Mirror on front end loader

[DrainPondDesign]

Does your loader have a bucket angle indicator rod like a 300cx? If so you can paint marks on it for the angles you want.

It also helps to move the bucket angle in increments stopping to see what each increment looks like from on & off the tractor. My wife & I did this today as part of our learning curve in ironing out the driveway's mudseason ruts. Watching from off of the tractor how each bucket angle moved the dirt was also helpful.

 

[dirtworksequip]

Forget the mirror! It's just a crutch. Learn how to run your loader correctly by feel. Practice makes perfect. If you just watch how the tractor and loader react to what you are doing it will tell you if you got it right for what you are trying to accomplish. Some of the larger dozers & loaders the operator cannot even see the blade cutting edge or corners,what are you going to do now? Practice,practice,practice you will probably suprise yourself at how good you will get.

Sincerely,
Dirt

 

[SPYDERLK]

Mount the mirror on a part of the tractor that does not move wrt you or the area you want to see. If you dont the mirror will be be extremely touchy to see with. The problem is that the angles of incidence and reflection change from both sides simultaneously. A convex mirror will do better because it has a wider field of view, but the same problem applies. A little wireless camera would be great if you could get a bright enuf monitor and ruggedness.
larry

 

[gemini5362]

I built a back up camera system in '97 when I put the largest camper Lance sold onto my 1 ton Dually Dodge/Cummins with service body. Bought a 5 inch B&W monitor and CCD camera for $40. I rewired the CRT yoke to reverse the scan and mounted the monitor upside down. The effect was to give me a mirror view (left right reversal) instead of a standard camera view. It came with a plug in the wall power supply (18 VDC) but it worked fine on 12VDC. It worked like an electronic rearview mirror. The camera mounts under the rear roof overhang of the camper.

I have nearly 50 years experience backing up to trailers. It has gotten about as easy as it is going to get. I am pretty darned good at it without the mirror. I am a pretty good marksman without sights on the gun too but way better with them. Likewise, the mirror is a sure kill and easily gets you dead on first time nearly every time. I have relatively poor visibility without it on the 1 ton. Just bought a draw bar and ball for the new 3/4 ton but haven't backed it up to a trailer yet. Remains to be seen how easy it will be. As it is a crew cab 4x4 (taller) the visibility is not so great.

Thanks for the link, I was blissfully ignorant of the inexpensive Wally World unit. I'll have to take a look. I purposely did not get the back up cam on the truck because I want to do my own. Ditto the nav system. I want to choose my own GPS unit which may ba a laptop with GPS card. The Super Duty F-250 has a neat rectangular depression in the center of the top of the dash that looks to be just about perfect for some custom equipment and will only obscure the view of the hood, not the road as I am not vertically challenged. There is room above the rear view mirror to place an LCD screen.

Thanks again for the link, I gotta check that out.

Pat

Pat I have tried the laptop with the GPS reciever and to be honest I did not like it. It was too bulky in the front of the truck. I have a TOM TOM 700 and that works very very well. It is better than the unit that came in the porsche and not as good as the one in the ACCURA but the Accura one is probably the best unit on the market. I have travelled quite a bit with the TOM TOm And have only had problems a couple of places. In witchita kansas evidently someone put directions in the map for the street wrong. The TOM TOM took me to the south end of the street instead of the North. Other than wichita it has found everywhere I need to go. The other two problems I had was in small towns with street numbers being off from where it thought they were but it got me within viewing distance of my destination.

 

[Lloyd_E]

Pat,

Just brilliant...I usually take three tries to get it (well maybe 4-5). With a super crew cab there is a lot of distance to cover. I think a mirror mounted on a magnet will do the job...many thanks for the idea.

Lloyd

 

[Timber]

I use the "Force" my self

 

[Tig]

Get a dirt pile to play in. I tore up a corner of my yard. It needed to be leveled anyway. I back draged the humps into a pile, added two bins worth of compost and then I turned the compost pile from time to time. Then I move the pile 10', Later I move it back. Then I turn the pile some more and move it again. Just playing like that 20 mins at a time gave me a feel for the tractor and the loader. Progress is quick once you get using it. In all honestly, I have yet to do much real work with my loader.

 

[SFish]

While you are working the loader have your favorite female, wearing a skimpy bikini, hold a large mirror off to one side in front.

Steve

 

[Nuru]

How about this. Get a telescoping mini-mast, like an old car antenna mast. Get one long enough to do the trick, and attach a mirror on the end of it? Or use a long dowel and do the same. Or practice watching the top of your loader bucket's position in reference to something near it on your tractor. That works for me. I saw one guy, put something on his tractor to use as a synch point too.

 

[KentT]

With a view like this, you don't need mirrors -- or smoke!

Thanks, MR for the great pic!