Bucket Leveling

[GeoHorn]

The level rod/indicator on my LA 1002 is a very simple rod and sleeve attached to the inside/right FEL arm and lower bucket pin/flange. Works great, doesn’t rattle any louder than a diesel engine, and solves the problem. Make your own with 3/8” I.D. Pipe, a bolt or stud, and a solid or threaded rod. Parts 160, 170, (20, 180, 190 are simple cotter pin, flat washer, and 1//4” stud or bolt welded to bucker pin-flange. )

When I remove my bucket to use another implement I pull the cotter, slip off the rod and store in inside the bucket. Simple, fast, efficient. trouble-free, cheap, useful, sexy and orange...oh wait, I’m repeating myself.

Kubota LA1001 (FRONT LOADER) Parts Diagrams

Kubota Parts Catalog Lookup. Buy Kubota Parts Online & Save!

www.messicks.com

 

[Frankb]

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.

That is correct. My quick attach bucket has that sticker on it and if you can read what it says on it then you are supposed to have it level. I hate it. I made my last one and will now attempt to make another today. Got the supplies I need and am about to get at it. If all goes well, I will take a few pics as I progress and will post.

 

[SidecarFlip]

The level rod/indicator on my LA 1002 is a very simple rod and sleeve attached to the inside/right FEL arm and lower bucket pin/flange. Works great, doesn’t rattle any louder than a diesel engine, and solves the problem. Make your own with 3/8” I.D. Pipe, a bolt or stud, and a solid or threaded rod. Parts 160, 170, (20, 180, 190 are simple cotter pin, flat washer, and 1//4” stud or bolt welded to bucker pin-flange. )

When I remove my bucket to use another implement I pull the cotter, slip off the rod and store in inside the bucket. Simple, fast, efficient. trouble-free, cheap, useful, sexy and orange...oh wait, I’m repeating myself.

Kubota LA1001 (FRONT LOADER) Parts Diagrams

Kubota Parts Catalog Lookup. Buy Kubota Parts Online & Save!

www.messicks.com

Mine stays with the loader frame all the time.

 

[PaulR]

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...

In addition to the sticker you can install one of these:

 

[Frankb]

Looks like I must claim defeat on this project. I do not have means to weld at all. What I was trying to do will not work because i have the SSQA system and do not have any way to attach any swivels. I was chatting with my dealer earlier and mentioned to him I wanted to install a bucket indicator and he checked and there is non available from Kubota at all! I will just need to carry on with eye-balling it as I have been doing. I have no problem using the eye-ball, I just like to have a more definite system. I guess I have to call this one a fail! Sorry guys, but I do thank everyone for the input.

 

[GeoHorn]

Looks like I must claim defeat on this project. I do not have means to weld at all. What I was trying to do will not work because i have the SSQA system and do not have any way to attach any swivels. I was chatting with my dealer earlier and mentioned to him I wanted to install a bucket indicator and he checked and there is non available from Kubota at all! I will just need to carry on with eye-balling it as I have been doing. I have no problem using the eye-ball, I just like to have a more definite system. I guess I have to call this one a fail! Sorry guys, but I do thank everyone for the input.

Sounds like time to buy a cheap MIG welder and pretend it’s a hot-glue-gun. (Or find a neighbor with one.). It’s almost just that easy. (You’ll be surprised at how much fun it can be to weld all kinds of things after you bite that bullet. It reminded me of the time I finally bought reloading equipt back in the early ‘70’s... I’d go out to the shooting-range just to get rid of the bullets so I could reload again.).

 

[GeoHorn]

Mine stays with the loader frame all the time.

My 1996 M4700/LA1002/bucket combo is a “pin on” arrangement, To convert it to some sort of Quick Attach was the first thing I looked into because I wanted pallet forks also and while it may be difficult to understand.... it took almost FOUR HOURS to make that switch From bucket to forks and back to bucket.

To go to a SSQA arrangement would take mucho dolares and add a lot of unnecessary weight which would reduce the lifting capacity AND would require I spend even more for specialized implements.

To top that off, it became a puzzle just to figure out WHICH SSQA to select... Kubota has (had) one that is basically an orphan to which few implements can be found. The John Deere method is almost, but not quite as bad, IMO, and the choices beyond that still had the $$ / weight problems.

Then I found on YouTube a guy who makes a very clever adaptor which does not require loss of the pin-on implements I’ve already got, saving me mucho and simplifying my life.
That adaptor really works great! And it’s inexpensive and strong and fits all my pin-on stuff, the only thing remaining was my bucket-level-indicator was fitted directly on the bucket and I did not need it on my other implements so I did not transfer it to the new adaptors. (Could have, just didn‘t need to.)
Anyone having pin-on wanting a sweet and economical solution for QA, should contact dananna (at) gmail who made mine. I keep upper pins in all my implements so it’s even simpler than this video:

 

[shelkol]

So what you really need is to have a bucket level indicator with a dial pointer and then behind it have a scale that auto levels itself. So no matter what height your bucket is at, you can see that it is level

I once saw plans for something like this but have lost them. Maybe it will be this winters project

 

[Frankb]

So what you really need is to have a bucket level indicator with a dial pointer and then behind it have a scale that auto levels itself. So no matter what height your bucket is at, you can see that it is level

I once saw plans for something like this but have lost them. Maybe it will be this winters project

The only time I need that level indicator is when I am scraping or grading with front bucket. The rest of the time does not matter because I can see the bucket in the air!

 

[SidecarFlip]

My 1996 M4700/LA1002/bucket combo is a “pin on” arrangement, To convert it to some sort of Quick Attach was the first thing I looked into because I wanted pallet forks also and while it may be difficult to understand.... it took almost FOUR HOURS to make that switch From bucket to forks and back to bucket.

To go to a SSQA arrangement would take mucho dolares and add a lot of unnecessary weight which would reduce the lifting capacity AND would require I spend even more for specialized implements.

To top that off, it became a puzzle just to figure out WHICH SSQA to select... Kubota has (had) one that is basically an orphan to which few implements can be found. The John Deere method is almost, but not quite as bad, IMO, and the choices beyond that still had the $$ / weight problems.

Then I found on YouTube a guy who makes a very clever adaptor which does not require loss of the pin-on implements I’ve already got, saving me mucho and simplifying my life.
That adaptor really works great! And it’s inexpensive and strong and fits all my pin-on stuff, the only thing remaining was my bucket-level-indicator was fitted directly on the bucket and I did not need it on my other implements so I did not transfer it to the new adaptors. (Could have, just didn‘t need to.)
Anyone having pin-on wanting a sweet and economical solution for QA, should contact dananna (at) gmail who made mine. I keep upper pins in all my implements so it’s even simpler than this video:

Depends on what you buy actually. I have both the ATI and the Kubota SSQA. The ATI is appreciably heavier than the Kubota but that single cross tube 9in the video) is no where substantial enough to overcome the off center forces created on my loader bucket, it would fold up.

Far as a SSQA male, female, they are basically all the same, why the lower mounts are slotted horizontally. That is done so you can hook up different widths to different SSQA hitches. On a smaller unit, weight of the unit might be an issue, on either of mine, it's a non issue.

None of that has anything to do with a bucket level indicator. I see the poster in the Kubota lame sticker on the flat weldment on the bucket.