Bing187
Bronze Member
Hello all,
Digging a trench 2 days ago with my B3300SU, equipped with BH76. Have used the heck out of this machine, with overall great satisfaction....
Trench was for an electric line for pool filter, only about 18" deep, very bony ground. Was pulling towards machine, using dipperstick to keep bottom of trench flat, pulling right up to machine and about to move tractor forward to extend trench further. Picked up scoop of dirt/ rocks, dumped, and when I went to extend dipperstick, it was sluggish, didn't want to extend arm (retracting piston.)
Hopped off, and looked at piston from side. Bent about 1/2". Don't remember hitting anything particularly hard when stick was all the way in (piston all the way out), but... Here I am. Have already ordered new rod. Tube and seals look fine when gland nut taken off, seems the actual chrome rod is only part that got tweaked.
Strange to me that with all the digging I have done with it, that it would bend on something relatively benign. I've dug some relatively big rocks out of the ground with it, with no probs.
Reason I'm asking here is wondering if there could be some other underlying problem that would cause this. Already checked relief valve, opens at correct pressure. General opinion at Norfolk power and other equipment owners that I've spoken to is that it's a fluke, caught a rock when piston was all the way out, or maybe caught a rock, slipped off and hit another rock, and leverage/ momentum bent it. Also wondering if anyone here has had same prob with this machine or similar, and what cause was. I don't begrudge fixing it, but I don't want to put a $400 part in and have it do the same thing again. Also looked at boom and dipperstick.... Nothing else seems bent or out of alignment at all.... just the bent rod.
Thanks in advance for any response or advice.
Mike
Digging a trench 2 days ago with my B3300SU, equipped with BH76. Have used the heck out of this machine, with overall great satisfaction....
Trench was for an electric line for pool filter, only about 18" deep, very bony ground. Was pulling towards machine, using dipperstick to keep bottom of trench flat, pulling right up to machine and about to move tractor forward to extend trench further. Picked up scoop of dirt/ rocks, dumped, and when I went to extend dipperstick, it was sluggish, didn't want to extend arm (retracting piston.)
Hopped off, and looked at piston from side. Bent about 1/2". Don't remember hitting anything particularly hard when stick was all the way in (piston all the way out), but... Here I am. Have already ordered new rod. Tube and seals look fine when gland nut taken off, seems the actual chrome rod is only part that got tweaked.
Strange to me that with all the digging I have done with it, that it would bend on something relatively benign. I've dug some relatively big rocks out of the ground with it, with no probs.
Reason I'm asking here is wondering if there could be some other underlying problem that would cause this. Already checked relief valve, opens at correct pressure. General opinion at Norfolk power and other equipment owners that I've spoken to is that it's a fluke, caught a rock when piston was all the way out, or maybe caught a rock, slipped off and hit another rock, and leverage/ momentum bent it. Also wondering if anyone here has had same prob with this machine or similar, and what cause was. I don't begrudge fixing it, but I don't want to put a $400 part in and have it do the same thing again. Also looked at boom and dipperstick.... Nothing else seems bent or out of alignment at all.... just the bent rod.
Thanks in advance for any response or advice.
Mike