Hydraulic questions

[KTurner]

Have a few questions about a New Holland 3230. It's about early 1990s, maybe a 1993. The owners manual lists some specs - 2500psi nominal pressure, minimum flow of 0.6-1.3 gpm and max flow of 7.5 gpm. It says the max flow occurs at 2200 rpm. 2200 seems a bit high. Anyone know what the flow rate would be at, say 1500 or 1800 rpm?

The tractor currently only uses the hydraulics for the 3PH mechanism. There are no ASC valve/remotes/etc installed. From the reading I've done, it sounds like I could pull the hydraulic cover plate and install an ASC valve in its place to get a hydraulic port. Could that hydraulic port be connected to something like this log splitter (with the return line going into the rear axle), or would I need something else?

And, would there by anything wrong with getting a 2-stage log splitter hydraulic pump, attaching it to the PTO of the tractor and using the tractor's hydraulic fluid (other than getting rpms geared right)? This may be cheaper than an ASC valve, with higher flow and lower tractor RPMs.

thanks
Keith

 

[jinman]

Keith, you asked several questions and I can answer some, but probably not all. To operate that County Line splitter from TSC, you need only a source of hydraulic pressure and a return as you stated. The valve on the spitter takes care of the Dual-Action required to drive the hydraulic ram in two directions. When the wedge on a log splitter cuts through the round, it has to be powered back to the open position. The log splitter valve will reverse the flow internally so that the ram is powered in the right direction. Most log splitter valves have a "detent" position on return so that you can set it to the detent and reload your splitter while the wedge retracts. When the wedge is fully retracted, a pressure spike in the valve pops it out of detent and the splitter goes to idle, waiting for you to move the valve to advance the ram and wedge into the next log.

I would not consider getting a PTO pump except as a last resort. You will easily add $700 or more just for the pump valves and hoses. You might also need a larger reservoir. PTO pumps can cause the fluid to heat up. If you don't have a lot of fluid or some method of cooling, you could end up with a hot system. This will likely add another $500 to the cost. By now you would have been just as well off to have bought a self-contained log splitter with engine, pump, reservoir, and splitter all in one.

I'd also suggest talking to your NH dealer about options for your tractor from the factory. In my experience, nothing works better than the factory options for hydralic remotes or valving and piping. If you want an elegant solution that adds lots of value to your tractor, stick with OEM add-ons for hydraulics. I'll check and see what I can locate for your tractor and get back to you by editing this post later.

EDIT: There is an auxiliary service control valve available for your tractor. It's $300 to $350 plus installation, hoses, fittings.