Be gentle, new guy here with questions :)

[beekeeper]

Hi I am looking to buy a new Kubota Tractor with a Fel to move pallets of bees around for pollination within the province of Nova Scotia. So I wanted something smaller , but not too small.
So I have been looking at the L3800 HST , mainly because it isn't too small or light and it is in the price range of what I can afford.

My main concern is with the LA524FL with a set of Forks (2000 lb-ish rated ) how much can it lift ? combined weight is one thing , but when I want to lift something like a pallet of honey supers or bees , I really need to know what it can do , so I don't overload it.

Sorry if this is on the wrong thread

Thanks
Ben L

 

[Burt]

Hi I am looking to buy a new Kubota Tractor with a Fel to move pallets of bees around for pollination within the province of Nova Scotia. So I wanted something smaller , but not too small.
So I have been looking at the L3800 HST , mainly because it isn't too small or light and it is in the price range of what I can afford.

My main concern is with the LA524FL with a set of Forks (2000 lb-ish rated ) how much can it lift ? combined weight is one thing , but when I want to lift something like a pallet of honey supers or bees , I really need to know what it can do , so I don't overload it.

Sorry if this is on the wrong thread

Thanks
Ben L

Beekeeper:

Tell us how much acreage you're covering. Do you remove snow or need to mow or use a ox blade for anything?

You 'll find the L3800 very capable of any task like that.

You'll find owners on this site with small acreage...ours is 6.5 up to more than a hundred. The FEL (loader) is 5 feet wides on an L3800. Will your hives fit in there?

I don't think my PF would allow me to have a beehive out in front of me on a tractor! You must really know what you're doing!

You are on the right forum for your questions.

Burt

 

[hodge]

Welcome to OTT! No worries- people are pretty gentle around here!
How much do you think the supers and hives weigh?
I don't have experience with either the bees or the L3800, but I am average on tractor savy, and have used different sized tractors and skid steers with loaders- my guess would be is that the L3800 is well up to the task. I can't imagine putting enough bee stuff on a pallet that the loader and tractor couldn't handle it with room to spare.
This past week, I helped our church trustee to move an old playground. This is one of those multi-piece units. The main part is the two story, pressure treated house that they can climb on and slide down- very solid and bulky. He used a New Holland TC30, with less horsepower and lift capacity than the L3800, to lift and move that entire house. He drove down the road about a quarter mile, to move it to another spot. My guess would be that the main house was 1,000 pounds easy, lifted pretty forward of the center of the bucket and very cumbersome; it was quite a load, and the tractor handled it with room to spare. So, just imagining your needs in comparison to that recent experience, I think the L3800 would perform well for you.
I move large round bales with our Bobcat skidsteer, with a 1300 pound lift rating, and it does great.
Without empirical data or firsthand experience, I can't say for certain. But, my gut says that you won't have a problem.

 

[beekeeper]

I will be using forks on the QA . rated 2000 lbs

4 hives to a pallet weighing around 800lbs give or take. honey around the same

plowing 300' driveway and 2 other big ones .

No attachment in mind , maybe something when I can afford it.

Ben

 

[BAP]

You might find that you want to add some extra weight to the back end beyond loading the tires. I have a B2920 with QA bucket and forks. I put my firewood on pallets and move them around with the forks. I found that with them sticking out so far, that the loaded tires alone were not enough weight when driving along over rolling terrain and hitting bumps. I attached a drawbar to the 3pt hitch arms and put some weights on it to make it more stable and safer. The loader handled the load fine, just was a little unstable for my liking when driving.

 

[beekeeper]

I figured I would need a ballast in the back, I just hope to god that it can pick up 800-900 lbs without straining anything.

 

[beekeeper]

Does anyone have one of these model loaders with a set of forks ? Maybe you can tell me the heaviest things you can pick up .

If not I will have to get the dealership to let me try it before buying somehow ? I don't know why the information isn't a little clearer on the brochure.

Since I am not farm tractor savy , it makes it frustrating to try and figure some of these important things out.

 

[Burt]

I figured I would need a ballast in the back, I just hope to god that it can pick up 800-900 lbs without straining anything.

Beekeeper:

No worries about 899 to 900 lbs. Old Boy! That's an easy lift for the L3800. If you're taking care of a 300' driveway in Nova Scotia, you may want a good rhino blade or similar for back weight and removing snow. I use ours at an angle and go down a similar length driveway. 2 passes and the snow is off to the side. I use the loader here and there to get the odd stuff. Easy for snow removal that way.

Never drove with bees out front though!

I'd rather have a good case of diarrhea than do that!

Burt

 

[Drew584]

Ive always been told the pound rating for the fel loader is times two of what ever the loader is. So in your case the LA524 loader is good for around 1,048lbs or more.

 

[wolfalalone]

Beekeeper

The book says the LA524 is rated for 710 lbs with pallot forks. You will have to have a rear ballast along with the tires filled. I would feel comfortable telling you that I wouldn't go any higher than 1200 lbs on the loader. Hope this helps.

 

[beekeeper]

Thanks everyone, good info.

 

[Russell King]

There are also pallet movers for the rear 3 point hitch that can lift more weight - it that is any longer a concern - see link below. May also avoid having bees blowing in your face if you move them very far! Not real sure why other posters were so concerned about having the bees in front though.

http://www.agrisupply.com/product.a...1&zmap=72511&gclid=CI73yZa-4LkCFSdp7Aod4WwAHw

 

[beekeeper]

Yeah the bees just fly around a bit , but when moving bees , it is mostly done at night or dusk. You want all of the foraging bees in the hive to go with the colony

I might get a set of forks for the back for moving sugar for early spring feeding etc..

I will let you all know how it goes , I was hoping for an R 320 , but I can't afford one.

Ben

 

[Bluegill]

I've been very impressed with the L3800DT. Been almost two years and even though I thought it might be too small, I have absolutely no regrets. Love it!

 

[Bulldog]

Beekeeper, the lift capacity you should look at is the one rated at 500mm forward which on the 524 loader is only 855 lbs. I don't know how the weight is distributed on your pallets but the farther forward the less your lift capacity.

I bet the L4600 doesn't cost much more money and you'll have a much bigger tractor and loader. The 764 loader is rated at 1263 lbs at 500mm. That would make things much more stable for you and might ever allow you room for expantion in the future.