SSQA mod

mcfarmall

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Kubota M5660SUHD, Farmall C
Sep 11, 2013
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Welded a length of chain to the levers with a small carabiner snap hook to prevent inadvertent opening of the latches from sticks, etc. Will thread the chain through a piece of silastic tubing so the paint doesn't get rubbed through. Picture was taken with the bucket hyper-extended in the dump position.
 

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North Idaho Wolfman

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You can get the same effect by putting a chain between the two levers.
They can't flip up if they are tied together.
 
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mikester

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Welded a length of chain to the levers with a small carabiner snap hook to prevent inadvertent opening of the latches from sticks, etc. Will thread the chain through a piece of silastic tubing so the paint doesn't get rubbed through. Picture was taken with the bucket hyper-extended in the dump position.
You wont be happy after the chains wear off the loader tube paint and start wearing the metal. I'd use wolfman's advise.
 

mcfarmall

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Kubota M5660SUHD, Farmall C
Sep 11, 2013
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You wont be happy after the chains wear off the loader tube paint and start wearing the metal. I'd use wolfman's advise.
This is a quote from original post. "Will thread the chain through a piece of silastic tubing so the paint doesn't get rubbed through."
 
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mcfarmall

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You can get the same effect by putting a chain between the two levers.
They can't flip up if they are tied together.
Theoretically your statement is correct, however as the lever(s) pivot, the distance between the tips decreases (the tips get closer to each other). If the levers continue to pivot, the distance between the tips will increase until the point where the chain gets tight and prevents further movement of the levers.

The question is, at the point of pivot where the levers moved past center and then tighten up the chain, will they be open enough to release one side or the other of the loader attachment?

You only have to lose control of an attachment one time to cause a lot of damage and this is a solution that I'm willing to live with to prevent damage.

Also for clarity this statement was in my original post,
'Will thread the chain through a piece of silastic tubing so the paint doesn't get rubbed through."

Additionally, I won't live long enough for the chain to saw through the loader crossmember...LOL
 

mcfarmall

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I have never had mine open, did you have something happen that you made this mod?
No, I want to be ahead of the curve when it comes to preventing any occurrences. Some people like switches on their tractor seats, reverse PTO interlocks and stuff like that. I like mechanical things.
 
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DeepWoods

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B2650HSDC Woodland Mills WC68 Wood Chipper
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When I first got my tractor I didnt know there were grease zerks on the quick attach pins. It wasnt until the levers were so hard to move that I cleaned up all the factory grease and grit that had accumulated only to find the zerks that I didnt know were there. Once I got everything cleaned and greased, the levers were so easy to move that when I got one of them caught on a branch while using the grapple, it disengaged the locking pin on one side, and the grapple came loose. My solution was to drill a hole in each lever and use a bungee wrapped under the loader tube to hold them in place. No more problem, and no worn off paint.
 
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SidecarFlip

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On mine (ATI and Kubota) the SSQA lock arms cam over when closed. Never had issue one with them coming loose. You can set the preload on the arms with the insert nut on each of them.
 
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DeepWoods

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On mine (ATI and Kubota) the SSQA lock arms cam over when closed. Never had issue one with them coming loose. You can set the preload on the arms with the insert nut on each of them.
So if I understand you correctly, if I tighten the nut downwards, it will make the levers hold tighter after I go over center and I may not need to use the bungee to hold them from opening to easily?
 

BX23S-1

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So if I understand you correctly, if I tighten the nut downwards, it will make the levers hold tighter after I go over center and I may not need to use the bungee to hold them from opening to easily?
I dont know about that... the wedge pins have a spring between them and the handle. I think at any time you hit the bottom of those wedge pins hard enough and force them upward, i still think they can be popped out of their hole even if the handles are locked into their home position with anything. Or maybe i`m not seeing this as others are. I would think you would want a way to actually lock the wedge pins in place instead of the release handles.

EDIT:
Ok, so i went out to my shop, grabbed a prybar, and YES, you can still push those wedge pins upward even with the arms locked/chained/roped/bungee`d in the home position. So, my theory is, you will not stop the problem by just locking/securing the arms down with a chain or any other form or method to secure the handles. If the wedge pins get hit, they will not keep the bucket/grapple safely on the loader framework.

Until you find a way to lock the wedge pins from being able to move up, other than by its own spring pressure, you havent really fixed anything to actually resolve your problem.
 
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GeoHorn

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If you adapt a couple of those little hookie-things on the back of a ladies bra....they’ll never come loose.
 
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GreensvilleJay

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Ok, I gotta ask WHAT's with the stickers of ARROWS for ???
BTW never had mine 'unlock'.
BTW a couple of 4" linearactuators will allow 'remote control' operation..
 

SidecarFlip

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Both my ATI (on the cab M9 and the Kubota SSQA on the open station CAM over when closed (pins extended) and yes, tightening the nuts (lefty loosey-righty tightey) will cause a heavier restraint on the pin assembly. Never had an issue in literally thousands of front implement changeouts, Forks, buckets, snow plow, never an issue with the handles backing out.
 

Old_Paint

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Some people like switches on their tractor seats, reverse PTO interlocks and stuff like that.
Seat Switch is required by Outdoor Power Equipment Safety standards that cover a LOT of countries. Don't have a choice, from the smallest garden tractor to ANY tractor than can be fallen off of or turned over. That standard pretty much includes ALL tractors and a lot of other equipment too. If the safety being completely mechanical is a need, I guess you could tie a string to the coil wire if you had a gasser. But since there's no ignition system on a diesel, that's a little harder to do with a string, but I guess you could still come up with a butterfly in the intake that would shut off air flow.

The seat switch is to shut the engine down if the operator leaves the seat and the transmission is engaged, or the PTO. Kubota has been generous enough to provide a new option on the LX models that allows operating the PTO with the seat still down by locking the brake, putting the range selector in N, and then pushing an override button for about 10 seconds. This allows using stationary equipment like chippers. Miss one detail, you shut the engine down. Simple safety. It works.

But back to the subject at hand, I'm not quite sure that a chain that heavy would be required, and I'd probably opt for some kind of pin latch if I was that worried about it coming out. If 'sticks' come up behind that adapter plate, stiff enough to operate those levers, you're about to either rip a front tire apart or relocate your radiator to the 3 point hitch. As someone else pointed out, they latch by cam action over center and are spring loaded. On top of that, you didn't pin the actual latches, only the handles. You did know those handles can be fully engaged and the latch still not fully engaged, right? What's to stop the same 'stick' from pushing the latch pin out of it's hole? The latch pins not fully engaging is more often than not what creates hazards, despite the handles being fully down. There's no substitute for a visual confirmation that the latch pins are fully engaged. So, chaining the operating handles really isn't going to help much to prevent the problem you're targeting.

To each his own, though. Not criticizing, just debating.
 

SidecarFlip

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Putting a stay chain on the handles seem to me to be a solution to a non existent problem.

Whatever blows your dress up I guess. Far as set switches go, a jumper wire eliminates that issue entirely, but then, neither of my M's has that. They are built to run pto engaged while not in the seat anyway.