FEL Joystick Rattling and Other Irritations

glennmac · Jul 15, 2001

Just took my dogs out for a nighttime tractor walk and the rattling of the loader joystick really began to bug me.

When the FEL is off my 2910 the joystick has a lot of free play and just vibrates and rattles around in its housing. The rattling diminishes at higher rpm's, but I often like to drive around at low rpm's.

Does everyone's joystick do this? Have you tried to cure it?

This whole joystick assembly impresses me as one of the cheesiest aspects of the Kubota. It doesnt look nice, especially compared to the integrated joystick on Green and Blue. It rattles. And the FEL "lock" is a similarly cheesy flip down plate which, if it not adjusted properly, can actually depress the joystick and move the loader. The JD has a hydraulic lock that completely disables the loader.

Finally, to complete my tirade against the joystick, I cant remember how many times when I have been backing up while hogging dense brush that a snagging branch pressed the lever up and moved the loader, just what you need when you're looking backwards and not paying attention to the front in risky situation. This is due to the exposed position of the joystick. I doubt this would happen with the JD or NH joysticks, which are positioned next to the seat.

No joy in my stick.

GlueGuy · Jul 15, 2001

Very punny Glenn,

Have you tried just putting a couple of rubber washers around the rattling components?

The GlueGuy

Alan L. · Jul 15, 2001

I haven't noticed a rattle in my 2710 joy stick, but then I've never had the FEL off. That little flap irritates me however. Sometimes it falls down on there when I'm using the FEL and I have to pull it up. I too have had trees grab the joystick. Of course they have also grabbed the postion control lever too. The other day I mowed about 100 feet with the cutter in the raised postion from a tree reaching out and grabbing it. Didn't mow worth a damn in that position. Sometimes I'm not real observant though. One day I was using a rented tiller and made an entire pass with the tiller a couple of feet off the ground. My son-in-law was making hand signals trying to tell me about it, but I was too deep in thought to pay any attention. I told him I was just slinging the dirt off the tines......

Alan L., TX

Anonymous Poster · Jul 15, 2001

...I told him I was just slinging the dirt off the tines......

I want you to do my taxes.../w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif and Glenn can defend you.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

MReeter · Jul 15, 2001

Glenn,I too have the "Joy Stick" rattle.On our old B2150 the joystick was attached to the loader,so when the loader was off, so was the control valve.I don't care for the valve staying on the 2710,in the way and noisey.BTW,it sure sounds like you're trying to talk yourself into a trade.

Bird · Jul 15, 2001

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I like for the loader valve to stay with the tractor instead of the loader. I'm not currently using it for anything else, but might want to someday. I even like the location and position much better than my cousin's New Holland. And I've never noticed any rattle; maybe because I'm so hard of hearing./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

Von · Jul 15, 2001

Glenn,
Mine rattles to. I looked at it to see what I need to do to stop the rattle. I would need to cut some metal off and then add plastic or rubber washers to make it quiet. Seems like more work than the rattle is worth, so I put it on the back burner for now. I liked my old loader better, as the contols stayed with the loader when you removed it. But I'm getting use to it, and like Bird, I might use it someday for something else.

Wheeldog · Jul 15, 2001

The joystick on my B2410 rattles also, at low RPMs. The flip-down plate quiets it when I have the loader removed, otherwise I just live with it. This is my first compact tractor but common sense tells me that each make/model will have its own quirks or minor annoyances, and using a different tractor would just mean a different set of quirks to get used to. Could be wrong but thats what I'm sticking with.

So, Glenn - do you drive your tractor while you walk/run your dogs on your property? That reminds me of a documentary I saw on sled dog training where in the off-season they hooked the dogs up to an ATV and let the team pull it around. Maybe you could try that with your dogs and your tractor /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif as long as you've got a team of 20 or so Newfoundlands.

Rob

GlueGuy · Jul 15, 2001

[/i]I too have had trees grab the joystick[/i]

Alan,

I don't think I've ever heard this sort of advice before: If trees are grabbing the controls on your tractor, maybe you need a smaller tractor /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

But seriously Glenn, The cover comes off the joystick with 4 simple screws. Rattle that puppy around a little, & put a rubber washer between the parts that have too much clearance. Mine rattled too, that's what I did. I just cut up a few small pieces of old inner tube.

The GlueGuy