Kubota L4610HSTC 2 1/2 pt hitch

[patrickg]

Earliler this week I had a 3 PH but now only a 2 1/2 PH (see attachment)

I was using the FEL to move some sand and had the box blade attached for rear weight to stabilize the FEL action. Toward the end of the day my a$$ was dragging and so was the tractor's.

Note how the weld beads contoured into the metal of the arm but did not fuse with it. I'm guessing that the different appearance of the metal around the periphery is some sort of surface hardening.

Except for concerns re hardening I would expect to lap a piece of 1/2 to 3/4 ich bar stock for a few inches either side of the break and weld it . Might put a couple holes in the stiffener and weld through those for more "connectivity" between the pieces.

I am open for suggestions regarding repairs. I was hoping that repairs could be effected without removing the part still on the tractor. Has anyone ever seen this happen to a lower arm on a 3ph before. I guess I'm just lucky.

All I really want is to get caught up enough to be able to take the time to get the A/C working good enough so I can run with the windows and doors closed but stuff keeps happening. At least the FEL works OK, even though without something on the back in addition to the max wheel weights Kubota autorizes, I spend a lot of time on 2-3 wheels. Too wild for comfort.

pat

 

[hayden]

I'd just order a new draw bar. Is it under warranty? I'd only weld it as a temporary measure.

 

[bgott]

You got off lucky. When my tractor was in the shop there was an M4900 in the next bay that someone had backed into an obstruction and it had the whole top cover broken off. It wasn't pretty. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[patrickg]

Hayden, I chose to not order a new drawbar, just yet. It isn't the price as a drawbar is cheaper than fixing and improving the current drawbars. A new bar is $50 + shipping and tax. I paid $60 (no tax) to repair the broken one, reinforce it, and reinforce the other one. Now, I hope, I have two stronger than stock drawbars.

I hope the repaired/reinforced drawbars give long trouble free service. While the failed bar may have been defective or eligible for replacement under waranty, in any case I would have ended up with stock bars, not knowing if they would last any longer (370 hours, much of it with nothing on the 3PH)

The uncertainty is not knowing if the bar was defective or overloaded. Time will tell me if I made the right decision. If the reinforced bars last well past an additional 400 hrs it was a smart decision, it they fail right away I screwed up.

The welder used rod from the 8000 series (strong stuff for welding hi-tensile steel). He delivered the finished parts to my tractor out on the job site and did most of the reinstalation labor as well as made pleasant conversation for no extra charge. Again, time will tell if this was a good deal.

In the attached picture you can see where the break was welded (transverse to the run of the drrawbar,) The extra metal added under the drawbar should make it much stonger at this point where the side braces (anit-sway stabilizers) attach, the region of the failure.

Pat