fel lacking power

[stratton]

Hey guys i am a new tractor owner. I recently got a kubota b2320 hsd with fel and backhoe, and snow blower. I am wondering about the hydraulics with the fel. When i have my stabilizers down for backhoe operation there seems to be insufficient fluid to the fel. I have very little down pressure. Not enough to raise the front wheels at all. I have to back off the stabilizer pads and then lower the fel. Is this normal. The tractor only has a couple of hours on it so far. All fluids are level. And its plenty warm enough. Engine speed is around 2000.

When driving up the back hill the hydrostatic transmission sounds awful. Whining real loud as dark smoke comes out. Again engine speeds are around 2k and transmission is in the medium range with no load in the bucket. Its not really a steep hill. My lawnmower makes it up with out a second thought.

 

[BrierPatch]

This is not normal.

Is your parking brake on?

I noticed you have a front snowblower in your other post. It might be something they did with the connections for the hydraulics that is not letting your fel work right. It should lift the front end with no problem in any situation. They may have got air in the system with the extra connections.

I would talk to my dealer and see what is going on.

You may want to give a some more details about how your rig is setup with the extra equipment, like where the snow blower hydr. are connected.

 

[stratton]

I just called the dealer. he claims that that the way the b2320 is setup or plumbed, The backhoe has priority over the FEL. And this is normal. He said this means that the relief valve is working and this is a good thing. I guess..... I expect it to crows-peak but then again its a compact and not a full size.

I also need to use low range going up hills. The weight of the FEL and BH is a lot for medium range while climbing. I should have went with the b2620 for another 700 bucks. But i am still very pleased with the tractor overall.

 

[BrierPatch]

Something still doesn't sound right. The BH is connected off the 3pt circuit. I don't know about priority or relieves, but if you are not moving anything on the BH I would think you would have full power to the fel as usual. I don't see why connecting the BH in the 3pt loop would really change your fel abilities. I understand stand that with the stabilizers down that puts more tractor weight on the FEL, and thus a little heavier to pick up, but I still would have thought it would do it. Also, if it is the reliefes, then when you pick the front end up with the stabilizers up, and then put the stabilizers down, wouldn't that extra pressure/weight cause the relief to relieve, and your front end would come down as you put more weight on it by lowering the stabilizers. Maybe there is nothing wrong, just seems odd to me. I wouldn't think the LA304 would be that much different than the LA364, but maybe just enough in this situation. Lowering the FEL is the weaker movement versus raising.

I can even tell on my tractor when the BH is on and it takes more to go up hills as well.

 

[stratton]

I still think something is wrong. Just like you say the relief valve would give out once i pick up the front end if the dealer is correct. Its almost as if the fluid level is low and there isn't enough to spare once the bh is pressurized. I am going to keep looking around for someone who has my same setup.

 

[J_J]

Install a hyd gage in your system, and use it for trouble shooting, and piece of mind.

 

[arsenix2001]

Im not a physics major by any means, but you mentioned it wont lift the front with the bh stabilizers down. Wouldnt that greatly change the fulcrum point of the tractor also tranferring more wieght making it significantly harder to lift vs rocking on the rear wheel?

 

[stratton]

I'm not a true operator by any means. I just see the big boys doing that on job sites. I only have 6 hours of seat time. HAHA I am all ears on tips and tricks.