Damage from Loader

[Geotech]

No first hand knowledge, but I understand that you can break your transmission housing from stresses generated from loader work. How common is this?

 

[4570Man]

Not very on newer tractors.

 

[radios1]

that was common for the cheap imports..

 

[CincyFlyer]

It depends on how the loader is mounted. Most newer models add a sub-frame that distributes the load (and if you add a backhoe, it goes on the same sub-frame on many brands.) I'm sure some "add-ons" weren't properly designed, or were too generic to guarantee that overstress wouldn't occur.

 

[Ritothebull]

When people run these little tractors like a commercial wheel loader things will bend and break, I know because I have fixed quite a few of them. On many of the ones I've seen their buckets were all bent to **** like they were used in a junkyard or something.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

that was common for the cheap imports..

Brands?

 

[oosik]

About as common as finding a purple four leaf clover in the Atacama desert.

 

[art]

the problem was there a few years back with a loader design that gave no center section strength and either broke the mounts off the engine or transmission. Backhoes amplified the issue but they broke with just loaders just took some additional time. I am unaware of any newer tractors with the issue but there is tomorrow!!

 

[radios1]

Brands?

that would be getting political, the administrator don't like political posts here.. I'm sure you can think of at least 2 Countries that make cheap junk, though..

 

[Zebrafive]

One problem was the bolts did not get checked and loosened. Then the loader would move the mounts enough to break the housing bolt holes. Keep the mounting bolts tight and less likely to have any problems

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

I'm sure you can think of at least 2 Countries that make cheap junk, though..

I think any country is capable of making cheap junk, and most are capable of making quality stuff too. I read that "Made in Japan" used to mean "cheap junk." Now not so much....

 

[Geotech]

So do newer tractors, say the Kioti CK series, have subframes for their front end loaders?

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

So do newer tractors, say the Kioti CK series, have subframes for their front end loaders?

I thought all modern tractors had subframes to support the FEL (and backhoe). Otherwise, what do they mount it to? The front bumper? :laughing: Got me curious, so.....

FEL attachment on far right, showing how it attaches to a metal frame piece that runs front to back on both sides. Also supports a BH if you have one.


From the front, showing how the FEL also bolts onto a frame cross-piece that runs between the left and right FEL attachment points. (Also acts as an ad hoc skid plate.)


Closeup of the cross-wise frame piece that the FEL bolts onto.

 

[atsah]

What amazes me is they still don’t install lock washers on the bolts, my loader came loose twice, luckily I noticed it and installed lock washers, hasn’t happened since.

 

[npalen]

I can understand having the subframe extending to the rear axle. I don't understand, however, the effect of the crossmember under the bell housing connecting left and right towers. I can see where it might absorb a little twisting force and maybe that is enough to justify the expense.

Some gruesome pics:

tractor broken in half images - Google Search

 

[mrmikey]

What amazes me is they still don’t install lock washers on the bolts....

I'm of a different mindset .
Lockwashers should be outlawed,only time, IMHO, they do anything is if the bolt or nut is already loose, and they are prone to breakage as they are hard. Give me a GR8 bolt or GR8 bolt and nut along with GR8 flats and some blue or red Loctite, depending on the application, and I'm good.
When I had my FWD Jinma I replaced all the bolts with GR10.9 (metric eq. of GR8), cleaned out the threaded holes and reinstalled them using Loctite........Mike

 

[52wej]

As has been said, earlier model compact tractors did not have sufficient loader subframes to properly distribute the stresses from the loader. Combined with careless & abusive operation there have been problems. Most loaders now have a lot stronger subframe to prevent problems with damage to the basic tractor...........but nothing is fool proof when abused. W. JONES

 

[radios1]

One problem was the bolts did not get checked and loosened. Then the loader would move the mounts enough to break the housing bolt holes. Keep the mounting bolts tight and less likely to have any problems

lock washers would have kept them tight, IF they ever were tight!!.. Aircraft use bolts with a through hole, and are safety wired, THAT is the most secure way of preventing bolts from loosening!..

 

[Ritothebull]

Proper size and grade fasteners threaded into holes with the correct thread tolerance is also important but unfortunately not so much to some manufacturers these days.

 

[Oldoak]

Brands?

that would be getting political, the administrator don't like political posts here.. I'm sure you can think of at least 2 Countries that make cheap junk, though..

Political? No, just someone looking for facts.:confused3:

After all, there are many foreign manufactured tractors from different countries being sold in the U.S. Allow the administrator to determine what is "political".