L3800 with backhoe - ? about 3pt hitch

[twinnine]

I have a L3800 HST with backhoe that runs off tractor hydraulics. when I bought the tractor, the salesman said when the bachoe is mounted bring the lift lever for the 3pt up a little so the pump isn't constantly pumping oil through the 3pt in float position. The guy that delivered it and the manual says leave the 3pt height in the down position or it will break stuff. just wondering what everyone else's opinion is and where it should really be?

Overall, the power seems a bit weak when moving dirt around. I can be in 4wd, M range, 2000 rpm and go into a pile of loose dirt and tractor bogs down and whines like a baby. wondering if the float position on the 3pt has anything to do with it. or if I'm just expecting too much.

 

[twinnine]

Just drove an older 44hp one and seems to do the same thing power wise, just doesn't wine as much so I guess it's just me...... maybe I just need a bigger one! lol.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Keep in mind boss it is a tractor and not a bulldozer. Try reducing your speed going into the pile and see what that does.

 

[firejunkie]

We have a B26 loader bahoe here at work, when I first took it home I was dissapointed in it , lacked power/ whiny HST ect, I was trying to run it like a skid steer, the next few times I ran it on low speed/high rpm into the brush and learned it's sweet spots for power, and after a while was impressed it could do what it did with 19hp. So I would say work with the machine and try a few differant speed/power setting to find your happy place, it's there, just gotta look . Also the 3pt on it is lowered all the time, don't think it makes a differance but thats where ours sits.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Its often said with a Kubota you'll loose traction long before you loose power. So try slowing down to a different speed like firejunkie had mentioned and see what that does.

 

[Frankb]

I have a L3200 HST with the BH77 backhoe attachment that also runs on the tractor hydraulics. Not sure I am understanding this post correctly but I have a sub-frame that is attached to the tractor and the backhoe just hooks up to the sub-frame and I connect the hydraulic hoses for power.
I have great power in the backhoe. Here in NC we have very hard clay and granite to contend with along with some huge pine tree stumps and I have not had any problems with my tractor at all. The front loader bucket is a Woods 4-n-1 and again great power.
I run my tractor at about 2000 to 2200 when running the backhoe. I run the front loader at the same speed in medium or even low range depending on the type of dirt I am picking up.

 

[twinnine]

Thanks for the replies! I'll try bumping up the RPM's. I usually run around 1500 to 1800. Just changed the filters and oil after 50 hrs and think I have a small leak in the HST filter but not positive. I can smell hydraulic oil periodically when operating the tractor but might be the little bit I ran down the back of the tractor by mistake.

 

[Bulldog]

The HST isn't going to have the pushing power of a gear tranny anyway. You are loosing pushing power thru your trans no matter what. Like the others said though you will just need to play with it and find the sweet spot. 1500-1800 sounds pretty low on the rpm's though to be in the power range.

As far as the hyd smell goes (assuming you don't have a leak) it probably has a vent on the hyd system somewhere. My 3000 has a tube on top of the fill plug and when doing loader work I smell fluid. It doesn't leak but when the wind is just right I will get a whiff every once in a while.

If your BH mounts on a sub frame the 3pt arm shouldn't have anything to do with the BH. My 4672 is a 3pt hitch BH so I just try to barely let them carry some of the weight. After getting the top link hooked up I raise them just enough to take a little off the top mount and leave them be. Not sure which style you have though.

 

[twinnine]

Bulldog - I think you hit the nail on the head in regards to oil smell. With some more hours since the service, I smell less and less. seems to be when I'm operating more than one hydraulic at the same time but not always. (loader and tranny, or dipper and bucket.....) With the site glass for hydro fluid being so finicky about being level, I may have overfilled just a tad too much.

as for power, i've been playing around with the rpm's and trying some different things and have no problems now! seems as though i've found the sweet spot and learned to use more properly!

thanks to all!

 

[Frankb]

I too had a Hydraulic smell after changing my filters on the L3200. After running it for a while, the smell got less and less also. Now I don't even smell anything any more!

 

[twinnine]

Must be by design with the new L series. lol....

 

[Frankb]

I can tell you it was enough smell for me to slide underneath the tractor with a rag and wiped down all the filters to make sure I did not create a leak somewhere. Made me nervous after paying all that money for the tractor and backhoe attachment and then smell the fluid. Never did find any leaks or any fluid anywhere that could burn on exhaust or any hot areas. All I know is I never get the heavy smell now. Once in a while I will get a small whiff of hydraulic fluid, but cannot find a leak.