Being able to use the bucket or mower deck on a GC1710 TLB.

[GeneV]

I have a 1720 and do not need to do anything with the BH on to get the MMM arms to raise/lower.
Not sure why yours is different.

It *should* not be...but then he did get this machine used, so possible the previous owner got creative with a hydro mod.

Quads, in it's standard form, think of the GC's backhoe plumbing as like adding a GFCI outlet midway in an existing electrical circuit, with wires from the panel now connected to the line side of the GFCI, and wires from the load side running to the distal outlet to power it. If you later want to omit the GFCI, you just detach all the wires running to and from it, and reconnect them together to complete the circuit, so that the distal outlet could get power.

That's basically what's happening here with the GC's backhoe plumbing (or at least should be), you just adding an outlet (ie, backhoe) midway to an existing circuit. When you dismount the backhoe and detach the lines running to it, the 2 lines you connect together on the tractor is the supply and return lines, ie "completing the circuit".

The mower deck's lifting linkage is interconnected to the 3 point arms, with both lowered by gravity, raised back up by hydraulics. Having the backhoe on should not have any effect on that, so perhaps you got the wrong 2 hydraulic lines connected?

 

[The4quads]

It's possible about the wrong lines connected. I was following the colored wire ties indicating which lines go together. As you said, maybe there is a mix up with the lines. I downloaded the service manual and will look at the hydraulic diagrams. Thanks for the advice. Eventually I'll get it straightened out.

 

[GeneV]

Yeah I'm sure you will.

 

[bartjoebob]

Mower deck on a GC lifts with 3 point control so it's independent of loader

 

[Bentrim]

There should be three hoses for the backhoe. 1. pressure from the loader valve, 2 power beyond to the three point hitch. These two need to be hooked together when the backhoe is removed. 3 a return to reservoir this line is left uncoupled when the backhoe is removed.
Are you coupling the correct hoses when you have the backhoe removed? Or even when the backhoe is on?

 

[The4quads]

Sorry about delayed response. I was at a campsite with very poor wifi. I'm going by what the previous owner showed me. The end of the hoses have different colored wire ties to ID which ones goes where. I ordered a two position valve and that's a simple way for me to send to pressure to one or the other without disconnecting any fittings. I've been working on car and machinery for 50+ years so I have soon basic knowledge. When the backhoe is mounted, everything works as it should. The 3-pt lift does not work unless the two wire coded hoses are connected. There might have been some alteration done in the past but by looking at the fitting from the transaxle/pump, it all looks factory. Either way the 2 position valve will solve that one issue. I'm also ordering a dual inlet manifold that will be mounted and the two other return hose will plug into using the factory disconnects. That frees up one hand for the coupler spring collar.
Otherwise I've been clearing out an area about 20' x 280' of underbrush, fallen trees, weeds and so on. It's smaller size is a definite plus for my use. Once I removed the loader and backhoe it makes an excellent mower of my property. It's only 1.3 acre but except of the house and driveway, it's all lawn.