loader and scraper experiences wanted

[Pingman]

I'm looking at adding a 7308 loader and a box scraper to my 1320 (20 hp) for light landscaping work. I plan on loading the rear tires and keeping the scraper attached at all times to offset the weight of the loader. I need the loader to be able to dump over into a dumpster 72" high.

1) Anyone have any bad experiences to tell with this loader and 18-24 hp tractors?

2) What size box should I buy? A 5ft will cover the tires by an inch or two on each side, should I get the 6ft in order to make it easier to get close to things?

Thanks,
Barry

 

[jinman]

Barry, if you put a 72" loader bucket on a 1320, you'll need to put a TC45 on the rear just for ballast. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Honestly, that is like a mouse looking at an elephant with romance on his mind. It ain't gonna be possible. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I would not put anything bigger than a 48" bucket on a 20 hp or less tractor. Heck, I just bought a 5' bucket for my TC45D because the 6" bucket works best with loose material and the 5' with toothbar will be a great digger.

Just take a drive by a New Holland, John Deere, or Kubota dealer and see what loaders they put on their sub-CUTs. A 48" bucket will be plenty for your 1320. If you want to cover your wheels, I'd suggest a rear blade.

Now if I was going to clean up around construction sites all the time, I'd be looking for a skidsteer loader. They can run circles around a tractor in most "tight-spot" applications.

 

[Pingman]

I wasn't talking about the LOADER bucket size....I'm asking about the BOX SCRAPER size!

 

[EquipmentJunkie]

Pingman,

According to my old brochure on the 20-series Ford compacts, Ford recommended either a 54" or 60" box scraper for the 1320.

What tires do you have? I'd definitely stay at a 60" box, especially if you have turf tires.

A 72" box seems quite wide for the 1320. I occasionally use a 72" box (designed specifically for fine grading) on my 1520 to grade loose material. It is fine in that application, but if I want to cut with it, the ag tires really start scratching.

I have an idea...why not make a bracket to hang some suitcase weights on the three point frame of the 60" box? This would give you additional ballast for loader work and more weight with which to cut when using the box.

 

[jinman]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I guess I got confused between 72" height and 72" width and loader and bucket and . . . .

One thing for certain. You know where I stand on the loader issue. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Personally, I'd make my boxblade no wider than the rear tires. There's nothing quite so depressing as accidentally running a blade into the side of a new house because you forgot that it sticks out wider than your rear tires. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I'm finding that out when I work in my woods. I put a ballast beam on my boxblade that sticks out from my rear tires and now I find myself scraping tree trunks with it if I'm not careful. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Tex22]

Hey Jim, what size bucket do you think would be better for a TC24? The standard is 54" but I can ask them to switch it out to a 48" before I take delivery. Not looking to move a lot of heavy material with it, mostly manure/bedding. Thought the added capacity would allow an extra whellbarrow load. Don't know if the extra 6" will get in the way all the time.
Thanks.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="blue"> what size bucket do you think would be better for a TC24? The standard is 54" but I can ask them to switch it out to a 48" before I take delivery. </font>


I have a 54" bucket on my TC24 and there were a few times when I wished I had the 48. But those times were mostly when "digging" was needed. A smaller bucket will tend to dig a little easier than a larger bucket. A larger bucket is also easier to overload and throw the tractor off balance. The 12LA loader on the TC24 is VERY powerful, among the strongests loader of any brand of tractor in that size frame, so counter weight on the rear is NECESSARY to balance the machine. Just doing light work a couple times I didn't have the weight box on and decided I needed to move some clay, a load of clay can tip the machine on its nose. All that said, the 54" bucket is a nice match to the machine, it is slightly wider than the overall width. If I was digging a lot, I'd get the smaller 48" bucket. For moving material, the 54" bucket is great.

 

[hazmat]

Jinman,

I'm going to disagree with you on the loader bucket recommendation. I run a 54" on my TC18 with 7106 loader. It sure isn't a digger, but is more than capable with loose material which is what it was really designed for.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Jinman,

I'm going to disagree with you on the loader bucket recommendation. I run a 54" on my TC18 with 7106 loader. It sure isn't a digger, but is more than capable with loose material which is what it was really designed for. )</font>

I don't think you are really disagreeing with me, Hazmat. You said the 54" bucket was fine for loose material. I would agree with added rear ballast. If you dig, the 48" bucket will be fine. Since Pingman will be cleaning up around construction sites and may get into some concrete pieces or have to do digging and levelling, I think a the 48" bucket would be the best choice. It will also be the most stable when working at the maximum loader height where he will be much of the time loading into a 72" high dumpster. You know that at maximum height, anything off-center loaded into the loader bucket becomes a hazard. With a narrower bucket at least those uneven construction trash loads won't be quite as far away from the tractor's centerline.

But hey. . . we are only talking 6" difference between a 54" and a 48" bucket, so the difference may not matter. I just don't want anyone to think that I'd recommend a 60" or 72" bucket for such a small tractor. I'd keep the rear boxblade 60" or less too. If it's just a scraper blade, a 6-footer might work for smoothing out sand and light gravel. It's just been my experience that if your implement is so big, you will just spin your tires and make more of a mess than you started with. If you can't pull the blade, you are NOT going to cover your tracks. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Tex22]

Thanks Bob. I'll go with the 54" then. Loose material is the only thing I'll be moviing, and the extra capacity will help with the material I'll be moving most most of the time (manure).