2310TLB Busted Zirks-Loader Tilt Piston

[timbrehse]

This happen to anyone else? I'm on my 3rd set. I don't beat on my machine, I'm not careless w/ it either but I didn't get it to plant flowers - it's not my lawn tractor.
I've been moving tons of fill & gravel the last few weeks - long days in the saddle.
Every few days, when I go to grease it up, I'll find one or both of the zirks on the bucket end of the loader tilt piston crushed.
I know how it happens. My neighbor, a pro operator, says it's fairly common. It'd make for a long unproductive day if I had to get on & off the tractor every scoop out of the pile to make sure nothing was caught in there before I tilt it back.
Can I pull the pins on the pistons & rotate them 180 deg. so the zirks are pointing down?
Anybody done this?
Or should I just go order a big box of zirks to have 'em on hand.

 

[N1ST]

Jim,

No answer for ya, but was wondering, since you work it hard day after day, how's it's been doing and if you're happy with it's performance? How many hours on it? How's the FEL control at the end of the day - any stickyness? Anything loosen up on you aside from the wheel bolts, which is common.

 

[timbrehse]

Jim,

No answer for ya, but was wondering, since you work it hard day after day, how's it's been doing and if you're happy with it's performance? How many hours on it? How's the FEL control at the end of the day - any stickyness? Anything loosen up on you aside from the wheel bolts, which is common.

I'm extremely happy w/ it's performance. It has 360 hrs on it & runs like a champ.
Naturally, there's some pin wear at the loader bucket but no sluggishness at all.
With diligent maintenance, I haven't had 1 problem. Oh, except the seat cutoff switch went bad-unplugged it.
This past year, I moved well over 400 yrds of fill, t-soil & gravel. Dug trenches for stone wall footings, planted some good sized trees and my old dog too.
It takes a while w/ a small machine but I don't have the room to maneuver or house a machine much bigger. Plus it's easy to trailer if need be.
I have a canopy on it - a well spent couple of hundred bucks. Have to fold the ROP to get in the garage.
I recently bought a power broom for it ... not gonna mess w/ it ti'll spring cleanup.
I'll be happy when the work's done but I'm happy doin' it w/ this tractor.
It's more than paid for itself given what contractors get per hr around here. I remind my wife of that fact when she calls it my "toy"

 

[N1ST]

Good report and nice to hear. I've got a tiller for mine I'm anxious to get using but I have to get the higher priority chores out of the way first.

 

[plowking]

I had problems with material,rocks falling off back edge of bucket onto pin areas,hood. I installed a shield or guard on top of bucket to keep material from spilling over the back,seems to help. My shield is a flat piece shaped like angle iron,but it is 4-6 inches high, bolted it to top edge with piece of angle iron to reinforce edge. Don't have welder so had to bolt it on [ grade 5 or 8 bolts]. plowking

 

[getindirty]

Hey Tim,
I should be using my broom this week. I'll try to get back to let you know how it works. You know it works on snow and leaves too. I have not run into the problem with the zerks. You must be moving stone and getting them caught? I move stone all the time and have yet to bust one. Must be soft rocks in IL.

 

[timbrehse]

Hey plowking...genius!
I haven't been landing stuff on the hood. But some kind of guard. Maybe like a mud flap.
Thanks. I'm on it.


And getindirty:
Let me know how the broom does. One thing. I'm told you want to wear a mask.
It will kick up a cloud.
I don't think I'll be using it for snow. I have a plow truck & V-box sander. I got the broom to clean up in spring after sanding all winter. Plus I need to keep the bucket on for those storms that leave 2 in. of solid ice. The V plow is heavy but the urethane edge (which is like a squeegee on blk-top) won't cut thru solid ice. The bucket works great as an emergency ice scraper.