Back dragging: how aggressive?

[Smokeydog]

My heavier duty buckets have a better heel for back dragging. Particularly like the skidsteer long bottom bucket on the M59. Usually a piece of angle iron welded to the back of the bucket.

I can smooth better back dragging with the heel than the blade. Less stress on the loader too.

 

[kevin37b]

Amazing !

 

[airbiscuit]

When Bobcat first started selling to contractors, they had to train them to backdrag with the front (hardened) cutting edge, not the heel of the bucket. They were wearing away the back of the bucket.

 

[IndyIan]

That's certainly safer, but also less effective. FWIW the Messics video shows him lifting his wheels at least some of the time. I do have float, and use it when it's effective enough.

I usually back drag in float mode, some times with the bucket 15deg from vertical.... I go pretty slow and do multiple passes because its easy to do with the HST. Haven't bent anything yet on the loader.

 

[SmallChange]

I usually back drag in float mode, some times with the bucket 15deg from vertical.... I go pretty slow and do multiple passes

I did a bunch more work on this project today. I guess I thought the high 90s made for nice working conditions or something. Anyway, what you say is about where I am lately, mostly. Or occasionally I'll lift the wheels but make the angle more gradual.

 

[TimberFarm]

Back dragging for years and never an issue.
back drag with the heal or the blade. Whatever the condition warrants.
If I use the heal I will fill the bucket so there is some weight to help smooth things out rather than float over top of peaks and valleys.

 

[nyone]

If your not dealing with hitting things that dont move like large rocks and roots theres a minimal chance to bend something. Go slow either way.

 

[SmallChange]

If I use the heal I will fill the bucket so there is some weight

Wow - for some reason this never occurred to me!

 

[bdhsfz6]

I think this depends on the tractor and how aggressive you are.

I maintain 1.25 miles of private road and a half mile of driveway, mostly by back dragging. As a result, the cutting edge of my bucket is usually sharp enough to shave with. I've been doing it with my Kubota CUTs for over 40 years with no issues. Go slow, don't take too much of a bite and you should be fine.

 

[GB540]

Back in the day I pulled the end right off a FEL bucket cylinder by working with it fully extended. Pa wasn't entirely impressed...

Since then, if I need the cylinders out I keep them not quite fully extended. Better a popped hose etc. than hard damage.

 

[felixedo]

It's a contest between the traction of your tractor and the pull of what you're dragging. the only way to find the winner is to push it and bend the cylinder.

 

[jedjoe]

I would say that as long as the bucket isn't constantly catching on something immovable (like a large rock), backgrading at up to even 30 degrees from horizontal would be okay. I've done that with my tractor MANY TIMES over the past 18 years and never had any damage to the cylinders. At worst, it's knicked and dinged the cutting edge of my bucket.

 

[Mart5130]

Use float function?

 

[streamin]

I do it all the time, however, it is usually in loose dirt or piles of crushed concrete. Never had an issue but I can sorta tell if it is too much pressure.

 

[Raul-02]

I did a lot of back dragging today, smoothing up a site for a new greenhouse. But I'm always cautious because the cylinders are so extended in dump direction,

I never fully extend the cylinders.
Don't think it brings all that much to the party.
BUT
I did discover a Fabulous back-drag method.
Fill the bucket with anything heavy. Then use the curved back of the bucket The weight will smooth things out so nicely.

 

[Buzzard7]

This might help explain the problem better.

I guess I have been "back dragging" for years and didn't know it had a name. I've never had a problem (that I know of) but I will try to be smarter about it from now on. Good video.

 

[ideas2iron]

Worked at an equipment repair shop for years. We averaged at least one hydraulic cylinder per day. If a customer brought in a tilt cylinder and the rod was bent like a pretzel you knew he was back-dragging in reverse and caught a boulder. If the gland was pulled out of cylinder or the threads on the piston nut were stripped, you knew he had the bucket curled out all the way and caught something going forward. The worst damage would happen when the rod was less bent and they managed to get it retracted. That would usually score the bore of the tube.
That said, I have back-dragged with the cylinder nearly fully extended myself with the front wheels off the ground, but have seen what can happen so am real careful - slow and easy.
The angle iron on heel of bucket and/or the heavy bucket method seem like the way to go for any serious work.

 

[bruceha2000]

I maintain 1.25 miles of private road and a half mile of driveway, mostly by back dragging. As a result, the cutting edge of my bucket is usually sharp enough to shave with. I've been doing it with my Kubota CUTs for over 40 years with no issues. Go slow, don't take too much of a bite and you should be fine.

I can see doing that once but 40 years? Wouldn't a box blade or land plane do the job easier and better? Certainly the cost is justifiable over that period.

 

[Dan Tabler]

I did a lot of back dragging today, smoothing up a site for a new greenhouse. But I'm always cautious because the cylinders are so extended in dump direction, and would be prone to buckling.

HOW conservative, though? Getting the bottom of the bucket vertical and dragging in a moderate gear with the front wheels held up by the bucket, well, that is very aggressive, I suppose asking for trouble.

But putting the bottom of the bucket, say, 20 or 30 degrees from vertical, and dragging in the lowest gear, is that too aggressive?

Where do you draw the line?

I have a JD 2025R and I back drag all the time. I use this tractor for hire and work it hard. Often time back dragging with a bucket, or wicked 55 grapple, and even a grooming attachment from CMI. Almost always when I post a back dragging pic I get scolded for "gonna ruin the cylinders". Hasn't happened yet in over 800 hrs of 2025 operation "for hire". Lift the front tire off the ground with it & go. No problems yet, not even close.

 

[Ed Weber]

I change the angle depending on how aggressive the situation calls for. Everything from just past horizontal to near vertical and at times even lifting the wheels off the ground, never an issue. If I had to do it extensively or daily, a skid steer would be the preferred machine.