LX2601 - Float? finer loader adjustments?

[Old_Paint]

I only use float for back dragging/smoothing things out. What specific things are you wanting to use the float function for? I'd like to learn.

Skimming is mentioned in the LA535 instruction book, but probably not explained as well as I would like it to be. It's a way of taking thin layers of material off the surface as opposed to digging deep. I mainly use it for back-drag as well, but trying to enhance my skill set with it so it looks like I actually know what I'm doing. I added my Piranha bar just for the purpose of being able to move the hard soil in the summer and cut smaller roots when doing so.

If you put the boom in Float, you should be able to angle the bucket down slightly to skim the surface, letting the angle of the bucket determine how much it digs in. By varying the angle of the bucket as you move, you should be able to make a fairly smooth cut since the tractor is rolling behind what the bucket edge is doing. However, since the bucket curl is just as sensitive as everyone seems to agree the boom is, I find it hard to do. But, the more I use the tractor, the less likely I am to throw myself off if I forget the seat belt. The first few times, I bounced myself (and the tractor) around quite a bit learning how to handle that joystick.

What I've learned about skimming, though, is that if you hit a small root or anything that might offer some resistance, the front wheels will come off the ground as you're pushing which A) makes the driver insignificant unless you're sharp with the cutting brakes, and B) changes the angle of the bucket making it dig harder. The harder you push, the higher the wheels lift until the cylinders stroke to zero at the head end. As soon as you back up, though, the front end will drop back down pretty quickly. I'm sure the skimming technique is better in loose material, but I've been trying to learn this as a means to take up top soil and spoil it somewhere so I can reclaim the topsoil onto any excavation I make to help the grass will grow back a lot quicker. And, like I said, make folks think I know what I'm doing.

OMH, the bucket level indicator, (the bent rod on the RH side of the boom), should be adjusted so that the bucket is level (flat) when you're sitting on a flat surface. It doesn't actually do anything for you, but it gives you a quick visual of the angle of the bucket. The bend in the rod should be centered in the guide it runs in. If the bend is on the far side (bucket side) of the guide, the bucket is angled down, and will dig if the boom is down or spill out whatever is in the bucket if it's lifted. If the bend in the rod is on the operator side of the guide, the bucket will slide on the surface and hold whatever material you have in it (assuming the bucket is not overfilled for the current angle) when you lift the boom. It's just a quick visual without having to try to see the bucket, and even if you can see the bucket, it's often hard to tell how close the cutting edge is to the dirt.

 

[Orange man hero]

Skimming is mentioned in the LA535 instruction book, but probably not explained as well as I would like it to be. It's a way of taking thin layers of material off the surface as opposed to digging deep. I mainly use it for back-drag as well, but trying to enhance my skill set with it so it looks like I actually know what I'm doing. I added my Piranha bar just for the purpose of being able to move the hard soil in the summer and cut smaller roots when doing so.

If you put the boom in Float, you should be able to angle the bucket down slightly to skim the surface, letting the angle of the bucket determine how much it digs in. By varying the angle of the bucket as you move, you should be able to make a fairly smooth cut since the tractor is rolling behind what the bucket edge is doing. However, since the bucket curl is just as sensitive as everyone seems to agree the boom is, I find it hard to do. But, the more I use the tractor, the less likely I am to throw myself off if I forget the seat belt. The first few times, I bounced myself (and the tractor) around quite a bit learning how to handle that joystick.

What I've learned about skimming, though, is that if you hit a small root or anything that might offer some resistance, the front wheels will come off the ground as you're pushing which A) makes the driver insignificant unless you're sharp with the cutting brakes, and B) changes the angle of the bucket making it dig harder. The harder you push, the higher the wheels lift until the cylinders stroke to zero at the head end. As soon as you back up, though, the front end will drop back down pretty quickly. I'm sure the skimming technique is better in loose material, but I've been trying to learn this as a means to take up top soil and spoil it somewhere so I can reclaim the topsoil onto any excavation I make to help the grass will grow back a lot quicker. And, like I said, make folks think I know what I'm doing.

OMH, the bucket level indicator, (the bent rod on the RH side of the boom), should be adjusted so that the bucket is level (flat) when you're sitting on a flat surface. It doesn't actually do anything for you, but it gives you a quick visual of the angle of the bucket. The bend in the rod should be centered in the guide it runs in. If the bend is on the far side (bucket side) of the guide, the bucket is angled down, and will dig if the boom is down or spill out whatever is in the bucket if it's lifted. If the bend in the rod is on the operator side of the guide, the bucket will slide on the surface and hold whatever material you have in it (assuming the bucket is not overfilled for the current angle) when you lift the boom. It's just a quick visual without having to try to see the bucket, and even if you can see the bucket, it's often hard to tell how close the cutting edge is to the dirt.

I will only be dealing with snow more than likely. And that is starting to get over for this year. I'm impatient and a lot of the fast boom stuff is probably my own impatience. Like after I dump a snow load I notice that my bucket will go up too fast and the boom will come down too fast. That is just me. For me lifting outboard motors, my other need and the main reason I bought the tractor is problematic. I can sit there and ease the boom up and down, but it is frustrating because it seems it could be more fine tuned to go slower, but does not. I also notice a lot of the treadle petal backing folks on here complain about is my own fault also. I notice that my boot get scraped along the seat pedestal of the tractor and the friction keeps the pedal from going all the way down until I shift my boot position. Probably small bare feet would work best lol. At my stage of the game don't think I have much to teach, but then some experts overlook simple things too. Another thing is that automatically I though "chains" for tractors, forgetting that I have come to use straps for many things from lifting heavy items to pulling autos out of ditches. They would work in a lot of tractor applications too. Used one today to lift a motor.

 

[Old_Paint]

I think we're on the same channel about straps vs chains for hauling tractors.

 

[Orange man hero]

I think we're on the same channel about straps vs chains for hauling tractors.

One thing I am wondering about is the term "float"...IT seems when you go down a slight incline for example that the blade (even with the edge tamer) starts to dig in. So is that really a float with lack of hydro pressure like I have read about on here, or some other method of not really floating so to speak?

 

[Old_Paint]

One thing I am wondering about is the term "float"...IT seems when you go down a slight incline for example that the blade (even with the edge tamer) starts to dig in. So is that really a float with lack of hydro pressure like I have read about on here, or some other method of not really floating so to speak?

Float is really a misnomer. It should be "Relieved" or "Neutral" or "Released". To me, Float almost implies that the boom will magically follow the terrain at the same height. On the back, I think that's actually a thing called Draft Control. The latched position of the stick only connects the head end and rod end of the boom cylinders together so that the boom is essentially hinged at the support with no power whatsoever. Doesn't matter uphill or down, if the bucket is tipped forward where the blade can hit, it's gonna dig in going forward, and if there's a sudden grade change, it may do so very quickly and very violently if you're going too fast and not paying attention. It will definitely lift the front end of the tractor until the boom cylinders bottom out. This is usually not good for the boom, either.

"Float's" handiest use is for back-dragging with the bucket to use it like a grader or scraper. Like I said, the LA535 owner's manual mentions skimming, but doesn't really describe it well enough. That seems to be a class in trial and error. With "Float" selected, only the weight of the boom and bucket apply downward force to the boom and will allow it to hop over bumps it cannot move. There's no hydraulic force to hold it down. The front wheels stay on the ground gowing backward, etc, but most importantly, it protects the bucket cylinders by allowing the bucket to hop over things it cannot move. Too many broken bucket cylinders and bent booms was probably the most important reason for adding the feature. If you have the bucket tipped far forward, your bucket cylinders are approaching full extension, their weakest position. The force on the edge of the bucket is putting compression force on the cylinders, and a LOT of it. If the bucket cannot hop over immovable objects, you will most likely bend/break a rod, crack a seal sleeve, or maybe bend the boom along with all the above. You do not want that repair bill. Going backward with the bucket tipped and touching the ground is the most dangerous thing you can do to the FEL without using Float. They're pretty tough, but just like anything else humans build, they can be broken. I see videos that show owners constantly raising the front end of their tractor on the bucket and dragging. I say 'good luck with that'. If it's only a few degrees on the bucket, yeah, you'll probably get away with it. I prefer to turn around and use the box blade. The sharper the tip angle, the more risk you put on the bucket cylinders. The bucket was not originally intended to be dragged backward, especially tipped in the dump direction. It's just something that became an acceptable practice because of the time it takes to change out equipment, and manufacturers added valve features to help protect the machine from operator errors. But the operator is responsible for the learning, understanding, and using the features, SAFELY.

 

[Orange man hero]

Float is really a misnomer. It should be "Relieved" or "Neutral" or "Released". To me, Float almost implies that the boom will magically follow the terrain at the same height. On the back, I think that's actually a thing called Draft Control. The latched position of the stick only connects the head end and rod end of the boom cylinders together so that the boom is essentially hinged at the support with no power whatsoever. Doesn't matter uphill or down, if the bucket is tipped forward where the blade can hit, it's gonna dig in going forward, and if there's a sudden grade change, it may do so very quickly and very violently if you're going too fast and not paying attention. It will definitely lift the front end of the tractor until the boom cylinders bottom out. This is usually not good for the boom, either.

"Float's" handiest use is for back-dragging with the bucket to use it like a grader or scraper. Like I said, the LA535 owner's manual mentions skimming, but doesn't really describe it well enough. That seems to be a class in trial and error. With "Float" selected, only the weight of the boom and bucket apply downward force to the boom and will allow it to hop over bumps it cannot move. There's no hydraulic force to hold it down. The front wheels stay on the ground gowing backward, etc, but most importantly, it protects the bucket cylinders by allowing the bucket to hop over things it cannot move. Too many broken bucket cylinders and bent booms was probably the most important reason for adding the feature. If you have the bucket tipped far forward, your bucket cylinders are approaching full extension, their weakest position. The force on the edge of the bucket is putting compression force on the cylinders, and a LOT of it. If the bucket cannot hop over immovable objects, you will most likely bend/break a rod, crack a seal sleeve, or maybe bend the boom along with all the above. You do not want that repair bill. Going backward with the bucket tipped and touching the ground is the most dangerous thing you can do to the FEL without using Float. They're pretty tough, but just like anything else humans build, they can be broken. I see videos that show owners constantly raising the front end of their tractor on the bucket and dragging. I say 'good luck with that'. If it's only a few degrees on the bucket, yeah, you'll probably get away with it. I prefer to turn around and use the box blade. The sharper the tip angle, the more risk you put on the bucket cylinders. The bucket was not originally intended to be dragged backward, especially tipped in the dump direction. It's just something that became an acceptable practice because of the time it takes to change out equipment, and manufacturers added valve features to help protect the machine from operator errors. But the operator is responsible for the learning, understanding, and using the features, SAFELY.

 

[Orange man hero]

Very good...they should put this in the owners manual!!!!!!!!!!!!