Hydraulic hose repair

[redtruckfarm]

New guy here. L3200 w/la524 loader. Loader was detached and hydraulic lines depressurized. Doing soil work with a middlebuster on the 3-point at a moderate setting. At the end of the field, pulled up the 3-point lever all the way to the up position and hydraulic fluid began spraying a fine mist out of the hydraulic hose closest to the outside of the tractor. Stopped and turned off tractor, found a nick.

1. Have heard it's best to replace these hoses at a hydraulic hose specialist. Can I assume that if I can remove this hose and bring it in, that is all they will need?

2. Wasn't aware the hydraulic fluid is still moving in and out of the hoses even when the loader is not attached. Makes sense I guess, but wondering if the lockout switch on my control box for the loader can change that. The manual for the loader is pretty brief in what that switch is for.

3. Somewhat related I'm sure, for about the last 50 hours, I've noticed that when my 3-point is fully raised, the tractor idles a little differently. When I've got both an implement on the rear and the loader on, I have to make sure the 3-point is slightly below fully raised to have the loader work more effectively. Any thoughts there?

I'm close to 150 hours so planning on changing the hyd. fluid as part of that service, maybe the fluid was low to begin with?

Thanks in advance, Jason

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Yes they should be able to make you a new hose with just the old one there.
Kubota uses an open style hydraulic system, that means that fluid is moving throughout the system all the time.
The reason your 3 point is changing the idle when it's all the way up is that it's going into bypass or tripping the pressure relief valve.
You need to adjust the linkage or the stops to keep it from doing that, it's not good for the hydraulic system to go into bypass.