woodmaxx flail mower?

[otus_branch]

Hello Sickeys,

I cannot believe they told you that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure the hoses are not British Standard Pipe with an O-ring Boss?????
It certainly sounds like they are British Standard Pipe hose fittings.

If they were properly threaded SAE/NPT you would barely need a little liquid pipe dope on the second thread to seal it.


If you do not know the manufacturing brand of hoses they use its already suspect as they all must have the manufacturers name on the hose and the hose information on it to conform to the Joint Industrial Council rules of manufacture and sizing to have uniform products and sizes for all hydraulic needs.

I can't answer for sickeys of course, but my Woodmaxx hose ends look like NPT, with no o-ring on them. I'm not at the farm right now (or for the rest of this week), but I will call Woodmaxx while working this week, and then check on the hoses and fittings over the weekend.

To clarify my earlier post:
1) The Woodmaxx manual says 1/2" x 14 NPT fittings for the hose ends.
2) I bought fittings that my Kubota dealer "thought" would work, and they were great on the tractor end, but did not seem to want to spin onto the threaded connections of the Woodmaxx hoses.
3) When I came back into town today, I asked the guy at the Caterpillar place to double-check the fittings I bought from the Kubota Dealer, and he confirmed that the fittings I bought were 1/2" x 14 NPT. Their thread gauge allowed them to verify that the fittings I had bought from Kubota were not 1/2"x12 or 1/2"x16, but in fact 1/2"x14. Nice folks there at the Cat dealership.

So I know that the fittings I have match the specs Woodmaxx requires. Now, I just need to decide how much tape & wrenching I want to add, and then to see whether anything leaks...

 

[ericm979]

Careful with the tape, you don't want to get it in the hydraulic system. I've used tape, special liquid sealant for hydraulics, and special loctite (#545) for hydraulic fittings. The loctite works the best by far.

 

[feasant]

same on my 62H. goop em and tighten em

 

[otus_branch]

Careful with the tape, you don't want to get it in the hydraulic system. I've used tape, special liquid sealant for hydraulics, and special loctite (#545) for hydraulic fittings. The loctite works the best by far.

Thanks for the pointer! I think I used regular teflon pipe tape on my other fittings when hooked-up just after purchase, but will order some of this now, and use it from here on...

 

[slckeys]

My manual stated the same specs. I didn't go crazy with the tape for the threads, just a wrap or 2. No o rings either.. They would spin on a few turns and tighten up.. Not what I was expecting, hence the trip to the hydraulic shop. They did mention them being pipe threads. No leaks so far....

On a side note, should I consider removing the ends and using a liquid sealer instead or call it a wash considering the threads might be smashed? When I tightened them up I didn't go crazy, maybe half turn past hand tight since I'm always concerned about stripping threads.

Or try my hand at getting Woodmaxx sending new hoses and hope for the best since it's all but new still?

Open to all thoughts and I welcome all input.

 

[Jack Yuan]

I had been contemplating a 6' hydraulic-offset flail mower purchase just as talk of trade war was heating up. Figured that ordering sooner rather than later made sense, got the order in back when this model was still ~$2600, and received my Woodmaxx FM 78-H last week. So far, I have just gotten one side of the crate disassembled, the gear box filled, the 3-pt hitch mounted (using Red Locktite on all bolts).

I tried to get hydraulic fittings, and my Kubota dealer had the 1/2" fittings that fit my rear remotes of course, but the threaded end did not want to spin onto the Woodmaxx threaded connections at the ends of the hoses they included. The Woodmaxx manual says 1/2" x 14 NPT, and I think that's what I have? The Kubota folks didn't have a thread checker, but said these were the only thread gauge of 1/2" fittings they use. Then the Cat place checked them on the thread gauge they did have, and told me that they mic'd to 1/2 x 14 NPT, if a little stiff. At TSC, again no actual thread checker, but the fittings spun easily onto the threaded connections of the pre-cut 1/2" hoses they had on the shelf. Might the Woodmaxx fittings just be a little off? Didn't want to start wrenching hard if the size is wrong...

I may check my thread chaser kit that is buried somewhere among the tools to check to see if a 1/2"x 14 NPT thread is there. Meanwhile, what did you other Woodmaxx owners find? I'm eager to get to mowing pasture next week!

As for other first impressions, some rust is already forming on spots where the paint was thin, after only a week in the weather... :-/

Excuse me, isn't the male hydraulic couplings included on the mower??? Surprised me, it is just 6 dollars small parts, at least they should provide standard G1/2 coupling which is most common.

I just read their manual again. I have a question, did you notice there is any oil in the cylinder or hose when you receive the mower?

 

[Jack Yuan]

Careful with the tape, you don't want to get it in the hydraulic system. I've used tape, special liquid sealant for hydraulics, and special loctite (#545) for hydraulic fittings. The loctite works the best by far.

Always try to avoid use tape when design it.

 

[Jack Yuan]

Hello Sickeys,

I cannot believe they told you that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure the hoses are not British Standard Pipe with an O-ring Boss?????
It certainly sounds like they are British Standard Pipe hose fittings.

If they were properly threaded SAE/NPT you would barely need a little liquid pipe dope on the second thread to seal it.


If you do not know the manufacturing brand of hoses they use its already suspect as they all must have the manufacturers name on the hose and the hose information on it to conform to the Joint Industrial Council rules of manufacture and sizing to have uniform products and sizes for all hydraulic needs.

Hi Leonz, just find this from their manual. Woodmaxx claim it is NPTF thread for couplings.


It's better to use British Standard Pipe Parallel (BSPP) and an O ring to seal it.

In China here, we have to use tape or glue on the tapered thread, otherwise it will leak oil very easily. We don't trust the accuracy of the tapered thread surface here. I don't think NPTF is suggested to be used on hydraulic system. Can't believe they use NPTF these years. It seems US users are very kind to solve problem by themselves.

Does US machines often use teflon and pipe dope on tapered thread? Or is there already pipe dope on the tapered thread?

 

[Ricn]

Otus -No I did not replace hoses. Woodmaxx hose fittings would not align with my Kubota quick connect couplers so I found adapters at our local auto parts who has lots of farm stuff. My tractor has the top and tilt feature which was added after purchase so quick couplers were part of the valve kit from Kubota or dealer provided either one. Had I owned the mower first I might have been able to match them all in the beginning.

Ricn

 

[leonz]

Hi Leonz, just find this from their manual. Woodmaxx claim it is NPTF thread for couplings.
View attachment 565958

It's better to use British Standard Pipe Parallel (BSPP) and an O ring to seal it.

In China here, we have to use tape or glue on the tapered thread, otherwise it will leak oil very easily. We don't trust the accuracy of the tapered thread surface here. I don't think NPTF is suggested to be used on hydraulic system. Can't believe they use NPTF these years. It seems US users are very kind to solve problem by themselves.

Does US machines often use teflon and pipe dope on tapered thread? Or is there already pipe dope on the tapered thread?

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Hello Mr. Yuan,


No, they do not use teflon tape they use a proper paste sealant ment for hydraulic system use.


If you can you should invest in some RIGID pipe dies and pipe taps to chase the threads on your hydraulic fittings and invest in a case of the Loctite 577 thread sealant for the the pipe thread hose fittings that you have to use.

The one excellent thing about buying a set of RIGID brand N.P.T. taps and dies is that you can chase the die over every male hydraulic fitting and run the tap through every female fitting to make sure they are properly threaded and the minute you start running the tap through the female fitting or running the die over any make hose end you will know immediately if you want to use that hose fitting or hydraulic fitting you intend to install in a cylinder.

Any bad hydraulic fitting that is installed in one of your mowers is one fitting that could break and leak and potentially injure or kill someone.

If you can locate a RIGID dealer in Tapei and order pipe taps and dies and a rigid pipe vise I would do it.


I hope all is well on your side of the Pacific pond. I agree with you that British Standard Pipe is much easier to use and much more adjustable(forgiving)to prevent hose and fitting failures. Ine has to make sure that they have the Blue Dot BSP orings in their tool box to replace an o-ring that has been under compression for a long time as they will become deformed over time due to the heat generated by the hydraulic system.

Its never, NEVER, NEVER a good idea to use teflon tape with hydraulic systems as the tape particles can cause damage to control valves and prevent adequate control of a hydraulic function allowing them to creep.

You never ever ever use teflon tape on JIC 37 degree fittings ever as they are designed and machined to seal completely with the mating male or female fitting mounted on a valve body or a hose connection.


I have no idea who they purchase their hydraulic fittings and hydraulic hose from but if they are using poor or substandard thread dies to thread the crimp on fittings at the manufacturer they are asking for trouble and lawsuits at woodmax if someone is injured from a hydraulic leak which results in penetrating wound that will eventually kill someone if they do not reach a hospital in time to have the wound opened up and the oil washed away before it enters the bloodstream.