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It sounds like you want a backyard do everything machine.... I'd get myself a brand new Kubota B26 TLB. They are sort of like a tractor but made for light construction instead of light ag. Kubota has made the same TLB, since 2007, so by now they should have it right. They aren't common, your...

Glad to see someone with mechanical ability looking for an older tractor. Yes, $20K should buy a nice one. BTW, your land looks beautiful. Normally I'd say to consider 2wd machines, but with that much slope 4wd is going to be a necessity. Does the type of transmission matter? Hydrostatic HST...

I'd sure check that hose, or better yet just replace it with one having the internal spring. The other place that can cause overheating is where the fan shroud attaches to the radiator. Sometimes there is an air gap there which allows the fan to draw air in from the sides of the shroud instead...

I finally found my hose leak by power washing the area, quickly drying it with rags, and then following the occasional drip up to the highest point. Sure enough, there is a tiny pinhole in the rubber hydraulic hose cover. Not where anything can touch it, so probably manufacturing defect...

For any diesel compression test, be sure to use a Diesel Compression Gauge - it sounds like you have one. A diesel gauge normally goes to 1000 psi - much more than you can hold by hand. A gauge for a gas engine will not go high enough. In any compression test, test each cylinder by cranking the...

It all depends on the angle of the blade and the dirt. With the blade not angled and with both end caps mounted I think it would work just like a larger box blade. I have used it that way, but it fills up fast enough to stall my tractor. . So even though it has an end cap for each end, I often...

It is time to to replace the hydraulic hose to the factory thumb on our M59. Any hints gratefully accepted. Does anyone know the fitting size and type? I'd like to get some end caps just to keep things clean. I assume the fittings are JIC, but the manuals don't say which or dash size. The...

If you drop down a gear in the tall grass will the tractor still get hot? I don't like to run my tractor hot; not enough margin for error.

I did the same thing and for most of same reasons. A backhoe is very handy for lots of chores and if used reasonably & with a sub-frame it will not hurt you or the tractor. The cost was worth it to me just to have it available when needed. To the OP, I don't think you really haven't lost...

The mechanic may well be right. Your tractor is certainly showing the expected symptoms of overheating. I would have made the same call....but of course without some simple tests it is just a guess on both of our part. I understand that you want some confirmation of what you are getting into...

Our Milwaukee M18 Fuel brushless drill is a decent tool, but this one came with a weak chuck. I eventually bought it an expensive Rohm chuck - which worked a few years and then just failed completely. Now that Rohm won't grip or let go dependably. So it is chuck time again. Any...

I've bought older well-cared for machinery all my life, so that is my bias. And althogh I won't do major work, I do enjoy doing some mechanical work myself...always have. In buying older machines, I've come up with a few rules that have worked for me. Number one is that an old diesel should...

I've on my third electric power washer. The one that finally lasted - and still does - is from Home Depot. 2300 psi/1.2 GPM Ryobi. has wheels and looks almost like a gas powered one. Model is their "Premium Electric". I Think it cost a little over $200 a few years back plus whatever I paid for...

I realize that. Here's a picture of our 8 foot Big Rhino blade by Servis. It has similar reinforcement, and was rated at 90 hp. Very heavy construction... Servis was the predecessor to a lot of ther 3-way adjustable blades sold more recently by Woods, Monroe, LandPride, and Bushhog. One...

That's right, and I'm glad you brought that up. I was just looking at our older LandPride and even older Big Rhino brand back blades. Both have manual angle, tilt, and offset like the one you show in the photo.. But our older ones are obviously built of heavier gauge metal. If I was buying a...

Welcome, and hope you have a good time with it. Go slow until you understand the controls. The tiller attachment - actually, any rear implement - is connected to the tractor by the 3 point hitch. It looks like your lower two arms are attached correctly to the implement. That's two out of...

I've found that the more adjustments the grader blade has the better work it can do. A 7 foot seems to be OK to handle, but an 8 footer is too much for our 60 hp Kubota. It tries to steer it in our dirt. . Like everyone, we started with an old blade that would only angle and added a box blade...

If you do try a compression test, be sure to use a Diesel Compression Gauge. It goes to 1000 psi - much more than you can hold by hand. A gauge for a gas engine will not go high enough. In any compression test, test each cylinder by cranking the engine as close as you can to the same number of...

I still think you should at least take a look at the fluid to see if air is being entrained. It meets the symptoms. But if it is not - and if the hydraulic fluid stays clear when hot - then I agree that the next step is to isolate systems. It's easy to say, " Isolate the rockshaft, Selective...

The hydraulic pump can suck significant air in through a pinhole leak that won't leak oil to the outside. At most, it just makes an oily coating on the outside of the hose. Some suction lines have rubber hose with worm drive hose clamps. On those, it is best to replace the hose. But the easiest...

There is a thread with a similar problem right now. The final fix hasn't been found, but a suction air leak is my guess. And your problem sounds even more like that kind of problem since the powersteering is involved and the sump is hissing. Take a look at the hose & connections between the...

In the Texas oilfield and farm we used to have problems with grease compatibility - at least we thought compatibility was the reason that caused grease to harden. Loader bushing pins locked up by hardened grease were a big problem - we never could figure out why it happened some times and not...

The reason why SLR doesn't work with simple 2 pi calculations is beause when a tire is loaded the axle is no longer in the center of a circle. The SLR is shorter between the axle and ground than it is between the axle and top of the tire. So trying to get from Loaded Radius to calculate Loaded...

That's right, except that the only number you really want to compare is the "Loaded Rolling Circumference" - sometmes known as just "LRC". Because a loaded tire is no longer a round shape with the axle in the middle, the average person can't get there by doing a simple calculation from radius...

FFF = Fuel Filter First

You are asking a pretty complicated question. But here is a start... Look at your high pressure fuel pump - the one that runs the injectors. If there is an individual pressure line to each injector, then there is an outside chance that your tractor is an old style completely mechanical type and...

That's a fair question, Harry. And I agree that details are sketchy. Is there a pressure gauge or not? If so, why does the OP not tell us the pressure when the system is free flowing vs lifting| vs deadheaded? Just saying "not much pressure"equals "not much information". As to why suspect a...

Or you can diagnose a suction air leak by taking a fluid sample from the sump or return line. Once it has warmed up, a suction leak turns the normally clear hydraulic fluid into a cloudy mix due to all the micro bubbles. Let it stand overnight without a lid and the fluid will clear up. rscotty

It's easy to tell if you have a suction air leak. Cold hydraulic fluid that has set overnight is clear. If you pull a sample of oil from the sump when it is hot and you see that the fluid is still clear like it was when the fluid was cold then the tractor doesn't have a suction air leak...

Beautiful work. Congratulations. You've clearly got too much time on your hands - uh, I assume that is you in the photo. And I particularly enjoyed the picture of the plywood mock up. What's next?

You say it works good when cold, but not when hot. I can't think of any reason that temperature would cause such a problem. But a suction air leak certainly would. Instead of temperature as a cause, we are looking at the time the tractor is running...same thing. The amount of entrained air would...

Mark, reading through your original post, in my mind the most important reason you give for adding weight would be so you can stop running it in 4wd with a load in the FEL. Compact tractors have a part time 4wd assist; they aren't intended to carry a load around in 4wd. Driving any distance in...

Any chance that there is a mechanic who works on those vans or AC nearby? It might be worth a trip and asking what he does.

Not really looking for dual purpose. It will be used in the snow and maybe a bit on rough ice. I have no plans to use our good tractor like a bulldozer in the dirt. I just mentioned snow+dirt because the one I saw years ago was advertised that way. What I'm wondering about is how well does it...

A Tesla wouldn't be much use in our rural area. But I will say that a number of our friends who live in the suburbs and city have bought them and they sure do like their Teslas.

Does anyone use an SSQA Snow & Dirt plow blade on a larger utility tractor? I was wondering about fitting one to our Kubota M59 to maintain an awkward sloped driveway that can turn icy in the winter. The blade would have to tilt as well as angle, and probably require some sort of shoes or...

Sealed bearings ought to last longer, but I cannot help noticing that in the last 50 years or so I've replaced a lot more ruined sealed bearings than I have greaseable ones. So I'd say that sealed bearings are OK in the short run, but for durability over decades I'd rather have greasable...

I figure that a Recall requires that it go back to the dealer and left there for service. Updates can be much simpler.

We grew up poor - though we never thought of it that way. Food came from the garden, and we rebuilt anything that broke in the family sedan - including the battery. It never bothered my dad to ask at the tire shops for "take offs" & old tubes. We mounted them ourselves. Today we have done...

I have never figured out why all backhoe buckets don't come with a shackle on the back.

I was going to say a similar price. And it is a desireable model from before the emissions and computer control added complexity to what is a simple tractor. Yet still modern enough to have all the useful modern features. Hours are nicely low...the loader is a nice size. That combination of...

Check your private message box at the top of the page.

Well, thanks for that idea. I do have a nice industrial heat gun. I'll try that before getting out the torch.

I'd like to hear more about conversion to oil lubrication. One of our old tractors has some FEL pins and bushings that are almost locked tight with hardened grease. Oil lubrication might loosen it up. I've tried a hammer grease gun and also tried replacing the zerk with a brass fitting and tube...

It would be nice to know. At a repair shop it doesn't matter what terms the customer uses because either the service writer will figure it out, or the mechanic will know almost immediately. But here on the internet "won't hit a lick" isn't enough information to be as helpful.

If you don't happen to have a thread restoring tool in the right size, it is easy to make one in a few minutes by slightly tapering the first few threads of a bolt or spark plug with a hand file, and then using a hacksaw to cut the slots as shown below I've attached an example of a bolt turned...

You could...but my guess is that Lou is right that the "Controller" offers convenient access to half a dozen safety devices and solenoids. And no telling what else it does. The actual problem could be in any one of those parts. First thing I would do is put the tractor into neutral, lock all...

That would be my guess too. In that case it would be pretty easy to open the controller box up and use a VOM to test which of the safety switches and/or solenoids are not working. The alternative method to testing is to continue to throw parts at it. Entering the controller number HA00000013A...

That's an expensive part. I wonder what it does? Most machines that have starters manage just fine without having a "starter controller relay". Rather than spend that much on a guess, maybe we can figure out what it does and do that some other way? rScotty

I agree. No matter how nice the other one is, the Kubota is a work-proven TLB built for heavy work. If you look back through the history, Kubota has made that same little TLB with only minor changes for 10 years. Considering the difference in new price, the Kubota still seems the better deal.

Our M59 doesn't have brake lights. It only has a red BRAKE warning light on the instrument panel. You probably can't trace back from that light to the fuse because that BRAKE warning light is just an panel LED that lights in response to a signal from a switch. An LED doesn't draw enough...

Does anyone know which kubotas had the quarter inching 3pt as opposed to position control?

Yes, that's my point exactly. The YouTube media is influential, yet we have no way to know by whom or why.

I'd say that video says a lot more about how YouTube is used to influence people than it does about the real world and the cars in it.

I know a surprising number of later model jeep owners who are pleased with the quality and reliability... that sure didn't use to be the case with the older ones. If Jeep can turn the reliability around so dramatically, it, why can't the others?

Maybe I can. I'll try. For example the OP back in message #1 had budget of $25,000 to buy an older pre-emissions tractor to last him the rest of his life. And he had found an L5030 for $10,000 that was a little bit beat which he figured he would need about $15,000 restoration on top of the...

I've never seen any evidence to support that idea. It would be a lot of work to design that way - probably more work than it's worth. Without evicence, I gotta put that down as just another "urban legend". rScotty

So what is it that Ford is doing right? After all, Wallstreet Stock Brokers are a pretty conservative bunch when it comes to their investment dollars - and they are constantly trying to see into the future. There must be something in the future they see that they like, because Ford stock is...

I have bought used cars, trucks, and tractors all my life. I also prefer pre-emissions. In fact, that's all I have. you do NOT want a beat up one to restore. that never comes out right financially, Instead, you want to find the best low hour well cared for example of the tractor you want and...

that short lever is your AUTO THROTTLE ADVANCE (ATA) When you push the AUTO THROTTLE ADVANCE lever forward to the On position it should stay there. KIubota says to take your foot off the foot HST control before doing moving the ATA lever. I assume you know that when you push the HST pedal...

I have an M59 and would be glad to help. The M59 is a classic - one of the best things IMHO that Kubota ever built. But how in the world are you going to find anything as dodgy as an electrical problem when the tractor is that dirty? Get 'er cleaned up and you stand a chance. Seriously cleaned...

Theoretically a return line should work best if it were at zero PSI, but of course there is always some resistance to flow. If nothing else, there is the fluid friction in the return line itself as well as the cooler and whatever filtration is there. But the lower the PSI in the return line the...

Yes, it seems like tractor 3pt, FEL, and BH work will often open up my Lynch Pins and losig them can allow a shaft to slide out and bend things. Over the years I'veI replaced small Lynch with R pins, and the larger ones with a hardened bolt and nylock nut. If I do use a Lynch pin - usually...

I think that so many of us use HST now that the geared tractors don't get a fair shake. A geared tractor isn't like a truck where we are always shifting gears when changing speeds. When a geared tractor is doing any ground work like mowing, plowing, cultivating, it basically stays in the same...

It's even farther from where we are. The good news is there is finally something that makes Messick's shipping rates seem reasonable.

It's real. A known problem with that series of TC engines. Lots has been written about it. It's a design feaure...er, problem or whatever. Oil will always pool, especally when pouring in new cold oil too rapidly. On that engine, pouring oil in too rapidly can cause oil to overflow into an...

Well, let me at least add that backhoe valves have more parts and functions than other valves. And lots more places where a bit of debris causing a valve not to close will cause a problem. As I look back through old TBN threads for a couple of decades I think that more than a few backhoe...

The question was about Teeing a pressure gauge into a pressure line. That works fine. Nothing has been said so far about how the valves are configured. rScotty

I think the cylinder is extending as the dipperstick leaks down. Confusing. We need the OP to weight in here.

Here is a picture of a B26 backhoe. The dipperstick cylnder s the middle one of the three, which is the cylinder just above the Yanmar name decal. As the dipperstick is extended, the cylinder is compressed, so as the dipperstick leaks down, the cylinder is extended....showing more of the rod...

That's about what we use. We live rurally so don't have cellular service.... but then that limits the amount of vandals too. We did catch a thief pawning some stolen firearms, but the local sheriff recognized him as a juvenile and said that tied their hands. A few years ago we got a couple of...

If I know I may not start an engine 3 or 4 times a year then I will run it dry for storage. Things like power washers, chain saws, weed whackers, and the back-up Honda generator all get run dry.

There were a lot of options available on the JD420/JD430. Those were only made for a couple of years right as JD was about to switch away from that old "....everything JD has to have (only) two cylinders" designs they had been making since their beginning. Heavily built, and with a ton of...

I'm in the $5K range. The 420 could have the wheels set out very wide, it's just the right size, every part still available - but it was the optional power steering that sold me. That, plus the wheel weights. They just don't make a better small tractor. Someone is going to get a heck of a deal.

Thanks WranglerX. I suggest we start a separate thread for Dicktill's MF GC problem. Can you figure out how to do that & get it going. Maybe we just open a subject and copy these posts few GC posts I hope this thread can stay focused on the BX and its specific filter/over pressure problem...

Sleeve provide lots of protection from abrasion and sun. Buy the sleeving on Amazon in 100 foot rolls. Every new hose gets a sleeve. Be sure to cut them too long, they shrink lengthwise. Fasten ends with zip ties.

No problem. PM me the hydraulic schematic or open another thread & we can discuss that Massey GC. But the answer is yes, the steering relief valve can be anywhere you can run a pipe & fitting to. Combination diverter & relief valves are common and operationally interchangeable. Here's an...

Look at the expanded view of the steering priority valve. There it is. Yes, it could serve several functions. Good catch, my fault to use the wrong word. Priority valving there makes no sense, and it would be redundant since we are changing direction...even if it were there. I changed the...

Could be, that is the problem with schematics - sometimes devices are shown where they are hydraulically correct rather than where physically located. And the BX is an economy model, so it is entirely possible to use one relief valve for two functions. But regardless of whether there is an...

Kubota is an incredibly conservative company. There have been minimal technical changes in the BX hydraulic system from the BX22 (2002) to the BX80 (BX23S type) series of today. Frankly I'd like to see an extra filter in their system like their larger tractors have, but it is hard to argue with...

Yes, important that there are relief valves everywhere. Each hydraulic circuit has at least one. On schematic diagrams, relief valves are the little box with a squiggly tail and a dotted line connecting one side with another. Their main function is to open up and return any overpressure back to...

The high pressure side of a hydraulic ciruit doesn't always operate at high pressure. It only develops high pressure when it encounters a load....like moving a cylinder or a plugged filter. Otherwise, if there is no load then the fluid just circulates at very little pressure. And some systems...

Sad to say, but most older tractor hydrulic problems are due to contanimated fluid that forms globs that won't pass through the various ports. Then those blobs cause an intermediate failure which puts more crud into the system. There never was anything wrong with it except age & old fluid My...

That's good. Then I wouldn't worry about it. Put a diaper on it or a pan under. Someday when you are changing out the hydraulic oils and just want to add a small project, get a buddy who is experienced with sealers to help you seal it properly. I would NOT use any stop leak or such products...

The OP didn't say what the loader was doing when pressure was measured. That pressure should vary from (0) psi to full relief pressure (2900 psi) depending on what they are trying to lift . 1250 psi is about right for just raising and lowering an empty FEL. There are a number of other ports...

If you figure out how to get the WSM, setting the HST reliefs & charge pressure is on pg. 257. The PTO works on 150 psi, but the HST reliefs at 3000 psi. That is enough pressure to be deadly and cut a foot off. Please be careful. 10 seconds max on the relief. The WSM implies that those HST...

Suki, I have just tried to send you the BX23S WSM via Personnal Message (PM). Let me know. It has full info. Much better than more recent manuals. Also found in the WSM more hydraulic diagrams. One identifies (#3) as a relief valve that may also affect your filter pressures. Worth checking, but...

"Charge pressure" is just another way of defining a specific pressure at a point in a hydraulic system. More specifically, In tractors with HST, "charge pressure" has come to mean the operating pressure within the HST. Some HST tractors have a separate hydrostatic pump and special filter for the...

That's about what I am thinking. 5030. Tractors have a lot of built-in safeguards against too much hydraulic pressure. Hard to imagine everything failing and high pressure resulting. Yes, the "adding shims to the relief valve" thing scares me too. I can't think how adding shims to a relief...

Does this look like your leaky cover (21)?

I think I would do the same. It sounds like the JD dealer has his own trailering setup - maybe they even have a mobile mechanic. The LS dealer might have to rent something - which would explain the difference in price. What you want is an experienced mechanic. Some of the older JD dealers...

I've often thought the same. Not on any evidence, just from my own life experience. Given a choice, I tend to support a smaller dealer. At least we know each other.

The flow control knob when it is operating correctly only controls the speed of the drop of the 3pt arms. It is for drop rate only. Your 3pt cylinder sounds like it is losing fluid and then refilling. That could be due to the drop rate knob being bypassed internally because some of the O rings...

Does turning the drop speed adjustment knob under the front of the seat change anything? It is possible that valve needs new seals. If the seals are shot, that valve could be letting out of the 3pt hydraulic cylinder almost as fast as the pump can replace it.

You will just have to try it. We had a 16 hp compact where that was a problem. Sometimes even with different mounting holes on the auger frame, a small tractor 3pt lift arms just do not have the range to lift high enough so that the auger will hang vertical. And it has to hang vertical to...

Yes. The trick I learned was to back up the taper joint from the side with a heavy weight or sledge head so it won't move, and then make the joint eye ring with a sharp blow from the other side.....using a single quick smack from a light hard face hammer. The taper was momentarily distorted by...

Ok, so you are running an external slip clutch on the JD...that makes sense, but it is difficult to see how it could shear a shear bolt with that external clutch adjusted for less than bolt-shearing force. Those clutches do tend to need annual maintenance and readjustment. Maybe it needs that...

Just one more opinio, John. I'd have the bulk of the work done once professionally and then decide how much maintenance work you want to do annually. I love that grubber in post #25. Then after the pros work on it, buy whatever machine that appeals to you - most people change from their first...

Quarter inch hose will be fine for running the front SSQA or grapple cylinders. If you were running a constant torque hydraulic motor with the front remotes then I'd see an argument for 3/8" and possibly even using tubing instead of hose. Not concerned with "balancing the flow". nice tractor...

I'm reminded of Mark Twain's wonderful story about the lightning rod salesman.

In 1995 I bought a 35 hp Yanmar listed in Washington State. At the time, Craig's List was agressively local. I just happened to see a rural version of Craigs List online where it was listed. Yes, something to consider is that expectations and rural morality were still rather old-fashioned back...

The OP is asking about a septic field, not grey water.

I guess it is possible to damage a ball joint with a pickle fork - but a person would have to work at it. Basically all we are doing with any of the ball joint removal tools is releasing a taper. The taper is then cleaned up and the new ball joint self-centers as it is installed. In the 1960s...

Some rural system are designed aerobically but most not. The same goes for most any type of water purification using sand bed infiltration. The difference is that the forced air systems will digest faster. That can affect the tank size and dwell time requirements.

That's exactly what I use. A tie rod/pitman arm "puller" puts pressure on the taper joint and protects the threads as well as the joint at the far end. I still use a light hammer blow if necessary, but often it is not. Puller kits sure have changed in price. When I had my shop, mechanics...

We used a 3pt hoe for decades & now have rea ones. IMHO, you shouldn't consider one for your 3033r. That tractor is just too small. We can talk more on this if you are not convinced. But don't let that stop you. If you find a cheap $2500 3pt hoe you could mount it to an old JD model A or old...

Looking back over half a century of trucks and tractors, my wife remarked the other day that we may look at 'new', but somehow always buy "low hour used". Might as well let someone else pay the depreciation, hassle warranty issues, and prove the model is reliable. There is very little...

I wouldn't spend much time trying to figure that out. rScotty ....believing something doesn't make it true.

What would be a ballpark charge for using an 855D for digging the OP's pit in sand? 14'x40'x24" deep. Infiltrator systems have their tricks like anything else. Infiltrators are usually better. Sounds like his was an installation failure, not an infiltrator failure.

Most probably the seals are O rings and maybe a formed gasket. Ace Hdwr has both O rings and gasket material.

The FEL control valve might have an external gasket or O ring where the spool vavle exits the valve body. Those might be serviceable. Also the relief valve and the detent valve for the arms - if it has a detent type valve - can both leak and be serviced. There are no internal parts to service...

It's worth mentioning that Kubota also makes a standard solution to the "backhoe or not" debate. Kubotas makes TLB models from 25 to 60 hp. A TLB comes with the backhoe as the standard rear attachment so the 3pt hitch becomes the optional attachment instead of the other way around. Designing...

Well, it's true that I lean towards tools made for specifcally for the job. But that's just me. Look at it this way.....suppose you go to have your tractor repaired and there are two local shops to choose from. One shop has test equipment, shop manuals, pullers, spares, and lots of special...

I wouldn't try to replace a nice mower and a tractor with one machine. There is no way my lawn is going to get along with my tractor. Totally different weight and traction. I'd be more likely to go the other way and have more machines set up for special purposes. They all last just about forever...

Like Harry says, the easiest and by far the best way to add functions like a loader and a 3pt is to feed pressure to a two lever loader spool valve that has a "power beyond" or "PB" port. If that port is not used, the PBT port will just have an internal slip-fit "block off" sleeve and then the...

Could be that the piston is stuck. It's not a big job to take off the top of the 3pt cylinder and look. That's probably the best way. If you "tap" it, make sure it has weight on the arms, that the drop valve under the seat is all the way open, and that the 3pt position control valve to the...

Power steering was offered by JD in the form of an add-on power steering cylinder kit that replaced the drag link on the side. It was used for the 650, 750, and anything it could be made to fit. As I remember, it was about a $700 dollar kit at the time - not including installation. Those power...

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I also use GL multiweight in the front axle and for the same reasons. It's surprising how many tractors systems don't have much thought put into proper venting. But no problem. Vents are easy to improve and ecologically sound - since it Saves our Seals... rScotty

These modern compact tractor 4wd front axles are mostly similar designs copying a patent on the double bevel front drive whose "exclusive use" expired in the 1980s. It was novel at the time, and still very good Some of the original double bevel gear drive front axles had dipsticks, some had...

Hello jrouss28, welcome to TBN. That's good advice above about having a pro do the initial heavy work on your land - while you buy a tractor sized to do the cleanup. It took me way too many years to realize just how good advice it is. BTW, modern tractors tend to be sized by HP, and that leads...

For stability or traction? I see that yours has the front and rear wheels set in the narrowest position, so I'm guessing duals would be for traction or just for fun. No, I don't know what is involved with mounting duals on yours. It looks like you have some extra rear axle length, so maybe it...

It is hard for me to tell from those pictures, but it may be that you are trying to run a hydraulic top link on a tractor that has automatic draft control engaged. Those two systems can work against each other with tremendous power. If that's the case, I'm not surprised it will break things like...

That's right. When changing tire sizes on a 4wd you have to keep the ratio of the front to rear tire "Rolling Weighted Circumference" the same as it is stock. That way you match the internal transmission F/R gear ratio. Otherwise you create what is called driveshaft windup and that can destroy...

You want tractor combination transmission/hydraulic fluid. Get it at any farm or tractor store. Auto stores don't have it. Do NOT use 80/90, power steering fluid, straight hydraulic fluid,or engine motor oil. Tractor combo hyd/transmission fluid is about 20wt and is special....and costs more...

Sure there are. The old 3pt backhoes are not as well known these days....and they are not as good, safe, or powerful as the frame-mounted ones - but in the 1980s they used to be real common and are still available used. I don't know if new ones are sold now, but the older 3pt hoes still exist...

Tractors are like manufacturing generally, so we are talking quality control... right from the process of castng the motor block on through machine work and putting the paint on. From an engineering standpoint I believe most any modern manufacturer can build a perfect anything. The gamble is...

Exactly right. I've seen the same thing happen. Identical models: two good customers, one gets a blessed machine and the other a lemon. And no way to tell in advance. rScotty

SNIP... Yes, that 55 to 60 hp range seems to be a nice size. I know we ended up there, and so have a number of friends. It's powerful enough to do most work, and still not too physcally big for around the barnyard. BTW, hotjava66, that's a nice write-up you did on the various brands. I...

Hydraulic fluid can get into the engine crankcase when an engine-driven hydraulic pump has a bad internal seal on the pump drive. It's not uncommon, and not difficult to fix. The usual symptom is that the crankcase oil level rises. It doesn't sound like you have noticed that as a problem, but...

You don't need a new one, just clean up the old one.

I just googled "JD 670 Transmission Filter Screen" and got a picture that looks like the one attached. They are all much the same. Sump filters like that aren't a perfect oiltight fit - the ends of the flter slide rather loosely over a couple of locating projections in the sump. After all, they...

It ought to be a reasonable project to make a simple rigid subframe. I've had quick attach loaders with and without quick change buckets. I rarely took the loader off the tractor, but with SSQA I'm constantly either changing buckets or going bucketless. Very handy..

Get a grip. The old stuff still exists if you prefer it. The only person forcing you to use the new green technology is yourself.

Sounds like you are good to go. No reason in the world why you cannot carefully decant the hydraulc oil into a clean container, strain it, and reuse it - just as long as it is still clear oil and has not gotten all milky with water. BTW, I just realized I still have a JD ops manual for the...

Not at all. We bought our last tractor new for both those reasons - and it has been excellent. I've nothing against new equipment. If exactly what a person wants is within their budget then why not buy new? It's when it is not so easy to afford that a person can miss that there are other ways...

All the Japanese tractor manufacturers came up with different setups to access that cleanable screen type suction filter. Some didn't even include that feature - although most did. My guess is the cleanable screen crud flter itself on modern compacts is a holdover on some from the earlier...

Well, I know about tractors and old machines, but not so much about other people & their stresses. To me a tractor is stress relief - whether I'm working on it or with it, both are good because I am the one who can choose when and how to do the work. Just being in charge of my own time is what...

It may be that you have gotten some wrong info. information. Tractors are not built by model years like cars are. Standard tractor configuratons are built in model runs where as many are made as are expected to be sold in the next few years. The final step is crating and then warehousing. The...

There's other ways to look at that thought: We know tractors are much more reliable than cars, trucks, and most other mechanical things. So if manufacturing 20/30 years ago was as good or better than today, then any reliability difference between an old tractor and a new one is easily made...

Sounds like a plan. We sure do like those old Masseys. While looking at the various MF32&34 loaders, I stumbled across mention of a model MF2135 which is a new one on me. Apparently it was the industrial version of the MF135 and sure enough, there is a dual motion version of the MF100 loader...

Kubota also makes a few TLBs.... TLBs are a lot like the Kubota tractors but are designed for pushing and loader work instead of being designed primarily for pulling work like a tractor is. Kubota has made TLBs for a long time. The B25 spanned close to 20 years and some dealers still have them...

Well, I agree with your friend - and aparently not so much with some of the posted opinions. We've had a few tractors...each one larger and more capable than the little BX size we started with here on our remote mountain land. BTW, our land is sloping and has two ten acre parcels. Not that the...

I would keep the Massey unless you have a need for the snowblower and midmower on the JD. I understand the appeal of condition, but the Massey is little heavier tractor, a nicer transmission, and is more familiar to you. In any case, I'd keep them both for a year and that should tell the story.

That's a good point. I like draft control, but then I grew up with tractors that had it. If you plan to use ground-engaging implements like a plow or disks or anything with deep tines, then draft control is very nice to have. Having it is never a disadvantage, and on rough land - land with a...

First things first. For hydraulics, the first thing to do on many small Japanese tractors from that era is to clean the wire screen in the transmission sump. Yamar/JDs especially.

Those are nice old tractors. Are you getting the hydraulic flow from a diverter valve or from a separate pump? Sounds like you are saying your old loader didn't have power down on the lift arms. Our old JD had power up and down on the arms, but the bucket wasn't hydraulic at all - t was...

We have three Toyotas. Two are pushing 200K, one at over 250K miles. All are still on original engine, tranny, drivetrain, and suspensions. We do a moderate amount of 4wd & towing. They sit outside in the weather year round. I typically do the lube maintenance at somewhat longer than the...

Need a little more info. There are lots of kinds of tillers. Is this a ground-driven or PTO driven tiller? Or hydraulic driven? All are common. Is the tiller mounted as a front, mid, or rear type? By "flanges" do you mean the digging tines?? Are the tines straight or curved? Do the tines...

I like the tires and what we see of the general condition. Seems reasonable if you like it. But shouldn't it come with a FEL bucket? Price doesn't mean much when looking at low hour tractors. What is important is how it runs and how it has been cared for. I prefer buying used, and always want...

Both of those policies would tend to make me avoid that dealer. In my opinion both are signs of a beginner mechanic without much general experience. That is not a professional attitude at all - focused on money rather than the job. But I've got old fashioned values....now out of date....and...

It's worth a try. I once got one of my BH control valves with what seemed to be a "crud-in-the-relief-valve" problem to working right again by lifting the boom manually and then working the lever rapidly as it fell under gravity. On about the third try it started working normally and has...

Last year several of the Kubota M59 owners worked through a similar problem. Search on "M59 backhoe" & see if anything comes up. I'll do the same and see if I find it. Maybe smokeydog remembers... The short story is that we found out that any BH control valve assembly or even single replacement...

I like that idea!! Clever idea, and it ought to work. Switch hoses and see if you can get the boom to work while some other function - like bucket curl - becomes a problem. If so, then the problem is in the control valve not cylinder.

That's right. A spark happens when electricity has enough voltage to jump across a low-conductive gap. Static electricity has very high voltage. If If the plastic was conductive, current would just flow in the conductive material down to ground and no spark would happen. Be safe, rScotty

Control valve assemblies for backhoes are a lot more complicated than loader controls. BHs have check valves - which some loaders lack. And instead of just a single relief valve, it isn't unusual for BH controls to have a separate relief valve for each motion. These are common BH problem areas...

I'd probably go with one of the BX25 Kubotas. Nice little TLB with many options. They were made them from 2009 up until at least 2024 last I checked. That's an impressively long model run & they are known to be reliable. The B26 is the same only more so.... but more expensive. There are...

My Kubota did something similar with its boom cylinder... it began after a few years when it could not retract the boom cylinder enough to latch the boom lock. So...I agree with the previous opinions - the problem with yours could be either the joystick not sending pressurized fluid to the...

I was thinking the same thing. Sounds to me like the problem sounds more like an inept dealer than anything having to do with Korean tractors. BTW, the difference in loader lift is likely just advertising B.S. If the loader and the tractor weigh the same, they will perform so close to the same...

Interesting. I don't know what to say about that. You might want to check to make sure it is OEM hose. You said originally that it was compressing and restricting flow. But suction hoses are specifically made so that when new they can resist compression by the only forces that they will ever...

Of course you can. That $36 manual looks as good as any. But the best thing I have found helpful for this type of job is to share it with a buddy. Twice the fun.

Right, and the hoses get old and soft with age and hot oil...you need to replace suction hoses every so often. Sounds like yours is past due if it can be collapsed. It won't hurt to replace it.

Thanks tacticalT. The Kioti way of doing the gear and crack adjustable lifting links is a little different than the JD version, but both do the same thing. Instead of using a turnbuckle and locking nuts to adjust the lifting link length, there is a simple hand crank driving a worm drive gear...

Suction leaks don't show much leakage. Sometimes you can find them by looking at a suspected connection after the engine has been shut down overnight -then a suction air leak will show itself as a wetness at a joint as some of the trapped fluid works itself out. So if you have an oily hose...

This would be a good time to replace any "torque-to-yield" bolts with a better quality head bolt. Right, hold the FEL joystick on, and just run the starter without starting the engine. Be sure to put some safety struts around the lift cylinders if the tractor did not come with them. If working...

Stretch Head Bolts? What in the world are stretch head bolts??

Most tractors do better at pushing snow when they have chains on the tires.

I see. It makes sense now. A peculiar way to make a manifold.......You would think an intake manifold would be bulletproof. Anyway, it may be weird, but it worked once so can again. There should be a port to check the suction pressure at the intake and also prime the pump if necessary...

I agree with both of those ideas. Especially since you loosened the fitting on the steering pump ouput and got no flow out at all. Might as well hold off on the gauges until we find out if that steering pump is even turning. From what we know now, it may not be. If the coupling is, the pump is...

The common manifold problem is probably an air leak. Without gauges to test the output of the pump, we can only work on the suction to the pump.... and without gauges we don't know if we are getting anywhere. About all we can do is loosen a fitting and see if oil comes out. It will be slow...

Often when nothing works it is because the pump is not getting pure fluid. It has to suck the fluid from the sump, and if there is the slightest air leak in the hose from sump to filter to pump then the fluid gets frothy and nothing works right.. You might want to renew all those suction hose...

Like most older mechanics, I welded, brazed or soldered as required. If I was replacing a plastic radiator, it would be with one that could be repaired. Old copper and brass radiators are easy to repair, same for older soldered copper plumbing in the house. Anyone can do it.

B.S. Any halfway decent mechanic can do that job. It is simple. Don't fall for that line from an inadequate mechanic. This is basic wrench work. All it takes a wrench and socket set, some floor jacks, and a dolly. I had a repair shop. This is the type of job that you give to a kid just learning...

Is it nylon? How do you tell? Are there different types of Nylon?

Nice photo, Rocks91. That is a great picture of an old engine. Might be about the best textbook example of a worn out engine that I've ever seen. A classic. And you say it actually still ran? That's amazing... Even more amazing is that it still looks like it might be rebuildable - although it...

And there's the answer - a control valve made with a float function usually has a detent, but just adding a detent to hold a control in one position doesn't make float.

That's what I think as well - though I am not convinced that tank is nylon. It may be some sort of polypropylene - since that is a type of plastic popular for hot water systems. At a minimum you would want to find out exactly what type of plastic it is, and then probably look at making some...

Hydraulic fluid that has water in it becomes opaque - looks milky and foams. But if the fluid is transparent as it should be, then foaming is probably an air leak in the negative pressure - suction - line between the sump and the hydraulic pump. Hard to locate, so easiest fix is to replace the...

We built our place. Lots of TBNers have. It may be worth a search for a used yellow full size machine. Consider talking to a maintenance shop foreman directly. There are probably more nearby than you know. Small towns, schools districts, churches, local utilities, and shopping centers - any...

You are starting in on a big project. A home site involves a lot of digging, shooting ranges do too. And a half mile of gravel driveway is a huge project by itself. 50 acres is a lot of land. All these would go better if you start with a larger tractor. If you are able to handle normal machine...

That's exactly why I like a clutchable PTO. Best of all is a fully independent PTO that has a clutch for the drive wheels and another clutch just for the PTO. That is a common feature on ag tractors, but maybe not so much so on compacts.

It may be asking the impossible to get educational institutions to change on their own. Change may have to come from the needs of society. Back in the early 20th century a manufacturing society took the collision of pioneering "do it yourself" philosophy, in a country with more resources than...

Depending on what you are doing it might not matter. A live PTO -might or might not be clutched, and it also might/might not have an independent PTO clutch. A switched live PTO can put a large instantaneous load on the PTO. With a PTO clutch, the operator can keep the motor running and still...

HST wants for the tractor to be completely stopped to shift between ranges. The clutch doesn't seem to make any difference in range shifting. What did make a difference was extending the range shift lever a few inches. A clutch is handy for PTO engagement, and as a safety switch if the HST were...

I hope you are right. For one thing, the world may never see manufacturing like we had in the 1900 to 1960 years. Back then we had a surplus of skilled tradesman leaving their trades for manufacturing jobs. Today we don't have enough tradesman or jobs either - and both have long lead times...

I see nothing but benefit in learning a second or third trade or skill. Not only something to fall back on if the first one blows up, but it gives all sorts of opportunities to save money or just as a hobby. There just are not jobs anymore for a lot of college degrees. A single year learning...

I agree with Mike Rowe. Worldwide manufacturing competition is a math problem, and the answer is education. We did this before when sputnik went up - so I guess we can do it again. It does take time to see results because the kids that need to learn this stuff are in Jr. High right now. Back...

Most everything that is manufactured goes through the same cycle of being expensive and prone to breakdown at the first. That is part of the process. Whatever it is, after we make it for awhile we learn how to make it better and better. Until finally becoming common, inexpensive, and reliable...

Right. But doing that requires that the other side wants the same thing. That's a fantasy that is not going to happen. Somebody needs to have a real plan for how to get things done the best way with what we have.

I wish we had kept industry and manufacturing here, too. But we didn't. And now that we have given it away I doubt we can bring it back. For one thing, the countries who have the industry and manufacturing today fully understand that they now have the power that used to be ours, and have no...

I think it depends on the kind of after-processing. Most big diesels today use an after-treatment that injects fluid into the exhaust stream. They idle just fine.

I hadn't thought of a wedge - though I've used the same leverage to take other things apart. I'll remember that one. Sometimes it's worth looking into the parts book to see how things are put together before forcing them. There isn't much but the bearing circlips holding any PTO shaft in place.

Or just put a smaller gas motor in it. I don't know Fords, but they probably make a nice six that will bolt right in. Our old Chevy dump truck has a small 6 cylinder gasser. It gets around just fine in the mountains with a split-shifting manual. Not fast, but inexpensive and reliable. rScotty

Check your personal messages.

The other side of that coin is the only way to make something better is to dive in and make it - with the eventual goal of making it work better. That's what mech-heads do. I don't like being forced by the gov't.. but that is what govenments do. And while I don't like being forced from my...

There has been quite a bit written about irratic swing problems in backhoes. In Kubotas it seems to be a relief valve or check valve problem in the backhoe control valve assembly more often than not. Nobody seems to know for sure, but some believe the proble is a piece of crud gets caught on the...

I had a tire with a slow leak that developed cracks & was concerned that the cracks might fill up with dirt and rocks and abrade the tire. The tire on the other side without a slow leak hasn't developed any cracks at all. So I filled the cracks in the tire using a plastic spatula and Dow...

It's fascinating how many ways there are to do something.... just how much work people will gamble against how much risk they are willing to take. Chaining it to a tree and driving forward will probably accomplish something, but you don't have any control over what that might be. It might even...

Makes sense. most "starter issues" are really battery issues. Followed by battery cable ends - that's all 4 ends, then solenoids, then the key switch that activates the solenoid, and if all those fail it might be the starter itself...but rarely is. The starter is the last thing on the list...

That was my conclusion too.