Bucket Leveling

[Frankb]

I now have the FEL, BH, Mid mower and now box blade for my new B2601.
Now I am looking to add two more items to make life easier. I need a thumb for the BH, and a bucket level indicator. The thumb will most likely be from BXpanded. I made a simple indicator for the L series I had with a piece of PVC tube and a threaded rod bent in L shape at bottom and clamped at bottom of one hydro arm. It worked well, but I don't think I am going to get away with that one this time. I do have SSQA bucket. Is there a system from another model that will work for this tractor? I do not have means for welding.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Less than 50 bucks will get you a genuine Kubota levelling indicator and bracket from your dealer that you can see from the seat and it's already painted orange to boot.

 

[NHSleddog]

IMHO - The BLI is a big waste of time. I mean that literally. You don't need to spend time watching some rod go in and out. Just use your loader and get used to the bucket.

Unless you are loading trucks in a pit, you will rarely be "level" anyway, so making your bucket "level" to the "un-level" ground is of little use.

No slight to the guys that have made fancy BLI's, I think if I got to spend a lot of time looking at my tractor and not a lot of time running it, I would like one on there to look at as well.

This is not a flippant response, a 14 wheeler dump up here takes 45 buckets with my B2650 to distribute. I have literally spread thousands of yards of material, thousands of buckets. I have NEVER used the BLI on my old tractor and because it rattled so bad on my new B2650, I took it off.



[Tractor-Rattle.jpg]

Take the time you would spend sourcing, installing and then looking at your BLI and instead just go use your bucket. You will be much better and faster at it than anyone out there using their "indicator". The top edge of the bucket is "level" or parallel to the tractor, it is very intuitive.

 

[Frankb]

Less than 50 bucks will get you a genuine Kubota levelling indicator and bracket from your dealer that you can see from the seat and it's already painted orange to boot.

I asked my dealer if they had one for the B2601 and he said there was none. Do you have a number to order?

 

[Frankb]

IMHO - The BLI is a big waste of time. I mean that literally. You don't need to spend time watching some rod go in and out. Just use your loader and get used to the bucket.

Unless you are loading trucks in a pit, you will rarely be "level" anyway, so making your bucket "level" to the "un-level" ground is of little use.

No slight to the guys that have made fancy BLI's, I think if I got to spend a lot of time looking at my tractor and not a lot of time running it, I would like one on there to look at as well.

This is not a flippant response, a 14 wheeler dump up here takes 45 buckets with my B2650 to distribute. I have literally spread thousands of yards of material, thousands of buckets. I have NEVER used the BLI on my old tractor and because it rattled so bad on my new B2650, I took it off.


View attachment 50552
[Tractor-Rattle.jpg]

Take the time you would spend sourcing, installing and then looking at your BLI and instead just go use your bucket. You will be much better and faster at it than anyone out there using their "indicator". The top edge of the bucket is "level" or parallel to the tractor, it is very intuitive.

I have tried using just the bucket and it is not working for me. I used to run heavy equipment with no trouble but can't seem to do it with a Kubota tractor for some reason. Using a bucket level indicator is not using it level with ground, but with the tractor. It works great on slopes and dirt ramps when you can level the bucket to the tractor.

 

[NHSleddog]

I have tried using just the bucket and it is not working for me. I used to run heavy equipment with no trouble but can't seem to do it with a Kubota tractor for some reason. Using a bucket level indicator is not using it level with ground, but with the tractor. It works great on slopes and dirt ramps when you can level the bucket to the tractor.

Well I have a tractor rattle sitting on the shop floor if you want to try to adapt it. You can probably buy the special loader pins it needs to mount. It looks like everything would be long enough so just some trimming should do.

 

[Frankb]

Well I have a tractor rattle sitting on the shop floor if you want to try to adapt it. You can probably buy the special loader pins it needs to mount. It looks like everything would be long enough so just some trimming should do.

I appreciate the offer, but will try to build another like I had on the L series with pvc and threaded rod. It worked well and did not rattle at all in the pvc tube. I was just hoping for a couple good ideas before getting the rod again. Always looking to improve.... I have the LA435 FEL on this tractor with SSQA bucket.

 

[802Driver]

IMHO - The BLI is a big waste of time. I mean that literally. You don't need to spend time watching some rod go in and out. Just use your loader and get used to the bucket.

Unless you are loading trucks in a pit, you will rarely be "level" anyway, so making your bucket "level" to the "un-level" ground is of little use.

No slight to the guys that have made fancy BLI's, I think if I got to spend a lot of time looking at my tractor and not a lot of time running it, I would like one on there to look at as well.

This is not a flippant response, a 14 wheeler dump up here takes 45 buckets with my B2650 to distribute. I have literally spread thousands of yards of material, thousands of buckets. I have NEVER used the BLI on my old tractor and because it rattled so bad on my new B2650, I took it off.


View attachment 50552
[Tractor-Rattle.jpg]

Take the time you would spend sourcing, installing and then looking at your BLI and instead just go use your bucket. You will be much better and faster at it than anyone out there using their "indicator". The top edge of the bucket is "level" or parallel to the tractor, it is very intuitive.

I'm going to have to agree with you on this one, I was pretty happy when the factory level indicator came on my lx, after a few hours on the tractor, I found I was never referring to it. Like mentioned, I found getting used to what was level by time on the tractor was the key, sadly, I never use it either.

 

[PaulR]

Another vote for the Kubota Orange Factory BLI.
Not only does the orange match nicely, the silver "gloss" of the rod matches all the other pieces on the tractor.
$50 well spent on aesthetics if nothing else.

 

[NCL4701]

When I bought my tractor the dealer talked me out of a bucket level indicator. Convinced me I’d get the feel for it quickly. If I used the bucket constantly that might be true but most of the 170 hours on my tractor are grapple, forks, rotary cutter, and chipper. The level indicator may be training wheels for rookies but if it is, I’ll plead guilty. Whether I’m moving gravel from a pile or trying to shave the top 1” of dirt instead of gouging a hole, it makes a big difference in the results I get. It’s also speeds up my back dragging as I can set it slightly past level at ground no matter what height the loader is, drop the bucket, and know in at the right angle without having to adjust after it’s on the ground.
At some point maybe I won’t refer to it but I’m not there yet.

Sounds like you pretty much know how to make one since you can’t source OEM but there a some videos on YouTube giving some instruction on building one if you need ideas.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Go buy the BLI for an M9000 and adapt. No welding required at all. I need it often as I CANNOT see my bucket when it's near the ground. I use colored electrical tape on the rod to show where level is on different attachments, IOW Loader is one color, Pallet forks another color and snow plow is yet another.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I asked my dealer if they had one for the B2601 and he said there was none. Do you have a number to order?

See the above post I just made.............

 

[Frankb]

See the above post I just made.............

Yes, thanks for the model. I found that if you just ask for the item and not have a model number, they can't help you or don't want to help you because Kubota did not put a specific number for my use....

 

[Frankb]

I think I will head to Lowes tomorrow morning and pick up a 3' threaded rod and slip it into a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe and clamp it to the front quick connect frame and see if it will work like I did on my L tractor before buying a kit. Rather spend a few dollars first and try it. If it does not work out I can always use the threaded rod on something else. I used the rod in the PVC with double nuts on the rod near bottom and top of PVC to keep it centered and that worked out great. Used a piece of YELLOW shrink tube for my marker on the rod and it showed up nicely against the orange color PVC after spraying it.

 

[SidecarFlip]

When I saw the '
Kubota 'Level indicator' they put on the buckets when I was at my dealership a while ago (flat stock welded to the upper bucket with a green sticker on it, I thought to myself, how cheap and how useless.

 

[Frankb]

When I saw the '
Kubota 'Level indicator' they put on the buckets when I was at my dealership a while ago (flat stock welded to the upper bucket with a green sticker on it, I thought to myself, how cheap and how useless.

I agree.....

 

[6feettogo]

Just wondering if you could make something like this work.......

Amazon.com

 

[Frankb]

Just wondering if you could make something like this work.......

Amazon.com

I would have no place to mount this and be able to see it.
I will use the threaded rod and attach it to bottom of loader arm cylinder that controls the bucket tilt by bending an "L" shape and using a clamp to connect to the cylinder ram and have it come up a PVC tube that is attached to the cylinder body. The rod will have a couple of double nuts on the inside to keep the rod centered in the tube so it slides up and down without catching the edge of the tube. On top I will mark the indicator with a piece of yellow shrink tube that will show against the orange PVC pipe. I sprayed the other PVC pipe with Kubota Orange paint to match the "L" series tractor I had and it looked pretty good. A couple of strap hose clamps to hold the PVC to the cylinder tube will hold it all together. If it all works out on this tractor like it did on my "L", I will take a couple pics and post.

 

[random]

I'm trying to figure out what you guys are talking about. My bucket has a black sticker with a white line through it that says "Level indicator". No idea even what to do with that...

 

[mcfarmall]

I'm trying to figure out what you guys are talking about. My bucket has a black sticker with a white line through it that says "Level indicator". No idea even what to do with that...

Yeah, I've seen stickers like that and have yet to figure out how to use it. Perhaps a designated spot to throw down a magnetic torpedo level or what??

My tractor has a rod that is attached to a pivot point on the bucket curl linkage and it goes up the loader arm with a bent rod through a slotted bracket that can be adjusted to indicate when the bottom of the bucket is parallel to the surface that the tractor is sitting on.

On the other hand, I'm no expert with a front end loader on a tractor and I appreciate being able to use the BLI as an easy to see visual from the operators seat. Maybe with much practice I could do without it but for now, it stays.

Skid loader or track loader is a different story...easy to see the bucket position from the seat.