Front End Loader question?

[houser52]

Do any of you attach anything to your FEL to help protect it and keep the arms aligned when you don't have a bucket, forks, etc attached? Something simple and compact like a bumper, brush guard, push bar, trailer mover, etc?

I'd like to make something to go on my LA680 loader while I'm bush hogging and not using the bucket or forks.

Please post a few pics of what you have and give me some suggestions.

Thanks

PS- Yes I've already done an extensive search and looked at all the pics I could find but came up empty.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You don't need anything on the loader arms when they are empty, they are more than strong enough, the bucket doesn't do a thing to keep it in alignment, that's all done by it's own structure.
It would be just adding the weight you are trying to get off of it by adding something back on it.
If your that worried about the arms pull the loader off.

 

[houser52]

Thanks for the suggestions but,
I have a pin on bucket and forks so nothing is there but the cylinders when something is removed.
I'm not trying to reduce the weight but shorten the tractor's front end as to bush hog a little closer to things without the bucket or forks hooking them if I get too close. I just have the fork's frame, without the forks, on there now and that works ok. Just looking for something a little more compact.

I could remove the loader but really don't want to do that.

 

[Diydave]

You could just make up a simple plywood board, to knock the weeds down and keep the seeds out of your radiator, but a NIW said, not really needed...

 

[lreops]

I'm confused as to why you can't just disconnect the whole loader completely

Ron

 

[chim]

I'm confused as to why you can't just disconnect the whole loader completely

Ron

Good question. There would be more clearance without the whole assembly. On the other hand, when I had a bush hog the bucket was very useful in tall weeds. With the bucket 6" or so off the ground it found most of the trash, big rocks, etc before the mower did.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Thanks for the suggestions but,
I have a pin on bucket and forks so nothing is there but the cylinders when something is removed.

Houser52,
I think your missing something here, there is a big pipe that connect the 2 loader arms together, that keeps the arms in sync and strong and takes the load, the bucket does not do a thing for strength of the arms.
It's a common misconception that the bucket is actually doing the work.

 

[Bulldog]

Take the forks off and just leave the back plate on there.

 

[houser52]

Here's my loader. Without something attached to the loader, the cylinders that curl the bucket just flops around.

I'm getting a lot of opinions but not really what I was wanting and
I'm not going to remove the loader.

Let's see some loader attachment pics other than bucket or forks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

See a picture is worth a thousand words.

Sorry, you said support loader arms, what you meant was that the dump cylinders weren't supported.

Ok now that we cleared that up;

Couple of options:
#1: Do like you have been doing and leave the back of the forks mounted on there.

#2: Make a bar and 2 plates that would hold the cylinders away from the arms of the loader and support them, kind of just like the bucket mounts.

#3: Install a couple sets of Quick disconnects on the dump cylinders and remove them when you remove the bucket or forks.

 

[Bulldog]

See if you can find or order a Kubota QA like mine. You would love it.

 

[houser52]

Wolfman- Sorry about the parts description mistakes. The plates and bar or something similar will probably be what I'll try to do. I kinda like the idea of something like a skid steer plate with a 2" receiver and chain hooks or something else useful on it.

See if you can find or order a Kubota QA like mine. You would love it.

I searched high and low for one of those adapters. Kubota doesn't make them anymore and dealers don't even know what your talking about. Someone on this site even gave me the correct model and part number for my loader. There's just not out there that I can find so...

I printed off several internet pictures of one like yours and took my bucket to the local welder. He's building me a Kubota style adapter so I can easily switch attachments. I probably could have built my own but without a way to cut the steel and drill the holes I will come out cheaper getting him to build it.