LS MT125 Bucket Level Indicator - with pictures

[mslisaj]

As most of you that have read my posts know, I have a brand new MT125 TLB. I have 10 hours on it now and 9 of those have been in the shop practicing digging with the backhoe on my cement floor. I also had the tractor running getting the backhoe on and off on the dolly I made for the hoe. My driveway is asphalt with the usual shrinkage racks and concrete aprons around my house and in front of the shop. So I bought some devices that clamp on the edge of my loader bucket that keeps that edge up and away from catching "things" (first use of this tractor will be moving snow). Also our little tractors don't have automatic bucket levelers so it's always a slow process to get it down and figure the rotation of the bucket with the cutting edge and get it level. Different manufactures go about this problem in different ways but my trusty LS MT125 has no provisions for a "level indicator".

What I have built here is not new or my design by any means. But it is an idea that I could build out of my metal scrap pile and make it work. Also I have chosen to share the "unpainted" pictures as I'm excited to share todays project and once it's painted "blue" like the tractor it will be harder to see what I built. The indicator rod is 1/4" cold roll. The "brackets are 1 1/2" X 1/4" mild steel. I used an 1 1/8" muffler clamp that I put a piece of hose around as I didn't want to mare my cylinder. An interesting note, I mounted this to the cylinder and as the cylinder moves up and down within the arc of it's rotation it keeps the indicator rod from binding. Not by design I just got lucky there and it worked. I am lining the yellow paint on the indicator rod wtih the end of the 1/2 in steel tube as the indication. When I paint it I will make this demarcation mark sharper and bigger to note when it's coming into position.

I played with this in the shop and it is the perfect $1.75 solution (cost of 5' of 1/2" steel tubing) for getting the bucket level on the fly. I built "rider7767's" backhoe dolly and I just wanted to give back with an idea and design of my own. Hope you like it.

Lisa :thumbsup:

 

[tomplum]

Looks good, but hopefully soon we'll see your blue girl with some dirt and slush on her!

 

[mslisaj]

Looks good, but hopefully soon we'll see your blue girl with some dirt and slush on her!

:laughing: :laughing:
Absolutely agree. I played with a little snow today and it wasn't enough to really bother with but I did get the MT125 out of the shop for a change and into the sunlight. Gotta love a hangar queen. :thumbsup:

 

[rider7767]

As most of you that have read my posts know, I have a brand new MT125 TLB. I have 10 hours on it now and 9 of those have been in the shop practicing digging with the backhoe on my cement floor. I also had the tractor running getting the backhoe on and off on the dolly I made for the hoe. My driveway is asphalt with the usual shrinkage racks and concrete aprons around my house and in front of the shop. So I bought some devices that clamp on the edge of my loader bucket that keeps that edge up and away from catching "things" (first use of this tractor will be moving snow). Also our little tractors don't have automatic bucket levelers so it's always a slow process to get it down and figure the rotation of the bucket with the cutting edge and get it level. Different manufactures go about this problem in different ways but my trusty LS MT125 has no provisions for a "level indicator".

What I have built here is not new or my design by any means. But it is an idea that I could build out of my metal scrap pile and make it work. Also I have chosen to share the "unpainted" pictures as I'm excited to share todays project and once it's painted "blue" like the tractor it will be harder to see what I built. The indicator rod is 1/4" cold roll. The "brackets are 1 1/2" X 1/4" mild steel. I used an 1 1/8" muffler clamp that I put a piece of hose around as I didn't want to mare my cylinder. An interesting note, I mounted this to the cylinder and as the cylinder moves up and down within the arc of it's rotation it keeps the indicator rod from binding. Not by design I just got lucky there and it worked. I am lining the yellow paint on the indicator rod wtih the end of the 1/2 in steel tube as the indication. When I paint it I will make this demarcation mark sharper and bigger to note when it's coming into position.

I played with this in the shop and it is the perfect $1.75 solution (cost of 5' of 1/2" steel tubing) for getting the bucket level on the fly. I built "rider7767's" backhoe dolly and I just wanted to give back with an idea and design of my own. Hope you like it.

Lisa :thumbsup:

That is awesome. I just did all of that dirt work with my MT125 and the shape of the bucket makes it hard to tell when it is level setting in the operator's seat. I was planning to do a bucket indicator this winter. That is a great fix. Tony

 

[Rock Crawler]

The bottom of the rod is welded to the 1/4" steel bracket, so it will arc and bend while side loading in the sleeve as you curl the bucket. I would have welded a washer to the end and allowed it to rotate free on a stud so that it was not side loading in the sleeve. I'm sure it will flex enough to survive your way, but I just would have done it a little different.

 

[mslisaj]

The bottom of the rod is welded to the 1/4" steel bracket, so it will arc and bend while side loading in the sleeve as you curl the bucket. I would have welded a washer to the end and allowed it to rotate free on a stud so that it was not side loading in the sleeve. I'm sure it will flex enough to survive your way, but I just would have done it a little different.

Hi "Rock Crawler", The picture doesn't show it but I drilled that lower bracket so the indicator rod does piviot in that hole. In fact it has to pivot, from the full down position to the full up that bracket will "rotate" about 50 degrees. As you pointed out it HAS to rotate. I drilled that rod and used and 1/8" cotter pin in the back that you can't see.

Thanks for checking out my project and looking that close I appreciate the comment.

Lisa

 

[mslisaj]

That is awesome. I just did all of that dirt work with my MT125 and the shape of the bucket makes it hard to tell when it is level setting in the operator's seat. I was planning to do a bucket indicator this winter. That is a great fix. Tony

Thanks Tony for your comments. Your idea's and contributions have me looking at my tractor now and seeing what I "can improve". Being I don't have any real work for my tractor yet, I'm "playing with it" looking at idea's that will improve it for me if nothing else. Plus I love to do this kind of work in the shop and exercise my brain. To take something from an idea to a working product is a great feeling of accomplishment. Doesn't get any better. :thumbsup:

Best regards,

Lisa

 

[mslisaj]

Well I have to post an update to my bucket level indicator. I found that even though the 1/2" tube is running parallel to the cylinder my attaching point was not in the center of the cylinder pivot point. I did get some "bending" of the indicator rod that I passed off as a way to keep the indicator from rattling in the tube. But after looking at it I needed to move the pivot center closer to the center pivot point of the cylinder. The best way would be to work out a system where the indicator rod worked off the dead center of the pivot of the cylinder. While that is possible to design I opted to just move my pivot for the 1/4" indicator rod closer to the pivot point. Attached is a picture of the original bracket I built and all I did was drill the pivot hold closer to the center of the pivot. I was limited to how far "back" I could go with the reinforcement of the main bucket actuating bracket. The pictures gives you an idea where I moved it too. This configureation worked perfectly as it keeps the indicator rod from being lose in the tube but relieves the majority of the binding of the indicator rod. It works for me pretty well.
Thanks for checking out my design here.

Lisa

 

[rider7767]

Great solutions come from always improving.

 

[npalen]

What I find really handy with a bucket level indicator is the ability to pre- level the bucket prior to dropping it to ground level. This speeds up the process when loading material as it allows leveling the bucket when travelling back to the "pile".