Bucket down or up when tractor is off and stored.

[Orange man hero]

I read somewhere to have it down (probably here) IT seems to me it might be more sensible to have it where the stainless steel piston is up in the tube for protection, especially if you store outside under a trap like I plan to do.

 

[GeoHorn]

I’m guessing you are referring to the “rolling” of the bucket....that in either case the bucket is on the ground (for safety, of course.). If it’s stored under a tarp it likely makes no difference, IMO. But if not under protection from the elements then it will hold rain-water, etc if it’s rolled “back” or “up” and that is not something I’d want.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Down on the ground and rolled forward for water not to sit in the bucket.
The Cylinder rod would take years of non use to get damaged.

 

[DueEast]

I always store mine down on the ground with the cutting edge close to level with the ground. I store my Tractor indoors. My neighbor keeps his loader up in the air and bucket dumped down. Always seems wrong to me.

 

[mcfarmall]

All implements lowered to the ground, bucket tipped for drainage if outdoors. If not lowered to the ground then mechanically blocked up for safety, for example the pin that holds your backhoe boom upright.

 

[jimh406]

Lowered if for no other reason than leak down doing unexpected things. You could always put something under it.

 

[BobInSD]

I always store mine down on the ground with the cutting edge close to level with the ground. I store my Tractor indoors. My neighbor keeps his loader up in the air and bucket dumped down. Always seems wrong to me.

I do this in the summer

Down on the ground and rolled forward for water not to sit in the bucket.
The Cylinder rod would take years of non use to get damaged.

and this in the winter. Even inside, the bucket likely has snow in it and (every once in awhile) it may get warm enough for some of that to melt in the barn. My previous tractor was rusted almost all the way across the back seam at the bottom.

 

[RCW]

After you catch an ankle on the Piranha Tooth bar, you learn this. Nice and flat. Rolled forward works too.

 

[je1279]

Yeah dump position is used when left outside to prevent water/ice/snow from accumulating inside the bucket. Normal leveled position (as @RCW demonstrated above) is fine for storing indoors.

 

[mendonsy]

Down on the ground and rolled forward for water not to sit in the bucket.
The Cylinder rod would take years of non use to get damaged.

Another advantage to the Wolfman's approach is that it keeps hydraulic pressure off of the cylinder seals while parked so they will last longer.

 

[Tarmy]

Always down when unattended...never know when it could drop or the pressure released.

 

[S-G-R]

After you catch an ankle on the Piranha Tooth bar, you learn this. Nice and flat. Rolled forward works too.

View attachment 58165

Mine is inside and kept flat. What sharp teeth you have grandma

 

[D2Cat]

I had a friend who had a Ford 8N he used for everything. One day he went into the house for lunch and when he came out his dog was under the bucket and it had come down on him.

I know another guy who put his tractor in a shop and stashed implements all around it to get them in. He had the bucket of his tractor up in the air to make more space. The bucket came down and did a lot of damage to his riding mower that was setting under it.

No sense having pressure on the hydraulic system when not in use, and then risking someone/something getting injured or killed.

Have the loader on the ground when not in use.

 

[Orange man hero]

I had a friend who had a Ford 8N he used for everything. One day he went into the house for lunch and when he came out his dog was under the bucket and it had come down on him.

I know another guy who put his tractor in a shop and stashed implements all around it to get them in. He had the bucket of his tractor up in the air to make more space. The bucket came down and did a lot of damage to his riding mower that was setting under it.

No sense having pressure on the hydraulic system when not in use, and then risking someone/something getting injured or killed.

Have the loader on the ground when not in use.

Good idea!

 

[random]

I put it on the ground. If I leave it too long with the loader up, it ends up on the ground anyway, so might as well start there...

 

[Orange man hero]

I put it on the ground. If I leave it too long with the loader up, it ends up on the ground anyway, so might as well start there...

Yes, I've noticed that!

 

[NCL4701]

My Dad and every supervisor I ever had would either smack me or yell at me if I didn’t ground the hydraulics on whatever I was running when I shut it down and got off. Right or wrong, have always put everything on the ground and relieved pressure in the lines to the degree possible as part of shutdown procedure.

 

[Orange man hero]

My Dad and every supervisor I ever had would either smack me or yell at me if I didn’t ground the hydraulics on whatever I was running when I shut it down and got off. Right or wrong, have always put everything on the ground and relieved pressure in the lines to the degree possible as part of shutdown procedure.

Is pressure relieved just by setting it down? Guess so, makes sense.

 

[NCL4701]

Is pressure relieved just by setting it down? Guess so, makes sense.

For the three point, yes. After the engine is off, for stuff that goes both ways, I always cycle through the valve; up, down, curl, dump, third function open/close. Might be stupid or unnecessary but that’s what I’ve done for decades and never had any ill effects.

 

[GeoHorn]

Here’s an interesting observation (at least is was for me)... Lower the FEL and the 3-pt, then shut down the engine. Raise the 3-pt lever (so the next start will auto-raise it so I won’t forget to do so before backing it out of the shed. ) Wiggle the FEL joystick to release any remaining hyd-pressure...and the 3-pt will raise up ever-so-slightly.

Now I wait to return the 3-pt lever to the ”up” position until after I’ve released any remaining pressure in the FEL joystick.

Just found it interesting that FEL-residual pressure would influence the 3-pt.