Flow control or not, for sickle bar: Samuri/Sabre

[Coyote machine]

I'm no hydraulics expert for sure. Here is the info I have at the moment. My Kioti DK-40 HST has 16.8 GPM flow and the bucket mounted sickle bar requires 3.7GPM. So I spoke to the manufacturer and they say slow ground speed, 1-2 MPH is what is recommended. Would this low ground speed equate to possible lower hydraulic flow, and possibly eliminate the need for a flow control being needed for the sickle bar? Or is the difference in flow from the tractor and the needs of the sickle too far apart to try it out without a flow control in place, as a try and see how it works; add a flow control after if needed? The manufacturer didn't see any problems with this approach, but I want to hear others opinions before trying it.
I will be running the sickle off two QDs mounted on my loader crossmember. Currently they control either open/close on my grapple or left/right swing on my snowplow.

I appreciate any ideas, thoughts on how to do this correctly. Also any flow control make/models that might be used, if needed.

TIA,

CM

 

[Sportsman762]

Slower engine speed would reduce hydraulic flow. The hydraulic pump on your kioti is mounted on the engine, the slower the engine speed the less flow.

 

[nc redneck]

I looked hard at Samuri before building my own. 10 foot hydraulic sickle mower. On my Kioti 45 I run just at idle or a few 100 rpms higher. I would think your 40 would be the same. Main reason for not getting Samuri older post that had gears destructing so I would be easy with it. Try it at idle and see how it goes. Other posters who know more than me suggest blades on a sickle mower should not be so fast they blur in your vision.
Good Luck
Scott

 

[J_J]

Coyote machine,

I would recommend this valve as it can regulate the speed of the hyd motor.

You can run your tractor at whatever speed you need.

1/2 NPT HYD FLOW CONTROL VALVE W/RELIEF RDRS150-16

 

[Coyote machine]

Thanks to all for the replies.

J_J,

Would you try the sickle before installing the suggested valve or would that be a mistake from your POV?

And I need some help understanding how to correctly hook-up the valve. I have two female QDs that currently supply hyd lines that feed left/right function to my plow or up/down to my grapple, via activating a joystick trigger and pull left or push right for both implements when attached. So what lines do I connect and to which port on the valve?
Here's my thinking: pick one existing QD and make it feed the input on the flow control valve. Then have the controlled flow output go to one port of the sickle, and the other port of the sickle return to the remaining QD on the loader crossmember? Would this allow the excess fluid to return to the tank AND also allow the built in pressure relief to work as intended or am I missing something on how it is supposed to hook-up?

TIA, CM

 

[J_J]

What you said is correct.

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It could also work by reducing engine rpm, therefore less GPM.

 

[Coyote machine]

Thanks J_J for confirming what I thought might be the way to plumb the valve. I had looked at the tech drawings, but wanted to make sure that I understood the correct way to hook it all up, especially since this area of hydraulics is not really in my wheelhouse.
As always, you are indeed the man with the plan!:thumbsup:
It will be a while before I have the sickle bar to hook-up to , and when I have it all set-up I'll post back with pics of the final install.

 

[woody]

Engine speed is the way I do it, I just speed it up till the blades start to blur and then I take it easy down my driveway.

 

[J_J]

That motor is a 3 cu in hyd motor, and the rpm using 4 GPM is 308.

The pressure limit is only 500 psi, so I think I would put a relief valve across the hyd motor and run the relief hose to tank.

They say that at the correct rpm, the cutter blds should be a slight blur.

You could run the engine at a low rpm to get the correct GPM, or run the engine at whatever speed and use a flow control to regulate the speed.

Then the tractor can run fast or slow depending on the foliage being cut.

3/8 NPT HYD FLOW CONTROL VALVE W/RELIEF RDRS137-08

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http://www.cutthat.com/pdf/SabreManual.pdf

 

[Coyote machine]

So Slywoody, you just eyeball the cutter speed and don't control flow other than reducing RPMs till you have slight blur of cutters, is that correct? What maximum GPM does your tractor put out?
How many hours would you say you have on the cutter to date?

J_J,

So if I use the 1/2" NPT valve you cited originally, I would plumb one existing QD line to the flow control input, then from the valve's controlled output to one of the two ports on the cutter. Then route the remaining port from the cutter back to the excess fluid port of the valve, through a 'T ' fitting which would terminate at the other existing QD, thus returning fluid to the hydraulic tank, (as required by the flow control valve when using it as a pressure relief in addition to a flow control), correct?