L2501 floating position

[rockwelljt]

New tractor owner here. I can get my L2501 bucket into the float position but only when going backwards; when I drop the bucket & try to put it into float to go forward, the front tires come off the ground & I can't get it to hold in the float position. I am sure I doing some amateur thing wrong....any help is appreciated

Rockwelljt

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

If the control when shoved all the way forward to float won't click in and hold it could be a bad valve, or out of adjustment linkage.

 

[mdhughes]

If you don't have the bucket tilted up a little, the leading edge will dig in and lift the front of the tractor. It does work going forward as I used it last winter to clear off my gravel driveway using float position got forward.

 

[TripleR]

It is not unusual to lift the front wheels when going forward unless you are in snow, your bucket will dig in and the FEL arms become a lever to pick the front up. You can mitigate it a little bit by adjusting the bucket to dig in less, but our 2200, 2660, 5740 and 8540 all raise the front end in dirt or rock while in float. I use it extensively to drag in reverse, rarely when going forward.

 

[William1]

Yup, to 'float going forward', you have to have the back bottom edge on the ground and the front cutting edge up an inch or so. Remember, in float, the bucket is free to move up and down. If that leading edge 'digs in', something has to give, it will dig a little then try to drive over itself.
It ends up being either a smoothing operation or in snow, a plow effect though if it is deep, you will stop forward movement once the volume you are pushing gets to be too great.
I do not even bother trying to float going forward unless I have 'shoes' on the bucket.
Great for 'cheating'
http://r2manufacturing.com/edge-tamer-2/

 

[joes]

Would the edge tamer be of any benefit for a paved driveway, followed would a box scraper or a waste of money?

thanks

 

[Tooljunkie]

Float should work with bucket flat. The wear plates leave a trail, so angling bucket down a little at a time til front edge scrapes a little and it should work fine. A new cutting edge will make float more of a challenge. Much easier when its dull

 

[William1]

Edge Tamer really is for a gravel or grass surface though it will work ok on solid surface. With them on, even a 'flat' bucket will leave an inch or so. What they permit is carelessness. They also will keep the bucket from gouging if the surface is not relatively flat.