FEL on a MF 231---getting it work w/o extra valve

[pilgrim68]

I bought this tractor from the dealer. He added a valve block on the hydraluics which you have to change to get the FEL and put the 3-point control in continious pump. Gets old after awhile switching from 3-point to FEL.

Someone told me that the dealer set the system up wrong--that there is someway of making both systems work at the same time. Does anyone have any suggestion?


Thanks

 

[rcraft]

What you are experiencing is one of the down sides of the small and medium size MF tractors from the late 1950s to just recently. What you have is a valve that redirects the pump oil pressure from the 3 pt to the FEL. Even if you use a "T" connection you still have the same problem. The pump only pumps oil when the lift arms are down and the quadrant controls are up and so the 3pt and aux hydraulics cannot be used together. The way most people get around this is to use a separate hydraulic system for the FEL with a pump driven off the engine or the PTO shaft, then you can use both systems at the same time.

 

[pilgrim68]

Thanks for the info. That is what I was told years ago but then I had heard that they didn't route it so that it would work with both (3-pt fel).

I have looked at PTO Pumps as a solution---they are cheaper and easier to hook up, so I'm told. Don't know much about that either. Guess I would need just hoses to connect to the FEL and a reservoir?

 

[WilliamBos]

I would go with a crank driven pump. That way you dont disable your 3 point. And you can also use the front pump as a very strong " remote " once you have it al set up right. I will post some pics of our MF 35 once we are all done with the work on it!!

Take care and keep us posted

Will