"Mill" front loader

[swinny]

A "mill" front loader, what are they like? they seem old fasioned etc, and how do you adjust the bucket or release it to tip? is it a lever

 

Cheers Ears

[GardenKit]

The Mill Marquis front loaders that I first used in the 70's were indeed old fashioned by modern standards, but were cutting edge at the time. They were heavily built and swines to fit if the ground was not level or the stands were bent.

 

The buckets were tripped with a spring loaded pin in the centre which you retracted by pulling a lever mounted on the RH post. This pulled a cable which ran up the RH boom to a bell crank which pulled the pin. They had to be kept well greased and even then your right biceps developed incredibly.

 

The bucket or fork should relatch on the rebound swing after tipping, but often missed and then just hung down, so you had to flick it onto the ground or the trailer side etc to get it to latch back.

 

The good old days.... shifted thousands of tons (yes, 'tons'. 'tonnes' were'nt invented!) of FYM with one on a MF35 from old cowsheds which were so low we I to remove the exhaust and keep my head down . HSE would throw a wobbly these days.