FEL weak L3200

Codom

New member

Equipment
Kubota L3200
Sep 5, 2014
14
0
0
carriere
I have a L3200 with 290 hrs. Recently the bucket has trouble raising when digging dirt. Also curling is weak. Raising the engine RPM seems to help some but not much. Tractor had plenty of power when it was new. Loader has never been removed nor has the hydraulic lines. Fluid is full no leaks. I did notice the cylinders felt like they had play in them. the 3pt hitch position does not seem to have any affect on the FEL strength. Any Ideas?
 

SidecarFlip

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M9000HDCC3, M9000HD, Kubota GS850 Sidekick
Oct 28, 2018
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Far as 'play' goes, that is your fulcrum pins. They are wearing and at some point will need replacing, especially if you are lax in greasing them. Kubota recommends every 10 hours and I pretty much stick to that. You don't need to gob it in, a stroke or 2 is sufficient.

Far as the weak loader goes, I have no idea. Never had that issue.
 

Codom

New member

Equipment
Kubota L3200
Sep 5, 2014
14
0
0
carriere
The slack is in the cylinder not the pins.( Trust me it gets greased before every use.) Say the loader and the bucket are down all the way and the bucket is tilted up so that just the cutting edge of the bucket isn't touching the ground by a few inches. I can stand on the bucket and the rod moves in and out the cylinder tubes some. I assume I need to order a seal kit for the cylinders. Just seems awful early with only 290hrs.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
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Sandpoint, ID
The slack is in the cylinder not the pins.( Trust me it gets greased before every use.) Say the loader and the bucket are down all the way and the bucket is tilted up so that just the cutting edge of the bucket isn't touching the ground by a few inches. I can stand on the bucket and the rod moves in and out the cylinder tubes some. I assume I need to order a seal kit for the cylinders. Just seems awful early with only 290hrs.

One other scenario that could be going on is that you are sucking air into the system, air compresses fluid does not, thus the cylinder will move.

Look at the fluid right after use, is it foamy?

Look for seeping leaks on the suction side of the hydraulic system (larger of the lines), normal location for the leak is loose clamps on the rubber hose section of the suction line.

If you've 100% removed the possibility of air introduction, then yes rebuild the seals, do all 4 cylinders at the same time. ;)
 

SidecarFlip

Banned

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M9000HDCC3, M9000HD, Kubota GS850 Sidekick
Oct 28, 2018
7,197
546
83
USA
Last cylinder I had leaking, I took to a hydraulic cylinder shop and let them rebuild it.
 

motorhead

Member

Equipment
2009 B3200, 2007 Dodge/Cummins powered Ram 2500 395hp
May 17, 2012
415
21
18
Atascadero
I agree with Wolfman in seeing if the fluid is foaming. Have you ever serviced the fluid filters in the tractor? My last Kubota would do that when it warmed up and the loader got slow. I "Tee'd" in a 3000 psi pressure gauge and saw that the pressure was dropping some but it seemed to lack the flow to make the loader work normally. Sorry to say I never found out what the problem was as I traded it in on my B3200.