New to Front Loader

[dukes909]

Brought home a 3301 yesterday with an LA525 loader on the front! While I've used a Ford 8N for 15 years or so, I've never had a tractor with a loader before. Any operating advice or instruction is welcome!

Dukester

 

[TripleR]

Read your loader manual a few times then go find a place to practice then go back and skim the manual again as you will understand it better.

We can all give you "tips" like carrying a load low etc., but it will be in your manual, your best friend is going to be use and don't get discourage, I've been using them for years and I'm still not where I would like to be.

 

[gpreuss]

The FEL represents about 1200lbs out in front of the front axle. The front axle acts as a fulcrum, and the rear wheels are being lifted by about half - maybe more - of that weight. You want filled tires, maybe wheel weights, and a ballast box or heavy implement on the 3PH to counter the weight of the loader, plus any load in the bucket. Since about double the FEL + load is on the front axle, use 4WD - the rear end may have little traction.
Keep the loader bucket as low as is practical with any load. Always be ready to force or float the bucket down to the ground, at the first indication you are unstable. I'd advise practice. When you pick up a load, you usually curl the bucket. If you continue to lift the load, particularly if you are inclined up, the load will dump out of the bucket backwards, ruining your tractor hood, and maybe killing the driver. If you have a side incline as the bucket rises it will tip you over to the side. When it happens, it happens fast. Be ready to force it back down as fast as possible.
The loader has pict-o-grams of these hazards on the frame - study them, learn and beware!
It only take a couple of minutes to remove or attach the whole FEL, or just the QA bucket. If you don't reckon you will need it, take it off.

 

[TripleR]

Agree, loader is very easy to dismount/mount: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loMgylltsh8

 

[SteveF]

The FEL represents about 1200lbs out in front of the front axle. The front axle acts as a fulcrum, and the rear wheels are being lifted by about half - maybe more - of that weight. You want filled tires, maybe wheel weights, and a ballast box or heavy implement on the 3PH to counter the weight of the loader, plus any load in the bucket. Since about double the FEL + load is on the front axle, use 4WD - the rear end may have little traction.
Keep the loader bucket as low as is practical with any load. Always be ready to force or float the bucket down to the ground, at the first indication you are unstable. I'd advise practice. When you pick up a load, you usually curl the bucket. If you continue to lift the load, particularly if you are inclined up, the load will dump out of the bucket backwards, ruining your tractor hood, and maybe killing the driver. If you have a side incline as the bucket rises it will tip you over to the side. When it happens, it happens fast. Be ready to force it back down as fast as possible.
The loader has pict-o-grams of these hazards on the frame - study them, learn and beware!
It only take a couple of minutes to remove or attach the whole FEL, or just the QA bucket. If you don't reckon you will need it, take it off.

This description/procedure should be included in the operators manual. A wealth of great advice!

 

[Stubbyie]

Poster GPruess has great advice on maintaining control during the lift.

Never lift higher than you have too.

Never travel with the loader bucket 'up'; just skim the ground in transport till dumping.

In my area few years ago a friend got himself killed with he was loading round bales and apparently had a brain-lock. One bale rolled down the loader arms when he rolled the bucket too far back. Landed on him, bent the wheel and seat and him flat and suffocated him from the weight. He'd probably loaded 10,000 bales in his life but all it took was the one.

 

[northcop]

I have no right commenting in here with the experience most of these guys have but one thing I've learned about both the loader and backhoe is the old saying "easy to learn tough to master". If you have a crappy part of your property your not too concerned about being ripped up a bit, go unleash hell on it with your new toy. The back forty of my place looked like no mans land in world War 1 after I got my machine.......

 

[Bluegill]

Proper ballast (counter weight) on the 3 pt hitch is the most important part
of FEL use. The rest is common sense and practice.

 

[ipz2222]

The most important thing to get in your head.. The fel can and WILL turn your tractor over. Been There, Done That, have the brown shorts to prove it. The one thing that will save you is this. You have less than 1/2 second to realise the back end is lifting and going sideways and you have eto get your hand on the joystick and throw it foward. There will be a big bump/jar but you won't go over.
Get on a small hill with the tractor sideways, nothing in the bucket, lift it up about 3 feet and then imagine the tractor is starting to roll. Practice quickly droping the bucket. When the real thing happens, you won't have time to think about it.

 

[Stan Wetmore]

Yes. Good advice. My son got himself a L4150DT and while trying to do work on his large trailer by lifting it with the loader he got the back wheels of the tractor off the ground. He was in his garage on a smooth concrete floor so nothing serious happened. But it did scare him.

 

[Big Orange]

Brought home a 3301 yesterday with an LA525 loader on the front! While I've used a Ford 8N for 15 years or so, I've never had a tractor with a loader before. Any operating advice or instruction is welcome!

Dukester

My first day with mine I tried to pick up a big rock on a small hill, the back wheel came up over a foot off the ground. never been so scared in my life.
I immediately went to work on a counter weight. I am no where near alot of the guys on here for quality but it works great. a draw bar through a 55 gallon rubber maid can with a little steel and an old trailer, hitch then filled it with concrete and weighs about 1100 lbs

 

[D2Cat]

I would suggest to learn the controls of your loader on flat ground, open space with a pile of road rock or dirt you can play with.

There is a reason your joystick puts the loader down when you push it forward. It's a natural reaction under stress. Pulling towards you brings the bucket up, so if you get stressed you at lease release your hand and the upward movement ends.

Get good and comfortable with your loader before you add counter weights, or any others tools that allow you to go beyond your skill level! You'll develop skill, confidence and safety and way less likely to do something stupid and dangerous to you and others.