Loader New Owner of '95 MF 240 with FEL

[scottyboy]

Hi everyone,

New to the site (as a poster). I have been lurking for many months educating myself a bit about tractors. To be sure though I am definitely a newbie with this stuff.

Anyway I finally bought a 20 year old MF 240 from a used tractor dealer in Florida - sight unseen other than photos on web. It was a rather big leap but I figured I'd have to sink some money into this machine once I got it. I currently have a starting issue (which I think is a defective neutral starting switch). Also the FEL was working great but then I started tinkering and moving the Aux Control Valve and after a bit of time (hour or so) the FEL would not go up. Another problem concurrently is that I cannot raise or lower the 3pt hitch. Go figure...what have I done wrong?

Looking forward to being a contributor to this forum.

 

[murphy1244]

I would order a owners manual from AGO books.

 

[scottyboy]

Yes have it but it is scant on the troubleshooting. I did just call the dealer's mechanic who was able to give me some perspective so I will check lever positioning for the hitch and FEL hydraulic set up. Thanks Murph.

 

[scottyboy]

http://youtu.be/AE0stKvh2g0

Here is my first job for the tractor yesterday before I parked it (with bucket down like in vid). Lots to learn.

 

[murphy1244]

Try less angle when backdraging the bucket

 

[TomSeller]

Hi everyone,

New to the site (as a poster). I have been lurking for many months educating myself a bit about tractors. To be sure though I am definitely a newbie with this stuff.

Anyway I finally bought a 20 year old MF 240 from a used tractor dealer in Florida - sight unseen other than photos on web. It was a rather big leap but I figured I'd have to sink some money into this machine once I got it. I currently have a starting issue (which I think is a defective neutral starting switch). Also the FEL was working great but then I started tinkering and moving the Aux Control Valve and after a bit of time (hour or so) the FEL would not go up. Another problem concurrently is that I cannot raise or lower the 3pt hitch. Go figure...what have I done wrong?

Looking forward to being a contributor to this forum.

Do you have a front mounted pump running the FEL?

 

[Blunderbore]

I am new to tractors myself and had similar issues and they were all related to me not knowing what I was/am doing.

The starting issue.... how did you get it started if you have an issue? I had a similar problem and realized I engaged the pto with my foot by accident and the safety switch prevented it from starting. Make sure the pto is not engaged and the two levers for H/L and gear selection are in neutral.

As far as the FEL. If you are using the internal hydraulic pump.... There are two levers to the right of the driver’s seat. I don't recall which it is but I think it is the one closest to the driver. Make sure that is slid all the way back to constant pump. You actually have to get it over a little detent spring to make sure it is all the way back.

Also on my 240 there is a dual clutch. I noticed if I had the clutch all the way in it prevents the internal hydraulic pump from creating pressure and that prevents the FEL from operating.

Good luck....

 

[scottyboy]

@blunderbore. Thanks for your feedback. I can certainly attest to the fact that operator ignorance on my part was/is at play. We do have the starting procedure down pat now and the issue is most likely the switch and the work around for the moment is to jump the current from the switch terminal on the solenoid to the hot terminal. Up until Monday this was working 100% of the time with the occasional lucky moment when we'd push the neutral switch after the machine had been running for a bit and it would turn over. Now I cannot start it even with the screwdriver so I think I may have fried the solenoid. As for the FEL problem it might be that we moved the position control and draft controls out of their "stopped" positions they had been in when we received it and this may have caused hydr. oil to go to sump. We heard a whining noise after we had tinkered with the settings. The auxillary hydraulic lines that the FEL is connected has the lever in a "locked" position so that we cannot move it (and did not). We topped up the hydraulic oil a bit too as it was near the upper MIN on the dipstick which the manual says is unacceptable (should have it at MAX) if working on sloped terrain (which we are). So we are on a real learning curve and making progress but it is sometimes a little frustrating.

 

[scottyboy]

@TomSellers - the FEL hydraulic lines are connected to ports that connect to an 'auxillary hydraulic control valve' located on left side of the seat on my tractor (this was pulled all the way back and locked with a wire clip by the previous owner - we have not removed it). What I have read is that this aux hydr. control valve can be used on equipment requiring the use of one or two hydr. controls using single or double acting hydr. rams and low input hydraulic motors. Manual also goes onto to state that the control valve can be powered by a linkage pump using a 'selector lever' (which I am pretty sure we do not have on our tractor because I cannot match the picture to the lever on the tractor) or from an independent auxillary hydr. pump. With such a setup the manual states that the control valves can be operated "without interfering with the three point linkage". I also learned that the position control lever must be all the way back to the 'constant pumping position' and the draft control lever to about the middle of the quadrant where "the ram neither extends nor retracts" and to set the adjustable stop "below the draft control lever". We have to try these things next time we are at the location of our tractor.

 

[redman135]

I second murphy 1244. The bucket needs to be much flatter to get a good finish. If you have double action lift rams this is easy. If you have single action lift rams then you need to get some ballast in the bucket (not so much it falls out) . I used to drive an mf240 fel and back blade on foot path ,and car park and sand pad (foundations) work . That tractor had a change over valve to operate the 3ph OR the fel.
Is your gear box 8 sp or 6sp?