Kubota M62 Loader/Bucket Dropping When Tractor Shut off...

[mtputney]

We’ve got about 100 hours on the M62 and the first little problem has cropped up…

The loader has begun to drop relatively quickly when the tractor is shut off. There is a clicking sound, and the bucket dumps and the loader drops to the ground over about 20 minutes.

For the first 100 hours, the loader and bucket stayed in place for quite a while - hours at least.

Anyone have any thoughts on the cause and a possible solution? We already asked Orange Tractor Talk but no one there has had a previous problem.

BTW - we know that the tractor is under warranty. We just want to be fully informed when we call the dealer.

And we also know you're not supposed to leave the loader up when the tractor is off - we do it just when we're shoveling stuff out of the bucket.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[KWentling]

There is a factory spec. for allowable leakage for your valve. It's a fact of life that loader valves leak. Some more than others. The spools have to have enough clearance to move hence the leakage path. The tighter the clearance, the less leakage. I expect what you are seeing is pretty normal. You can certainly have your dealer test it to see if it is within spec.

 

[Hay Dude]

Always keep loaders lowered when not in use. I was talking to a tech last year. They were working on a tractor with loader raised and a fitting blew while they were working under it. Just enough time for everyone to escape without injury and the loader was on the ground in seconds.

 

[loggin]

A general rule is to always park your hydraulics so that there is no pressure remaining in the system. If you leave the pressure on it will always have a tendency to leak past the valves and or seals to relieve pressure. Over time this leak down becomes worse.

 

[mtputney]

Safety issue aside – the loader bucket drops quickly enough that we only have about 20 minutes to shove stuff out of the bucket.

Before sending it to the dealer, I’m trying to find out if this is out-of-spec.

Can anyone with a newish Kubota let me know if their loader bucket began to drop when the engine is shut off?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Coboco]

That is quicker than I would like to see...mine has lost some of it's "hold" as well with a bit over 300 hrs, but not to the degree it sounds yours has.

unrelated to OP but saw comments about this - I have noticed that a surprisingly large amount of larger tractor owners (hay/cow operations) leave the loaders up when parked around here. Almost every machine has a front hay spear up in the air parked outside the barn or the house. I leave mine down. My tractor gets ran several times a week so any water collecting in the bucket gets dumped out regularly - and at the very least I figure the cylinders are more protected from the elements when tucked...something about being a mechanic tells me that pressurized hyd cylinders holding an elevated load with the machine off, no support, and no intention of doing work is not an ideal state of existence.

 

[oldnslo]

Mt
The clicking sound is intriguing since you state that both the loader drifts down and bucket dumps. Two separate circuits with similar failure would have me doing some investigation since this is not normal for such a low hour machine.

Does your tractor have hydraulic self leveling option?

If still under warranty I would contact dealer before making any changes

 

[mtputney]

This is apparently “normal” for at least some Kubota tractors. Someone posted the attached figure that shows the acceptable extensions for their curl ram. (4 inches in 15 minutes if it's self leveling)