve in the loader lines nor in the joystick valves. If you carry a load near to the maximum lift capabilties, you can put stress loads on the hydraulic lines, hoses, and cylinders far above normal operating pressures. I have always wanted to "T" in a pressure gage in the lift arm "lift" side hydraulic circuit and then drive over rough terrain with a load. I think that would be an eye-opener, but I'd probably better use a 5000+ psi gage. If it is a liquid damped gage, I might not see the full spike either.

I agree that the pressure relief valve should protect the hydraulics when actively lifting or curling a load, however repeated lifting and shock loads with the joystick out of center position can feedback to the hydraulic pump. Last year when moving some big rocks that I could not lift with my loader bucket, I blew a seal in my hydraulic pump while using my rock bucket to try and nudge some big rocks across the ground. The pump's shaft seals finally gave up and started dumping hydraulic oil into the engine's crankcase. My relief valve is set at exactly 2500 psi, but it did not sufficiently protect my KYB brand hydraulic pump.

So from my experience, I'd say not to worry about overloading the hydraulics, but if you push your luck too often, you have to accept that you may have an unlucky event like I did.

 

[knightrider955]

You wont hurt your loader by maxing it out. I didnt even know tractors came with overload protection. Ive picked 2500 lbs up with my loader and never hit a limit. And its fine the ram trees. You have to do it fast though otherwise the trunk can snap halfway up and come back on top of you. I usually push the trunk as high as I can, back up and take off in 3 high. Works every time.

 

[nybirdman]

One thing I don't do any more is push over trees with the fel.Used to do it all the time;tried to push an old elm down,the top broke(widow maker) fell on to the lift arms of the loader.I was very lucky could have injured or killed me just as easy.

 

[beppington]

Thanks everyone :thumbsup:

My rear tires are loaded, & I have either the bush hog or the grading scraper on the back at all times.

When I push a tree, I do not ram it, ever, never, ever ... I very gently put the bucket against it, & while looking up at the tree top, & with my dad watching too, I push against it (if it won't go over that way, I know there's more root digging to do). I know there's still some danger, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. I also keep my tilt steering wheel & arm rest both up, & I sit on the front-left corner of my seat (have to be there anyway to look out & around the roof to see the tree top), so I can jump outta there if needed.

 

[pat32rf]

so I can jump outta there if needed.[/QUOTE]

I'd rather be hunckered down under my roof than trying to dodge a chunck of tree that is tumbling down towards me.....

With out HST units we can apply JUST enough pressure to see if things are going to work, we don't have to "ram" things....

 

[RaydaKub]

And its fine the ram trees. You have to do it fast though otherwise the trunk can snap halfway up and come back on top of you. I usually push the trunk as high as I can, back up and take off in 3 high. Works every time.

Sorry Knightrider, but I respectfully disagree. Simple physics would say that the sudden whack about 10 feet up is WAY WAY WAY more likely to cause that snap 1/2 way up.

Think about your neck as somebody rear ends your car. Ever hear of whiplash? This is the exact same thing, except usually your head doesn't fall off into the back seat. But the tree top can, and your tractor is sitting on the "floorboard" waiting to catch the "head".

 

[jenkinsph]

Sorry Knightrider, but I respectfully disagree. Simple physics would say that the sudden whack about 10 feet up is WAY WAY WAY more likely to cause that snap 1/2 way up.

Think about your neck as somebody rear ends your car. Ever hear of whiplash? This is the exact same thing, except usually your head doesn't fall off into the back seat. But the tree top can, and your tractor is sitting on the "floorboard" waiting to catch the "head".

Um, I think he was kidding.

 

[RaydaKub]

Um, I think he was kidding.

Based off discussion on another topic in a different thread, I assumed he wasn't.

And since newbies come browse these threads, I wouldn't want anybody to think that was ok.

 

[beppington]

Certainly wasn't obvious to me that he was kidding ... yeah, especially if someone comes along who doesn't know any better.

 

[devildog1]

Not sure if he was kidding or not but for sure he'll be back to tell us. As far as loader capacities and or three point lifts, follow manufacturers recommendations and you'll be ok. Most of us like to push the limits of all our stuff whether it's a firearm with hand loads or cars we drive close to red line, etc,etc. Just need to take it slow and easy , you'll know in your own mind if your pushing it to far.
DevilDog

 

[Ford tractor]

I won't admit to running at 110% of capacity, but lifting some heavy items I found that if you curl it up, then lift while curling down you can actually get stuff up that otherwise you wouldn't be able to budge.

 

[k0ua]

I too have found the limit many times on rocks and roots. As for pushing, I pick on the smaller trees, and look carefully for widow makers, and push with the Hydrostat gently, and very slowly. if it wont go, then get enough log chains to get further away than the tree is high and chain up high and pull over with the fixed drawbar. If that don't work, then keep digging. I would no more ram a tree with the tractor than I would with my shiny new truck. yuck..

James K0UA

 

[Deere Dude]

If I have to knock down a fairly straight tree I will put the bucket fairly high and start nudging the tree. If it won't move that way, I stop and dig around and try it again until it starts leaning. Once it starts leaning in one direction, I feel a lot more comfortable with it.
I don't know if this is an accurate statement or not, but with the tires filled and a weight box on and with the bucket planted high in a tree, and in low gear with the wheels spinning, a lot more torque can be put on the arms and cylinders than just by picking up something. That's a lot of force being put on something so I'm careful.

I have seen a video from this forum I believe, a man on a good sized tractor trying to knock a 4' stump over and he would actually start back about 10 feet or so and take a run at it. He did that quite a few times and it finally went over. I just wanted to climb into the u-tube and slap him one.:thumbdown::thumbdown: