Loader FEL level indicator rod.

[grsthegreat]

Here you go. This is on my DK 40. In my opinion bucket level indicator is very useful. I use it all the time. When rod is even with the top of the tube then the bucket is level. I'm sure that you could find or fabricate clamps to hold the rod and tube brackets to the hydraulic cylinder if you didn't want to weld like the factory indicator is done.

View attachment 329105View attachment 329106View attachment 329107View attachment 329108View attachment 329109

oh well...i just got in with my pictures...but you beet me to it.

oh well.....

time to spare will be used hooking up the jet skis and hitting the lake...its HOT out there

 

[StickFlicker]

That is slick. Very simple but effective. Gives me some ideas and I'd much rather have it than always be rubber necking to get a better look at he bucket, like I do now. I've used tractors with the rod in the past and when you are moving a bunch of material it just makes it go better. Thanks

 

[rmorey]

That is slick. Very simple but effective. Gives me some ideas and I'd much rather have it than always be rubber necking to get a better look at he bucket, like I do now. I've used tractors with the rod in the past and when you are moving a bunch of material it just makes it go better. Thanks

SF, I get that its good to have a project, but why not just go down to the dealer and buy one. They cant be expensive and would just bolt right on.

 

[adirondackmtnman]

Here are a couple pics of the setup on my Deere.

Where it mounts @ the top:




And at the bottom:





Looks like a setup like this is more out of the way than a stock level indicator for yours, being inside the loader arm, if you're inclined to try to build something. As was said before however, a stock setup would bolt right up and look like it came that way

Sent from my LGL35G using TractorByNet

 

[StickFlicker]

I'm just the independent type. Heck I even cleared my land, put in a road and built a really nice house on some bare land I bought in the woods.

Last summer I built a new deck, put in a large paver patio (complete with a hidden fire-ring (it's just below the brick and the flames come up through the spaces between the blocks. It turned out really well an it's freaking awesome).

On top of those projects I also raised my bridge onto my property 3 feet using bottle jacks and cribbing. Got it done in 2 weeks. Had to dig out both ends, remove the wood decking which consists of 30ish 12' 10x10 and bunch of varying length 4x12's, level it, jack it up, level the pads and form, reinforce and pour the 4'x12' abutments, set it back down and rebuild the road ends.

So for me I have a real hard time paying someone else to do anything I think I can do.

This weekend I did some tree felling/brush clearing. Worked on a few little projects and I rebuilt the starter on my pickup rather than bring it to someone else. And I even went to church. Almost every day I'm doing/fixing/building/rebuilding something and that's before I go to my 40 hour a week day job.

Part of it is probably where I'm from, which was a very small town in NoDakota. I grew up seeing my Dad working hard every day and I just followed his lead. Hard to change my ways but I know a day will come when I'm too old to live this way and I know it will about kill me to have to pay for getting something done that I know I could have done myself.

 

[GMtb42]

I'm just the independent type. Heck I even cleared my land, put in a road and built a really nice house on some bare land I bought in the woods.

Last summer I built a new deck, put in a large paver patio (complete with a hidden fire-ring (it's just below the brick and the flames come up through the spaces between the blocks. It turned out really well an it's freaking awesome).

On top of those projects I also raised my bridge onto my property 3 feet using bottle jacks and cribbing. Got it done in 2 weeks. Had to dig out both ends, remove the wood decking which consists of 30ish 12' 10x10 and bunch of varying length 4x12's, level it, jack it up, level the pads and form, reinforce and pour the 4'x12' abutments, set it back down and rebuild the road ends.

So for me I have a real hard time paying someone else to do anything I think I can do.

This weekend I did some tree felling/brush clearing. Worked on a few little projects and I rebuilt the starter on my pickup rather than bring it to someone else. And I even went to church. Almost every day I'm doing/fixing/building/rebuilding something and that's before I go to my 40 hour a week day job.

Part of it is probably where I'm from, which was a very small town in NoDakota. I grew up seeing my Dad working hard every day and I just followed his lead. Hard to change my ways but I know a day will come when I'm too old to live this way and I know it will about kill me to have to pay for getting something done that I know I could have done myself.

Now this is what made America so great.
I too grew up watching relatives who toiled the land and made do with what they made or fixed themselves.
Bailing Wire has fixed a many a things until it could be repaired correctly.
A level indicator should be a piece of cake.

 

[tcreeley]

I have a level indicator on my TC30, but I have never used it. I hate to ask this- but how does it work? What should I be looking for to tell me the bucket is level, and what does it mean if I can't see the rod, or I can see it?
I would start to figure it out, but then get bored and move on to something else.
I think I level the bucket by feel.

 

[adirondackmtnman]

I have a level indicator on my TC30, but I have never used it. I hate to ask this- but how does it work? What should I be looking for to tell me the bucket is level, and what does it mean if I can't see the rod, or I can see it?
I would start to figure it out, but then get bored and move on to something else.
I think I level the bucket by feel.

The bucket is level when the rod is even with the top of the tube it rides in, when the bucket's at ground level. Any other position of the loader it's kinda useless IMO because I can see the edges of the bucket. I find it works well for fork work, at least to prevent them from digging into the ground

Sent from my LGL35G using TractorByNet

 

[GMtb42]

Here is one I ran across and looks pretty darn good, and on TBN site. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/264718-loader-bucket-levelling-aid.html Post #2 and the old FORD http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/75442-another-bucket-leveler-2.html Post #17

My idea of a good level indicator is snag free, not sticking above the tractor.

 

[hammer54]

The indicator rod on my dk35se HST was down out of site in the support tube when bucket was level. I bough the tractor used with 250 hours and the previous owner put the 60" bucket from a DK40 on it as the stock bucket was narrower than the tread width. I welded an extension on it. I have bent the indicator several times wrestling trees & brush.

 

[Gil Case]

I just put the bucket level with the ground and put a piece of electrical tape around the rod at the top of the tube. That is the only indicator I have and it seems to be enough.

 

[ovrszd]

The "Rod sliding thru a Tube" concept seems to be the most common. On mine the tube is attached to the bucket swivel pin and the rod is then slid into the tube and fastened with a locking bolt. To adjust you loosen the bolt and slide the rod up or down in the tube and retighten. The rod then slides thru a slotted bracket. To set level you tilt the bucket until the "V" in the rod is resting in the slotted bracket. I like this design better because I can tell when the bucket is tipped forward and how much by where the rod is in the slot. With the fixed tube and sliding rod concept you can't see the rod once it disappears into the tube. Check out the pic for details.





I have NO desire to run an FEL without a level indicator. Biggest gain to me is when doing repetative work I can set the bucket level while returning to the pile and with the bucket in the air. When I get to the pile I'm already setup and only have to drop the bucket to the ground. Try that without an indicator or one of those flat brackets that's welded to the top flange of the bucket.

I also use my indicator if trying to dig to judge how much pitch I have on the bucket when I start. Just can't see life without it.

Yep, once I got it caught in brush and bent the snot out of the rod. Stopped working and fixed the indicator before I continued even though I wasn't using it for the task of piling brush. It's not quite as important as 3rd function, but REAL close.

 

[ovrszd]

Here's another shot that shows how the bottom of the tube is fastened at the bucket pin. Sorry I don't have more clarity.

 

[econometrics]

Bringing this thread back to life. Does anyone have any experience using the new "bent" style rod on the JD 553's?

Richard, I like your idea above - setting the bucket level on the ground, then setting the rod in the slot... then you can know how far forward the bucket is from the notch on the rod as you go up with the FEL.

I guess the 553 can work the same by setting the rod into the slot on the loader arm where it bends.

 

[RalphVa]

I've a bent rod on my 1025's bucket. It's easier to tell where "level" is (@ the bend) than the tape or paint I had on the straight on on the 410 loader.

Ralph

 

[ovrszd]

My Brother's loader uses the bent rod type. I like it better than mine because the rod doesn't stick up above the loader frame as bad when bucket is rolled back. I catch mine on brush once in a while.

 

[eventer79]

Here you go. This is on my DK 40. In my opinion bucket level indicator is very useful. I use it all the time. When rod is even with the top of the tube then the bucket is level. I'm sure that you could find or fabricate clamps to hold the rod and tube brackets to the hydraulic cylinder if you didn't want to weld like the factory indicator is done.

View attachment 329105View attachment 329106View attachment 329107View attachment 329108View attachment 329109

OH! That's what that is -- I noticed something like this on my '94 Ford 1620 FEL yesterday while I was lubing and stared at for a while trying to figure out what it did (fostering tractor, so it's new to me). It is held on with a hose clamp (we like "redneck engineering" down here). Stumbled across this thread, mystery solved, thanks!

 

[ovrszd]

The neighbor that cuts my hay bought a new NH tractor several years ago with FEL. He left it overnight in my field so I checked it out. It has the bent rod style. I stared at that thing and talked to myself outloud for several seconds before it dawned on me what that was. Then I talked to myself outloud for several seconds about how stupid I was to not know.....

 

[Egbert]

Never saw what hit it, but the rod on my DK50 turned into a pretzel a few weeks ago. I just removed it and continued on, albeit with some aggravation

Before replacing the rod, I have been searching - with no success - for a digital option. Does this exist?

I would like to mount a sensor/sender on the side of the bucket that sends a signal to a cab receiver with the bucket degree angle.

 

[ovrszd]

Never saw what hit it, but the rod on my DK50 turned into a pretzel a few weeks ago. I just removed it and continued on, albeit with some aggravation

Before replacing the rod, I have been searching - with no success - for a digital option. Does this exist?

I would like to mount a sensor/sender on the side of the bucket that sends a signal to a cab receiver with the bucket degree angle.

Now you've got my attention!!!! My Brother's NH backhoe came with such a creature. It would actually kick off the hydraulics when the bucket was level. Has long since been destroyed by brush, etc.

My imagination is at work now. How about an indicator light that comes on when the bucket is level, controlled by the level rod and a switch??? Or maybe a simple little beeper that signals once when level???

Yeah, I know,,,, calm down....