# Loader common sense



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

A lot of good pointers here. I consider a loader almost as dangerous as a PTO shaft.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/features/love-your-loader-avoid-these-13-mistakes/

Ralph


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## azmike (Jan 4, 2015)

Don't use it as a swimming pool for the grandkids, or as a pig roaster while making a big party!


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

I've got a neighbor that I think has broke every one of those rules. I've never seen a place with more broken twisted loaders sitting in the junk pile. One of my favorite stories from him is when he tipped his Knight feed wagon over with his loader. His feed wagon was the reel type and he had ground up a bunch of junk slough bales that year to feed to his cows to stretch his hay supply. They didn't grind up so well so that hay was still long and it would hang up on the bars that go across the feedwagon when he was loading to mix with silage. His solution was to take the bars off the feedwagon and one day when he was loading he got his bucket a little to low. The reel came around caught the bucket and flipped the feed wagon over on its side. This guy could wreck an anvil on a good day.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

When they say don't use a loader as an extension ladder that you shouldn't lift someone up in one to work on things? I actually think that is far safer then a ladder. Especially when working on pivots. We do that all the time. And am planning to do that quite extensively within a month here. Far far safer on a hay fork with some boards tied to it as a platform or even a bucket pulling hard on a wrench on some stubborn valve then on an extension ladder. Just ask my dad who crushed his heel and hurt his back after falling off of a ladder while working up high on a pivot end gun.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

I get a kick out of people that have them raised up in the air whether it's parked for extended time or working in the field.

I have broken many of those rules, especially pushing trees out of the ground. I will say though the trees are small and only do it when wet so ground is soft and get under the roots.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I’ve been more skepitcal of using loaders as ladders since seeing a forklift drop a stationary load. Spring in main relief valve failed and down it came.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

IH 1586 said:


> I get a kick out of people that have them raised up in the air whether it's parked for extended time or working in the field.


I agree.I think people operate tractors with loader boom raised way up in the air is caused from "monkey see,monkey do" syndrome. Raised boom on 1st couple of passes around exterior of field to avoid obstacles is required but out in the the field high raised boom is unnecessary


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Heck it's a tool. Sometimes tools break. Fix it, rebuild it, or replace it. The article sounds like it was written by an acreage owner who actually read the manual that came with the loader. I have one in the shop right now getting pins and new bushings, hoses and paint. If the guy that wrote that article only seen what we do with skid steers he would crap his pants.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

I couldn't find my pulley and gambrel for skinning large game so I used my loader for the first deer I shot in 2017. Don't know why I didn't use the loader before, it was slick as ice. All the deer since I used a loader. Now I put the joystick lock on and the tractor is off when I'm under the loader and it stays in place

Can't stand guys that are in the field with loader at max lift. They say it's for better visibility...What visibility do you need in an open field? It's not like a train is going to come out of a groundhog hole and hit you. A long nose Pete and van has less visibility than a tractor.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

slowzuki said:


> I've been more skepitcal of using loaders as ladders since seeing a forklift drop a stationary load. Spring in main relief valve failed and down it came.


I'm skeptical myself but I feel for what I would do with a ladder on a pivot is more risky then something failing on the loader so that it would drop. A cherry picker would be the safest for pivot work. I don't have one of those though. They probably could fail also and drop some way.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Tx Jim said:


> I agree.I think people operate tractors with loader boom raised way up in the air is caused from "monkey see,monkey do" syndrome. Raised boom on 1st couple of passes around exterior of field to avoid obstacles is required but out in the the field high raised boom is unnecessary


I find raising it up all the way for field work is silly also. I feel there is a bigger chance of my forgetting it is up and hitting a power line or something then anything else while down a couple feet off the ground.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Cherry pickers and other stuff designed for people have a variety of safety features like the little excessive flow control valves at the cylinders or orifices or piloted checks and a lot of rules on the design of the hydraulics.

Not that they never fail but the more often get stuck up rather than crash down.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

If I use my loader tractor for field work I have a homemade quick attach for the bale forks and bucket, so alot of times I will take the forks or bucket off when doing field work. Better visibility and less weight.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

I can get in and out of my Westendorf loader faster than I can hook something up to the 3 point. It's an amazing contraption. It takes me about a minute and 30 seconds to go from having a loader on the tractor to no loader. Reattaching the loader is about the same time.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

slowzuki said:


> Cherry pickers and other stuff designed for people have a variety of safety features like the little excessive flow control valves at the cylinders or orifices or piloted checks and a lot of rules on the design of the hydraulics.
> 
> Not that they never fail but the more often get stuck up rather than crash down.


Think you will find if they loose hyd pressure they will not let the load lower. However if a cylinder fails then all bets are off. The company I worked for we cold them "holding valves" on the cylinders that really support the load. This was a crane company.

Have a friend who had tractor loader backhoe and let another friend get in the front bucket and raised her and she got scared and jumped out onto concrete drive breaking maybe crushing both ankles. His insurance ended up paying a lot and she ended up with problem walking for the rest of her life. It was not failure of machine it was failure of operator for allowing a person who was not use to machines and have no idea how she would react to lifting her up.

And yes my father in law fell off ladder when he cut off limb that swung down taking ladder from under him. So know both systems have dangers.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Holding valves are pilot checks. If I remember right the safety factor on person lifting equipment is 10 to 1, regular load lifting equipment 4 to 1 and for ag equipment who knows.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

slowzuki said:


> Cherry pickers and other stuff designed for people have a variety of safety features like the little excessive flow control valves at the cylinders or orifices or piloted checks and a lot of rules on the design of the hydraulics.
> 
> Not that they never fail but the more often get stuck up rather than crash down.


Yea verily.

Father picked up an antique boomlift from a down on his luck rags to riches to rags neighbor. Took a few years to even figure out what it was. It is handy when it works, but when it don't your usually at near max height when it craps the bed.

I've never had a loader fail on me, not once, however I've had numerous step ladders come out from under me and once had an extension ladder collapse. Hence my extreme dislike for ladders and my preference for either riding a loader bucket up or hopefully firing the boom lift up for a job. Have also strapped a pallet to the forks on the forklift for extended work before the boomlift


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

I slid two pieces of 2 7/8" pipe on my front hay forks, I then welded a metal platform ie. BBQ grating

(i cant remember correct name) to each piece of pipe. I then built a fence around it with a gate as the 4th side. I then welded enough large chain to it, to then attach it around the cross sections of the hay for, so if tilt or operator error, it will not slide off. Country scrap construction at its best, as I am not the best welder but my brothers and I feel much better about working on barns and trimming trees in the basket.


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