[DMagers]

I have a couple dirt projects coming up like converting and old garden to lawn and eventually working septic laterals down and back to lawn. Got a 1026R with front loader.

I just do not get the results I want on leveling with the back blade or box blade. However I have seen some impressive leveling done by some of you folks with back dragging with the bucket and tooth bar.

Right now i am looking at greeting a tooth bar mainly for the back dragging work.

Question is, does one work better than the other? I am leaning to the Heavy Hitch. Thanx

 

[Kbar]

I have the HH and it back drags fine. I don’t think a tooth bar makes the difference in how well your bucket back drags. The good part of a tooth bar is it breaks down all the clumps nicely and does a good initial back drag. Curl up and flat bucket it to smooth out the tooth marks. The teeth double as a rake for sticks and debris if you get good with it. As far as solely back dragging the plain bucket does just fine though.

 

[BillieS]

Practice, Practice, Practice! You will not get a good back drag from any tooth bar. Tooth bars were made for ground engagement. With that said, you should be looking at something that leaves the bottom of the bucket edge smooth. I have the Pirrana tooth bar. With much practice I can level dry ground fairly decently. But it is not perfect.

 

[Stevo G]

Looks like this would be perfect for you...

Ratchet Rake, LLC - Tractor attachment, Bucket attachment, Loader, Skid loader, Kubota, Skid steer, Landscape rake, Brush remover, York Rake, Harley Rake, Rock Rake, Tractor rake attachment, Construction attachment, New Holland, Bobcat, Fire safety, Home fire safety, Fire prevention, John Deere, skid steer attachment, tractor implement

www.ratchetrake.com

 

[Jimmy Walker]

I have to fully curl the bucket and drag the back edge by loader frame to get a decently smooth surface with my heavy hitch bar Otherwise it looks like I backdrag with a rake.

 

[Kbar]

This is what it looks like back dragging with a heavy hitch. Mind you I was rough grading it but you can see the tooth marks

Now
This is not a bad thing when doing rough fills . Think of a grout trowel with gaps. The teeth actually help spread dirt a little easier and then curl up to smooth it out. The beauty of a HH is with a rattle gun and 5/16” Allen bit I can have it off in a couple minutes.

 

[WH401]

I'll second the Ratchet Rake and back bottom edge of the bucket as a good combo for leveling with a loader. The Ratchet Rake does a nice job breaking up the soil, and then you can tilt the bucket back to use the back edge of the bucket to leave a pretty flat surface.

Rick

 

[Kennyd]

I have to fully curl the bucket and drag the back edge by loader frame to get a decently smooth surface with my heavy hitch bar Otherwise it looks like I backdrag with a rake.

Carful doing that, it's a sure way to bend your curl cylinder rods! The FEL manual says something about this:

Operator's Manual View

Operator's Manual View

techinfo-omview.apps-prod-vpn.us.e06.c01.johndeerecloud.com

 

[Jimmy Walker]

Carful doing that, it's a sure way to bend your curl cylinder rods! The FEL manual says something about this:

Operator's Manual View

Operator's Manual View

techinfo-omview.apps-prod-vpn.us.e06.c01.johndeerecloud.com

View attachment 782864

Maybe i said it wrong. 🤷‍♂️ Its the curved back of the bucket on the bottom when i do. All rods fully retracted

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Carful doing that, it's a sure way to bend your curl cylinder rods!

He said curl, not dump.

But you bring up a very good point about proper use of the bucket for back dragging.

 

[MeagerHair]

The old bucket design on my 2305 did not back drag well flat. The newer design on my 2025 does a great job flat to nose up. I just leave a little nose up with the HH bar on and it drags great.

 

[Kennyd]

He said curl, not dump.

But you bring up a very good point about proper use of the bucket for back dragging.

I can always count on you to correct me, LOL

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

I have a piranha tooth bar, mainly to keep ware off the bucked edge.. It works well at that, also digging in our ground, cutting 2-3" brush, and moving snow..

I also back drag with the tooth bar to make broken hip glare ice safer.. Works well for that.. It takes a lot of passes and some time to do this well.. The ice will determine where you go.. That is not always in a strait line you figured on.. Many times I back drag with float engaged.. I also use a very shallow angle to back drag.. This to not damage FEL and cylinders and all...
My 5 cents of experience and opinion...

 

[Mackford13]

I gotta piranha bar also & mine does just fine back dragging. But like others have said practice makes perfect.

 

[Kbar]

You scared of that rear blade? Excavator operators

 

[cpm324]

Heavy Hitch bar is all but useless on the small tractor, with the exception of very rough work. The Piranha is buy far the best tooth bar, it can be left on, digs dirt, back drags, scoops gravel, ect. The Heavy Hitch though great in theory, but the tooth bar it self is more powerful than the tractor. It has it's uses, prying, lifting, just not for digging or dirt work.

 

[Mackford13]

You scared of that rear blade? Excavator operators

🙄 I figured you were gonna say something about that sitting there.

My bellys too big. Hard for me to turn around in the seat all the time & look at it. 😆 Easier to just look forward.

 

[ttazzman]

I have the HH and it back drags fine. I don’t think a tooth bar makes the difference in how well your bucket back drags. The good part of a tooth bar is it breaks down all the clumps nicely and does a good initial back drag. Curl up and flat bucket it to smooth out the tooth marks. The teeth double as a rake for sticks and debris if you get good with it. As far as solely back dragging the plain bucket does just fine though.

Spot on.......this ^^^^^ is the voice of experience listen closely......also his post on high bucket angle back draging and cylinders in another post.........and the post showing teeth marks ...

i back drag a lot with a toothed bucket when i am clearing brush as it works nicely was a rake

also 90% of my backdragging is done with a almost flat bucket with very minimal rear bucket elevation from flat....the exception is when i am back rakeing sticks n limbs with a toothed bucket

 

[Kbar]

Heavy Hitch bar is all but useless on the small tractor, with the exception of very rough work. The Piranha is buy far the best tooth bar, it can be left on, digs dirt, back drags, scoops gravel, ect. The Heavy Hitch though great in theory, but the tooth bar it self is more powerful than the tractor. It has it's uses, prying, lifting, just not for digging or dirt work.

I’m going to disagree with this

 

[cpm324]

Ok, why?