steering question

   / steering question #1  

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First off, I got to use my DK35 this evening and I am quite happy with it and the 72” finish mower.

I noticed when I was cutting along the creek bank and I was on a slight hill, as I kept pressure to one side of the steering wheel, I basically had to keep turning the wheel slightly to keep it straight. Is this normal with power steering?

It was almost unnoticeable but if I was holding a spoke on the steering wheel at say 3:00 to start with, it would eventually be at 6:00 and then 9:00 and so on.

Thank in advance for any replies!

Sean
 
   / steering question #2  
BTD,
That is normal for the steering,my DK does the same thing.
The more slope,the more noticeable.
 
   / steering question
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks wolbert,

I think I’ll use my quad runner and my brother-in-law’s trail mower for the steeper hills and road ditches. I used this setup once to do all my property and it took 6 hrs. I did about half my property last night in about 1 ½ hrs. I cut in high, 1st gear and couldn’t even get the DK to slow down even in thicker grass. The DK35 is one strong tractor! I used a ford 4000 over the summer and it was constantly bogging down. I don’t remember if the ford did the same thing or not with the steering.

Sean
 
   / steering question
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I ran my DK 40 with a 6' rotary cutter through some incredibly thick grass and brush (some over 1") in 1st gear and it never flinched. These tractors are built to be used! Congrats on your DK 35 purchse.

Have a good one,
 
   / steering question
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Thank Hoosier,

After the rain we get tonight and tomorrow I’m going to try knocking down some small trees this weekend. I pushed one over last night but the ground was so hard I think it broke off instead of uprooted. It was dark and I really couldn’t tell.

I noticed we are neighbors. I’m a buckeye. You’ll probable be getting some rain also.

Go Colts. Bengals suck! I’m actually closer to Indianapolis than Cincinnati.

Sean
 
   / steering question #6  
several years ago i rented a big Massey tractor with a ditch witch on the back, going in a straight line required constant, slight turning of the steering wheel. i questioned it then and was told that was normal with hydraulic type steering?? not sure what that meant, but it stopped me from asking any more questions!!
heehaw
 
   / steering question #7  
<font color=blue>"Go Colts. Bengals suck! I’m actually closer to Indianapolis than Cincinnati."

Sean</font color=blue>

Can't believe the Bengals passed on Drew Bledsoe,We got him (the Bills) and we have reason to cheer again,what were the Bengals thinking???

Another thing you'll notice with the steering is that the wheel will always center in a different position.I kept relocating the wheel on the spline until I realized it was hopeless....Mike
 
   / steering question
  • Thread Starter
#8  
northcreek2624,

Obviously the Bengals weren’t thinking and haven’t been since the “Boomer” (not the tractor) days. I was at the playoff finals at Cincinnati when we played your Bills. That was fun!

I never rooted for the Bills until they got Bledsoe. I think he kind of got the shaft with the Patriots. Loved the overtime game recently when the ball bounced of the goal post to send it to overtime and they ended up winning. I think it was against Minnesota?

Oh, this is supposed to be about tractors. The Kioti must have 100% hydraulic steering with no gears or rack. That would explain why the wheel ends up in different positions. No biggie. I was amazed at how easy and sharp my DK turned. I couldn’t imagine anything turning much sharper like the Boomer (not the quarterback) super steer tractors.

Just noticed your post heehaw,

I think that’s what we are dealing with here on the DK’s or maybe any hydraulically steered tractor. I can’t remember for sure but I think the Ford 4000 was power assist and the wheel stayed in the same position.

Sean
 
   / steering question
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Apparently tractor use a different variety of power steering that auto's. The drift on the steering wheel is apparently due to some hydraulic fluid leakage past seals or something like that. I would suppose this tendancy for steering drift may increase as the tractor gets older. Maybe in 30 years or so we will have to put a spinner knob on the steering wheel just to keep going straight :)

Ben C.
 
   / steering question #10  
Ben,Sean;This is not a pure hydraulic steering system.It can be steered manually(considerable effort required) as you have probably noticed but,it's not something you would want to do except in an emergency.
The steering wheel alignment thing is probably an inherent side effect of this "fly by wire" type of system......Mike
PS Go Bills! .......Er,and Colts too!(different division now).
 
 
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