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How useful is the FEL

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Johnmw
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 13 Alabama
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2006-07-18          132356

I'm not asking the obvious stuff -- wanted to know if you can do much digging with it? I would like to clean out some ditches and move some dirt around to landscape and all of this requires me do dig it out. Soil is not too hard in that it contains a good bit of sand. Was told today by Kubota that the FELs are not for digging just moving lose stuff around.

Is this true? thanks


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bvance
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 280 The Great Pacific NorthWet, Olympia, WA
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2006-07-18          132357

Generally that's true that the FEL is just used for moving material from one place to another but in some limited uses it can dig....somewhat.

If you are using it for digging ditches, it will clean ditches but not really "dig" them. You can clean a ditch by approaching the ditch perpendicularly with the tractor, curling the bucket down and once it reaches the bottom, curl it up as you drive forward slowly to apply more digging pressure. This process of course will only dig the length of the FEL and only an inch or two with each pass. If you have much ditch to clean, it may take a while, but it will clean the ditch in this manner fairly well. And again if it is also not very deep.

If you are digging a new ditch, it really isn't an effective tool.

Good Luck! ....

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bvance
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 280 The Great Pacific NorthWet, Olympia, WA
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2006-07-19          132359

John,

I re-read your post. You said you were not asking the for the obvious and I stupidly gave you the obvious answers.

If you have mostly sandy soil it will "dig" fairly OK but for what purposes? It is hard to control the FEL for an even dig. To get it to get a purchase and begin to dig, it needs a downward angle and once you start the downward angle it tends to want to continue down so when you angle it up to stop that, it tend to want to continue up so you end up with a very uneven dig.

A FEL will "dig" if the soil is loose, but not a very controlled or pretty dig.

I think it will do a decent job cleaning your ditches, slow but decent. Other uses? What do you intend to dig with it?

Hope that helps. ....

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2006-07-19          132362

In my opinion, the FEL is the most important accessory on a tractor. I would however think that cleaning out a ditch is not one of its functions.

When you are digging with an FEL, you only tip the bucket slightly. With the boom arms in the full down position and the bucket tilted a couple of inches, the tip of the bucket is then only about 6" beneath the plane of where the tires are driving on. So if the ditch is 3 ft. deep you will never be able to reach the bottom unless you drive way down in it. You will need another tractor to pull it back out.

If the ditch has any depth to it, you will need a BH. If it is really deep you will need the extend a hoe feature to get more boom extension. ....

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2006-07-19          132366

If I had to pick a manual tool as an analogy to the FEL it would be a grain scoop or a snow shovel.

Put your foot on the back of one of those and it will bend, but there is nothing better for scraping the floor clean or scooping loose material.

For cleaning ditches you should look at a backhoe with a wide bucket. ....

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Johnmw
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 13 Alabama
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2006-07-19          132376

Thanks, for all the replies. Seems the dealer was right. While my ditches aren't over 2 ft. deep I wanted to put in a number of metal road pipes so I could then fill in with dirt to drive over (tired of runing through the water and mud during winter) Also have a number of large rocks around edge of fields that need to be moved and I'm sure it would do that job. Further I have a lot of old terrace rows some of which I would like to dig up and landscape nearby with the dirt - soil isn't hard but has grass growing on it. It just seems that a lot of FEL are being sold - pointed out to dealer the Kubota description of every model being required to dig hole large enough to bury the tractor. ....

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2006-07-19          132378

The FEL will cut the terrance rows if you point the bucket straight down, lower it and let the weight of the tractor peel off a chunk of dirt. ....

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Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 955 Central Iowa
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2006-07-19          132380

The FEL is a great tool for the CUT. But it does have it's limitations. I have used my to dig, but it's only an inch or two at a time. Now, in burying your culverts, it will work awesome if the fill dirt is in a pile. I've done that with great success.

It's also usefull for picking up dog poo. Not like that, but I park it nearby the piles and shovel them into the bucket by hand. Then I take it for a drive and dump it near a fresh gopher mound.

I've used it for leveling work by angling the bucket and going backwords. It lifted the new 3 pt tiller out of the back of the pickup. Hauled mulch, etc. Good tool, but digging is not it's main strength. ....

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Johnmw
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 13 Alabama
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2006-07-19          132385

Again thanks, since it also requires 4WD which may not be needed on most jobs, that and the FEL is a large cost increase. Have any of you felt like it was not worth the cost or are all pleased with what you can do with the FEL. I have also have people tell me they would never buy 2WD again. ....

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2006-07-19          132386

You will find that the FEL is a big wheel barrow that has a 1000 uses while saving your back and other muscles. I would never want to be without one again. Smaller tractors require the 4WD to take advantage of their power. They are light compared to large farm tractors and therefore require 4WD for their power to weight ratio. In my opinion 4WD and an FEL are a must. The big question is what size do you need? ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-07-19          132388

You can increase the digging utility of a loader with a tooth bar, but that doesn't extend the reach and it's still not the right tool for most digging jobs. I use a grapple on the FEL quite a bit to pick up and move slash, rocks, and logs. The bucket is really useful even for simple stuff like carrying equipment, fuel and coolers to the job site. ....

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Johnmw
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 13 Alabama
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2006-07-19          132392

Am thinking of something in the 40 to 60 HP range. Might go with the cab. I have another job for the FEL and that is tearing down some old farm buildings maybe to include an old barn and cleaning up some down tree limbs. Was thinking a grabble bar would be needed for that use.

Also don't want it to be too large for smaller jobs. Don't need two tractors

thanks to all for the help and ideas very useful ....

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Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 955 Central Iowa
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2006-07-19          132393

I have found the FEL to be worth the money. As others have said, 1001 uses. I've even used it to hold items at waist level while I assembled them. I use it a lot for clearing snow. Need to mulch trees? I load the mulch bags in the loader and drive to the trees. Much nicer.

Raise the tractor up so you can slide the mower deck under? Yep, it can do that too. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-07-19          132394

You can also use the FEL to work yourself out of a jam if you get stuck. If you get one and use it for digging avoid shock loads (don't try to use it as a battering ram) and avoid uneven loads (don't push something with one corner of the bucket since it could "rack" the loader frame). ....

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ihookem
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 49 Allenton, Wisconsin
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2006-07-19          132401

When I bought my 7510 I knew I would use it but never imagined it was so usefull. I use it for everything, even when cutting grass, I use it to push rows of grass clippings on to piles, push branches, flatten ant hills to save my blades, knock over prickery ash, rake the driveway, push snow, dirt, stones carry firewood and a bunch more. It's one of those things that's worth every penny. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2006-07-20          132413

Loaders go out on better then three quarters off all sold. ....

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Johnmw
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 13 Alabama
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2006-07-20          132420

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Seems no one was displeased with it so .. guess I better get one. ....

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SG8NUC
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 579 g
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2006-07-20          132429

My uses

Turn over 5yrds of compost, carry concret, boards, tools,to build deck and sea walls. Dig 40' X 40' 5' deep garden pond and carry the dirt to back fill sea wall. Carry appox. 4 tons of rock to go around the garden pond along with concrete for foundations. Push trees over 25" dia, drag them to the chain saw area and carry off the cut wood. Lift concrete items like foundations 500lbs+. Use it as a crane all the time. Lift potted plants, lower them into planting holes. Scrape drive way, after carrying dirt for pot holes. Use it to cut limbs out of trees(lift someone up with chainsaw) be very carefull with this one at least 2 person operation.

I cannot imagine having a tractor without one, I will never own a one family tractor with out a FEL.

Make sure the FEL if for your tractor, and not two large. ....

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lbrown59
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2006-07-20          132438

Good tool, but digging is not it's main strength
***********
With the assistance of a BH or Tiller a person can do a lot of grading with a FEL

....

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lbrown59
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2006-07-20          132441

I wanted to put in a number of metal road pipes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why not use plastic?
It's
cheaper
quicker
easier
& it will never rust out. ....

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Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 955 Central Iowa
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2006-07-21          132466

You also mentiond 4wd. I love 4wd on my 4310. Oh yeah babay!! My first tractor was 2wd and I would get it stuck or have it slip on wet grass when carrying a heavy loader load. Now with 4wd, I can do more and go places I couldn't with the 2wd. Especially for clearing snow. I love the 4wd. I haven't had to use the loader to get me unstuck yet. ....

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lbrown59
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2006-08-12          133238

I've never had my bx 23 hung up ....

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