Bad day brush hogging... need FEL advice

[smithdenny]

Yesterday I'm trying to help a neighbor by brush hogging his partially cleared field. Because the grass was higher than the hood of my 2014 Kiota DK50 (400+ hours) I used the FEL bucket close to the ground trying to find any stumps or rocks before the brush hog did. I found one with the front left corner of the bucket. Impact was pretty hard. After I got home I noticed the curl function would not curl back as much as it had before but it did operate with maybe 85% of normal movement. I removed the bucket and parked the tractor in the shop. This morning I find the curl cylinders moving a total of about 1/2 inch curl up to curl down with the rods retracted in the cylinders. I disconnected the cylinders from the FEL brackets to find the problem is apparently in the cylinders, still little movement of the rods in both cylinders unloaded. Did I bend the rods in both cylinders? I can not see any damage by simply looking at the cylinders. The FEL will lift and lower normally. How can I test to determine the extent of the damage? Would one bound (or otherwise damaged) cylinder keep the other from operating also? Any advice would be most appreciated, thanks.

Parts are already on order to repair the broken brush hog that later found its own stump. I did say it was a bad day...

 

[TractorGuy]

Sounds like it might pulled the piston bolt if the rod moves with the cylinder retracted. Try extending both all the way out and see if there is any movement in the rods. You may have to pull them apart to see exactly what is going on there.

I would check other areas 3 times before I condemned the cylinders or rods.

 

[smithdenny]

Sounds like it might pulled the piston bolt if the rod moves with the cylinder retracted. Try extending both all the way out and see if there is any movement in the rods. You may have to pull them apart to see exactly what is going on there.

I would check other areas 3 times before I condemned the cylinders or rods.

Now I am very embarrassed! Thinking this has to be something simple (and maybe stupid) I looked everything over again... and sure enough it was simple... (and I feel stupid for not seeing it before). One of the quick disconnects on the curl cylinders had come unplugged! I simply bled the pressure down, reconnected the hose and viola! It seems to work normally! Its raining now so tomorrow I'll move some dirt to make sure it is working properly but here in the shop unloaded it seems to operate normally. Sure wished I had seen this before crying wolf! To my self defense the quick disconnects sit between the floorboard and the fuel tank... you actually have to look for them.
Thanks Tractor Guy for your quick response, checking everything 3 times is great advice.
While I normally just lurk here I love this site for all of the helpful information.

 

[Zebrafive]

Makes your day only 1/2 as bad as it could have been

 

[seville009]

Glad it turned out to be simple.

I use the same technique as you - lower the bucket to find stumps and rocks. I curl the bucket up about half though so that if it does hit something, that it will (hopefully) ride over it instead of slamming to a stop.

Had a similar "helping a neighbor" experience a few years back. Brush hogging a field for a neighbor for the first time; at least five years worth of growth. Raised the mower to back it into the corner and then let it down......right onto a large Boulder. Pushed the blades up into the mower deck and pushed out the deck. Still works though.....

 

[LD1]

The slight movement was probably a little air in the system from the bucket bleeding off (dumping a bit) and without the QC hooked up when you tried to move it...it was unable to purge the air out.

 

[LD1]

Glad it turned out to be simple.

I use the same technique as you - lower the bucket to find stumps and rocks. I curl the bucket up about half though so that if it does hit something, that it will (hopefully) ride over it instead of slamming to a stop.

Had a similar "helping a neighbor" experience a few years back. Brush hogging a field for a neighbor for the first time; at least five years worth of growth. Raised the mower to back it into the corner and then let it down......right onto a large Boulder. Pushed the blades up into the mower deck and pushed out the deck. Still works though.....

Stuff like this is exactly why I hate the fact that so many newer HST tractors have gone away from a clutch pedal.

In an oh-$hit moment such as that....its natural reflex to stomp the left foot on the clutch.

MY HST is old enough it still has the pedal. And I have done just that a few times to save some potential damage

 

[sandman2234]

So, now that the loader problem has been fixed, shall we move on to the bush hog problem?
David from jax

 

[Richard]

Its raining now

It's raining and you discovered your problem was a disconnected quick connect.

Sounds to me like you found the rainbow!

 

[smithdenny]

Glad it turned out to be simple.

I use the same technique as you - lower the bucket to find stumps and rocks. I curl the bucket up about half though so that if it does hit something, that it will (hopefully) ride over it instead of slamming to a stop.

Had a similar "helping a neighbor" experience a few years back. Brush hogging a field for a neighbor for the first time; at least five years worth of growth. Raised the mower to back it into the corner and then let it down......right onto a large Boulder. Pushed the blades up into the mower deck and pushed out the deck. Still works though.....

I like the idea of curling the bucket back to hopefully ride over the stump/rock, that makes good sense. I will employ that idea in the future, thanks!