Can you identify a hydraulic control valve with a float position visually?

[mslisaj]

Well as I continue to dig into this I got the biggest story from my dealer on why this was not on my backhoe. Apparently the "head mechanic" said that "these little tractors don't have the power for a float". :laughing: Yea, I know as I tried to tell him that all the competitions tractor have it on smaller tractors then mine and then he countered that this is how they make their price point on these small tractors. I just groaned on that one too. Okay, didn't want to make enemies there so I let it go and moved on. I looked up the valve and it's a Walvoil brand and that is a very big company. Apparently I have a very common and kind of standard valve in size SD5 with six spools. This valve also has the "joystick" option added to it. There are a lot of options that can be ordered into a valve when you buy one. Also I gather that the company is in England. I will try to find a USA distributor and maybe talk to them and I could buy the parts to remove one spool and change it out with the "float spool" addition and then the detent option. I was amazed and kind of overwhelmed with all this in their spec book.

Here's is the link to the book and it's amazing what's there :

Walvoil - Hydraulic Control Systems

For what ever reason LS got lazy and either ordered off the shelf stock valves or they didn't order them equipped with the option and they're not going to help me. I also get a kick out of being asked what I want it for? What's it used for? Well I respond that I just want it on my machine but I let it go so I have moved on.
Just thought I would share this with you guys as you have been so helpful and maybe this material would be useful to you if you need a part of something.

Thanks again for your comments here.

 

[oldnslo]

mslisa,
You may find that Walvoil will not just sell the parts required to covert this assembly to float detent. Reason for this is on back hoe boom the leakage is critical and the spool diameter could be match fit to the valve bore. Some companies will not just sell spools since typically when the spool is damaged the casting is also damaged.

 

[CincyFlyer]

Just curious...what action on a backhoe would you want to set in 'float'?

I'm guessing that you don't own a backhoe! The boom has a float on most, to allow the bucket to dig only under the mass of the backhoe, without down pressure. I use it all the time.

 

[Peter 315]

I'm guessing that you don't own a backhoe! The boom has a float on most, to allow the bucket to dig only under the mass of the backhoe, without down pressure. I use it all the time.

My kubota l47 tlb or the jd 770 that i sold did not have boom float

 

[the old grind]

You might ask a distributor/dealer if your stack can be exchanged and with a few bucks, if it's unused. (a long shot, so appeal 'wistfully'?) Yes, a spool and its body are micro-matched to tenths of a thousandth of an inch tolerances, but it'd be pretty 'low-tech' to disassemble the stack, swap in the one correct valve/section and reassemble. (one to buy at most, that way)

Neighbor rented a Takeuchi mini-ex for his septic and when I arrived with my Terramite he asked me to jump in & see if it would be faster than mine. The sticks weren't in the familiar pattern, but a label directed me to move something under them to switch over for the two day job. (good food, good free coffee) Not sure I get how float is such a boon, and with the Tak, just like the Terramite, if there indeed was float on any valves I've yet to notice.

 

[/pine]

I'm guessing that you don't own a backhoe! The boom has a float on most, to allow the bucket to dig only under the mass of the backhoe, without down pressure. I use it all the time.

Au contraire...I do...but like in one of my previous posts in this thread I said I did not have much experience in maintaining a smooth grade on ditch bottoms where it seems like a boom float detent would be advantageous...but then again I rarely us the bh for ditching as it's on the other end of my Ditch Witch...

 

[CincyFlyer]

Au contraire...I do...but like in one of my previous posts in this thread I said I did not have much experience in maintaining a smooth grade on ditch bottoms where it seems like a boom float detent would be advantageous...but then again I rarely us the bh for ditching as it's on the other end of my Ditch Witch...

I got very familiar with mine when my 535' water line sprung a $150/month leak and I had to dig it up and patch it.

 

[Reg]

I just went through this with a Humpolec loader.
In that case the answer is a very clear NO.

You have to take the "Cap" off (carefully, to be sure no detent balls are lost) and inspect inside that cap.
There may be rod differences too, i.e. if there is no ridge on the end of the rod to be captured by detent balls.