What is the FEL Float?

[mcnitt]

Greetings All-


I just purchased a Grand L3430 with the 723 loader, grapple, and BB with top 'n tilt and remotes. While reading the operator's manual, I saw a reference to a "float" position on the loader, but it doesn't describe what it is or how it is used.

Thanks-

 

[Dog Lover]

When you place the FEL control stick all the way forward it will click, past a small detent and allow the FEL bucket to float on the surface of the ground without digging in. It does a good job on clean up. You have to push it all the way forward, hard, and it will work just fine.

 

[flusher]

Greetings All-


I just purchased a Grand L3430 with the 723 loader, grapple, and BB with top 'n tilt and remotes. While reading the operator's manual, I saw a reference to a "float" position on the loader, but it doesn't describe what it is or how it is used.

Thanks-

I have a little brother of your Grand L, a 21-hp (engine) Kubota B7510HST with the LA302 FEL (4-ft bucket).

The "float" position is reached by moving the lift control joystick full forward beyond the "down" position.

The manual says when scooping material that rests on a hard surface (e.g. snow on a concrete driveway) to level the bucket and put the lift control in the float position.

This removes the hydraulic downforce so the bucket skims over the working surface. Minimizes wear on the bottom of the bucket and reduces the chance of surface gouging.

 

[clenhart]

I use the float position quite often when back dragging with the bucket to smooth dirt. It works quite well. With the loader in the float postion you can vary the tilt on the bucket while dragging backward and control the amout of dirt it drags...

 

[alchemysa]

Your loader can lift the front wheels into the air but if you push the stick too far forward the wheels will suddenly drop to the ground. When that happens you know youre in 'float.' Its a good method for smoothing out piles of dirt if, for example, you are trying to fill in the dips and bumps in a lawn area. Tilt the bucket down a little bit, then push the stick to float and backdrag across the dirt piles a couple of times.

 

[DiezNutz]

When using float and moving forward, you have to get the right bucket angle (level or slightly up) to keep the bucket from just digging in and pole-vaulting your front wheels into the air. It's definitely more forgiving when moving backward. Although usually when backdragging I don't float, but rather put the weight on the bucket to make it more effective and compact the soil at the same time.

 

[TalonDancer]

Be careful how hard you push your FEL joystick forward when the bucket is up high. The "detent" on some tractor's FEL control are easy to push past. The loader on the L39 I rented would almost literally free fall from full height if I got in a hurry and pushed forward a little to hard

OTOH the float on my new GL3240's LA724 FEL requires quite a quick, hard push to get past the detent and avoid lifting the front end and then dropping it.

Talon Dancer

 

[mcnitt]

Wow! Great responses - I don't have the feature on my MF 1220. Thank you all very much for getting me going in the right direction...

 

[john_bud]

Don't forget that when back dragging in float you want the bucket FULL of dirt. That gives the down pressure to flatten the hills out.

It is "better" than just lifting the front of the tractor as you can still steer the machine with the wheel. Otherwise you can just back up and wander due to dips and hills or use the individual brake peddles to steer. Technically, a full bucket with the front end lifted (non-float) gives more flatening action but is harder to master and usually slower. Often it's a lot quicker to fill the bucket and float it back to smooth the work area, then as you make your first turn raise the bucket and go.


jb

 

[JerryG]

Wow! Great responses - I don't have the feature on my MF 1220. Thank you all very much for getting me going in the right direction...

If you can't find float, it is because it hasn't been used and may be rusted up. It does have it though.

 

[alchemysa]

Wow! Great responses - I don't have the feature on my MF 1220. Thank you all very much for getting me going in the right direction...

Are you sure? Its a pretty basic feature. In fact a loader without it would be a real pain. As JerryG says, maybe your detent unit ('spool cap') at the bottom of the contrl block is rusted or full of muck, preventing you from pushing the stick far enough forward. If its anything like the kubota spool cap its pretty easy to take off and clean.

My old kubota has 'float', but the detent feature that holds the stick in the float position failed long ago. I have to manually hold the stick in float but thats no great hassle.

 

[ELisnak@optonline.net]

Ii have a 1220 and it does have a float. Push the sticj up as far as it goes

 

[TalonDancer]

A little off topic but still about the FEL control...

How does one actually use the dual speed FEL dump, where pushing a little to the right dumps quickly and further to the right dumps more slowly. That just seems backwards

TIA - Talon Dancer

 

[DiezNutz]

How does one actually use the dual speed FEL dump, where pushing a little to the right dumps quickly and further to the right dumps more slowly. That just seems backwards

The far right detent just lets the bucket free-fall under its own weight + the weight of its payload. I call it "power dump" (even though that's a misnomer), because when the bucket's full it will come down harder & faster than normal, and usually knock loose anything that's stuck in it. I'm guessing the reason it was "slow" for you is it was empty when you were playing with it.

My manual merely makes some vague reference about the second dump position being "used when operating another implement with this control valve". The manual also says this position "has good power and control for dumping precisely". Actually - technically - it has neither. I swear, I don't know who writes these things.