What is Float with the FEL?

glc24 · Sep 17, 2011

Does anyone have a 2520 that does this?

Tom,
They all have the float position.

When the tractor was new, it almost felt like I was breaking something in the SCV when I pushed it forward to the float position.

Exactly how I felt too.
It just didn't feel right,but now you expect it to act that way.:thumbsup:

Greg

Gobblin Tom · Sep 17, 2011

glc24 said:
Tom,
They all have the float position.

Exactly how I felt too.
It just didn't feel right,but now you expect it to act that way.:thumbsup:

Greg

Hey thanks!!! That will be great for the snow removal this year!!! It sounds like it will take some getting used to...

whistlepig · Sep 18, 2011

Gobblin Tom said:
Hey thanks!!! That will be great for the snow removal this year!!! It sounds like it will take some getting used to...

The float feature works great on snow.

jenkinsph · Sep 18, 2011

Gobblin Tom,
While in float you can still adjust the bucket rollback to feather the cutting edge. The float position only affects the raising and lowering of the bucket.
Just spend some time playing with it. Different degrees of roll back gives different results when backdragging the bucket.

JB4310 · Sep 18, 2011

Gobblin Tom said:
Hey thanks!!! That will be great for the snow removal this year!!! It sounds like it will take some getting used to...

whistlepig said:
The float feature works great on snow.

Float is absolutely necessary for efficient snow removal work with a FEL.
I use it on 99% of passes.

Every snow plow ever made (almost) uses float to follow the contour of the ground,
and you need it as well with your loader, along with the right bucket edge angle, like steve mentioned above, you can dial that in by feel while your moving along with the bucket floating across the surface .

There is a short but painful learning curve with using a FEL for snow removal,
The sooner you get the float feature down, the quicker you will be moving snow with little stress.

It took me a couple of hours, before I realised how necessary it was to use float the first time I used my loader for snow. And I had been plowing snow with trucks for 25 years.

Good Luck,

JB

smalltown · Sep 18, 2011

Tom my 2520 works like those who posted before.

I don't need to put much pressure on my lever. If it's working correctly you will feel it go into the float position as you push on the lever.

I don't reall ever going into flost with the bucket any any height as I engage mine when the bucket is already down.

kennyd · Sep 18, 2011

I always suggest practicing with the bucket about three feet in the air to prevent wheelies until you get used to putting it into float.

whistlepig · Sep 18, 2011

JB4310 said:
Float is absolutely necessary for efficient snow removal work with a FEL.
I use it on 99% of passes.

Every snow plow ever made (almost) uses float to follow the contour of the ground,
and you need it as well with your loader, along with the right bucket edge angle, like steve mentioned above, you can dial that in by feel while your moving along with the bucket floating across the surface .

There is a short but painful learning curve with using a FEL for snow removal,
The sooner you get the float feature down, the quicker you will be moving snow with little stress.

It took me a couple of hours, before I realised how necessary it was to use float the first time I used my loader for snow. And I had been plowing snow with trucks for 25 years.

Good Luck,

JB

I does take a while to learn to use the FEL on snow. Bucket tilted too much and up comes your gravel driveway. Bucket tilted too little and the bucket will ride up on top of the snow. Be patient. I enjoy using the FEL for snow but I had to learn it first.

Gobblin Tom · Sep 18, 2011

I did try it today before I took it off to put the mower deck on. That will work awesome for my driveway! I will just have to remove the teeth from my bucket and all should be good, thanks for all your help, I sure am glad I learned about this before the snow hits!!! Now I'm thinking about adding at least 4the lights to the top underside of the rops.... I want to be able to see in front and behind good, thinking about putting them on 2 separate switches....

whistlepig · Sep 18, 2011

Gobblin Tom said:
I did try it today before I took it off to put the mower deck on. That will work awesome for my driveway! I will just have to remove the teeth from my bucket and all should be good, thanks for all your help, I sure am glad I learned about this before the snow hits!!! Now I'm thinking about adding at least 4the lights to the top underside of the rops.... I want to be able to see in front and behind good, thinking about putting them on 2 separate switches....

When mowing season is over put the loader on and practice in the yard. That's how I learned. It gets a lot easier when the driveway and yard freezes solid.

bradrich18 · Sep 19, 2011

I've got a 1026r and only use a mid mount mower at this time. My dealer swapped the hoses around where my mowing deck works like a FEL (forward to lower deck, back to raise it). Will the float work on my mowing deck like it is? Thanks.

MossflowerWoods · Sep 19, 2011

k0ua said:
Push the control lever further forward than you usually do to lower the boom, you will feel a "detent". In other words it sticks there and stays. Do it fast as the boom is going down, so you do not lift the front end under pressure. As the other poster said there is no down pressure in the float position. it floats up and down and follows the terrain. It is often used with backdragging (and other things) look at this video, one video is worth 10,000 words

Kubota L3400HST back dragging - Tractor Videos - Kubota, John Deere, New Holland and More

Here I am smoothing out some gravel.

James K0UA

Will this work with my root grapple?

Yesterday, before I broke the hyd hose, I was diggin holes... :laughing: when I was trying to smooth stuff out so I could drive on it...

JB4310 · Sep 19, 2011

bradrich18 said:
I've got a 1026r and only use a mid mount mower at this time. My dealer swapped the hoses around where my mowing deck works like a FEL (forward to lower deck, back to raise it). Will the float work on my mowing deck like it is? Thanks.

I'm not familiar with your model tractor, but if you are saying that you are using the loaders stick to raise and lower the deck, and if that loader valve has float capability, then I would say yes.

But don't most or all decks float anyway, thru their linkage, to follow contours?

JB

k0ua · Sep 19, 2011

MossflowerWoods said:
Will this work with my root grapple?

Yesterday, before I broke the hyd hose, I was diggin holes... :laughing: when I was trying to smooth stuff out so I could drive on it...

David, I dont know, I would think the grapple may "hog in" but if it is constructed with a turned up lower lip, and a round bar running horizontal, then maybe.. Of course float will "float" the grapple, that is a function of the control valve, but whether it will do what you want it to on uneven ground, that is another thing. I mustly use it for backdragging (with a bucket) and it works very well for that, but to push snow in float, (with a bucket) takes some "finagaling" with the attack angle to keep it from "hoggin in" one way and if you curl too much then it just "floats" over the snow. You gotta get this just right then it works good. Carefull adjustment of the curl/dump function. Not such a big deal when going backwards, it just drags along the ground. You can use either the heel of the bucket or set the bucket flat, for even use the lip (cutting edge). Sorry I dont' know much about grapples, other than I wish I had one

James K0UA

blueriver · Sep 19, 2011

Obviously in Oklahoma we don't move alot of snow!!!! However the float position is an excellent feature. I stock pile my manure thru the winter ... when it comes time to spread it, it's nice to float into the pile and curl the bucket slowly and get a full bucket load.

5030 · Sep 19, 2011

Gobblin Tom said:
I have had my 2520 for a while now and have been reading a lot about the Float feature. Is this on every tractor? How do you know?

'Float' on any machine just means that there is no hydraulic pressure lifting or lowering. The hydraulic system is free to flow without any valving whatsoever.

MossflowerWoods · Sep 19, 2011

k0ua said:
David, I dont know, I would think the grapple may "hog in" but if it is constructed with a turned up lower lip, and a round bar running horizontal, then maybe.. Of course float will "float" the grapple, that is a function of the control valve, but whether it will do what you want it to on uneven ground, that is another thing.

Sorry I dont' know much about grapples, other than I wish I had one

James K0UA

James,

I have a Grapple and I know NOTHING! :laughing:

Seriously, after I put the new hyd line in, I am going to test this and report back.

Until I broke it I was REALLY learning and I was busy being surprused by what it would and would not do...

PS - How's your Stump War?

Be well sir,
David

k0ua · Sep 19, 2011

MossflowerWoods said:
James,

I have a Grapple and I know NOTHING! :laughing:

Seriously, after I put the new hyd line in, I am going to test this and report back.

Until I broke it I was REALLY learning and I was busy being surprused by what it would and would not do...

PS - How's your Stump War?

Be well sir,
David

David it rained all day Saturday, and most of the day Sunday, I just looked at the mudhole when I came home tonite, and said no way. and went inside. Its coming out, it just doesn't know it yet

James K0UA

MossflowerWoods · Sep 19, 2011

k0ua said:
David it rained all day Saturday, and most of the day Sunday, I just looked at the mudhole when I came home tonite, and said no way. and went inside. Its coming out, it just doesn't know it yet

James K0UA

James,

Good plan. Discretion is the better part of valor.

All that water will weaken its resistance.

You will win the war! I know it!

My stump grinder is STILL delayed... maybe Wed I will get it...
David