bucket level indicator

[repete]

Now, this is interesting. Repete describes an indicator for the angle of the bucket relative to gravity, and DL Meisen describes an indicator for the angle of the bucket relative to the wheelbase of the tractor. And there are reasons why one might want one or the other.

Mostly, I've wanted an indicator to help judge whether the bucket edge will slide right under things, or bite in and try to tear up the ground, or ride up over things. So, I want a relative to wheelbase indicator.

I wanted an indicator that showed level even if I was on a hill. If the indicator is in relation to the tractor wheels, and calibrated when on level surface how would you know where level is if you were going up or down a hill with something on forks?

 

[Aquamoose]

Maybe instead of using an angle sensor, a proximity sensor (part present switch) with a remote led light would be cheaper and more durable. We used proximity sensors in a factory setting all the time and they handled weld slag and shock loads. Brackets and something to detect would be needed.

Forgive me but I can’t see how that can work. Can you please explain?

 

[ruffdog]

Forgive me but I can’t see how that can work. Can you please explain?

Most of the rod and tube level mechanisms only tell you the relation between the loader arm and bucket. If a proximity sensor and target (with brackets) was set up near the bucket/arm pivot, a single light near the operator could light at "bucket level". Edit...more:

Position Control Options for Scissors Lifts | Advance Lifts

 

[Aquamoose]

Oh I get it now. Thank you. The flaw with this is one indicator. I believe having 5 helps the operator zero in.

 

[WranglerX]

Now, this is interesting. Repete describes an indicator for the angle of the bucket relative to gravity, and DL Meisen describes an indicator for the angle of the bucket relative to the wheelbase of the tractor. And there are reasons why one might want one or the other.

Mostly, I've wanted an indicator to help judge whether the bucket edge will slide right under things, or bite in and try to tear up the ground, or ride up over things. So, I want a relative to wheelbase indicator.

Well there is this..... But might want to read whole thread

Dumb questions that deserve good answers.

Yes...Angle relationship of bucket to ground tractor is setting on with bucket full down as in float... A lot of discussion here is trying to make it something it is not... Lot of misinterpretation of the meaning of level...... In all three instances above bucket is "level" to tractor...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[mkendrix]

Here’s a wild idea. I’m an electronic engineer and it just came to me as an idea which I’d like your feedback on…

A battery operated two-part device connected via cable and is a bucket level indicator with colored LED lights on a second device mounted on the loader arms (or near the operator station) showing the current level via 5 LEDs arrayed vertically. Center could indicate 0° while others read 2°, -2°, 5°, -5° on either side.

It would sleep when motionless, awaken when moved to preserve battery life, could be dampened so the electronic “pendulum” wouldn’t swing wildly, and very simple to use.

Is this worth pursuing?

I would keep it separate battery, mounting display on loader arms. When you take loader off, there would be no loose wires. I’m a glutton for electronics that make a job easier. Let’s see it when you’re finished. I’ll buy one.

 

[SmallChange]

Here’s a wild idea. I’m an electronic engineer and it just came to me as an idea which I’d like your feedback on…

[...]

Is this worth pursuing?

Not to rain on your parade, here, but you asked for my feedback. The way I'm looking at this is that it's like the ordinary bucket level indicator, only prone to breakage, and it has a battery I'm supposed to maintain.

You could improve it by wiring it to the tractor 12V, in which case it's like an ordinary bucket level indicator, only prone to breakage, and it has a plug I'm supposed to remember to unplug when removing the loader.

One thing I like about my tractor is that so much of the design is mechanical, and made of parts I'm not likely to bend by accident. There are not many little bits hanging off of it here and there trying to get torn. Much of the "user interface" on my tractor is easy enough to understand, just by looking at it, that it is not immediately obvious that there is a user interface. The first time I ever noticed a bucket level indicator, it was a long rod passing through an eyebolt, the rod having a kink in it that rested right in the eyebolt when the bucket was level. I didn't have a loader yet, myself, and had never operated one. It took me a few seconds of looking at this parked tractor before it dawned on me what the indicator was, and why it might be necessary, it never having occurred to me before that the operator can't see the bucket edge. But it did dawn on me, pretty quickly, and it pleased me. I think there's a kind of tractor aesthetic that works exactly this way. It's a sort of mechanical resourcefulness. It's like you telling me a joke, and I get it, and we both laugh in pleasure because we share that clever instant.

There's a tendency in electronics to make things too feature rich and too breaky. The electronic world keeps reinventing itself too rapidly. In my work, I do a lot of computational fluid dynamics, and it's not unusual for me to run jobs on the high performance compute cluster that take, for example, 100 hours to solve on 40 processors in parallel. If computers got 1000 times faster, I'd still be running off for a bio break or to check whether the mail came, running that calculation in just 6 minutes. So, yeah, I'd love to see computer speed improve a whole lot. Let's reinvent that. Let's not reinvent these bucket level indicators that require no instruction to use, and no batteries, and at least on my machine are sturdy enough I don't think I could break it even if I worked it over with a claw hammer.

You know what was pretty neat? People figuring out that, using colons and parentheses and the 8 numeral and semicolons and so forth, they could type what you could interpret as little faces if you looked at them sideways. That's clever, pleasingly clever. You know what wasn't neat at all? Somebody deciding to scan text for these character strings and substitute little inline graphics. It replaced pleasant cleverness with hamhandedness.

Instead, why not go invent a nonvolatile timer that rezeros itself whenever the oil filter is spun off?

 

[lc12]

I use mine all the time for bucket, grapple, front mount sickle saw.
Works well with keeping forks level too.

 

[RalphVa]

Do any of you guys use that thing?
I got one on my tractor but it seems to be kind of unhelpful. I think I do better just looking at the load.

Use it all the time. VERY helpful.

 

[Aquamoose]

Not to rain on your parade, here, but you asked for my feedback. The way I'm looking at this is that it's like the ordinary bucket level indicator, only prone to breakage, and it has a battery I'm supposed to maintain.

You could improve it by wiring it to the tractor 12V, in which case it's like an ordinary bucket level indicator, only prone to breakage, and it has a plug I'm supposed to remember to unplug when removing the loader.

Noted, I’m already planning on a hardwired version based on earlier feedback from others. It’ll have a disconnect plug.

One thing I like about my tractor is that so much of the design is mechanical, and made of parts I'm not likely to bend by accident. There are not many little bits hanging off of it here and there trying to get torn. Much of the "user interface" on my tractor is easy enough to understand, just by looking at it, that it is not immediately obvious that there is a user interface. The first time I ever noticed a bucket level indicator, it was a long rod passing through an eyebolt, the rod having a kink in it that rested right in the eyebolt when the bucket was level.

Mine has that too! Unfortunately it only works with just the bucket, at ground level. Forks, grapple, tree puller, and blades often have different “level” positions.

There's a tendency in electronics to make things too feature rich and too breaky. The electronic world keeps reinventing itself too rapidly.

Like the hand cranked vs power windows? Agreed, but we’re just old & spoiled.

Let's not reinvent these bucket level indicators that require no instruction to use, and no batteries, and at least on my machine are sturdy enough I don't think I could break it even if I worked it over with a claw hammer.

One of my best selling product can be placed in the engine compartment and be subjected to harsh brine environments in -40° or in 180° desert temperatures. It’s going to be made right here in USA. It’ll also be simple enough, one switch to toggle between two level settings (relative to chassis & relative to gravity) and a second button to zero the unit.

Instead, why not go invent a nonvolatile timer that rezeros itself whenever the oil filter is spun off?

If there is a demand, I’d happily fulfill it!