Grand L 40s - HST Plus

[TalonDancer]

...If you turn on auto throttle, stall guard, and auto HDS, you can basicly just drive into a pile and floor the pedal to get alot of push, then back out and go...

I gave this a try this evening... and it worked a treat I was able to fill the bucket much more consistently.

Thanks for the tip -- Talon Dancer

 

[TalonDancer]

...I, too, am intrigued by the additional egonomics offered by these electronically controlled HSTs. Since they have computers now, I wonder, does each have any diagnostic data access, perhaps
like automotive OBD?

The electronic display acts as a "OBD Like" diagnostic tool. In my Operator's Manual there are 2 pages with 12 different error diagnostics for the HST tranny and a similar number for the GST.

For example...
Display on LCD Screen - "ERROR-83 <> CRUIS NG"
Trouble Item - "Sensor for cruise contorl lever is in trouble"
Operator's Action - "Contact your Kubota dealer. The cruise control does not work. The speed pedal alone serves to run the tractor."

BTW my favorite is "ERROR-90 HST F NG". I let you guess what this one means

Talon Dancer

 

[TalonDancer]

I filled some low spots in our construction driveway with about 20 yards of gravel rich soil then spread 25 yards of road base over it using the tips by Ranger Rick and MessickFarmEqu. They really helped Thanks Guys!

I'd pull up to the pile in M (standard HST or Auto Throttle using Cruise Control). After stopping, I easily shifted down to L by pressing the reverse pedal first. Then I switched to Auto Throttle to attack the pile and fill the bucket. Switched off Auto Throttle to back away from the pile.

BTW the high revs when in Auto Throttle (without using Cruise Control) are actually useful when doing loading. You can play the loud pedal WITHOUT moving the tractor to get more power to the FEL pump for lift and curl etc.

I just wish that "Cruise Control" (AKA infinitely variable gear sift) worked when in reverse. It's annoying to wind up the engine to over 2.000 RPM just to back up a few feet:

Talon Dancer

 

[crazyal]

I don't know about a Kubota but ramming into things with the fel is not recommened. Maybe because of the extra weight. The user manual clearly tells you to level the bucket then slowly push into the pile. That you should use the traction of the tires not the weight/ momentum of the machine. I was told to look for cracking or welded fel arms when looking to buy a BH, that it was a sign of an abused machine. I have hit rocks burried in piles of dirt that even going slowly still feel awfully hard.

Anyway just curious what "just drive into" means.

 

[TalonDancer]

I don't know about a Kubota but ramming into things with the fel is not recommened. Maybe because of the extra weight. The user manual clearly tells you to level the bucket then slowly push into the pile. That you should use the traction of the tires not the weight/ momentum of the machine. I was told to look for cracking or welded fel arms when looking to buy a BH, that it was a sign of an abused machine. I have hit rocks burried in piles of dirt that even going slowly still feel awfully hard.

Anyway just curious what "just drive into" means.

That's actually one of the good things about using Auto Throttle in Low. The machine barely moves until the RPMs hit 2,000. But when it gets moving it has a lot of power. So you are able to push slowly into a pile with a lot of force WITHOUT "ramming" into it with weight/momentum.

Of course you can do this with a normal HST by just manually adjusting the throttle up to 2,000 rpm prior to pushing into the pile and then using the HST pedal to control speed of "attack". The Auto Throttle just makes this a little easier and allows you to play the throttle after you have the bucket full (e.g. while leveling the contents, lowering the bucket etc.)

Talon Dancer

 

[crazyal]

Even if I can't find a local dealer with one to try at least I'm getting first hand reports. To be honest I doubt I would have spent much time looking at the HST Plus features while demo'ing one at a dealer.

 

[TalonDancer]

I moved 10 yds of road base (in two piles) to touch up the entrance area and lower drive using the Auto Throttle technique. These were freshly dumped piles. So I was able to work both of them in M

I've now gotten to where i rarely use the standard HST mode when going forward, except when moving back and forth in close quarters (e.g. boxblading a small section of the drive, FEL work between a pile and close by area, switching between the bucket and pallet fork, etc.).

I just pull up to to the pile in Auto Throttle mode, "down shift" using the (misnamed) Cruise Control lever, level the bucket and push into the pile filling the bucket. Play the loud pedal for more hydraulic pressure to raise and settle the load. Then lower the bucket while backing away for the pile. Goose the loud pedal and slowly "up shift" (using the Cruise Control lever) to run some 300 ft up the driveway (including the 30% grade section) and deposit the load at the entrance. While positioning the Tractor for an accurate dump (backing away while dumping) I briefly switched off Auto Throttle. Then quickly switched it back on for the run down the drive to the pile of road base

The only issue I had was when I tried to go up the 30% grade in two wheel drive. I need to add weight to the box blade to balance the FEL w/ a full load. FWIW The L3240 w/ LA724 and BH90 are very nicely balanced. So I do not want to add water ballast to the tires. I just want to add weight to three point implements when the BH90 is not attached.

Talon Dancer

ps I ticked over 40 hours last night

 

[crazyal]

I wish I could say the same thing about the balance of my 580K. When I was building the road to the house I had a pile of large rocks (2' to 3') in diameter that I would put in the FEL when driving up the hills. Otherwise I could lift the front tires off the ground if I gave it too much throttle. Of course one rock would have been enough if I didn't keep leaving them at the top of the hill.

 

[TalonDancer]

... Of course one rock would have been enough if I didn't keep leaving them at the top of the hill.

LOL! So, did you find a use for all those rocks at the top of the hill ?

BTW that short avg 30% grade with a full FEL is the first place I've noticed the 32 hp as a limitation. The tractor slows down considerably if I leave it in M with the H-DS in "hare". If I don't have enough momentum going in at the bottom, I have to switch the H-DS to "turtle". If I let the HST mode auto-switch the H-DS, it waits until the engine has dropped to nearly 1,100 RPM which "feels" too low to avoid lugging the engine. OTOH I'm new to diesel engines, so I could be wrong. That is the highest torque the engine produces.

Talon Dancer

 

[Don R.]

I purchased a brand spanking new L4240 with the 6 hd loader, 6' Brush Hog (squealer?) and 6' box blade.

I was thrilled at having a more powerful tractor for my mowing, until I actually used it. The 44hp tractor had less pull power on the brush hog than the little 28hp I traded in. I mowed a 5 acre tract, and 9 hours and 16 gallons of diesel I was through; with the tract and the new 4240. The lack of power and tendency to stall where the 2800 bulldozed through the same weeds adn grass was the deal killer. After the dealer told me repeatedly that "nothing was wrong", I sent it back, and await the dealer's reply on Monday.