Hydraulic Top Link Drawbacks

[300UGUY]

Yum! French Fries!!

bumper

Funny. But dude, you just are a little off....

 

[MtnViewRanch]

So, if I understand this correctly, my backhoe should stay in perfect position when unhooked to hook it back up again? That thing relaxes and uncurls in a matter of hours after I unhook it. It is Brand new, no more that 20 hours on it total.

New has nothing to do with it. Your hoe cylinders are all connected to each other through the control valves. Fluid is most likely moving from one cylinder to another through the bank of control valves. If you were able to unplug each cylinder from the valve, then that should at least slow that settling if not eliminate it. But hoes are not plumbed that way, so you are sort of out of luck relying on the hydraulics to hold it in place while off of the tractor.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

only drawback i see is PRICE. I asked my local kubota dealer today how much for him to add one on my tractor, $1000 he said. Surely it cant be that much can it? Isnt this something i can do myself?

That $1000 is not the cost of the top link, A complete kit can be had for less than $300. Sounds like you need a control valve to be able to use a hydraulic top link and that is where the majority of that $1000 cost is.

Like I said, less than $300 for a complete kit and might take all of 10 minutes to install.

Sort of like saying that I want to use a top & tilt set with my box blade, but I don't have a tractor, so to get that top & tilt set setup is going to run me around $20,000. :shocked: I guess it might be how a person is looking at it.

 

[s219]

I spent about $1200 on the Kubota valve kit to add two valves to an L3200, one was float which added to the price. I did the labor myself. So I can see $1000 for a valve and labor being about right from a dealer.

You can go aftermarket for much less, but the integration won't be as nice as a factory kit. But that gives you options so you can find the solution that fits your wants/needs/budget.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I spent about $1200 on the Kubota valve kit to add two valves to an L3200, one was float which added to the price. I did the labor myself. So I can see $1000 for a valve and labor being about right from a dealer.

You can go aftermarket for much less, but the integration won't be as nice as a factory kit. But that gives you options so you can find the solution that fits your wants/needs/budget.

You must have a 2013-14 model. Before that, with a little work it was possible to have an aftermarket set some what integrated and actually be in and look better than the OEM stuff that hangs off of the ROPS in regards to the earlier std L model Kubotas.

 

[bumperm]

You must have a 2013-14 model. Before that, with a little work it was possible to have an aftermarket set some what integrated and actually be in and look better than the OEM stuff that hangs off of the ROPS in regards to the earlier std L model Kubotas.

That, and especially so on the CUT cabbed tractors like my B3350. They have crammed a lot of stuff, albeit neatly, is a fairly compact rig. There's a precise, dedicated spot for the rear remote valves and levers, but if not opting for factory parts, there'd be no practical way I can imagine to get aftermarket stuff to fit. When buying one of these tractors, you just have to take the "new car" approach . . . "Yeah, add that on there too!".

 

[s219]

You must have a 2013-14 model. Before that, with a little work it was possible to have an aftermarket set some what integrated and actually be in and look better than the OEM stuff that hangs off of the ROPS in regards to the earlier std L model Kubotas.

Based on what I saw in the Kubota wholegoods catalog, I believe the same kit works on all L3200-3800 models going back to the model intro (2011?), but not sure. Mine is a 2013. Older L models indeed had a much less integrated kit, and I wouldn't pay a premium for that at all.

 

[Fallon]

I think I ended up at a little under $2k for my install on my L3200. TnT + all the plumbing & what not for 3 spools with a slightly unusual joystick setup (which was a couple hundred extra). $800 or so just for the 3 valves, but they have MUCH less leak down than a lot of others. Now that I finally got the back end hoses sorted out I'm really happy with it. It wasn't cheap, but was a good learning experience (which cost me a bit when I misordered a few things). I'd definitely recomend FitRight, great gear & he helped me out on my path from hydraulic ignorance to a dam nice custom setup.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/hydraulics/295816-kubota-l3200-tnt-3rd-function.html

I believe older spools just clamped on to the ROPS, but now Kubota offers something pretty similar to what I have for the OEM kit location. Look into the OEM kit if you can & it's the nice integrated one, or talk to Brian at FitRight.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Based on what I saw in the Kubota wholegoods catalog, I believe the same kit works on all L3200-3800 models going back to the model intro (2011?), but not sure. Mine is a 2013. Older L models indeed had a much less integrated kit, and I wouldn't pay a premium for that at all.

I know that I have seen a 2012 model with the Kubota OEM clamp on the ROPS rear remote system. This was a new tractor at the Kubota dealer. Maybe they were just using what they had in stock, I have no idea. The Kubota ROPS system is a fairly clean install, just over priced for what you get IMO.

 

[arlen4720]

A cylinder with leaky internal seals can drift by extending but not retracting (assuming plugged ports). It is an undisputable fact. The rod seals aren't designed to hold a vacuum, and air is easily pulled in to make up for the lost volume of the rod extending out of the cylinder.