Learned Something New About Loader

rwork · Feb 6, 2014

I didn't even know this was possible until someone posted about their loader not being able to curl / dump while in the float position. I thought about this yesterday while I was grading my drive, and gave it a try. It works! I've had the tractor almost two years, and never knew!

Any other secret tricks??

MorningViewStables · Feb 6, 2014

? I am missing something maybe. You should be able to curl/dump while floating the lift arms. It is a fantastic feature smoothing and grading. Are you saying that yours doesn't?

rwork · Feb 6, 2014

MorningViewStables said:
? I am missing something maybe. You should be able to curl/dump while floating the lift arms. It is a fantastic feature smoothing and grading. Are you saying that yours doesn't?

No, mine does. Just never knew that was possible. Someone posted a little while back, that their tractor was able to do it, but no longer could. I had never even heard of that before.

MorningViewStables · Feb 6, 2014

Oh. Good. Best way to smooth surfaces is back drag with the bucket almost level with a slight tilt up or dump down and used the front edge. Trick is slight adjustments as you finish off not to dig to deep or leave a pile at the end of the drag.

rwork · Feb 6, 2014

Learn something new every day !

Billy Bee · Feb 7, 2014

rwork said:
I didn't even know this was possible until someone posted about their loader not being able to curl / dump while in the float position. I thought about this yesterday while I was grading my drive, and gave it a try. It works! I've had the tractor almost two years, and never knew!

Any other secret tricks??

I sure wish I could grade my drive, it's not bumpy, just full of this #$^&## snow again. Can't wait to see the ground again. 23 in. of the white crap on the ground, deeper where there is drifting. One trick I learned not to do is drag backwards with the bucket in the full dump position and the front tires off the ground. I bent both pistons in the hydraulic cylinders on my JD loader. I was able to bend them back straight by putting a wood block between the loader arms and the pistons, then use the dump/curl to straighten them. I know the manual tells you not to do that and now I know why. Some things you learn the hard way, so I won't do that again.

k0ua · Feb 7, 2014

I have been doing that for years. When back-dragging you need to change the angle especially at the end to blend the little "pile" of material on the leading edge of the bucket edge to not leave a bump of material so you flatten out the bucket angle at the end of your run to blend it.