Kubota front loader 3rd function adapters for attachments on the front?

[MtnViewRanch]

I had the third function set up installed on my B2650 last month and no quick couplers were installed on the end of the hoses since my new grapple was not in yet. The male threaded fittings were just capped. Once the grapple came in I bought a set of couplers so everything matched.

On a side note...I do not like this third function set up on my B12650 as it is activated by solenoids and you cannot "feather" the function to make the action smooth and slow. The function is determined by the speed of the engine/hydraulic pump. I have to throttle the engine down to idle so the grapple does not slam shut. This would not be a problem but when I pick up limbs in our orchard I may open and close the grapple hundreds of times and having to slow the engine down so many times is a lot of extra steps. On my larger Non Kubota tractors I can have the engines running relatively fast and feather the third function as fast or slow as necessary and keep engine speed the same.

You can pretty much take care of the speed problem by using a flow restrictor.

Get one with an 030 orifice and go from there. That or get an adjustable needle valve. Either one should take care of your problem.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

So I am not an expert but here's some info I believe to be correct:

No, two male ag quick couplers(what you have) is not the norm in my experience. Most people have multiple attachments for each tractor. So each implement would need 2 female QCs. Female QCs are 3 to 8 times the cost of a male one. Just not economical.

As previously mentioned, a male and female ag QCs is probably the most common setup on tractors. (FYI there are several types of "ag" QCs. The most common is 1/2" of the ISO #5675 spec. Essentially, all the manufacturer make a line of QCs to this spec. However, Pioneer was the first so these are frequently called "Pioneer connectors.")

I actually run two female QCs on my tractor's 3rd fxn. bulkhead. This is for several reasons I won't go into now, not the least of which is cost. I only have have to buy cheap male QCs for all my attachments. I just color-code my lines with colored electricians tape to ensure I always hook the lines up the same way.

Read up on flat face QCs before you go that way. They are easier to clean but way way more expensive and have residual pressure issues when trying to connect (preventing it).

 

[FatTire]

So I am not an expert but here's some info I believe to be correct:

No, two male ag quick couplers(what you have) is not the norm in my experience. Most people have multiple attachments for each tractor. So each implement would need 2 female QCs. Female QCs are 3 to 8 times the cost of a male one. Just not economical.

As previously mentioned, a male and female ag QCs is probably the most common setup on tractors. (FYI there are several types of "ag" QCs. The most common is 1/2" of the ISO #5675 spec. Essentially, all the manufacturer make a line of QCs to this spec. However, Pioneer was the first so these are frequently called "Pioneer connectors.")

I actually run two female QCs on my tractor's 3rd fxn. bulkhead. This is for several reasons I won't go into now, not the least of which is cost. I only have have to buy cheap male QCs for all my attachments. I just color-code my lines with colored electricians tape to ensure I always hook the lines up the same way.

Read up on flat face QCs before you go that way. They are easier to clean but way way more expensive and have residual pressure issues when trying to connect (preventing it).

Beyond the low cost (and they are inexpensive, especially they way you do it with females on the fixed end) what is it you like about them for 3rd function? If using with grapple or anything else with branches, I'd be concerned about the possibility of accidental disconnect. Not a problem for something like a snowplow though. Sort of in between might be either of the ISO7241 couplers, which are positive locking, leak about the same as Pioneer ag style, and cost less than FF couplers.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Beyond the low cost (and they are inexpensive, especially they way you do it with females on the fixed end) what is it you like about them for 3rd function? If using with grapple or anything else with branches, I'd be concerned about the possibility of accidental disconnect. Not a problem for something like a snowplow though. Sort of in between might be either of the ISO7241 couplers, which are positive locking, leak about the same as Pioneer ag style, and cost less than FF couplers.

I actually really want "breakaway" functionality and the only way to do that is with female QCs mounted to the tractor.

Most likely through operator error, the attachment can come off the SSQA or the hoses get yanked on (i.e. forgetting to lock down my SSQA levers or hoses that are too short or get tangled on something). I really want the QC to uncouple rather than damaging my lines. Much easier to simply re-couple a QC rather than to replace an entire hydraulic line.

Maybe everyone else is perfect and can guarantee they'll never forget to lock down their SSQA and dump their grapple off the tractor onto the brush pile but I am not :confused3:. My 900# grapple hanging by 2 hydraulic lines will not end well.

Disconnecting the breakaway QDs requires a fair amount of force. So far, I have not had an accidental disconnect.
:2cents:

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

This is me working my way to my current setup but similar functionality could be pieced together differently without the valves.
The cost of that pioneer valve-set has come down considerably.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...nder-pressure-breakaway-quick.html?highlight=

 

[LD1]

Front of a skid loader, I think flat face is the industry standard, and 1/2"

For tractors, There really is no standard for the front. Just whatever people chose to use for various reasons.

I like one male + one female for hose reversal issues. But if you have ALOT of attachments, then using two female on the tractor and all males on the attachments for cost reasons is sound advise. They can always be color coded with the caps.

If you have alot of SS attachments, or paln on using alot of them, go with the Skid loader standard. But 1/2" couplers are overkill for most of what we have up front on our lower flow machines. Especially when they are ~$50 a set and even more if you get connect-under-pressure ones.

I chose to use 7241-b series couplers because thats what I have always used on my meyer truck plows. And want the ability to hook to any one of my plows. And in 1/4" body size, its plenty big enough for the flow, the couplers can be found about anywhere local in a pinch, and they are ~$10 a set

 

[scdeerslayer]

Download this and print it out to see what size and style they are:
https://www.discounthydraulichose.com/v/vspfiles/downloadables/qd_sizechart.pdf

I think the dealers just install whatever they can get to put there. I'm pretty sure mine are the ISO series A, it's been a while since I figured it out. They put two males on there for cost, a female connector costs a lot more. Whenever I actually get something to use the 3rd function with I plan to get two female connectors and swap one of the male fittings to keep them from getting mixed up. On my valve it is also set up with both males on the valve and both females on the hoses, so I'm going to swap one of those around also so I don't get them mixed up when taking the loader off.

 

[FatTire]

I actually really want "breakaway" functionality and the only way to do that is with female QCs mounted to the tractor.

Most likely through operator error, the attachment can come off the SSQA or the hoses get yanked on (i.e. forgetting to lock down my SSQA levers or hoses that are too short or get tangled on something). I really want the QC to uncouple rather than damaging my lines. Much easier to simply re-couple a QC rather than to replace an entire hydraulic line.

Maybe everyone else is perfect and can guarantee they'll never forget to lock down their SSQA and dump their grapple off the tractor onto the brush pile but I am not :confused3:. My 900# grapple hanging by 2 hydraulic lines will not end well.

Disconnecting the breakaway QDs requires a fair amount of force. So far, I have not had an accidental disconnect.
:2cents:

OK, that's sound reasoning! It would be easy to say "Who would fail to latch their SSQA?" but I did it with a bucket. I was thinking I'd get the latches when I swung by our house, but then I realized I had everything I needed and went on up the road. Got to the neighbors, set down the FEL, and bucket fell off. Duh.

 

[FatTire]

Front of a skid loader, I think flat face is the industry standard, and 1/2"

For tractors, There really is no standard for the front. Just whatever people chose to use for various reasons.

I like one male + one female for hose reversal issues. But if you have ALOT of attachments, then using two female on the tractor and all males on the attachments for cost reasons is sound advise. They can always be color coded with the caps.

If you have alot of SS attachments, or paln on using alot of them, go with the Skid loader standard. But 1/2" couplers are overkill for most of what we have up front on our lower flow machines. Especially when they are ~$50 a set and even more if you get connect-under-pressure ones.

I chose to use 7241-b series couplers because thats what I have always used on my meyer truck plows. And want the ability to hook to any one of my plows. And in 1/4" body size, its plenty big enough for the flow, the couplers can be found about anywhere local in a pinch, and they are ~$10 a set

Depends what you're doing. 1/4" seems fine for intermittent use like grapple or snow plow, but for an auger 1/2" is pretty much required. I think the 1/4" couplers are good only up to about 4 gpm.

 

[LD1]

Depends what you're doing. 1/4" seems fine for intermittent use like grapple or snow plow, but for an auger 1/2" is pretty much required. I think the 1/4" couplers are good only up to about 4 gpm.

Correct. And certainly a consideration. But most dont run a continuous demand hydraulic attachment on the front of a tractor. And even so, unless you have a large tractor with 10+GPM, there is no point in jumping to 1/2" everything. 3/8 is more than sufficient.