BX2370 FEL & Mower Blades

[jimschmidt]

OK guys and gals, I just purchased a BX2370 with a front end loader and 60" belly mower. The tractor only has 328 hours on it. The FEL seems very weak to me if I curl the bucket against the ground it will not lift it's self up if I go down and move the tractor forward it will lift it's self up. Is this normal? I have a bunch of other equipment and never have had such weak hydraulics I'm worried there is a problem. Also what's everyone using for mower blades on the RCK60B23BX?

 

[SidecarFlip]

I get my blades from ASC. Cheaper than anyone else.

 

[Dave_eng]

OK guys and gals, I just purchased a BX2370 with a front end loader and 60" belly mower. The tractor only has 328 hours on it. The FEL seems very weak to me if I curl the bucket against the ground it will not lift it's self up if I go down and move the tractor forward it will lift it's self up. Is this normal? I have a bunch of other equipment and never have had such weak hydraulics I'm worried there is a problem. Also what's everyone using for mower blades on the RCK60B23BX?

The easiest way to establish the performance of your hydraulic system is to buy a pressure gauge and do a simple test.

Buy a 0-3,000 psi gauge and one half of a quick coupling to match your tractor's. The gauges are on line or at any independent hydraulic shop for around $20.

https://www.amazon.com/STAINLESS-LI...way&sprefix=hydraulic+pressure,aps,158&sr=8-3

If you have the sort of master system where all lines are coupled with one lever, then remove one cylinder hose and connect the gauge to the end of that hose. You do NOT have to Tee into the system.

Run the engine at high idle (full speed) and direct flow to the gauge and read the pressure immediately. Do not continue the test for more than 10 seconds as you are forcing oil through the relief valve and can overheat it.

If the pressures are 150 to 200 psi below spec do not spend the effort trying to get just to or slightly over the spec limit as the effort is not going to make a discernible difference.

My feeling is that you are not taking into consideration the added weight of the belly mower. Further, you do not mention any rear ballast. With rear ballast, you lift weight off the front axle and then your FEL will seem much more able to lift the front end. Rear ballast is very important for the stability and safety of your new tractor. Think of your tractor like a teeter totter with the rear axle as the teeter pivot point.

Your 3 pt hitch can lift 992# at the lift arm pins and 680# 24 inches back from the pins.

A ballast weight of 400# will make a world of difference.

Concrete, the most practical ballast unless you have access to heavy steel pieces, weighs 150# per cubic foot. You would need 2.6 cubic feet for 400#.

Make a simple rectangular form. You want wide and low not tall like a barrel as the center of gravity of your ballast should be below the rear axle height which is not high on a BX machine.

Dave

 

[jimschmidt]

The easiest way to establish the performance of your hydraulic system is to buy a pressure gauge and do a simple test.

Buy a 0-3,000 psi gauge and one half of a quick coupling to match your tractor's. The gauges are on line or at any independent hydraulic shop for around $20.



If you have the sort of master system where all lines are coupled with one lever, then remove one cylinder hose and connect the gauge to the end of that hose. You do NOT have to Tee into the system.

Run the engine at high idle (full speed) and direct flow to the gauge and read the pressure immediately. Do not continue the test for more than 10 seconds as you are forcing oil through the relief valve and can overheat it.

If the pressures are 150 to 200 psi below spec do not spend the effort trying to get just to or slightly over the spec limit as the effort is not going to make a discernible difference.

My feeling is that you are not taking into consideration the added weight of the belly mower. Further, you do not mention any rear ballast. With rear ballast, you lift weight off the front axle and then your FEL will seem much more able to lift the front end. Rear ballast is very important for the stability and safety of your new tractor. Think of your tractor like a teeter totter with the rear axle as the teeter pivot point.

Your 3 pt hitch can lift 992# at the lift arm pins and 680# 24 inches back from the pins.

A ballast weight of 400# will make a world of difference.

Concrete, the most practical ballast unless you have access to heavy steel pieces, weighs 150# per cubic foot. You would need 2.6 cubic feet for 400#.

Make a simple rectangular form. You want wide and low not tall like a barrel as the center of gravity of your ballast should be below the rear axle height which is not high on a BX machine.

Dave

Dave,

What should the pressures be?

I have run a lot of other tractors all of them has been larger including some John Deeres and never have seen a FEL that had so much problems lifting it's self. Maybe I'm spoiled by larger machines.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The FEL seems very weak to me if I curl the bucket against the ground it will not lift it's self up if I go down and move the tractor forward it will lift it's self up. Is this normal?

Yes it very well might be normal as it's fighting the HST to move the tractor as it lifts (aka it can't roll forward).

Put the transmission in neutral and try it again.

 

[dirtydeed]

Dave,

What should the pressures be?

I have run a lot of other tractors all of them has been larger including some John Deeres and never have seen a FEL that had so much problems lifting it's self. Maybe I'm spoiled by larger machines.

According to your manual (you can download one here) it should be 1790-1850 psi

https://kubota.ca/getmedia/ad27b250...-BX2370D,-BX2670D,-OPS-EN-K277171313?ext=.pdf)

You should be able to find a WSM as well.

 

[85Hokie]

Dave,

What should the pressures be?

I have run a lot of other tractors all of them has been larger including some John Deeres and never have seen a FEL that had so much problems lifting it's self. Maybe I'm spoiled by larger machines.

as mentioned .....1700-1850 ish.....

Push till 2000 psi and stop there.... you will feel the difference btw

 

[JG4660]

I think what you describe is normal. On mine with the bucket flat and level, curling it down won't lift the tractor. But, if you raise the bucket and curl it down and then lower the bucket it will easily raise the front end off the ground. Give that a try...

Thanks
JG

 

[Jblac197]

According to your manual (you can download one here) it should be 1790-1850 psi



https://kubota.ca/getmedia/ad27b250...-BX2370D,-BX2670D,-OPS-EN-K277171313?ext=.pdf)



You should be able to find a WSM as well.

What section are those pressure specs in?? I want to check the relief valve pressure on my l3800 but I can't find the specs anywhere.

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[beex]

This is probably not a pressure problem or a curl force problem, it’s probably operator error. In curl down mode you have to push the lever past a detent position to get full force on down curl. The first position is a re-circulate mode that lets gravity assist the dump, so you get a fast dump with a load in the bucket. In this mode you don’t get a high pressure from the pump.


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[Dave_eng]

What section are those pressure specs in?? I want to check the relief valve pressure on my l3800 but I can't find the specs anywhere.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

It is often a little more complicated. How many lines are on your FEL valve? 6 or 7.

If 7, then it has a power beyond port which is feeding the rear of the tractor. Rear remote(s) and 3 pt hitch.

The loader valve has a relief valve and there is likely a second protecting the rear of the tractor.

If your tractor is plumbed as I have suggested, then the loader relief valve will limit what the rear of the tractor will receive regardless of the relief setting at the rear.

Some BX's do things differently and feed the backhoe first, then, using a PB port in the Backhoe valve, they feed the front of the machine.

The relief spec's are often in two places. The tractor WSM will have the settings for the rear of the tractor and will make no mention of the loader.

The loader WSM will have spec's for its relief valve but it wont be clear how the rear of the tractor is connected unless you are expert in reading hydraulic schematics.

Owners' manuals have a Specification section and you will find relief info there. I have attached a page from an L series, not yours, to show you.

Dave

 

[beex]

BX2370 FEL & Mower Blades

do the simple thing first, as i said above, try push the dump lever past the first detent position, if you’ve never done it before it will feel like you hit a stop, there is a second position past the stop, be firm, I have a bx, the curl down lifts the tractor no problem, you don’t have to be in neutral, you don’t need high rpm, the re-circulate mode will not lift the tractor, it’s not designed to apply high force, it’s designed to let gravity to dump faster. it’s a common mistake, lots of BX owners never discover the 2 position curl down feature in the loader, similarly, bx owners commonly never discover the loader float mode either, which you get by pushing to the second detent position on the loader down motion. i use both all the time.

BTW, the bx pressure spec is no where near 2500, it’s way below 2000, don’t remember exact, something like 1600

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[Jblac197]

It is often a little more complicated. How many lines are on your FEL valve? 6 or 7.



If 7, then it has a power beyond port which is feeding the rear of the tractor. Rear remote(s) and 3 pt hitch.



The loader valve has a relief valve and there is likely a second protecting the rear of the tractor.



If your tractor is plumbed as I have suggested, then the loader relief valve will limit what the rear of the tractor will receive regardless of the relief setting at the rear.



Some BX's do things differently and feed the backhoe first, then, using a PB port in the Backhoe valve, they feed the front of the machine.



The relief spec's are often in two places. The tractor WSM will have the settings for the rear of the tractor and will make no mention of the loader.



The loader WSM will have spec's for its relief valve but it wont be clear how the rear of the tractor is connected unless you are expert in reading hydraulic schematics.



Owners' manuals have a Specification section and you will find relief info there. I have attached a page from an L series, not yours, to show you.



Dave

Thank you for the info. Appreciate it. I'm getting right around 2400 psi at the loader relief which I believe is spec or close to it.

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[lugbolt]

I don't know how many times I've got to say this but I'll say it one more time.

Lifting the tractor off the ground is NOT and should not ever be a measure of how powerful the loader is.

/rant.

Careful when checking and/or adjusting hydraulic pressure. Many don't know how to do it properly. I know of at least one (MX5100) that the owner has "adjusted" the pressure to slightly higher than spec (improperly mind you) and has been in the shop 4 (FOUR) times for a completely blown out 3ph and rear differential case. Why? He uses the crap out of it and bends the 3ph lift lever (beside the driver's seat), then the feedback is out of whack, and then when he lifts, it "deadheads" (goes into relief) and holds all that pressure as long as the lever's up and the engine's running. 4 times I've turned the pressure back down, 4 times he turns it back up. Fine with me. That's a good paying job to replace all of those parts (trans case, 3ph, seals/bushings/oil/etc). Advising him goes in one ear and out the other.