Front end blades

Sprocket1 · Jun 22, 2003

I have read alot of threads here but don't recall any about replacing the FEL bucket with a dozer blade. Is there a reason we don't want to do that?

OkieG · Jun 23, 2003

Try this site for starters. <font color="blue"> http://www.curtiscabs.com/ </font> .

I believe there are threads here that address the "front blade on loader frame" topic. The ones for snow removal are not as heavy duty as a dozer blade, though. Is this what you mean by dozer blade?

OkieG

ns_in_tex · Jun 23, 2003

I havn'nt used this enough to give a good report, but what I have used it on, I liked it.
Just mounted my old rear blade on the front.

OkieG · Jun 30, 2003

Neal,
That looks like a very imaginatinve use of your rear blade. It appears to be working great. Thanks for the good picture.

OkieG

DocHeb · Jun 30, 2003

I can't speak from experience, but I think the biggest "con" to having a blade on your FEL arms is that there might be a lot of torque if one end of the blade catches on something immobile. That could bend the FEL arms.

That said, I don't know if there is much more torque on the arms with a blade versus driving into a dirt pile and hitting something.

A solution has been posted on this forum that involves snowblades mounted on buckets/FEL arms that have trip springs, that would work well for softer materials such as snow.

Mike_S · Jul 4, 2003

Perhaps DocHeb had the right idea that the amount of torque on the loader arms when striking something might be an issue with a front dozer blade. I had an OEM front blade on my JD955, but it was mostly for moving loose materials--it would not cut down solid ground very well. It had hydraulic tilt and angle and was shock or spring mounted and also mounted to the frame beneath the tractor to take up the shock of striking something solid. Although the picture of the rear blade mounted to the loader arms on the 'Bota appeared to be a possible answer, I would be concerned about the torque that might twist the arms on my 430 FEL. I remember catching just the edge of a tree stump with the end of my 6 ft. Rhino 350 rear blade and popped the grade 8 bolts holding the blade to its pivot and that much torque surely would have a negative effect on the loader arms. Micihael S.

Sprocket1 · Jul 4, 2003

That's true about catchin' the end of the blade on something solid, but I was thinking about a mechanical trip system that would let the blade hinge. The old Ford 501 sickle mowers had such a trip that would let the bar swing back when one encountered something like a fence post or stump. The trip was adjustable to allow the operator to determine just how much tripping force was needed to keep it from being damaged when he had an occasional stupid fit and hit something .
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