L3400/2800 suspension seat...

[clenhart]

Have you 3400/2800 owners had a problem with the spring suspension seat mechanism freezing up and if so have you come up with any novel ideas to keep it from happening?

The swivel points on my seat continue to freeze up (corroision or rust) on a regular basis rendering the suspension ineffective. I have freed them up and lubed with a variety of lubricants, but have not found a long-term solution. The spring type suspension seat on these tractors is probably not as well-engineered as the one on the more expensive tractors, but is better than nothing and helps smooth out a rough pasture when it is working right.

Any input would be appreciated...

Chip

 

[Wayne_Freeman]

Check out this post Kubota seats. - TractorByNet.com.

 

[teg]

L2800 has a suspension seat??? That's news to me I did turn the knob both ways and nothing changed... I guess mine is stuck too Sure makes for a rough ride!

 

[clenhart]

L2800 has a suspension seat??? That's news to me I did turn the knob both ways and nothing changed... I guess mine is stuck too Sure make for a rough ride!

Yes, and it actually works pretty good when it works. When I first got the tractor, it was adjusted so tight that it didn't move, but after adjusting the spring for my weight I was happy with it. The drawback is that for some reason it seizes up in relatively short amount of time.

 

[teg]

I was very happy to find it (awhile back) but disappointed when it did nothing... I'll try and free it up next time I head up to the farm...

 

[teg]

Just got around to freeing up the suspension seat of my "economy" tractor. Mine did not move from day one... in fact, it was this thread that got me to act. It took a couple of hours, gave up at one point, but finally got the seat suspension thing to "work". The finished product.... TEGTube - seat working.

This is how it was done. Removing the seat and the four bolts that hold it down was easy. I clamped it to a table and used a pry bar to raise the seat (mine was stuck in it's compressed mode). Once up, I could not force it to get it back down... even jumping up and down on it didn't work. I put a metal tube across the top and used some pipe clamps on the ends to compress it. Once compressed, I would have to pry it open once again. I repeated this process about a million times spraying lube (WD40 & silicone lubricant). Once it started to move: TEGTube - seat progress it gave me hope that it will work more freely.

Is there a better lubricant (penetrating oil??) that I should use. Also, for the original poster... Chip, how often does this freeze up? It looks as if there are no adjustments and either you get one that works or NOT... kuboota quality...

 

[clenhart]

Is there a better lubricant (penetrating oil??) that I should use. Also, for the original poster... Chip, how often does this freeze up? It looks as if there are no adjustments and either you get one that works or NOT... kuboota quality...

I used a white lithium grease. It is difficult to get it into the pivot points due to the close tolerances though. I keep mine adjusted on the light side and each time I get on the tractor I jump on the seat a couple of times to work it thru the entire range of motion( I make sure the neighbors aren't watching as it looks a little funny I would imagine ) So far so good...

 

[Harvest Moon]

I love this site. I never knew about this, except that:

I was very happy to find it (awhile back) but disappointed when it did nothing...

Now I know how they thought they could get away with the jerky hitch. For over 150 hours I've been shocked, bounced and jerked all over the place by that thing and here, all along, I had a suspension seat!?!

 

[teg]

clenhart, I will do the same "happy bouncing seat" dance once I get it back together, and only the cows will be able to see me doing it. Thanks again for pointing this out... Teg/Dan

Harvest Moon, did you (also) really not know about the suspension seat? I think you can use a pry bar while the seat is on the tractor. The "progress" video shows a good spot to pry. Mine was really tight and would not move at all... really made me wonder for the first 30 minutes when several attempts failed to move anything. Also, once I got it up!!! I could not get it to go back down (you would think, that was a good thing ) One thing I did not mention, I did use a screw driver to wedge the joints apart, so I can get lubricate into the joints. I'm going to look for penetrating oil at the store...

 

[Harvest Moon]

teg, I don't know how I missed it.

I knew that there was an adjustment there, I just looked at the handle the other day. Somewhere in the early stages of learning about the machine I got distracted by the lowering speed adjustment knob being frozen solid and the dealer telling me that "they set it at the factory that way, so don't mess with it" and the forward/back adjustment of my seat being frozen solid.

I found out that the lowering speed valve is supposed to move here on TBN, got it working and the seat to slide back and fourth. I just completely let that little tension handle thing slip by me. I've turned it but, like you said, it didn't do anything and I never gave it a second thought.

Never had a tractor with a cushy seat before. My first had a 10"x10" piece of plywood that rested on (if you were sitting on it) a 2" pipe with a spring wrapped around it that rusted into place 30 years before I got to it.

 

[teg]

"...lowering speed adjustment knob being frozen solid..."

HEY!!! I had that too I could not turn it by hand and had to use pliers to break it free.

Man, if I could just go back in time... or if I found TBN sooner I would be a happier man.

 

[ccsial]

Try a product called Fluid Film. It is the best I have found and is reasonably priced. A lot of AG dealers around here carry it. It comes in a spray can.

I have never lubed my L3400 seat and it works fine, but then I keep it in a building. I'll have to give it a shot of Fluid Film.

 

[mjfox6]

I messed with my adjustment knob when I first got it, but I could never see a difference, so I never messed with mine any more. A couple of nights ago, I folded the chair forward, stood on the base and jumped up and down on it. It moved down and back up, but was very tight. So, I loosened the handle all of the way and jumped on it some more. I sprayed lots of silicone lubricant on it and jumped some more. Seems to work real well now. I can't wait to mow with it this summer, maybe I won't feel like I've been beaten with a baseball bat after 8 hours.

 

[Harvest Moon]

Had a chance to work on mine, if it weren't for you guys, there is no way I would have ever believed that it was meant to move.

It took 20 minutes of pushing, prying and levering, after soaking with penetrating oil, just to get it to budge. Then about 40 more minutes of everything from beating it with a hammer to get it down, screwdrivers, chisels, 3' bar, to get back up, before it finally moved freely.

Now you'd think it was hand forged if you were to take it off and turn it upside down. Every one of these tasks I get a little closer to understanding those guys that say "It's just a tractor" to the concept of waxing.

What were they thinking? They need zerks in that kind of assembly, or at least nylon bushings, something...

Glad I did it though. My L3400 keeps getting better with age.

 

[howie63deer1]

hi everyone,just found this site today and had to add my 2 cents worth. sprayed alot of penetrating fluid on pivot points (not wd-40 it is mostly water) then once I got it working spayed with fluid film as well and it hasn't froze up neither

 

[canoetrpr]

Wow! Never knew about this either. I'm going to play with this on the weekend.

 

[teg]

howie63deer1, welcome to TBN... glad you found us.

I really wondered if it actually had a suspension seat since I tried to move mine a couple of times and just gave up. It's only about an inch but I'm sure my back is going to enjoy it!! Still need to buy fluid film...

 

[Rockyridge]

Wow! Never knew about this either. I'm going to play with this on the weekend.

I also have looked at the seat adjustment in the past but did not see any difference so I just let it go, I did not know that it was a suspension seat.

I am going to have to wait until it warms up a little before I go and mess with it since it looks like it may take some time to work it out.

Thanks for the info and the fluid film, I have never heard of it before but will try some.

 

[canoetrpr]

Sure enough it is a suspension seat!

I just hadn't played with the lever. Once I loosened it up the seat works just fine. I figure I might as well lube it. Will poke around to find the best spot to apply the lube.

 

[hasbean]

I'm just a dumb bean counter, so I never knew it was a suspension seat because it had certainly not functioned that way. Alternating a pry bar w/ jumping on the mechanism got it to at least move. Then, liberal use of some PB Penetrating Catalyst, and voila', a functioning suspension seat! Thanks to all for the info.