How well do the Jinma tractors dig with loader? I will mainly use mine for moving brush, gravel, dirt, and snow. But I have a few places that I will want to level and dig. Thanks, Ash
Well traditionally loaders are best left for loose materials such as piled gravel, manuer, chips, snow and brush with a grapple/fork. Lots of stresses generated by those long lift arms and lots of potential for damage digging into the ground. That being said, I use mine occasionally to cut into high spots and relocate it to the low spots and it does that very well. I do have pretty soft sandy soil and I do this type work very slowly so as not to shock load the structure. I am also not using a Jinma loader on my 284 and have no experience with that loader. A toothbar on the bucket would help to break up the soil but I don't do it that often to warrant that type of modification.
Ground engagement is best left to a box grader or scraper(my next tractor build project). The 3PH structure on the tractor with it's shorter arms loaded in tension is better suited to the loads involved with pulling a ground breaking impliment. There is a good thread up in the "build it yourself" forum from a gentelman that just finished building a grader box. He shows some pics of the way his finished product performs on the ground.
I agree, its best if you don't try to dig with a FEL. Moving loose soil/gravel or brush with a bucket grapple is the way to go.
Also, if you have a Jinma 4x4 there is a very good chance you will break the front axle if you try to dig with the FEL in 4WD. Seems to be a fairly common problem. If you can't push it in 2WD with the FEL, then don't do it.