For those of you that feed with payloaders, what do you have, what do you like and dislike? Looking at purchasing one, also a grabtec grapple is an extra 5500 installed, but I understand it is the one to get. I am in the primary stages of the purchase.
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payloader
- Thread starter nd
- Start date
Help Support Ranchers.net:
1) How much are you going to feed
2) What are you going to feed
3) How high do you need to reach
I feed with large skid steers at home ( I have a 1 1/2 yard light materials bucket ) and I can get thru a 6' wide by 7' high doorway but at the lot I use an old 840 Allis Chalmers that is retired from the Gravel pit ( a 3 yard machine ) Small enough to allow easy ( three steps on the lader ) mounting and dismounting but large enough to get the job done. Also this machine is only 8 feet wide and 10' high alowing me to get into tight spots. The hinge point on the bucket is 13 feet high with the cutting edge of the bucket at about 10' 6" when dumped. I have a 4 in one bucket on it so I can cheat and dump in higher machines if you can live with the material not being centered in the feed wagon.
Several times a year the large dairy about 15 miles away will have a break down and call me to feed for them - -- - I take one of the 980 Cat loaders for that as I need the 6 yard bucked and the hight reach to get over their mixer wagon. These machines are 12 feet wide 13 feet high and weigh about 66,000# empty so they can't be used every where. The hinge point on the bucket is at 15' 6" allowing the cutting edge to be at 12' high when dumped. If you need to mount and dismount often remember it is 6 steps up each time.
I also clean their sand pit with one of the cats as the volume of material needed to be moved is quite large. With a 6 yard bucket I can fill the biggest spreader they have in 3 bites and when they have 4 spreaders going I need that capacity to keep them moving.
If you want to see the loaders I believe they are all pictured on my web site www.greensboro-sand-gravel.com My daughter is standing in front of one of the cats on the home page and I believe my wife has pictures of others under "equipment for rent" tab
2) What are you going to feed
3) How high do you need to reach
I feed with large skid steers at home ( I have a 1 1/2 yard light materials bucket ) and I can get thru a 6' wide by 7' high doorway but at the lot I use an old 840 Allis Chalmers that is retired from the Gravel pit ( a 3 yard machine ) Small enough to allow easy ( three steps on the lader ) mounting and dismounting but large enough to get the job done. Also this machine is only 8 feet wide and 10' high alowing me to get into tight spots. The hinge point on the bucket is 13 feet high with the cutting edge of the bucket at about 10' 6" when dumped. I have a 4 in one bucket on it so I can cheat and dump in higher machines if you can live with the material not being centered in the feed wagon.
Several times a year the large dairy about 15 miles away will have a break down and call me to feed for them - -- - I take one of the 980 Cat loaders for that as I need the 6 yard bucked and the hight reach to get over their mixer wagon. These machines are 12 feet wide 13 feet high and weigh about 66,000# empty so they can't be used every where. The hinge point on the bucket is at 15' 6" allowing the cutting edge to be at 12' high when dumped. If you need to mount and dismount often remember it is 6 steps up each time.
I also clean their sand pit with one of the cats as the volume of material needed to be moved is quite large. With a 6 yard bucket I can fill the biggest spreader they have in 3 bites and when they have 4 spreaders going I need that capacity to keep them moving.
If you want to see the loaders I believe they are all pictured on my web site www.greensboro-sand-gravel.com My daughter is standing in front of one of the cats on the home page and I believe my wife has pictures of others under "equipment for rent" tab
Triangle Bar
Well-known member
I have a John Deere 544C, built in 1986. It is a solid unit and I like it alot. The engine is rated at 85 HP (if I remember right) and is well matched for farm jobs, however when digging dirt in a pit it is a little under powered. It also could use a little more height on the loader, mine will reach 12 ft at the hinge point. Overall it's a good machine and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Horseless
Well-known member
I have a JD 444, a 1978 model. I thought it was a 100hp. (Triangle Bar, I think yours should be higher than mine.) We bought it back in '92 to move some dirt & manure, but mostly to carry 2 bales to save on the front end of our other tractor. We fed with it for about 8 years, but it isn't fast enough, only carries two bales and lacks the comfort of newer models. We really are not in a feed yard situation. It has a 1 3/4 yard bucket. It will unload the top bale off a hay trailer. Have bent some hay racks on the taller trailers try to reach all the way across and take of the bale on the other side. On stacks of round bales on the ground, stacked 3 high, it is difficult to grab the top bale from the side, you almost have to take it off the end of the stack. I still really like the tractor for loader work and use it for the hardest worked. You would have to be pretty hard on things to hurt that loader. But have upgraded other tractors to carry 2 bales on bucket and either 1 on 3pt or carry gooseneck on 3pt.
I bought a grapple for a Case-IH loader, dual cylinder and mounted on it. It is tough enough but should have a little more reach on it as the teeth don't quite reach down to meet the bucket, especially for grabbing small things or loose hay or chopped hay.
I bought a grapple for a Case-IH loader, dual cylinder and mounted on it. It is tough enough but should have a little more reach on it as the teeth don't quite reach down to meet the bucket, especially for grabbing small things or loose hay or chopped hay.
lazy ace
Well-known member
Volvo L70e I think late 80's model great machine carries two bales with a breeze, moves a lot of snow manure and dirt. Once you get a loader you will have a hard time living with out one. Look at a quick attach loader and get the pallet forks. You would be amazed on how handy they are. The only complaint about a loader is the traction in mud and ice.
have a good one
lazy ace
have a good one
lazy ace
lazy ace
Well-known member
I don't know if you will be real disapointed with traction but we will chain ours up if we have to. It seems like the machine is so heavy built it packs the snow and spins easier than a front wheel assist especially in heavy wet snow. (It does have its limitations but I think there are more advantages than limitations.) During 96 and 97 we could dig out hay and move snow faster with it than a regular front assist. There is no hurting a pay loader, square up and take a run at a hard drift and back up and do it again regular loader tractors can't stand that punishment.
It does have a differential lock on it and it does help, the articulation in the center makes unloading hay from trailors the cats meow.
have a good one
lazy ace
It does have a differential lock on it and it does help, the articulation in the center makes unloading hay from trailors the cats meow.
have a good one
lazy ace
Andy
Well-known member
We have a 130 New Holland. It is a great loader. I built a 3 bale spear for it, you can actually pick up 5 if the are stacked right. We can unload a semi and pup in about 12 minutes. If I was looking for a new loader I would get a 100-140 hp machine with a 2-3yard bucket, a double or triple balespear, pallet forks and a 3.5 yard bucket with grapple. The attachments are one of those things that are really nice but will also add a far bit of cost to the machine.