My 2025R Thread

[jeepcoma]

Aug 31 - Sep 4 : Rocks

I must have had a long weekend because I got a lot done. Prior to this, I had been struggling with getting things into the bucket, even with the Heavy Hitch toothbar. Big rocks tend to roll forward, especially when they don't physically fit in the bucket. And hooks are just handy to have for all sorts of things. I went and added JU Fab Works' The Work Boss to the front frame and 2x Choremaster Plates to the bucket. I already have a variety of chains and hooks and such so this gives me another option to use them!

Those few rocks I'd been scalping that I wanted to dig up back in Aug 28? Turned out to be a bigger job than I expected.

Rocks:

More Rocks:

Even More Rocks:

You can see how I've started to push them towards the edge of the river. The plan is to place them along the bank and it'll look nice. There is an abrupt transition and rocks there will not only look better but hopefully prevent some erosion in the future as well. I had the shanks down at the highest height and I couldn't go a foot without hitting a rock. What I ended up doing was covering all the area with the box blade to identify the rocks, put the BH on to dig them up, repeat until no more rocks.

Not done yet, but lots of progress. Right now I am just getting the rocks out of the way and putting them near where they will ultimately go. Tidying up will wait until spring.

I am thoroughly impressed by what this machine can do. No, it's not big or powerful enough to brute force every problem, but if you think about it like a puzzle, there's nothing I haven't been able to figure out how to get from point A to point B. Between pulling stuff up with the backhoe + thumb, using the bucket and chain to lift rocks (some so big I got it half an inch of the ground - but that was enough!), curling the bucket to roll rocks along that were too big to lift, or using the bucket or box blade as a dozer to simply push stuff around, it gets it done. SURE BEATS A SHOVEL!

Kids love going for rides.

 

[jeepcoma]

A bit out of order, but I briefly wanted to mention a few things I've added to the tractor that I consider "quality of life" improvements. I've mentioned a few of these already but here is a special callout.

1. Heavy Hitch toothbar. I've been happy with the purchase and get a lot of work done with it that can't be done with the edge on the bucket. It really adds a lot of functionality to being able to pick up things that don't quite fit in the bucket. I can lift big rocks, scoop up logs, and smash trees down. It makes the bucket more useful for woody material, since branches are less likely to simply fall off. With the bucket raised and tilted down, I can just see the ends of the tines, which is a big help in navigating the bucket to pick of those big rocks by sliding right under. Plus, it's super easy to take on and off, for the times when I want the straight edge. As you can see in the photo, I've given it a few workouts already. It's super heavy duty, I've had a rock so big I could barely curl the bucket at all held up solely by a single tooth. I roll rocks with it that I can't lift. I spear logs with it, flip stumps, and handle things I couldn't otherwise tackle. I'm pretty sure I'd break the tractor before I broke the tooth bar.

2. JU Fabworks Choremaster Plate

In conjunction with the toothbar, this is a really handy tool. Typically I'll be able to edge the toothbar underneath a big rock, and then throw a chain around it. I've found I don't even have to be able to completely lift something to be able to move it around.

Or pile a big heaping of brush in the bucket, then wrap a rope around it for transport so all the branches don't fall out.

I haven't done anything yet but I'm envisioning setting up some hooks and using the D-rings to store the bucket hanging from them. Could be a nice space saver.

3. JU Fabworks Workboss

I like that this attaches to the frame. I try to be gentle on the hooks on the bucket because I don't want to damage the cylinders or loader. For anything that might get a big aggressive or involve shock loads, I hook it up to the Workboss.

It's also nice to have some hooks on the tractor without the bucket, for future recovery needs. Or any time a chain or trailer hitch will come in handy for moving something.

Bonus - it works as a mini bumper for rocks and logs and such that end up making it past the bucket...

4. Grease and Grease Accessories

I have an assortment of crappy grease tools. After watching some TTWT videos (John Deere 1025R Lubrication (Greasing), Greasing The 1025R/1023E Drive Shaft, Lithium? Calcium? Moly? Expert Explains!), I picked up the LubeShuttle gun, Lock-N-Lube, Li400 grease, and an adapter kit.

Also can confirm, the SafeLock Coupler does not fit well on the JD zerks. Go with the LockNLube Grease Coupler instead.

5. LockNLube Zerk Caps. I got these caps for all the zerks on the tractor and all implements. Helps keep dirt out during operation, and helps ensure I grease all the zerks. My method to grease an implement is to pop all the caps off, counting as I go, to ensure I've located all of them. Then, as I grease each individual zerk, I put the cap back on as an indication that I've hit that zerk. When I think I'm done, I count all the capped zerks again to make sure the number is right. This way, I never miss a zerk, even if I get interrupted during a job.

6. Diff lock pedal from Bolt On Hooks. The stock configuration sucks big time. With the box blade I use the rear diff lock extensively, and the pedal makes engagement a lot easier.

I wish there was an idiot light on the dash to confirm engagement. The dash mostly sucks too... should also have engine oil temp and pressure, hydraulic temp, 4x4 indicator light.

7. JD steering wheel spinner. This was next to the register at the dealer and it was a complete impulse buy. It was actually a bit tricky to figure out the "right" way to mount it, as there were no instructions. I'm not sure I have even done it the correct way. But boy it sure works a treat. It's SO NICE to use, it should be stock. Quick turns when mowing are a piece of cake. When moving materials, right hand on the bucket controls and steering one handed is so natural. Backing up with the box blade, effortless.

This is hands down the best "quality of life" improvement I've made.

8. Hydros Plus sneak peek

I'll write about these in more depth in a future post...

 

[jeepcoma]

OK so I gave a sneak peek at the finished installation, but the "next big thing" I did was install the Hydros Plus Cooler. I had my eye on it early on but frequently thought "JD knows best and has sized the hydraulic cooler appropriately". Well, that may be true to satisfy their warranty period, but it doesn't mean it's ideal (or optimum) for the lifetime of the tractor.

I used my backhoe a lot this summer, and on hot days working in the sun I noticed a reduction in the capabilities of the BH after about an hour of continuous use. I was digging out a lot of rocks, and the hydraulic thumb wouldn't seem to grab as hard, the dipper and boom sticks wouldn't seem to lift as high, smaller rocks felt bigger... and touching any of the hoses or cylinders was... scorching!! From wrenching on cars I'm familiar with the idea of lower transmission temps equating to increased component longevity, and I really can't imagine much different in the tractor scenario. High temps affect the hoses, seals, piston rings, etc. in everything that's powered by the hydraulic fluid, including the hydrostat, FEL, 3-point hitch, and power beyond. Not to mention the Stage 3 Hydros Plus pump I installed and want to last a long long time...

So I watched some videos and ultimately ordered the Cooler+ to improve my hydraulic cooling capacity. I had some expectations based on these videos, but let me say when opening the box, this thing is impressive. Very well constructed. Beautiful welds. Several orders of magnitude more capable than the stock cooler. Really, my only complaint is that Kevin doesn't push this upgrade harder when ordering any of his other products that could benefit from it. Heck I guess my bigger complaint is that JD doesn't have this stock...

On to the install. All went smoothly because I followed the advice of "measure twice, cut once". Actually what I did was follow along with the install video and test fit each component, only to find a thread that wouldn't thread. Uh oh! "Upon closer inspection, these are loafers..." err wait, I mean damaged threads!

I had planned the afternoon to install this cooler so this was a big wrench in the plans. But neither of the two included tubes would thread and... I thought about some repairs I might do to make it work, but I really didn't want to be constantly worried about a future leak. I looked at the unit more thoroughly, and noticed:


The protective cap over the fitting was whacked

And, minor, but there, was something scraped against the side that impacted a few fins.

Nothing really to worry about, but the shipping box was flawless, so all the damage occurred before it was put in the box. I emailed Hydros+ about the issue and Kevin actually gave me a call to make it right. He offered to overnight me a new unit and eat the exorbitant shipping fees, but I was in no hurry and my next window for install was at least a week away so I said the slow boat was fine (remember, I had measured this BEFORE CUTTING any of my lines, so I was in good shape!).

New unit arrived and installed, hardest part was removing the whole JD engine shroud and fairings. Another potential improvement might be to have the ports at the bottom and negate the need to cut the lines. I imagine a lot of owners (myself included, but I got over it) are hesitant to cut the stock lines - changing the shape of the cooler or adapting the entire package to mount to the stock would make the upgrade more appealing to anyone concerned about warranty or returning to stock.

All in, this is a fantastic upgrade. JD should offer this as a factory option for "heavy duty implement use" or some other marketing mumbo-jumbo. The stock cooler is an embarrassment compared to the awesomeness of the Hydros+ Cooler+ upgrade.

 

[beenthere]

More pics to show the new upgrade unit in place? Sounds like a real boost in performance.

 

[jeepcoma]

Anything in particular you'd like to see? Already showed the installed version in post 22 above.

Oh, one thing I didn't write about above is installing the Otis Axle Vent. When I had the front fairing off I ran the vent tube up through a hole into the engine bay. I believe older model years or perhaps different markets have batteries with a vent tube that went down to the undercarriage - that hole is still present and made a perfect route for the axle vent. I'll try to take some pictures of how I routed it.

 

[jeepcoma]

I showed another sneak peak earlier, and here's the post on it. I didn't stop at the Hydros+ pump upgrade, I didn't stop at the Hydros+ cooler, and I went for the Hydros+ Turbo kit. I was more hesitant about this than the other upgrade because it fundamentally changes the tractor and increases the risk of breaking things, namely the engine, which wouldn't be warrantied. The pump adds flow but not power, so I can do things faster but not really risk breaking anything. The cooler doesn't really add performance either, but keeps the hydro fluid and components at a more reasonable temperature (which should improve component longevity if anything). Adding ~50% more HP though changes things considerably.

After using the tractor pretty hard, I did start to wish to improve the non-WOT performance since I'm typically operating the tractor around 2k RPM (thanks to the increased hydraulic flow). I've also been able to stall the tractor a few times digging into rock plies and also when mowing some very thick grass in our paddocks, so while initially I never thought I'd need more HP, well, more is better. Just like the increased flow, it's not strictly needed, but it seemed like it would improve the operation of the machine and improve usability. Besides, diesels and turbos go together like peanut butter and jelly, so it just made sense. And, what the heck, you only live once.

Turbo time!

I'm not going to bother showing any install pics or usage (at this point) as Kevin at Hydros+ as well as Tractor Time with Tim have many great videos that show the install, dyno testing, and performance of this kit. Better than I can do anyway. What I will do is show a couple issues I've had with my turbo.

First thing I noticed upon unpacking was a bit of surface rust on the mating surface.

No big deal, a paper towel and some WD-40 cleaned it right up, and the surface was smooth enough that I didn't need to do anything else.

There was a small deformity at one of the ears on the turbo. I'm not sure if it was a manufacturing defect or physical damage, I couldn't really determine. But a minute with a file smoothed this out nice and flat. It's hard to see in the pics but it's maybe 1/16-1/8" of a protrusion.

So with those couple problems resolved, the install was very easy. Of the three Hydros+ upgrades, the turbo was actually the easiest, as some assembly could be done on the bench, and there wasn't much on the tractor that had to be removed to get access.

With about 40 hours on the engine I broke it in hard by mowing for about three hours. First issue I had was my own fault for not torquing down the oil return line enough. About 10 minutes into mowing I noticed some oil on the right front axle, so I shut it down right away and opened the hood. No damage done, I didn't even lose enough to notice on the dipstick, but boy what a mess. You see, the oil leaked right in front of the fan, which sucked it right in and sprayed it all over the engine bay. I mean... ALL OVER. I've never actually seen **** hit a fan but I imagine this was pretty close to it.

With the worst of it mopped up, it was back to mowing. I was nearly done when I noticed the next problem, and again shut the tractor off straight away. I was mostly afraid of a fire!

What happened was that vibration caused the welded mount on that exhaust pipe to fatigue and break. I had tightened the clamp to a reasonable amount and couldn't rotate the pipe by hand, but with enough heat and vibration and time it was enough for the pipe to twist itself around and hit the fairing. The real bummer is that it walked itself towards the engine first before the fairing and burned itself into the battery cable.

You can see in the above picture both the fatigued mount as well as the burned cable. I believe I got an early version of the exhaust tube as the replacement that Kevin sent was better designed. The failed pipe had the bracket basically stuck on the pipe and then spot welded at a 90* angle. The replacement pipe has the bracket extend across the pipe and has a much larger welded area.

Kevin offered to make it right and I haven't taken him up on that yet. I think I am going to replace the battery cable, since that's a functional issue and shouldn't have happened. But I kinda like the exhaust cutout in the fairing... Battle damage. I peeled off the melted bits and the remaining material has a nice smooth cutout on it. I'm thinking it'll look neat with some chrome trim.

One thing for sure is that it should put to rest any concern about how the plastic handles the heat. It can take it! I don't know what the heck this stuff is made from but it's incredibly durable. Only the plastic physically touching the exhaust pipe had any deformity. And this pipe was probably at its hottest after working hard mowing high grass for several hours. It didn't smoke at all, let alone looked burned. It just melted a bit like wax where it was touching. Very impressive stuff.

Oh and the turbo? Yeah it's awesome! Huge improvement with more power mowing, both for the PTO as well as the hydrostat. More power for hydraulics at lower RPM. I've got about 20 hours on it now and very pleased. I've got an itch for the autothrottle system, I think it would complement the turbo nicely and really speed up work when using the FEL and box blade.

 

[jeepcoma]

They're here! I ordered these 5/24/23 and they arrived 12/26/23.

I'd planned to do this as a late winter/early spring install but I might do it in January. It's been so unseasonably mild here in NH that there is no snow on the ground and I'm still using the tractor. I still need to do some research but I'm eyeing the Summit Hydraulics Rear Hydraulic Valve Kit with Front Third Function kit. This would give me three spools in the rear (one spare while using the top and tilt kit) and the mid function. I have a couple things on the wish list that would make use of the mid function...

The Artillian grapple looks awesome as I am reclaiming woods and it would save a lot of time compared to hopping off the tractor and trying to stuff branches into the bucket. But I might start with the pallet fork and see how that goes.

The other desire is for the MCS, so I can dump them in my compost pile instead of clumps all over the place. It sure is pricey but I also really hate mowing and leaves. And now I have 6 acres to do. Still have some research to do, I think there are some differences between the TKV20 and the JD branded LP65048 unit. Anyway, it seems like I shouldn't need the hydraulic mower lift, but with my experience dragging the box blade on hills it might be an expensive mistake to smash an MCS on something. And having the third function would give me the option if I need it.

 

[jeepcoma]

I inquired about the TKV20 back on 10/10/23 and for future reference here was what I was quoted:

Your tractor will work for the TKV20. Below is detailed list of prices.
TK95086- $4,999.99 (TKV20 UNIT)
UNIVERSAL- $149.00 (BOOT KIT) * THIS IS A REQUIRED PART
TK95060- $179.00 (WIRING KIT) *THIS IS A REQUIRED PART
OPTIONAL ITEMS:
TK95055- $49.50 (WHEEL KIT)
TK95029- $39.99 (QUICK HITCH BUSHING KIT)
TK95073- $199.99 (F2 FILL SENSOR)
*freight is covered for delivery of unit in the contiguous U.S. excludes Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada
If you can’t provide a forklift for off load an additional charge of $154.00 will be added to provide a lift gate.

 

[jeepcoma]

Upgrades!! March 25, 2024.

After a long winter without much tractoring action, spring is in the air and I have a few upgrades to put in during mud season. First, nothing very exciting, but cheap insurance:

I don't have any plans to use the tractor during winter so this should help keep the battery in good shape while it hibernates. With the added difficulty of replacing the battery with the HydrosPlus Cooler installed, adding a permanent battery charger to the engine bay seems like a no-brainer. Will start scoping out mounting options and see where this can fit nicely.

OK, now the good stuff:

I ended up getting Summit Hydraulic's Electric Rear Hydraulic Valve Kit for John Deere 2025R. For anyone considering the kit, here are some of my decisions:

1. As of now, I only need two functions for Top and Tilt, but I decided to purchase the 4-spool unit.
   1. The cost differential of the 2-spool unit ($850) compared to the 3- ($1,000) and 4-spool ($1,150) variants was not that great. Considering I don't know everything that I'll be asking the tractor to do in the future, it's cheap insurance. And I have a hunch I'll use them at some point. The potential headache and cost of later having to upgrade from a 2-spool unit was worth the extra cost.
   2. I have the option of converting one of the rear spools to the front 3rd function. I don't know for sure that I'll ever need that, and even if I do, there's an easy upgrade path for it. So I can add one when I need to without "penalty". And should I do that, I still have 3 spools for the rear.
2. I went with the 4-switch box instead of the joystick. While I do like the idea of having my thumb be able to adjust the top link "on the fly", there were more drawbacks.
   1. There was a complaint that the joystick with switches is tall enough to mess up the ergonomics. The armrest is at the proper height for the height of the stock ball and the replacement is too tall. Sorry I can't remember where I heard this, might have been a TTWT video.
   2. My model year 2023 tractor has the newer console with the switch plugs. There are four knockouts. I have four switches... I'd much prefer to use the factory location instead of mounting the switches using the included brackets. See Tim's New Console video as that was my main inspiration. Before placing the order I sat in the seat and played with the ergonomics of reaching the switch box. Seems OK to me, and the reality is I'm probably going to be turned around to look at the implement as I adjust it anyway so the joystick option isn't really going to save me anything.
   3. The joystick switch seems best suited to front 3rd function use, not the rear. So if I end up getting a 3rd function, I can easily add a joystick switch later on and again, I'm not paying much of a penalty to do so. Better alternatives might exist as well.
   4. If I do the joystick, I still have to do the switchbox for the other 3 switches anyway. Extra work for no good reason.

Location wise I'm leaning towards putting it on the right side of the tractor, as per this guide.

I know Tim helped spec out the kit with the intention of installing on the right side of a 1025R, but the 2025R is already left-centric for entry/exit and I think I'll keep it that way. The only step up to the seat is on the left, and the only way to get on and off the backhoe is on the left. I think mounting the cylinders on the right makes the most sense for me. I'll have to do a test mount and visually see how much of an obstruction it is to looking over my right shoulder, and how much room there is to squeeze by it to get on the backhoe.

First impressions are that everything is very high quality. When I got the shipping info I noticed the weight was listed at 50 lbs and I thought there was no way that could be right. Carrying the box from the garage into the house showed me I was wrong! This thing is beefy! Everything looks nicely made and put together and I think with the switches installed in the console it'll look pretty factory.

Excited to get out there and turn some wrenches and be able to put that FitRite Top and Tilt kit to use this summer.

For future reference, the Summit kit cost me $1,092.45 shipped, which included the TTWT discount. Ordered 3/19/24.

 

[jeepcoma]

Got the manifold and all fittings put together finger tight last night - pretty straightforward. Getting those switches out, now THAT was a pain.

First, inspection. Here's the grommit the wiring harness passes through (from the inside):

Without the flash, there's a lot of daylight visible through that hole with nothing sealing it:

Problem? I don't really know. But the unit is advertised as weather sealed, and it's clearly not. This opening on the backside is the only opening in the box, so whatever moisture does get in is having a hard time getting out. That might be the longer term concern. But not for me!

Switch #1 was always going to be the hardest. In the video TTWT showed, the switchbox had removable sides. Mine has a removable back. Meaning, getting access to the rear retaining tabs from the front was a challenge. I took pictures of the wiring and removed the spade connectors to get a bit more access.

I got the front up about half way, and then used an Allen key as a lever on the rear side to depress the locking tabs, while applying a slight pull to the switch body.

The tabs have several steps so I tried to go in stages, one notch at the front, then one notch at the back, repeat.

It did not work very well, but my stubbornness prevailed. Huzzah! I put the wires back on so there'd be one less thing to forget later.

With one out, I knew I could get the others. I had more success trying to cram my finger around behind the rear first to get the backside out one notch before starting on the front, and working one finger around on the back while simultaneously working the front. Some more appropriate tool would have made this easy, but my determination won out. A better tool would have been a sturdier L shaped tool, or a clamp that could reach around the backside to apply pressure to the rear locking ears. The best tool would have been communication with Summit to ask them to send the harness and switches without the box in the first place...

I still need to get the backplate off, but attached all the wiring back on the switches for now. At the least will have to cut those two zip ties, and possibly that ground wire that's crimped. I'd have liked to have seen heat shrink tubing on all of these crimped ends given the confines of that "weatherproof" box. If you are using one of these in harsh conditions you might want to pop the back (or sides) off your unit and check for moisture and corrosion in there. The middle terminal in series is a bigger failure point too. Hmm, now contemplating replacing all these terminals and soldering and shrink-wrapping everything...