Give me a push guys, Fel build on a PK

Tip#1 - Subframe to bear against the rear axle.

Tip #2 - Subframe to be fastened to the frame over the front axle.

Tip #3 - Load the rear tires with RimGuard.

Tip #4 - Use the posts for the hydraulic oil reservoirs.

Tip #5 - Make the bucket wider than the tractor.

Tip #6 - Do a search at the top of the page for threads pertaining to "FEL", Front end loader", and "Loader" builds. There is a ton of info available.

Tip #7 - Have deep pockets. The steel is the cheap part. Hydraulics are expensive.

I think your looking at it wrong.
If you build a loader you'll be able to chase more/bigger women and get them out of the truck when you get them home.
Good luck with the build and remember we like pictures (depending on the women that is).

Everyone needs a loader or two.

I did one....

CP7 now you really got me worried.
John, i like your vote, but it'll get me in big trouble.
Mike 604, been admiring your work on that build, pretty nice work too, how does that king handle that loader ? Do i see only one tranny there ? Are you just running one pump for all your hydraulics ? Nice work.:fing32:
Tim

I am not trying to step on Bob's toes, but, I think the bucket wider than the tractor is a oversize bucket for almost any AG tractor.

Here is my bucket on my AG tractor.

Look at that front axle! And that bucket is only slightly wider than a PK.

I would not want a wider bucket on that tractor.

I feel the only tractor type that can successfully handle a bucket wider than the tractor width is a special frame reinforced, heavy duty front end equipped tractor like a CAT 416 backhoe.

The stress goes way up when the bucket corner is that far from the center of the tractor.

The PK could do some real digging if the bucket were only 3 feet wide, or less.

The other reason for a narrow bucket is that the narrow bucket is lighter. Every pound of bucket you are lifting is equal to a pound of material you can not lift.

If you are going to be exclusively moving mulch or compost, please disregard my statement!

CADplans said:

I am not trying to step on Bob's toes, but, I think the bucket wider than the tractor is a oversize bucket for almost any AG tractor.

Click to expand...

I agree that it's oversize if wider than the tractor. Mine is 6" wider (54") and I scaled the dimensions up from the original 40" bucket so it's taller and deeper as well. I built it specifically for snow and then found that it works fine for excavating trenches as well. A little wiggle room in a 42" deep trench for piers is a good thing.

Mine is about as much oversize as I would recommend, and as you say, it takes a sturdy frame to handle it. The MF1655 has a good frame and it's backed up by a subframe that will handle the loader all by itself with a minimum of extra bracing. I always recommend a substantial subframe for anyone building a FEL, no matter how strong the rear end or original frame is. The front ends are always the weak point and are a separate concern.

My actual recommendation is for a bucket wider than the maximum width of the tractor, including tire chains. How much wider is up to the builder. As far as numbers are concerned, a minimum of 1" will clear the sides of a trench, whether in snow or dirt, 2" is better, and 6" will give the tractor enough room to carve a curve through heavy snow without running the rear tires too far into the windrow. I would not recommend a bucket that much wider for, say, a Craftsman. It simply will not handle the weight if the bucket is fully loaded, and at some point, everyone will load a bucket to capacity. Mine is 9 cu ft vs. the original at 4 cu ft. A Chevy small block sits in it quite comfortably.

You learn in a hurry that you can't pick up substantial loads with the corner of the bucket. That being said, if the bucket is scaled up properly and has the right support structure, there is less risk to the equipment than with the original bucket that I have. It's much too flexible. On my tractor, the weakest part after the front axle is the loader arms as originally manufactured. Gotta do something about that when I get it running again.

ok now we're gettin the discussion goin. As for power steering well lookin at the pk it looks like about as simple as it can get to ad that, especially when the parts for it are layin in the garage.
As for bucket width, well seems to me that a wider bucket just makes sense but then i guess a person would have to use a little sense when loading it up, or not loading it full of heavy materials i guess i should say.
The PK front end hmmmm has anybody broke one ? If ya did what were ya doin with it ?

Tim

tjrunnion said:

The PK front end hmmmm has anybody broke one ? If ya did what were ya doin with it ?

Tim

Click to expand...

Do you know how much load will go to each part of the front axle when using a FEL to max capacity? Specifically, the axle pivot, the axle ends, the spindles, and the tires?

This is just a question for general information and understanding of the forces involved. The primary limiter of lift is the counterweight involved. Most of the FEL builds that I've seen here have a theoretical ultimate lift capability of in excess of 2000 lb with a pair of 2"cylinders and a hydraulic pressure of 1500 psi, given sufficient counterweight. Fortunately, only the heavyweight GTs have the capability to carry enough counterweight to meet that potential and even fewer owners want to hang that much weight on their tractors.

Every pound of payload carried is doubled for the effective weight added to the front axle.

while we are on the subject, assuming you know what width bucket you want, what do you guys ( especially ones who have made their own) think is the place to start, bucket or sub frame. start at the tractor and go forward or make the bucket and work to the back ? I have a image of making the bucket then the sub frame and connecting the two, any input?

Can't use the bucket until the subframe and the rest of the loader is done and the final fitting is complete. First things first.

My subframe took several days of measuring, thinking, planning and fabrication. It's a learning process.

The bucket took one day from measuring to being ready for cleanup prior to paint. It's very straightforward, once everything else is in place.

Bob,
No i don't completely understand the forces added to the front axle, that's why i asked.
But let me see if i can understand your statement, if i was to lift say 500 lbs that load is gonna put 1000 lbs of extra force on the front of the tractor ? And again i ask can the PK front end handle that force. Seems like a few of em out there with loaders doin ok.
Another question here is the Teramite, isn't it just a pimped out PK. Guess i need to stop and look at one a little closer.
Please keep it comin guys gatherin good info here.
Tim

How much weight thats on the front end is determined by where the loader is mounted on the tractor and how far away from the tractor the bucket is,the farther to the rear the loader is mounted the more weight on the rear and less on the front.Also the longer the loader arms from the tractor the more leverage the load in the bucket has and the more weight on the frontend.