FEL bucket not staying in place

rebelmedic · May 22, 2006

I have the 18la loader. Recently i`ve noticed that when attempting to back drag the bucket will not stay in place. It flattens out when curled forward and downforce applied requireing a near 90 degree forward position before it will remain in place. I think i read a similar post here in past but cannot locate it. The tractor now has 85 hours and this has been only problem. I appreciate any input anyone can offer to help. Warrenty will expire next month.

rebelmedic · May 22, 2006

I have the 18la loader. Recently i`ve noticed that when attempting to back drag the bucket will not stay in place. It flattens out when curled forward and downforce applied requireing a near 90 degree forward position before it will remain in place. I think i read a similar post here in past but cannot locate it. The tractor now has 85 hours and this has been only problem. I appreciate any input anyone can offer to help. Warrenty will expire next month.

SteveInMD · May 22, 2006

Some amount of sagging or leak down is normal for the hydraulics. Mine drops an inch or two in an hour.

I back drag with the bucket curled all of the way up, using the heel of the bucket, not the cutting edge. It works very well for me.

It seems to me that back dragging with the bucket all the way down would be really hard on the hydraulics.

SteveInMD · May 22, 2006

Some amount of sagging or leak down is normal for the hydraulics. Mine drops an inch or two in an hour.

I back drag with the bucket curled all of the way up, using the heel of the bucket, not the cutting edge. It works very well for me.

It seems to me that back dragging with the bucket all the way down would be really hard on the hydraulics.

Soundguy · May 22, 2006

( It seems to me that back dragging with the bucket all the way down would be really hard on the hydraulics )

Not much harder than anything else i see people do with loaders... ( or any of ther ground engaging equipment )

To the original poster.. sounds like a leaky cyl ( I think you would notice that.. ).. or a leaky spool... Some people swap spool lines around to see if the problem jumps to the new spool ( cyl or other problem downline ).. or stays with the spool in question ( leaky spool ).

Many people forget that tractor based laoders are great stockpile movers.. but really poor diggers..

Soundguy

Soundguy · May 22, 2006

( It seems to me that back dragging with the bucket all the way down would be really hard on the hydraulics )

Not much harder than anything else i see people do with loaders... ( or any of ther ground engaging equipment )

To the original poster.. sounds like a leaky cyl ( I think you would notice that.. ).. or a leaky spool... Some people swap spool lines around to see if the problem jumps to the new spool ( cyl or other problem downline ).. or stays with the spool in question ( leaky spool ).

Many people forget that tractor based laoders are great stockpile movers.. but really poor diggers..

Soundguy

daTeacha · May 22, 2006

That might have been my post. When back dragging to level gravel and such, it seems that the bucket is in something like a float mode. I can see it rotate up and down. This is with the bucket bottom at about 30 degrees below horizontal. I havce about 22 hours on the machine, no evidence of leaks.

I have the QA bucket, so trying to use the heel of the bucket just leaves two ruts from the ends of the loader arms.

daTeacha · May 22, 2006

That might have been my post. When back dragging to level gravel and such, it seems that the bucket is in something like a float mode. I can see it rotate up and down. This is with the bucket bottom at about 30 degrees below horizontal. I havce about 22 hours on the machine, no evidence of leaks.

I have the QA bucket, so trying to use the heel of the bucket just leaves two ruts from the ends of the loader arms.

LetsRoll · May 22, 2006

When the bucket does that, its in the float mode as suggested by daTeacha. You have to push the joice stick to the right and bring the rpm's up to about 1500. That will bring the dump cylinders out of float mode and they will pressurize so you can back drag. Always remember, that when you tilt the bucket up, the dump cylinders are always pressurized. But, once you tilt the bucket down, it will go into the float mode. You always have to pressurize the dump cylinders to get out of the float mode. Also remember, once the dump side of the cylinders are pressurized, they will stay pressurized until you raise the bucket (pull joice stick to the left).

I just did 6 hours of front end loader work last night and this float mode is the only thing I dont like about my 18LA loader (TC48DA).

LetsRoll · May 22, 2006

When the bucket does that, its in the float mode as suggested by daTeacha. You have to push the joice stick to the right and bring the rpm's up to about 1500. That will bring the dump cylinders out of float mode and they will pressurize so you can back drag. Always remember, that when you tilt the bucket up, the dump cylinders are always pressurized. But, once you tilt the bucket down, it will go into the float mode. You always have to pressurize the dump cylinders to get out of the float mode. Also remember, once the dump side of the cylinders are pressurized, they will stay pressurized until you raise the bucket (pull joice stick to the left).

I just did 6 hours of front end loader work last night and this float mode is the only thing I dont like about my 18LA loader (TC48DA).