Re: 5030 \"skidder\" pics - the \"tree-bota\" in action
I'm going to post 5 more pics, including this one that shows a closeup the rear solenoids, a triple "gang" of Vickers with 1/2" ports. The other four pics will show the front solenoid mounted on the r/h loader frame, the front hoses that go to and from the front grapple, the rear hoses that go to and from the rear solenoids, and how the hoses are routed under the right side of the tractor.
For those unfamiliar with hydraulic solenoids, or solenoids in general, I'm going to include a description of what they are and how they work. It's really pretty simple. Most of this is from a post I made in another thread partly in response to this question: " I like the sound of having the functionality of the solenoids but still do not completely understand it?" Bear in mind that you don't have to completely understand it, and if you wanted HSV's on your tractor all you would have to do is print out this thread and bring it, and your preferably remote-less tractor, to the right person. They are out there.
A hydraulic solenoid valve (I'm going to call it an HSV from now on) has two joined halves. Half of it is an electric solenoid, the other half is the valve body that the hydraulic fluid flows through and in and out of the ports. The ports (1/2" usually, for the flow rates of most CUTs) conduct the fluid in the valve body into the hydraulic hoses that you screw into them using the same type of hose and fittings as you would use with remotes.
The general definition of a solenoid is an electrical component that moves a lever, or moves something, when current is applied to it, 12 volts in this case. (A typical automotive application is a starter solenoid, that moves a gear that engages with and spins the ring gear on the flywheel when you turn the key). A joystick, as I have been referring to it, is just a handle that sends the electric current to the appropriate solenoid through sets of contacts that get closed or opened when you move the joystick in different directions. If you wanted a box blade to come up, you'd push the handle forward. 12 volts would go to the solenoid that's connected to the valve body that the hose going to that cylinder is attached to, and the box blade comes up. When the solenoid receives the 12 volts, a lever opens or closes a valve in the valve body, allowing or not allowing the pressurized (around 2,500 psi) hydraulic fluid to flow throught the port and through the hose. So pushing the joystick forward accomplishes the same as pushing a "remote" lever forward.
The only limit to how many HSV's you can have is how many do you need and where to locate them. It's wide open. You can have single ones, like the one that operates my front grapple, that is controlled by the rocker switch on my loader handle. My front grapple has only one hydraulic function - open/close. [Any attachment with only one hydraulic function requires just ONE HSV or remote to operate it. Either one would perform BOTH the open and close, or left and right, or up and down, whatever. You don't need one valve to do one direction of the function, and another valve to do the other]. My rear grapple itself has two hydraulic functions - grapple arms open/closed, and lift arms/lower arms. I have a triple bank of Vickers HSV's mounted behind the seat on the ROPS. The four hoses to handle these two functions go into two of the valve bodies on them. The third HSV will control the hydraulic top-link cylinder that I am going to add. The joystick to the right of my seat, where the remote levers would have been, controls (sends current) to one, two, or all three of the HSV's depending on how the joystick is moved in its two axes (clockwise from 9:00 - left, left-forward, forward, forward-right, right, right-rear, rear, rear-left), or whether or not the rocker switch on the top of the joystick is activated. When the joystick is moved left, right, forward or back, one solenoid is energized, moving one cylinder. In the other positions, two are energized at the same time, moving two cylinders simultaneously. The rocker switch on the top of the joystick will energize the third HSV that will operate the top link cylinder, to give the rear grapple greater range of motion.
You can put HSV's wherever you want them, in any configuration. A single, double, triple, quad, any combination. Then just send current to them using any type of joystick or other control you want, selected for ergonomics, size, shape, number of buttons, whatever or however you want to control whatever implement. My front loader uses a single HSV. A triple was perfect for the rear grapple, so the joystick I selected has 3 functions too.
When I was researching my tractor purchase, I thought a lot about how I was actually going to control the attachments, grapples in this case. I decided that I did not want to have to throw individual levers to control one function at a time. It would have been a royal pain to close, then lower, then maybe close some more, or open a little, or lift some, all while reaching for different handles. I already knew about HSV's, they're on a lot of machines. Many front grapples on the tractors here on TBN for instance. Some have diverter valve setups which I did not want because of the extra button pushing and loss of the function that's being diverted away from. Once I realized that I didn't want remotes, I just started calling and asking around until I found someone who knew what I was talking about, and assured me that this was right up his alley. Anyone reading this can find someone too, it's just a matter of how far you will have to travel. I had to go about 25 miles. As they say, your mileage may vary.
