FEL bucket operating tips needed

[sheepfarmer]

I could use some tips on how to efficiently scoop up shredded pine mulch. I have tried varying the bucket angle from horizontal to edge down a few degrees, and entering the pile at the very bottom as well as part way up. However when I think it is fairly full and lift and curl, it sticks to itself and rolls out. So I end up with about 1/3 to 1/2 bucket if I'm lucky, and gradually shifting the whole pile due to the amount that rolls over the top. I eventually figured out how to reach over the top and pull the pile back, but I'm thinking there has to be a better way. It just goes against the grain to use a pitchfork even if faster!

My old Ford 8N had manure forks, 18 inch long round bars on its bucket, but neither of my present tractors have them, I am guessing something on the edge would help, but not currently wanting to add more things....

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Sadly you need a manure fork or a grapple to handle it easily.

Using a standard flat blade bucket:
If you keep the bottom of the bucket level and as your running in the forward motion roll it back before you lift, that will give you the best fill possible.

Here is a picture of a good looking model, although I would look at a model with closer forks for pine shavings.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Hmm hadn't seen anything like that before. Thanks NIW. Maybe I need something between that and a piranha tooth bar. This current stuff is flower bed decorative anti weed mulch, more like splinters than shavings, and is a once a year task at best. I am kind of creeping into this pile, so maybe the curl lift isn't making the best use of any forward momentum to keep the mulch in the bucket. I had them dump the 10yds next to the driveway, not level and on some older mulch, so there are some challenges.


. Later I will have quite a bit of digging and loading from the manure/mulch pile, but I am hoping I can get that without a toothbar. The 3560 can get a moderately full bucket from that, so we'll see how the B does.

 

[jryser]

I'll be following this thread as I just got my L3650!


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[eipo]

Which tractor are you using? I'm assuming you are still keeping the 2650 loader in new condition... It would be the easier tractor to use as it doesn't have as much HP and subsequently the power to actually move the pile rather than get a scoop of material....

One of the "problems" with trying to scoop light material is you don't have the mass of the material to use as a backstop get a bucket full of it. The problem compounds itself as you make the pile smaller.

Your instinct to pull the top of the pile down is a good one, do it every time you go to get a bucket as you need the mass of the pile to fill the bucket up. As you are filling the bucket up, roll and lift the bucket while continuing forward motion.

Mulch is light so its not difficult to fill the bucket up. But its also light which makes it hard to fill the bucket up.

 

[eipo]

Also.... Dont attack the pile square... You want to hit it from different angles every time using the narrowest edge of the pile to help fill the bucket up.

Example... First scoop comes out at 12 O Clock. Next time hit it at 2, then 10, then come back to 12, then maybe 5....

 

[Ike]

Just got done moving over a hundred yards of chips and more are coming. What I did was go into the pile with the bucket flat and as you are getting into the pile roll the bucket back while raising the loader. When the pile gets smaller use you bucket to pull the chips back into a row and then head straight in to this row. I got everything except maybe one bucket full without leaving the tractor. If you go into the pile with you bucket curled down it pushes them and the same thing if your bucket is tipped up to far

 

[sawmill]

I love my piranha tooth bar. But something like this might suit your application better.
http://www.clampontoothbar.com/

 

[jryser]

This is awesome!!!


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[Grouse Feathers]

I could use some tips on how to efficiently scoop up shredded pine mulch. I have tried varying the bucket angle from horizontal to edge down a few degrees, and entering the pile at the very bottom as well as part way up. However when I think it is fairly full and lift and curl, it sticks to itself and rolls out.

I have found that approaching the pile like you do and then raking the mulch, leaves, grass, twigs, whatever... into the the bucket works best for me. To make it a little easier I made a bucket expander that extends the bottom of the bucket about 8", gives me more area to rake onto. My expander looks a little like the BXpanded "Expander" except I didn't extend the top: http://bxpanded.com/BX-bucket-xpander
I would think a local weld shop could make one for your B tractor that wouldn't weight too much or cost anything like BXpanded. If you are interested I will take some pictures later this week and post.

 

[Lil Foot]

I had to move a big slash pile and towards to bottom, all the big branches were gone, leaving mainly small, stringy stuff that was hard to scoop. It helped to dither the roll up & down rapidly as I pushed into the pile. It wasn't the perfect solution, just better.

 

[D2Cat]

Once you do your "attack' and get what you can in the bucket, roll the bucket all the way back to get the material back as far as possible. Then instead of going to where every you taking the material, just do the same procedure again. You'll get more material in your bucket and save some time.

 

[scdeerslayer]

Not exactly the same but when cleaning up brush and debris my dad will use the old tractor with the scrape blade as a backstop or to push the debris into the Kubota bucket. Makes it a lot easier. The he can push up the pile while I'm dumping the load.

Never used a 4 in 1 but from what I hear this is one area where a 4 in 1 can work well.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Thanks guys those are some great tips! Eipo, I am using the B2650, new loader on, mostly because I am using the Gator to ferry the mulch into the front yard flower bed and it is easier to use a 5 ft bucket to dump into a 4 ft gator bed. I tried the 3560 last year and even diagonally the 6 ft bucket spilled a lot. I was surveying the driveway area this morning for another place to have another load dumped that would allow more attack angles, but not finding the ideal spot. The good news is that any leftovers can just be spread out. Deerslayer, as I worked last night, it became clearer why some of these landscape places keep their stuff in concrete bays with backstops.. I liked the idea of a second person with a backblade.