Add rear remote to BX2230 for dump trailer?

[heringja]

Hello all

I am a newbie and have been reading your forums for about 1 week now. I think I have logged about 40 hours reading different threads. My mind is racing in about 10 different directions, but I keep coming back to this one problem and have not found a detailed thread to make everything clear in my mind.

I have just bought a brand new BX2230 with FEL, 54" MMM, Ballast box, and Kubota sunshade. I paid $11,700. I only have 3 hours on it, mostly from driving around my subdivision showing it off to my friends. I also just bought 3.5 acres so I could use my new tractor and will be moving Aug 22,2006.

I want to add a rear remote so that I can use the Country Mfc. 1 ton tandem dump trailer to be used with a hydraulic cylinder I would need to buy.

I have no detailed plan on how to do this.

Questions:

Is a rear remote necessary to run the cylinder on the dump trailer?
Is there another way, maybe cheaper, but still "elegant"?
Does the remote kit come with a joystick?
Where would they mount the joystick?
Does the BX2230 have enough fluid to run a 4" x 24" stroke cyl. ?
What kind of cyl should I get, single or double acting.
What kind of hoses and fittings would I need to buy?
What is a spool valve?

Can someone who has done this give me some guidance and or advice and maybe even a parts list of what I would need to do and how much $'s the hydraulic mods would cost.

Ps. I don't understand much of the hydraulic termanology yet.

Thanks very much. I love this forum. Lots of great Ideas.

Jim Hering

 

[MadReferee]

To answer some of your questions:

Is a rear remote necessary to run the cylinder on the dump trailer?
Is there another way, maybe cheaper, but still "elegant"?

A remote is necessary unless you want to disconnect your FEL each time you want to dump the trailer.

Does the remote kit come with a joystick?
Where would they mount the joystick?

Where are you buying the kit? If Kubota has one then there would be no joystick. You can purchase a joystick spool valve from Surplus Center and use it. On your tractor any remote valve would be easily mounted on the ROPS.

Does the BX2230 have enough fluid to run a 4" x 24" stroke cyl. ?

Fluid is not the issue, gpm flow is. Yes your tractor can handle it.

What kind of cyl should I get, single or double acting.

I would get a double acting cylinder since then it can be hydraulically lowered. A single acting cylinder requires gravity alone to lower the cylinder. A good Chief tie rod cylinder from Surplus Center is what I used on mine.

What kind of hoses and fittings would I need to buy?

It depends on what valve you are using and what sizes the cylinder fitting are and what sizes the existing hoses are. Probably 3/8" hose.

What is a spool valve?

By asking this simple question you have indicated that you know nothing about what you are planning to do. You still need to study up on how tractor hydraulics work. This is not a bad thing but it's not a good thing either if you want to do this right. BTW, a spool valve is the valve that makes a single hydraulic function work (like a light switch). Your FEL has a 2 spool valve.

There have been plenty of threads discussing how to add remotes to a Kubota B or BX series tractor. There is no "package kit" available unless Kubota sells one for that tractor at greatly inflated prices. You can roll your own 2 spool setup for well under $500 complete with an Eaton-Cessna valve, hoses, couplers and fittings. There is no one size fits all parts list here either.

I would suggest you do a little more homework here on TBN. I am sure there are people who can point you in the right direction but you will have some parts decisions to make that only you can do. I have posted numerous times on how to make the hydraulic connections and on how to choose the right parts.

 

[HomeBrew2]

This link is to Harleyscooter's hydraulic top link thread. Search for his other threads using the rear remotes. Also search for threads by jrlichina as he has also done it. I checked the Kubota parts about 6 months ago and it came out to Around $500.
Another thought is to buy an electric/hydraulic unit that would mount to the trailer. I bought a highway legal dump trailer with this setup and like it a lot.
I haven't done this project so I don't know anymore about it.
Attached is the Kubota kit sheet.
Cheers!

 

[heringja]

Thanks MadRef and Homebrew. I will do some more studing. Maybe I want a 12 volt dump system installed on the trailer so it is stand alone. If I do this, would the Alternator in the tractor be able to recharge the Battery on the trailer.

Jim

 

[MadReferee]

I berlieve that the charging dynamo on the BX is only 14 amps. I would recommend that you upgrade to the larger 40 amp alternator. You would still have to jury rig the wiring to the aux battery.

 

[davesalisbury]

Hi all-

Sorry in advance if length is too great. What can I say? I'm a ramblin' man.

I recently made my first posts about getting the FEL for my BX 2230. Thanks again to all at Tractorbynet for the kind advice. BTW, for those in the SW Ohio area I've had really good experience with The Equipment Superstore - helpful, patient, answers every question, pretty reasonable on pricing. The tractor is being returned to my house later today with the FEL (a Woods 1005).

All of this discussion about rear remotes made me start thinking about doing this at some point. I've got a straight blade, and am getting a box blade (so top-link and angle adjustments should be useful). I'll use the box for the usual stuff, but also to scratch up a few high spots around the property and use the FEL to move to lower spots.

As mechanics go, I'm a pretty decent parts replacer, and my limitations (about which I try to keep a sane estimate) as to tools (and experience) make me think I should avoid any heavy-duty fabbing. I'd like to avoid digging in around under the tractor to the extent possible. I understand hydraulics at a theoretical level; less so at a practical level (and I admit that I may need to do some more reading about "practical" level stuff).

Anyway, attached is a picture of where the metal plumbing from the valve that the mechanics attached to my BX2230. I was wondering - would it be plausible to simply put T's where the hard lines stop, re-attach the flexible lines to the FEL, then run flexible lines to the back (with appropriate protection) and put on a valve back there for a top n tilt? I figure that this would keep the fabbing and changing stuff around to a minimum. Or would this create problems for the FEL, or am I completely off base, or what?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

 

[MadReferee]

You cannot tee into pressure lines. All valves must be connected in series.

The power beyond outlet line from the previous valve (valve A) connects to the inlet of the next valve (valve B). The next valve's (valve B) power beyond outlet connects to the inlet of the following valve (valve C), etc, etc.

The return to tank lines are the only lines that can be teed into each other.

On your diagram, the line marked pressure goes from the tractor's hydraulic block into the loader valve's inlet. The PBY line is the loader valve's power beyond outlet. This line will go to the next valve's inlet and the PB from the next valve goes back into the tractor's hydraulic block, completing the series circuit.

 

[davesalisbury]

You cannot tee into pressure lines. All valves must be connected in series.

The power beyond outlet line from the previous valve (valve A) connects to the inlet of the next valve (valve B). The next valve's (valve B) power beyond outlet connects to the inlet of the following valve (valve C), etc, etc.

The return to tank lines are the only lines that can be teed into each other.

Wow - people around here reply rapidly. Thanks for your advice. So then the next idea (hopefully now better-informed than the last) would be to run the pressure line from the power beyond outlet of the FEL valve (assuming it has one - if not things get entertaining) to a valve at the back (again with appropriate protection), and I guess one could conceivably T into the return line. I read in one of your earlier posts about what to do with the PBY line (wherein I admit that I am not sure entirely what that acronym is - I'm assume some sort of pressure relief?). Maybe I should adopt a pseudonym if I'm going to ask questions such as these.

 

[MadReferee]

Remember, you cannot tee into a pressure/PB line. The only line that can be teed is the return to tank line that goes back to the transmission sump.

Take the PB outlet line from the loader valve and connect it to the inlet of your new valve. Take the PB outlet of your new valve and connect it to where the loader PB line went. Tee the tank lines from the loader valve and your new valve together. You have now put your new valve in series with the loader valve and the 3pt.

There is basically no other way this can be hooked up.

 

[davesalisbury]

Got it. Return line can be T'd, Pressure and PBY can NOT. Thanks very much for your kind and helpful reply. This is probably a longer term thing but I am interested enough to be curious (and obviously need to do a bit more learning before getting serious).