Loader Bobcat CT 235 Loader Lifting Capacity

[Loren49]

Someone posted on Kioti thread a while back with photos of rebuild with larger diameter cylinders. Upside is greater lift and breakaway power. The downside is slower cylinder speed and possibly higher than design pressure on loader and front axle.

Loren

 

[DK35vince]

Several years ago on my DK 35 I bumped the hydraulic pressure for my loader up slightly and added larger bucket tilt cylinders (manual calls for 2300 PSI max, I bumped mine to 2450 PSI). My standard bucket tilt cylinders were 1 3/4". Replaced them with 2" cylinders.
You gain more power with larger cylinders, but there is a definate differance in slower speed with the larger cylinders.
I left my lift cylinders alone. The lift seems fine as is.

 

[powerscol]

You don't need to. The system has enough pressure in it to significantly increase the hydraulic force. It takes about two minutes to adjust.... not that I would know on my still warrantied 235....

So how do you go about making this adjustment? Inquiring minds want to know

 

[abatis]

This thread is a bit old but winter is coming and time to handle round bales. I tried using my CT235 FEL on 1000lb bales and I could barely curl them enough to push them. But I was advised that my 3 PT has much more lifting capacity and I went and got a CAT1 bale spike for pretty cheap and the CT235 easily lifts the 1000lb hay bales that way.

 

[LD1]

This thread is a bit old but winter is coming and time to handle round bales. I tried using my CT235 FEL on 1000lb bales and I could barely curl them enough to push them. But I was advised that my 3 PT has much more lifting capacity and I went and got a CAT1 bale spike for pretty cheap and the CT235 easily lifts the 1000lb hay bales that way.

Yep. Usually the 3PH om most tractors has about 2x's the lift capacity as the FEL. The trade off is lack of lift height.

 

[SABULA FARMER]

Just use caution... I have seen several folks crushed when the tractor flipped over on them.
The big round bales scare the $&!@ out of me...

 

[SSdoxie]

Abatis, What were you using on the FEL to handle the bale? QA with bale fork or forks attached to bucket or pallet fork? I'm curious because due to late second crop the availabilty of 4X4 bales in my area is scarce, but I can find some 4X5 & more 5X5s and wondering what the max. I could use/handle on same loader. Mine picks and handles 4X4 with no trouble, so thinking I could go with 4X5. Not sure if I could think of going any larger. Note: these are all mixed grass bales & I have loaded tires, 600 lb. ballast, use QA bale fork.

 

[Fred Barbour]

SSdoxie;

Just wondering what weight the 4x4 bales come in at? Also, where did you purchase your bale forks and what do they weigh?

Tks

 

[SSdoxie]

More of a guess than anything, but think the 4X4 bales run 500-600 lbs. I know they weigh just enough to lift my rear wheels before I loaded the tires and didn't have any counter ballast hooked up. The bale spear I bought used at Bobcat of Knoxville. They sell new Blue Diamond brand, these weigh around 100 lbs. I can pick it up and set it on the Bobtach without too much strain if I can't drive into it and hook up, and at age 60+ and 140 lbs, I don't have a lot of lift left in me.
I think I could handle 4X5 if I take it easy, provided they are not rolled with a JD baler. Have been told and read on TBN the JD rolls them much tighter & heavier.

 

[joshuabardwell]

This thread is a bit old but winter is coming and time to handle round bales. I tried using my CT235 FEL on 1000lb bales and I could barely curl them enough to push them. But I was advised that my 3 PT has much more lifting capacity and I went and got a CAT1 bale spike for pretty cheap and the CT235 easily lifts the 1000lb hay bales that way.

I have a CT225, so smaller tractor, and I have lifted large round bales with my loader. Not on a hay spear, mind you, which would put the load a lot further forward and decrease the lift capacity. The bale was hanging directly beneath the bucket using some 10k ratchet straps.

 

[abatis]

Abatis, What were you using on the FEL to handle the bale? QA with bale fork or forks attached to bucket or pallet fork? I'm curious because due to late second crop the availabilty of 4X4 bales in my area is scarce, but I can find some 4X5 & more 5X5s and wondering what the max. I could use/handle on same loader. Mine picks and handles 4X4 with no trouble, so thinking I could go with 4X5. Not sure if I could think of going any larger. Note: these are all mixed grass bales & I have loaded tires, 600 lb. ballast, use QA bale fork.

I was using the chain-on type tubular fork lift bars to (try) lift the 1000lb round bales off the hay delivery flat bed. I got them off more my dragging them off than lifting. I think those long tubes put the lift point way out there and thus the poor performance. I am now thinking to try taking my bucket off (Bob-tach) and chaining my 3PT bale spike to the FEL bracket and that will move my lift point way in compared to the fork lift tubes. By the way those chain on forklift tubes work pretty slick for most lifting needs without having to remove the bucket and are pretty strong. I may try this tonight when I get home. I only need to lift the round bales to put a feed net around them and than move them to a covered feed station I built that is 50 feet from my hay storage barn.

 

[joshuabardwell]

If you need additional lift height, as well as capacity, you might consider getting a hay scissor for your three-point. Especially when combined with a hydraulic top link, they are very handy.

Tractor 3 Point Hitch Scissor High Lift, Hay Lift #3F, uses #3F Bale Spear

If you browse Craigslist, you can often find them used for the $100-$200 range. If you already have a spear, you can buy just the scissor separately.

 

[abatis]

If you need additional lift height, as well as capacity, you might consider getting a hay scissor for your three-point. Especially when combined with a hydraulic top link, they are very handy.

Tractor 3 Point Hitch Scissor High Lift, Hay Lift #3F, uses #3F Bale Spear

If you browse Craigslist, you can often find them used for the $100-$200 range. If you already have a spear, you can buy just the scissor separately.

Thanks, that is another option - always learning something new!

 

[abatis]

Happy news. It was a bit of a b*tch but I got my bucket off. The bob-tach pins had a bit of corrosion going and I had to pound them up a bit. A little lube will go their way. Anyway, I used some short chain pieces I had (@2600#) and a couple of chain binders and hooked my 3 pt bale spear on the Bob-Tach. I was easily able to lift the 60-inch diameter bales that weighed 1000 lbs a couple months ago. They are most likely a bit lighter now. But, based on the test, I may get a Bob-Tach compatible spear and have a little more flexibility on the bale handling especially unloading trailers or rig my 3pt spear to better fit the Bob-Tach. So the CT235 can lift a 1000 lb bale as rigged here.

 

[SSdoxie]

Thanks for the feedback & photos. Makes me more comfortable about moving up in bale size. Just be sure you use some ggod heavy ballast on the 3 point, not only for stabilty/saftey, but to reduce strain on the front axle. That is a lot of weight that far out even with the 1600 lb. rating at the Bobtach pivot pins.