bucket removal

[Oldstuff]

I have never removed a bucket from a FEL before, I looked it over and am wondering how difficult it is to remove those pins? I guess drive them out with a large punch? Nothing is rusted as tractor has been in a shed for it's life. L3400 from 2009.
Thanks- Oldstuff

 

[azbinder]

Lower loader to the ground and shut off the tractor.
Work the loader lever to release all pressure on the cylinders.
Remove the cylinder pins FIRST. Then use a 2x4 to hold the cylinder up.
Then remove the lower mounting pins. then back tractor away from the bucket.

 

[bdhsfz6]

If you do it often, I would consider an SSQA adapter.

 

[zzvyb6]

There's a good chance loader's pins are frozen solid to the loader arm sockets. If so, and pre-heating & soaking with fluids for days don't work here's what you can do:
Weld a large hard nut to one end of the loader pin. Use an impact wrench to jerk the pin loose with a hard 6 point socket on the gun.

 

[BlueKnife]

I have never removed a bucket from a FEL before, I looked it over and am wondering how difficult it is to remove those pins? I guess drive them out with a large punch? Nothing is rusted as tractor has been in a shed for it's life. L3400 from 2009.
Thanks- Oldstuff

It's not difficult. Follow @azbinder 's directions on as flat and even of a surface as you can. You can tap the pins out if you need to, but if you find yourself having to beat on them much you've got something bound up and need to reassess the position of the arms and cylinders.

 

[Oldstuff]

Thanks to All for you help, it will be a couple of weeks before I get to this so I'll spray with some PB Blaster until then.

Oldstuff

 

[oldballs]

I could be that getting the bucket/pins reseated is even more difficult.........

Cheers,
Mike

 

[mikester]

If you grease your tractor regularly and remove the bucket on level ground (read concrete floor) with a drift pin and hammer and you won't have any problems. If you put too much down force on the bucket or if things are bent/askew you might have issues getting the last pins out. Don't beat on the pins, it's a sign you might be doing something wrong.

Get yourself a 5lbs brass hammer for setting the pins. A decent deadblow hammer works well too if everything is aligned and greased.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I'm wondering why you would want/need to remove the bucket. Are you planning on a converstion of some sort?

I also have a 2009 Kubota L3400. It also has been 'garage kept' 100% of the time since purchased new. No reflection, but I've never felt a need to remove the bucket, but then that's just my personal needs/wants.

 

[oosik]

Ten years ago the bucket was removed and the grapple installed. Never put the bucket back on.

 

[Oldstuff]

Original poster here- tractor is just a little too long to park in my shed with brush cutter attached. I have measured and if I get a quick attach as shown in this post - Quick attach options - I will detach the bucket and leave it off as I only use it maybe once a year. I also do not need any other front end equipment. Since bucket is so seldom used I do not want to go through the trouble/expense of an actual ssqa hitch. I had also considered extending the shed but that is more involved than I want to deal with.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Leave the bucket on, raise the loader and curl the bucket in. Then it might fit.

But do support the loader!

 

[BlueKnife]

Original poster here- tractor is just a little too long to park in my shed with brush cutter attached. I have measured and if I get a quick attach as shown in this post - Quick attach options - I will detach the bucket and leave it off as I only use it maybe once a year. I also do not need any other front end equipment. Since bucket is so seldom used I do not want to go through the trouble/expense of an actual ssqa hitch. I had also considered extending the shed but that is more involved than I want to deal with.

Do I understand correctly that you're only doing this so that it fits in a shed? Just back the tractor in and leave the bucket sticking outside. No reason to mess with taking the bucket off just for that.

 

[old and tired]

Seems that taking the loader and bucket off the tractor would be easier and cheaper (free in fact). When I'm just mowing, I remove my FEL and it feels like I have an extra 5 hp... moves so much better, 900 Lbs. (??) lighter and more compact.

Put a lean-to on the side off the shed to store it, just make sure the land is flat.

 

[2manyrocks]

Just wondering what keeps the FEL loader tubes in the correct position relative to each other once you remove a pin on bucket? Without a SSQA, looks like reinstalling the bucket could be a pain later.

 

[BlueKnife]

Just wondering what keeps the FEL loader tubes in the correct position relative to each other once you remove a pin on bucket? Without a SSQA, looks like reinstalling the bucket could be a pain later.

Not sure what you mean by "tubes". Are you talking about the curl cylinders? If so, nothing keeps them in position relative to each other. It's not a big deal though. To reconnect the bucket, pin the loader arms on first, then do one curl cylinder at a time. I used to have an L35 that had a pin on bucket. I built a set of pin on forks for it that stayed on it most of the time. I swapped out the bucket maybe once a week or so. Took maybe 5 minutes if I was on nice flat ground, twice that if the rear wheels and bucket weren't on the same plane.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Just wondering what keeps the FEL loader tubes in the correct position relative to each other once you remove a pin on bucket? Without a SSQA, looks like reinstalling the bucket could be a pain later.

All my loaders have a "cross member" of sorts between the loader arms. They can't operate independently.

 

[BlueKnife]

All my loaders have a "cross member" of sorts between the loader arms. They can't operate independently.

I think he's talking about the curl cylinders, not the arms. Hard to say though......

 

[5030]

I can remove mine with my fingers only but I keep the loader well greased.

 

[Oldstuff]

original poster again- you guys are giving me good additional ideas. 2manyrocks, if you look at my post #11 and click on the blue highlighted print you will see what I am talking about in post #4 of that thread. I guess I will call that a quick attach for the bucket only.

Oldstuff