Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL?

   / Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL? #1  

BadDecisions

Silver Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2019
Messages
106
Location
Wittmann, AZ
Tractor
Ford 8N
Been searching for an upgrade to my Craftsman lawn tractor on and off for a few years now with a (probably too) low budget. Ideally I've wanted to stay below $5,000, and have been limiting my search to tractors with a FEL. I live outside Phoenix, AZ in a rural open desert. I have ZERO plans/intentions/desires to do _any_ type of farming/gardening/etc so I'll never own a plow or other "ground engaging implements"..at least I think, anyways. I'm still trying to make sense of all the terminology, lol.

My primary intentions for the tractor is land clearing, and again - desert environment - I'm not going to be attempting to push over massive oak trees here, lol. I have just over an acre that's been well overgrown with weeds and small brushy plants, up to about 1/2" diameter trunks at most. A circular saw blade on the weed trimmer cuts them down like butter, but they still come back. I've been slowly working with vegetation killer, which works, but it still leaves dead plants behind, which I'm still dealing with clean up, and it seems like it grows faster than I have time to go back and clean up. Then I'm still left with very uneven ground from years of these things growing up in different places.

My thinking/plan there was either a grader blade, or what I believe is called a gannon box? Use either to just basically scrape the top layer off, hopefully taking much of the weed growth with it.

Secondary, I need to move heavy things around. Like steel tube and sheet for various other projects from the truck/trailer to the shop, and various heavy car parts - axles, engines, etc. I'd like to buy things like softener salt more in bulk, like perhaps by the pallet load rather than one bag at a time from the grocery store. I had to remove the center section from the rear axle of my 2.5 ton truck last year for repairs, and getting it back in was an adventure since it's parked on dirt, and it wouldn't fit in the shop to use a jack on concrete. Ended up making a makeshift "crane" from multiple ratchet straps fed in from the top of the flatbed.

The most weight in parts I can think of that I'd be lifting is 1,000 pounds, though I understand a full pallet of salt is around 2500 pounds.

I can certainly see a use for a FEL, especially in times of say, doing some landscaping and wanting to move dirt and rocks around. But it would be rather infrequent, and lifting/moving those heavy things would be FAR more frequent for me. So now I'm wondering if trying to hold out for a tractor with a FEL that falls within my budget is really the best idea? Might I better off doing something like hanging an engine hoist off a 3 point, and using that for lifting duties anyways? I've seen quite a few larger tractors selling for well within my budget without the FEL, but tractors with a FEL are a rare one, and usually end up being a non-runner or in need in major amounts of repairs. Having never owned a tractor like this before, I'm hesitant to buy one without a FEL to try to add one later, as being my first "real" tractor, concern that I'll just have to buy another one later when I learn that whatever I bought really wouldn't work with a FEL anyways.
 
   / Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL? #2  
Shame when you have a budget, buy the wrong thing and have to start again, sometimes loosing time and money in the process.

You are asking alot for your price range. You could probably buy a good used fork lift for cheaper than a hefty tractor. Sounds like you want to do a lot of lifiting. Purpose built stuff always works bettter. A tractor can do a lot of things but doesn't tend to do any of them really well.
 
   / Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL? #3  
For what it's worth, the following 3 implements can be used on the 3pt. Boom pole (engine hoist), dirt scoop (poor mans fel/bucket), Box Blade for land leveling. Even harder to find is used 3pt forklift (not forks, something that lifts). A FEL with forks requires one of the larger compact tractors. Or one of the "regular" tractors from the 60-80's era before they started making them lightweight. Kubota loaders use a numbering system where # is approximate lifting power at the curling pin in kilograms. ex. LA545 should be around 500k or 1100 lbs at curl pin, subtract weight of forks, distance from curl pin, around 700lbs estimate on usable lifting weight.

An 50 year old tractor should handle your needs nicely Tractor House website or magazines will help you decide what you need and approximate selling prices. Tractordata.com will allow you to research the tractor/fel specs. Good luck on your search.
 
   / Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL? #4  
Dynalift On Farm June 16 1991 B.jpg

We had the Tractor on the Left as our only machine for Decades with no FEL. Then upgraded to the machine on the right. lol 8000# Lift.

We used a Boom Pole a lot on the tractor, but of course it is no good for pallets.
 
   / Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL? #5  
The most weight in parts I can think of that I'd be lifting is 1,000 pounds, though I understand a full pallet of salt is around 2500 pounds.
I think you're gona have a hard time finding a tractor that'll competently do that kind of lifting for that kind of money. Best bet, as someone already pointed out, is probably a forklift. That'll get you the most lift capacity for the money. Not gonna help with the grading/scraping type work, but you can get an old tractor from the 50's-70's for a song that'll do that sort of thing. Look for a decent used forklift and then save your pennies and buy an 8N or similar for $2000 later.
 
   / Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL? #6  
You sometimes see 3ph forklift masts for sale. Except for having to be turned around, this is the natural choice. It's where a tractor should be carrying the weight anyways. On the heavy rear axle, and the robust driven one on a 2WD.
 
   / Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL? #7  
You sometimes see 3ph forklift masts for sale. Except for having to be turned around, this is the natural choice. It's where a tractor should be carrying the weight anyways. On the heavy rear axle, and the robust driven one on a 2WD.

Lifting that kind of weight off the back especially with minimal front ballast will still take no slouch of a tractor.
 
   / Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL? #8  
Rigging that up with a quick attach could make it quite handy. I am no fan of AG loaders and would consider that if I was in that position. I lift and carry way more stuff than I ever use or need a bucket for.
 
   / Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL? #9  
I can see a use for a FEL, especially in times of say, doing some landscaping and wanting to move dirt and rocks around. But it would be rather infrequent, and lifting/moving those heavy things would be FAR more frequent for me. The most weight in parts I can think of that I'd be lifting is 1,000 pounds, though I understand a full pallet of salt is around 2500 pounds.

So now I'm wondering if trying to hold out for a tractor with a FEL that falls within my budget is really the best idea? I've seen quite a few larger tractors selling for well within my $5,000 budget without the FEL, but tractors with a FEL are a rare one, and usually end up being a non-runner or in need in major amounts of repairs.

One of the older, heavier tractors with a $350 Three Point Hitch boom pole might serve you well for your primary lifting task.

VIDEO: tractor boom pole - YouTube



A Three Point Hitch dirt scoop will move occasional dirt and rocks.

VIDEO: tractor bucket scoop - YouTube


Both these attachments carry the weight over the wide, heavy rear axle for reasonable stability.


You contradict yourself in your post:

I have ZERO plans/intentions/desires to do _any_ type of farming/gardening/etc so I'll never own "ground engaging implements". My thinking/plan there was either a grader blade, or a box blade? Gannon is a brand of box blade.

VIDEO: tractor box blade - YouTube
 
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   / Lifting via FEL vs 3 point? Maybe I've looking at it wrong thinking I NEED a FEL? #10  
I live on just over an acre of Phoenix, Arizona desert land. .

Rent a tractor for a 3-day weekend.

My wife would never let me display an ugly old tractor plus attachments on one acre.
 

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