Almost New BX1870 Owner

[Sightseer 30B]

Neither F&W nor the sister dealer in New Milford bothered calling me back while I was phone shopping and Kahn wouldn't budge below list. So they didn't get my business. So I checked out of state and found significantly lower cost in Pennsylvania. Of course the risk is something being wrong on delivery or under warrantee. which, unfortunately I experienced. Lesson learned is to do the pre-buy at the seller's shop so anything wrong can be fixed before delivery.

Anyway, I did get the tractor out a bit and discovered I still have a bit of a problem re-mounting the loader. Couldn't get the right side to seat in the "cup" properly. With the right side seated properly, the left is still about 1/2 inch high and floating. No amount of diddling with would get it any closer. Then I had an idea. I used a hydraulic jack to lift the right side of the bucket and slid a 3/4" pine board under the bucket. Went through the installation process again and had the pins in no sweat. So, the there is still a problem with the set-up. Funny that it seemed to work fine when I went through it on delivery. Maybe where I tried it on delivery was just enough out of level the right way to make it work and the garage floor is level and it won't work.

I measured the bucket in the slightly raised position and find it to be 3/4 inch higher on the right side. That is probably why the pine board worked perfectly. Tried tire pressure all around and it is the same on both sides. Going to do some measuring tomorrow night to see here the problem might be. I might try putting some weight on the high side and loosening the frame attachment bolts and see if it improves.

Can't wait to get it sorted out and get it dirty.

Wayne

 

[Sightseer 30B]

Some Pictures of my dilema

 

[SeymourBota]

Eventually, you will hit your controller and the hydraulics on one side will move out while the other side moves in- then it's game on!!

95% of the time, mine mounts quickly. The other 5%, the aforementioned happens and it becomes a half hour project to get everything lined up again.

 

[CHDinCT]

Eventually, you will hit your controller and the hydraulics on one side will move out while the other side moves in- then it's game on!!

95% of the time, mine mounts quickly. The other 5%, the aforementioned happens and it becomes a half hour project to get everything lined up again.

The only times I have issues is when I think I have the hydraulic QC's connected but don't. When that happens, like you stated, one loader arm moves out of phase with the other. Can't tell from Sightseer's pic's/post if that's his issue or if there really is something wrong with either the loader or his loader mounts. But, it would be worth checking those quick connects. Sometimes you need to make sure they're actually seated even though they appear to be but aren't.

 

[Sightseer 30B]

I have certainly had my fun with the "magical" movement of the loader arms that seem to defy logic while I have been chasing this loader issue. And I have had the hydraulics disconnected multiple times and back on thinking I was doing something wrong.

No, I truly believe that the loader is out of rig since it works just like the You Tube videos when I put a 3/4" board under the right side. Without using the board, the problem appears to be that when the bucket applies down force to set the side frame into the left and right "bosses", the right side sets right in place while the left side remains floating about 3/4" too high. (shown on the center picture above) When performing the next step, to lift the front of the tractor by using the boom down force, the left mainframe pops out of the boss (because it was not seated) and floats away. Then the loader arm control dance begins to get the side frame back against the main frame again on the left side.

With the 3/4" board in place, the loader goes on just like the You Tube video shows and just as simple and fast.

Below are some more pictures of the bucket showing the approx. 3/4 side to side difference.

Tomorrow night it will be a bit warmer and I will get the tractor back in the garage and do some more measuring. I need to answer the question my own mind before I challenge the dealer again. Not sure if this is something I should be obsession over or not. I just know it isn't right and it annoys me that I didn't catch it when the tractor was delivered.


Wayne

 

[DB Pilot]

Checked out my 13 year old BX2200. Couldn't believe it as I never noticed before, but my bucket also sits at a 3/4" tilt but on the left side, opposite of yours. I'm not sticking up for your dealer just mentioning that my bucket is not sitting level and has not caused problems with attaching it. I know you have read your manuals again and again. I Just can't figure out what is wrong.

 

[Sightseer 30B]

Finally got to mess around with it again today and had the loader off and on a couple of time in both the garage (level cement floor) and the storage shed where I intend to store the loader when not attached to the tractor. The shed has a level wood floor.

The left arm frame definitely will not sit down in the boss unless I physical sit on the left arm while rolling the bucket forward to perform the seating action. Sitting on the left arm rocks the loader frame using the right boss as a pivot point and the side frame drops right into the boss and I can complete the attachment no sweat. I tried a little filing where the boss mates with the cylindrical left frame mating part, but it did not improve. With the right side firmly in the boss, the left side is still not seated.

Though I'm not looking forward to the hassle, I guess I need to contact the dealer again and see what can be done.


Loader issues aside, I did have fun building a roll around platform to use when I remove the ballast box. Now I can just drop the ballast box onto the roll-around and roll it into a corner and not have to lug 300+ pounds around while mowing.

Also, let the wife take it for a spin around the property in the mower only configuration. This was important because last year I injured my back and she had to do the mowing with my beloved (and much maligned) 25 year old Craftsman tractor held together by baling wire and epoxy. She had many disparaging remarks toward that little tractor and she implored me to get a new tractor. And, so I did! She was skeptical about the size of the Kubota (and cost as well), but after she discovered it had power steering and she could maneuver so well, she moved a little closer to thinking I made a good choice. Guess that worked out just fine.


Wayne

 

[Sightseer 30B]

Maybe I'm obsessed, but I did a little more looking at the loader installation difficulty I am having.

The good news is that the loader is 100% straight. Proved this by un-installing in the garage and setting the bucket flat on the floor. A level across the top of bucket shows bucket is level as is the floor. I placed a level across the upper arms and they are perfectly level. That is great news. But it means the tractor is now suspect.



Next I ensured the air pressure in the rear tires was equal at 17PSI. Checked level at the rear fenders by measuring the height. Both sides at the edge measured the same.

Then looked at the loader arms left and right. The left side frame/main frame boss/guide boss definitely looked to be further apart than the right side. Perhaps by 1/2 inch.



I then measured the height of the Main Frames on left and right side measured up from the cement floor. I found over 3/8 inch lower on the left Main Frame than the right.



Doesn't seem like a lot, but it looks to be enough to be troublesome in my attaching. Since the tractor at the rear fender appears to be level, I wondered what would cause the left side to be low.

I put a bubble level on the tube that attaches the left Main Frame to the chassis and discovered that the tube is not level. The left Mainframe Guide Boss is also tilted because of this in the same direction, of course. This possibly prevents the side Frame Boss from sliding down in the seat properly when attempting the install.


The right side tube and Guide Boss is level (Took an image, but my auto-focus screwed it up)

Unless I sit on the left loader arm to force the boss/guide boss to mate while going through the install sequence, the boss won't seat in the guide boss. It pops out when lowering the arms to lift the front of the tractor. Below is the position the boss/guide boss sit in with the bucket rolled to about 20 degrees down like the manual says.



As an experiment, I placed a 3/4" piece of plywood under the left rear tire and went through the attaching sequence and it worked perfectly. I had the loader off and re-attached in 30 seconds without touching the loader arms at all. I did the same by putting the plywood under the right side of the bucket and had similar results (Under the tire worked better) Raising the left side of the tractor (Main frame) with the wood under the tire or lowering the left Side Frame by wedging the board under the bucket served the same purpose and made the installation easy.

So I either try to get the thing fixed, or make the plywood piece part of the tool kit for installing the loader.

I'm going to put together a document of the above (perhaps with a bit more explaining) and send to the dealer and see if they have any answers or are of any help.

Can someone please do me a favor make sure their tractor is level and throw a level on the tube for the Main Frame that attaches to the tractor frame. Perhaps they are all tilted like that and I am off track.

I'm sorry if I am running on about this, but I am an engineer and I need to know what a "good" tractor is like so I can "help" whoever I challenge to fix it understand my findings.

Hope the images fall in the right order above so they make sense.

Thanks,

Wayne

 

[rbarker]

No, you are not obsessed. The loader supports are not adjusted correctly for some reason. The dealer needs to correct this. The loader should go on and off smoothly on a flat level floor. Definitely send this info to the dealer and let us know what he has to say.

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[mccash40]

I have a BX2360 and I just checked the tube on the main frame for level. It's right on. I hope you get your problem taken care of soon. I know how exasperating it can be to have an expensive piece of equipment not functioning well. Good luck.