lessons learned with laden loader

[heviduty]

Finally got the tractor I've wanted for years, 4wd, loader, hydro... First time using the loader, I was moving everything out of my shop a few weeks ago making room for my son's wedding rehearsal shindig. So I strapped a loaded cabinet and some other things to the bucket and backed out of the shop, heading to a temporary storage carport which was downhill a ways from the shop. As I started backing down the hill, slowly, adjusting the boom to keep the load close to the ground, I noticed I was speeding up. No problem, I just toed down on the hydro pedal a little. Nothing happened, except I kept going faster. I thought something must have gone wrong with the transmission, or the range selector slipped into neutral, or ...anyway, I was going faster, so I toed down hard on the hydro pedal and, nothing. Panicking, I looked down at the range selector and noticed my rear wheels were turning forward, so I slammed on the brakes. Eventually I realized what was happening and quickly lowered the boom, stopping just a few yards from the fence.

I learned two important lessons that day... no, three:

1) Tractors do not have rear brakes.

2) If you have hills and slopes, leave the 4wd engaged unless you are on pavement. Rear wheels do no good spinning in the air.

3) Storage cabinets can hold a tremendous amount of stuff in their drawers, which fly open and scatter their contents everywhere when you have to perform an emergency descent with your boom to stop rearward progress before backing through a fence on two wheels.

 

[Redneck in training]

Finally got the tractor I've wanted for years, 4wd, loader, hydro... First time using the loader, I was moving everything out of my shop a few weeks ago making room for my son's wedding rehearsal shindig. So I strapped a loaded cabinet and some other things to the bucket and backed out of the shop, heading to a temporary storage carport which was downhill a ways from the shop. As I started backing down the hill, slowly, adjusting the boom to keep the load close to the ground, I noticed I was speeding up. No problem, I just toed down on the hydro pedal a little. Nothing happened, except I kept going faster. I thought something must have gone wrong with the transmission, or the range selector slipped into neutral, or ...anyway, I was going faster, so I toed down hard on the hydro pedal and, nothing. Panicking, I looked down at the range selector and noticed my rear wheels were turning forward, so I slammed on the brakes. Eventually I realized what was happening and quickly lowered the boom, stopping just a few yards from the fence.

I learned two important lessons that day... no, three:

1) Tractors do not have rear brakes.

2) If you have hills and slopes, leave the 4wd engaged unless you are on pavement. Rear wheels do no good spinning in the air.

3) Storage cabinets can hold a tremendous amount of stuff in their drawers, which fly open and scatter their contents everywhere when you have to perform an emergency descent with your boom to stop rearward progress before backing through a fence on two wheels.

Welcome to the club. Good you didn't damage anything. I leave my tractor in 4WD most of the time just because I learned the same lesson few years back. If you have a box blade use it as rear ballast (in addition to 4WD).

 

[Gary Fowler]

1) Tractors actually have rear brakes, just dont work too well when heavily loaded on the front wheels.
2) ALWAYS use 4 wd when using the FEL so you can avoid the rear wheel in the air syndrome

My personal experience, dont try to back out of a pile if dirt with the loader bucket still stuck in the pile. Once I got a big bucket of dirt and the FEL bucket wouldnt come up and break out the big pile, so I decide that I would back up with it and lift it out at the same time. Well I ended up rather quickly with the rear wheels about 3 feet in the air. Grabbed the clutch as fast as I could and got a knot on my head when it hit the top of my cab when the tractor wheels came back down. Wasnt much danger of turning over unless the FEL frame buckled but it sure scared the crap out of me. I dont do that anymore.

 

[DieselMonk]

Always use 4WD when you have something heavy up front and add some balast on the rear. like a backhoe or a mower deck, to keep the rear planted down.

 

[ENG18LT]

Ballast the rear tires, makes a big difference.

 

[RoyJackson]

Put enough ballast on the 3PH so those rear tires stay on the surface.
Tie those drawers shut before moving the cabinets.

 

[k0ua]

Yep get your tires loaded and get some rear ballast, Heavy boxblade, or buy or make a ballast box. Good thing you were on more or less flat ground and you load was balanced left to right, because if you were on a slope the tractor would tend to want to tip over as the front axle is on a pivot pin, and with your rears in the air, it is free to tilt in either direction. If you get a chance, perform this experiment: without any ballast or loaded tires, find a rock shelf or some other immovable object you cannot lift. and hook your left front edge of the bucket under it and operate the lift function of your loader. Now watch your right rear tire come up off of the ground as your whole tractor frame tilts. Now hook the right front edge of the bucket under it and watch as your left rear tire comes up off of the ground. If you balance the load by hooking the center lip of the bucket under the ledge, both of the rear tires will come up off of the ground..This is what you did. Staying in 4WD will help prevent the runaway condition you experienced, but you still need ballast bigtime.


James K0UA

 

[radioman]

just chalk it up lesson learned and hopefully another newbie will take heed. :thumbsup: hopefully you found everything that flew out of the drawers ..:laughing:

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Lesson number 4 should be added on there is tractor seats can stain.
I am glad that you are alright.

 

[heviduty]

"1) Tractors actually have rear brakes, just dont work too well when heavily loaded on the front wheels."

I meant to say tractors don't have front brakes.

Lesson 5) read over my post before submitting it.

 

[k0ua]

"1) Tractors actually have rear brakes, just dont work too well when heavily loaded on the front wheels."

I meant to say tractors don't have front brakes.

Lesson 5) read over my post before submitting it.

if it any consolation, I took a ride down a steep road covered with Gravel in the 2WD mode once with a heavy load in the bucket. I learned real quick about 4WD and having some braking action and more contact patch. This was just engine braking that caused the rears to slip and loose traction. Not enough ballast on back. I had some, a rotary cutter, but it was not enough to keep the rears from being a little "light". These are the type of lessons that stick with you, and you are not liable to forget. Glad all is well, and the laundry bill is the only casualty

James K0UA

 

[heviduty]

Ballast the rear tires, makes a big difference.

The tires are ballasted. I plan to purchase a box blade, which should help the situation. I have a friend who told me he leaves a Bush Hog attached for ballast. I should have taken the hint. Oh, well, we live and learn... if we live through it.

 

[sandman2234]

Too soon old, too late smart comes to mind. Remember that adding rear ballast doesn't increase the tractors capacity, only allows you to manage it better. Overloading will bring a post about broken front axle or gears next, and those parts are never cheap.
Glad all ended up well!!!
David from jax

 

[k0ua]

The tires are ballasted. I plan to purchase a box blade, which should help the situation. I have a friend who told me he leaves a Bush Hog attached for ballast. I should have taken the hint. Oh, well, we live and learn... if we live through it.

Now you can take this piece of advice or not, it is up to you, and there is disagreement on this forum on what I am about to say. The Bush Hog, or what ever else you hang out on the back will help a lot, and If you operate in open country all the time and not around buildings and trees, it is fine, but If you operate in "close" quarters all the time, like I do, you will cuss that thing hanging on the back every time you ram it into a tree, and scrape the side out of a building.. Get or Make a ballast box, that tucks in close to the rear of the tractor and has the recommended weight for your tractor/loader combination. Mine weighs 750lbs, and often has a lot of chain and tools in it so more like 800. It is on the light side for the capabliity's of my new tractor, as it was built with the last tractor in mind. Others will disagree, and say "I am not going to pack a useless implement around" well, I disagree and say it is not useless. It is helping to save your life and keep your tractor sheetmetal unblemished. Good luck.

James K0UA

 

[RoyJackson]

Now you can take this piece of advice or not, it is up to you, and there is disagreement on this forum on what I am about to say. The Bush Hog, or what ever else you hang out on the back will help a lot, and If you operate in open country all the time and not around buildings and trees, it is fine, but If you operate in "close" quarters all the time, like I do, you will cuss that thing hanging on the back every time you ram it into a tree, and scrape the side out of a building.. Get or Make a ballast box...

James K0UA

I agree 100%.
Most implements aren't really heavy enough. A cutter might come close, but what a PITA they can be to maneuver.

 

[soulasphil]

I think that when carrying heavy weights with the FEL you need a lot of ballast at the back. It also makes the tractor much easier to handle.

 

[heviduty]

As mentioned earlier, the rear wheels are ballasted, but In light of the replies, I reread my loader manual and where I thought it said "...rear ballast should be added to the rear of the tractor in the form of 3-point counter weight or rear wheel ballast.", what it actually says is "...rear ballast should be added to the rear of the tractor in the form of 3-point counter weight and rear wheel ballast."

Now I must add "make/get ballast box" to my list of newbie tractor owner things to do.

Thanks to all who responded with the good advice.

 

[RoyJackson]

Minor addendum, if someone hasn't already suggested it, is inflate your front tires to the maximum before any loader work.
I haven't had a front tire roll off the rim yet...but it was pretty close ONE time...

 

[tonyoz]

A good rear weight can be made out of a oil drum. Punch a hole in each end and incert a rod right threw (rod should be the same size as your 3pt),then fill the drum with concrete. It's cheap and works a dream.

 

[k0ua]

Here is mine, made out a a 55 gallon drum, (had Chinese apple juice in it):

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/199329-look-what-i-built-today.html

Obviously it is on my old 'bota and has a sprayer hangin off of the two inch hitch receiver in the rear. and shows the tool pipes I put in it.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...94-rear-ballast-gentlemen-rear-ballast-3.html

Post 26 has some good pix and post 21 has a description. Good Luck

James K0UA