Tractor Sizing FEL power requirment.

[kas2960]

So I'm comparing the lifting capabilities of the different tractors. What quantity does a 5' and 6' bucket hold in yards? If we can agree that 1 cubic yard of sand weights about 2600 Lbs and the bucket can hold (lets say) a half yard then I would need enough power to lift 1300 lbs. Am I correct in this?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

All buckets are not created equal. First look at a spec sheet shows a 60" bucket that has a 7.9 CF capacity and then on a different loader, but still 60" wide an 8.6 CF capacity. Then on another spec sheet, there is a 72" bucket with 16.3 CF capacity and yet for a different loader with a 72" bucket it has a 19.7 CF capacity. These are all with the same manufacturer.

You really need to say what tractor you are looking at to get the capacities of that particular machine.

Good luck with your research.

 

[Steve_Miller]

Don't get too deep into bucket size ratings. Determine what you want to do with the loader and go from there. A five, six or seven foot can all do the same thing once your experienced on the loader and you get used to what your tractor can handle. The loader will be like an extension of your own arms and you will get a feel of what you can do with them. The width of the bucket may be more of a determining factor by what you want do with it or fit through (barn stalls, gate openings, snow, sawdust, dirt, etc...). Have fun, like the rest of us bigger always seems like it will be better but not necessarily all the time.

Steve

 

[IslandTractor]

So I'm comparing the lifting capabilities of the different tractors. What quantity does a 5' and 6' bucket hold in yards? If we can agree that 1 cubic yard of sand weights about 2600 Lbs and the bucket can hold (lets say) a half yard then I would need enough power to lift 1300 lbs. Am I correct in this?

Yes, you would need to lift 1300lbs to lift a half yard of sand but, that is not 1300lbs at the pivot pins. Probably more like the equivalent of 1800lbs at pivot pins. That is a ball park guess. If you want to do some trigonometry you could calculate it exactly for a given bucket and load but ball park for bucket lift would be to use a conservative 66% of the manufacturer specified the pivot pin lift capacity number for a loader. My DK40se is rated at 2700lbs at the pivot pin so I am pretty comfortable that I can lift a load of 1800lbs or so in a bucket or on forks. And, that is to full height. I would guess I could lift close to the rated pivot pin number if I just wanted to lift a load up a couple of feet to move it.

 

[rmorey]

The other day, I bumped into a local logger, who's logging up past our place about a mile. He had broken the winch on his skidder and was heading into town (2 hrs in, 2 hrs out) to bring back a logging truck to use the clam and boom to lift it out and take it in for repair. I asked him how heavy it was. He said 2,100 lbs.

I offered to lift it out with the tractor to save him half a day. We bolted a chain to bolts on each side of the winch and hooked it on the chain hook welded to my bucket. It squated a bit but I lifted it without a problem and set it in his pickup.

The next day, I came back from the neighbours to find a case of beer in my bucket! :cool2:

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

The other day, I bumped into a local logger, who's logging up past our place about a mile. He had broken the winch on his skidder and was heading into town (2 hrs in, 2 hrs out) to bring back a logging truck to use the clam and boom to lift it out and take it in for repair. I asked him how heavy it was. He said 2,100 lbs.

I offered to lift it out with the tractor to save him half a day. We bolted a chain to bolts on each side of the winch and hooked it on the chain hook welded to my bucket. It squated a bit but I lifted it without a problem and set it in his pickup.

The next day, I came back from the neighbours to find a case of beer in my bucket! :cool2:

That's a great story. Good on you for helping a brother out.

 

[IslandTractor]

The other day, I bumped into a local logger, who's logging up past our place about a mile. He had broken the winch on his skidder and was heading into town (2 hrs in, 2 hrs out) to bring back a logging truck to use the clam and boom to lift it out and take it in for repair. I asked him how heavy it was. He said 2,100 lbs.

I offered to lift it out with the tractor to save him half a day. We bolted a chain to bolts on each side of the winch and hooked it on the chain hook welded to my bucket. It squated a bit but I lifted it without a problem and set it in his pickup.

The next day, I came back from the neighbours to find a case of beer in my bucket! :cool2:

Molson or LaBatt?

Good work.

 

[GManBart]

The other day, I bumped into a local logger, who's logging up past our place about a mile. He had broken the winch on his skidder and was heading into town (2 hrs in, 2 hrs out) to bring back a logging truck to use the clam and boom to lift it out and take it in for repair. I asked him how heavy it was. He said 2,100 lbs.

I offered to lift it out with the tractor to save him half a day. We bolted a chain to bolts on each side of the winch and hooked it on the chain hook welded to my bucket. It squated a bit but I lifted it without a problem and set it in his pickup.

The next day, I came back from the neighbours to find a case of beer in my bucket! :cool2:

Nice!

 

[CJONE]

The other day, I bumped into a local logger, who's logging up past our place about a mile. He had broken the winch on his skidder and was heading into town (2 hrs in, 2 hrs out) to bring back a logging truck to use the clam and boom to lift it out and take it in for repair. I asked him how heavy it was. He said 2,100 lbs.

I offered to lift it out with the tractor to save him half a day. We bolted a chain to bolts on each side of the winch and hooked it on the chain hook welded to my bucket. It squated a bit but I lifted it without a problem and set it in his pickup.

The next day, I came back from the neighbours to find a case of beer in my bucket! :cool2:

Knowing loggers like I do I would expect you may even see a load of firewood too! CJ

 

[rmorey]

Molson or LaBatt?

Good work.

Labatts Blue. :thumbsup:

CJ, that would be nice! :cool2: