Digging with a FEL and hand clutch?
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=14212
Printed Date: 01 Jan 2026 at 11:36am
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Topic: Digging with a FEL and hand clutch?
Posted By: paulinkansas
Subject: Digging with a FEL and hand clutch?
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2010 at 10:55am
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I recently bought a D17 III gas, and rebuilt the engine, put in new gauges, fixed little things here and there, and built a toothbar for the bucket. I'd like to know the proper way to use the FEL to dig. There are several stumps around my place that need to go. I also want to dig out a new small (tennis court size) pond, and expand an existing pond. Finally, I'd like to dig out and move topsoil from a pasture to my rocky yard. I have a dumptrailer.I've used a Kubota FEL with the shift on the fly transmission to dig out topsoil, but it's a little more difficult with the transmission on the Allis. Either the bucket teeth dig in too fast and the tractor wheels spin in place, or the bucket teeth don't dig in enough and the bucket just slides over the ground. How do I use the hand clutch in conjunction with digging?
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Replies:
Posted By: Eldon (WA)
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2010 at 11:15am
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Go rent a bobcat and save the wear and tear on your tractor....farm loaders (and tractors) really aren't made to dig like a backhoe or skidloader....that is why you see them all welded up, arms sprung and buckets trashed... ------------- ALLIS EXPRESS! This year: |
Posted By: RMD
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2010 at 11:18am
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First off, a farm tractor with a FEL is not an earthmover. It doesn't have the traction to do real digginig. Digging out a pond with a tractor/FEL will be a long, slow process. A skid-steer can do limited excavation/grading, for any srious earthmoving you need a tracked bulldozer or loader or an excavator (backhoe).
I find the best way to work FELs for grading and stumps, etc. is to primarially use the bucket tilt to engage the gound/object. For "digging" move foward with the bucket tilted slightly below horizontal to "shave" off some dirt. If trying to dig a small stump, work into it while tilting the bucket up and down to work the stump loose.
Working the hand clutch at the same time as the loader hydraulics can be a challenge if they are both on the right side of the tractor.
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Posted By: irlbeck A-C'S
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2010 at 11:35am
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I believe the hand clutch you are referring to is actually the power director lever. Push foward for higher gear and pull back for lower gear. What gear (1,2 3,5 4,6 7,8) is determined by the gear shift. Is the front end loader fully hydraulic or does it have a trip bucket? Just my opinion but the stumps depending on size could be tough to deal with.Might be able to dig around them them pull them with a chain. A backhoe would really be helpful. I mostly use the lower gears. Although not as efficient as newer transmissions today slow and steady will still get the job done. The main thing is to be careful,bad things can happen to the operator or the tractor. |
Posted By: Charlie175
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2010 at 11:56am
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grow 2 more arms IIRC the PD and hydraulic levers are on the same side on the D-17 ------------- Charlie '48 B, '51 CA, '56 WD45 '61 D17, '63 D12, '65 D10 , '68 One-Ninety XTD |
Posted By: BobHnwO
Date Posted: 22 Jun 2010 at 12:15pm
I built a 5' bucket and put hydraulics on an old WD45 I used to have and filled in around the house  when I built in 1996,moved over 100 ton of dirt,dug out where my pond was gonna be,worked pretty good.
------------- Why do today what you can put off til tomorrow. |