Tips for Using the Bucket?

[avc8130]

This morning we had some snow in North NJ. A pretty heavy pile, about 6-8". The first 4-6" were wet snow with ~1" of ice and then ~1" of pellets. I went to use the truck, but blew a hydraulic line on the angle cylinder about 1/2 way through. I figured, hey, I'll try the tractor. What a NIGHTMARE.

All I have is the standard 72" FEL bucket and R4 tires. I live on a paved drive with a few pretty serious hills.

1st problem: how do I use the bucket effectively? I would put it level and then try "float" as I saw in videos, but it would lift the front of the machine. So I tried manually using the bucket, but that either didn't get down to pavement or just dug.

2nd problem: R4 tires SUCK. I was slipping and sliding all over. The fronts wouldn't steer if the bucket was giving any resistance. I wound up sliding backwards 100 yards down one of the driveway hills. Luckily I was able to keep it straight. That was major pucker!

For the traction problem, I am thinking of siping the rear and getting chains for the fronts. I would sipe the front, but I know on my old machine the front tires were shot at ~600 hours and I think the siping would really accelerate that.

Thoughts/suggestions? I just learned today that my "backup plan" isn't very good :-(

ac

 

[5picker]

1st problem: how do I use the bucket effectively? I would put it level and then try "float" as I saw in videos, but it would lift the front of the machine. So I tried manually using the bucket, but that either didn't get down to pavement or just dug.

Your bucket shouldn't 'lift the front of the machine' if you truly have the FEL in the float position. As you found out, you will never be able to follow the contour of the drive/pavement in manual. Check to be sure you really have a float position and, that it is working.

2nd problem: R4 tires SUCK. I was slipping and sliding all over. The fronts wouldn't steer if the bucket was giving any resistance.

Nope, R4's especially on pavement can be slick. And again, if your bucket was lifting the load off the front tires, well... that made things way worse! Siping will help considerably but chains are the likely the best. They 'may' be hard on the pavement though depending on how you ramcat during operation.

I've found back-blading with the bucket in some places can be helpful before you try to go forward. I try to leave a smooth skim-coat on top and then 'float' with the bucket lip ever so slightly curled going forward.

It's a learning process... good luck!

 

[radioman]

You were not in float mode if the front of tires is off the ground except for the fact if you have bucket full of snow pushing and the tractor "pivoted" up. How can you tell if float is working? if you have a bump somewhere in driveway or ditch, put bucket over the bump as far as you can. then push lever past detent into float and "backdrag". you should see your FEL arms move up and down over the bump. If it does, then you know float is working properly and all your problem is that you were seeriously loaded with snow and the geometry made tractor pivot lifting tires off ground. In this case - you need to take it out of float and lift the bucket just a hair so the weight gets transfered to the front tires for better traction.

 

[Thomas]

"I've found back-blading with the bucket in some places can be helpful before you try to go forward."...good advice.

Under such condition try removing half or little more..traction.
Bucket 1" or so from ground back blade pulling rest..straight runs only.

 

[rmk700]

Lucky your drive is paved. I have rotomill tailings that I can very easily gouge into. You have to go real slow, control the bucket by feel. I have to curl the bucket up a tad to leave more snow than I really want too. FEL can do the job but it can be a pain.

 

[k0ua]

Like others have said, it takes a lot of practice. I wind up back blading a lot going down hill in reverse, and when you get piles of snow at the bottom, then carefully use the FEL to pick them up and dump over into the ravine.. Works for me. You can also go forward and "feather" the lip of the bucket manually just right, but it takes a lot of practice. The Siping of the tires helps quite a bit. Maybe not as good as chains, but definitely helpful.

James K0UA

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I just finished clearing my drive with my loader for the first time. Our driveway is about 100' X 25' with a side turn area about 20' x 20'. There is a slight grade up to the road. When we moved here, I first had a Farmall Cub with a blade, but that couldn't push heavier snow far enough to keep the driveway fully open during bad winters. I went to a blower on a Bolens diesel which worked OK; but came close to burying it several times and it didn't work well at all in some of the heavier wet snows we often get late in the year. The Bolens also had trouble going up the grade to the road, despite being FWD.
Now for the loader (on a Cub Cadet 6284). The snow came in warm and wet at first then piled up, so I had a wet layer on the bottom with more powdery snow toward the top--6 to 8 inches when I first plowed. The bucket cleared it all quite well. I used a slight down angle on the bucket, a bit more radical than what I'd use to dig, and floated the main arms. It worked like a charm. I back-bladed the walkway over the flagstone to the front to avoid digging. That's one place the blower did a better job. The only problem I encountered anywhere was soft ground at the edge of the driveway. I tore into that just like a plow did. By the end of the morning I had that pretty well figured out and was avoiding too much ripping of the sod.

 

[avc8130]

The bucket was definitely in float. My float functions. I would bring the bucket ~6" above the ground and then push the lever forward and it would fall to the ground, definitely float.

I'm not sure it really matters, without more traction I'm never going to be effective with the hills.

ac

 

[5picker]

The bucket was definitely in float. My float functions. I would bring the bucket ~6" above the ground and then push the lever forward and it would fall to the ground, definitely float.

Sounds like you should have been in the float position.
Make sure it stays in the float detent though... I know mine at times, will jump back to non-float from the bumps as I'm traversing the drive. I sometimes have to hold my hand on the joystick.

I'm not sure it really matters, without more traction I'm never going to be effective with the hills.

Yep... traction is KING!

 

[rmk700]

I'm not sure it really matters, without more traction I'm never going to be effective with the hills.

ac

Might be time for a set of tire chains.

 

[avc8130]

Sounds like you should have been in the float position.
Make sure it stays in the float detent though... I know mine at times, will jump back to non-float from the bumps as I'm traversing the drive. I sometimes have to hold my hand on the joystick.



Yep... traction is KING!

Would loading my rear tires help?

ac

 

[Thomas]

I notice BIG differents when my R4's were loaded..more so when it comes to dirt work.

 

[chim]

Was this the first time you used the tractor for snow removal? Your experiences with this snow are probably not representative of what is "normal". It sounds like your biggest problem was a layer of ice that kept you from getting traction. For the past 10 years my snow fighter was a Kubota B7500 wearing R4's with a loader and 6' rear blade. For the previous 10 years it was a Ford 1210 on R1's with a 5' rear blade. Both worked pretty well unless there was a layer of ice under the snow. The R4's worked well enough for me to order my L3200 with them. The snow missed us almost entirely yesterday.

 

[ugo4it]

I have a paved driveway and a hill to start on. The first time I plowed with my TLB110 was with R4 unloaded, I have a boxblade on that is 1000lbs. I could not do any thing to plow snow, I could not even move the tractor very well. I bought some chains (2 link) and plowed today and it makes all the difference. My tires are still unloaded with the boxblade on.

 

[avc8130]

Was this the first time you used the tractor for snow removal? Your experiences with this snow are probably not representative of what is "normal". It sounds like your biggest problem was a layer of ice that kept you from getting traction. For the past 10 years my snow fighter was a Kubota B7500 wearing R4's with a loader and 6' rear blade. For the previous 10 years it was a Ford 1210 on R1's with a 5' rear blade. Both worked pretty well unless there was a layer of ice under the snow. The R4's worked well enough for me to order my L3200 with them. The snow missed us almost entirely yesterday.

There wasn't really a layer of ice. It was just what was left over after the plow on the truck took its swipe before blowing the line.

 

[avc8130]

I have a paved driveway and a hill to start on. The first time I plowed with my TLB110 was with R4 unloaded, I have a boxblade on that is 1000lbs. I could not do any thing to plow snow, I could not even move the tractor very well. I bought some chains (2 link) and plowed today and it makes all the difference. My tires are still unloaded with the boxblade on.

Are you using 2 link on the front and rear? Where did you get them?

ac

 

[Mike_Kanzer]

I think chains would be the way to go.
I used to plow my gravel drive with a FEL and a back blade on my L3830 kubota. Had loaded R4's and it would slip all over the one significant hill on my driveway. Loading doesn't seem to give traction when there is ice or compacted snow. Now I use a John Deere gator XUV 4 wheel drive with a front 5ft plow and it is like night and day. The gator has superior traction on the hill.

 

[Carl_NH]

AC,

I like Chim have R4s on the B21 and 6' rear blade - pretty much the same setup size wise as the B7500 and I havent had the issues you have moving snow. Now, my drive is not steep or hilly but I float the blade with a 10* angle and seems to work well, but once enough snow gets in front it will lift the front end so i scoop it up and off to the side.

Usually when its heavy wet snow, I try to clear it down to pavement or close to on one pass - if it gets too heavy I clear it off to the sides.

I presume you still have your BH on the L45? if not and no rear weight or a blade, yes, it will not work well at all - like on skates!

 

[Egon]

Get chains all around.

Vbar two link ladder chains will make a big difference.:thumbsup:

One thing to be carefully with is using the differential lock on hills. The back may slide out on you.

 

[tractchores]

I use my FEL for plowing on a long drive with some good hills as well. I've got loaded turfs, which provide great snow and ice traction. Ice traction is about contact area, so R4's really struggle in that area, so you need to add chains or weight. I assume you were in 4wd. In float position I find that its really important to maintain the bucket angle. A steep angle with heavy snow tends to dig in more and could cause the front of the tractor to come up, a shallower angle won't dig in as much, but is more likely to ride over any bumps. Too shallow of an angle and you won't get down to pavement or break through ice. I find that the exact angle depends on the slope of the drive and what I'm moving. Fluffy snow needs an almost flat angle and wet compacted snow or ice needs a sharper angle so the cutting edge on the blade is at a 45 degree angle to the pavement to scrape it off.

It's definitely possible to do a good job plowing with the FEL. The biggest shortcoming I find is that when the bucket fills up you need to push it off the drive and empty it. A plow with an angle would be much faster for plowing road sections, but at least for me its not worth the extra expense.