B26 Skid Plates

[ryer]

Sam Walton, RichT, or anyone else in the know. New B26 to be delivered Friday...a few questions. Is it similar to BX24 with a vulnerable fan or anthing else that can be damaged by heavy forested excavation? Do I need any type of skid plate or protection? Also, how important is water in tires if I leave the backhoe on for ballast? Dealer doubled up on sealant instead of the other kind of sealant and water. Said it works better with mesquite thorns. Thanks!

 

[SamWalton]

Most hydro lines are tucked away from the bottom. See attached picture. The FEL has a few solid lines which could be damaged if you were to get something between the frame and engine trans area. Also the flex Hydro to back hoe could be snaged if not properly positioned.

 

[WALT]

ryer:

I made a skid plate for my L-39. I tried to post the link, no luck. Do a search of my posts (April 2006) for pictures of the skid plate. I mounted it using homemade U bolts to the rear cross member & the front loader frame.

As I was clearing forest for lawn, I was worried about "snap-ups" roots & stones damaging the bottom of the tractor. If you have access to a welder & metal working tools, it is not difficult to make. Make a plywood templet to fit it to your tractor, make your modifications, then build your skid plate.


WALT

 

[RichT]

Congrats ryer! Post some arrival pix.

As Sam indicated, most soft lines are protected pretty well. The hoe detach lines are pretty long and hang down a bit - I was looking at that the other day. I built a homemade skid plate for my 22 and plan the same for the 26.

 

[art]

The basic design makes it rare for damage but Murpy's Law can change things quickly. The oil capacity is large enough to cool the oil sufficently so there is no need of a fan like on the sub-compacts. To look at the differnence of designs from brand to brand what may look like a dream may just be a sore that might just fester.

 

[SamWalton]

Congrats ryer! Post some arrival pix.

As Sam indicated, most soft lines are protected pretty well. The hoe detach lines are pretty long and hang down a bit - I was looking at that the other day. I built a homemade skid plate for my 22 and plan the same for the 26.

After reinstalling the backhoe I reached under and pulled the loose flex hydro line up into the upmost position to avoid catching it on any objects. This line was hanging down quite a bit before my adjustment.