intermittent "limp bucket" on bx2200

[ultrarunner]

Yep ^^^ This is what makes TBN such a great resource... experienced shared.

 

[IchabodCrayne]

I levelled a pad for a garage/shelter with my bx today. Having read this thread I tried the bucket back drag move and guess what? Same issue.
As I started to drag back the bucket was simply pushed back up.
(I read on this forum or another that some Kubotas do dump the bucket by gravity.) I think this leaves the cylinder unpressurized.
Good news, it's easily solved.. Instead of simply dropping the bucket and trying to drag you just need to contact the pile with the bucket and keep rolling it down until it builds pressure, starts to push, then drag.
This may be why Kubota specifies in the operator's manual to backdrag with the heel of the bucket.
Now that I know about it I'm okay with it.

 

[bcp]

My BX2360 has never had the problem.

Bruce

 

[bunyip]

I have had a similar problem with the lower half of the 4 in 1 bucket, while driving along it can seem to flop around so I just press the button to lock it up again, does this mean if I keep the button depressed for a while it may cure the problem (BX 2370).
It is not a huge issue but if I am carrying something it will release its grip after a while which is why I press the button every few seconds so I don't drop whatever I have picked up such as a log or sleeper.

 

[JWR]

As a 16 year owner of a BX22, what he is experiencing is the same as I have for 16 years. The first couple of years out there were several threads on "floppy bucket".
The only cure is to fully dump the bucket and hold the lever until the pressure relief sounds and then your good for awhile. It sucks, but as far as I know, there was no fix.
Having been around farm loaders for 50 years, this is the only loader I have experienced this on.

I wouldn't expect rebuilding the cylinder to help, but can't hurt.

This may have gone on for 20 or 30 years but something is WRONG. [My own BX2200 bucket will lift the front of the machine if you choose to dump downward with force on something solid.]

There is nothing special or all that peculiar with a bucket on the BX series. It is a double-acting hydraulic cylinder moving something. There is nothing there but a cylinder driven through a loader valve plus hoses. If as some suggest this "limp bucket disease" is "just the nature of the beast" then there is something very peculiar about the loader valve by design. ?? Nah. I'm not buying all this. I wonder if anyone (say Messick's service Dept.) can clarify it with some authority for all of us ?

 

[npalen]

This sounds like air being sucked into the piston side of the bucket cylinder when dumping a heavy load out of the bucket.
The bucket tilts down faster than the pump can supply fluid to the piston side of the cylinder resulting in an air pocket. Then, when attempting to backdrag, the bucket will be "limp" until the fluid is replaced on the piston side of the cylinder by holding the lever forward for a bit.
This issue would be exacerbated when dumping a heavy bucket load at low tractor RPM. The regen function, if present and used, is designed to solve this issue.

 

[IchabodCrayne]

This sounds like air being sucked into the piston side of the bucket cylinder when dumping a heavy load out of the bucket.
The bucket tilts down faster than the pump can supply fluid to the piston side of the cylinder resulting in an air pocket. Then, when attempting to backdrag, the bucket will be "limp" until the fluid is replaced on the piston side of the cylinder by holding the lever forward for a bit.
This issue would be exacerbated when dumping a heavy bucket load at low tractor RPM. The regen function, if present and used, is designed to solve this issue.

Makes perfect sense..
Tomorrow I'll try again but just feather the bucket down and see if it still happens.
I've seen regen mentioned but don't know what it means exactly. Dunno if it's on new bx or if it can be enabled/disabled.

 

[Fallon]

Makes perfect sense..
Tomorrow I'll try again but just feather the bucket down and see if it still happens.
I've seen regen mentioned but don't know what it means exactly. Dunno if it's on new bx or if it can be enabled/disabled.

regen dumps full hydraulic pressure to the but end & rod end of the cylinder. As the but end has more surface area (the rod is in the way on the other side) it can overpower the rod end. As both ends are connected the rod end oil will help fill the but end of the cylinder faster than the pump alone can. You trade off power for speed, but as gravity is already doing most or all the work dumping the bucket, you dont need power. You need speed so pressurized oil keeps worn seals from sucking air in. It really has 2 functions, fast dump & preventing air getting in (a.k.a. floppy bucket). Most modern loaders use it.

Economy L machines only have regen dump. Grand Ls have a 2 stage dump, regen dump, the further over normal power dump. Not sure what the smaller machines have. Its the valve design & cant be turned off, unless you count the premium machines having a 2 stage valve that goes into power dump after you move the valve spool past the regen section.

 

[aczlan]

Re: intermittent "limp bucket" on bx2200

regen dumps full hydraulic pressure to the but end & rod end of the cylinder. As the but end has more surface area (the rod is in the way on the other side) it can overpower the rod end. As both ends are connected the rod end oil will help fill the but end of the cylinder faster than the pump alone can. You trade off power for speed, but as gravity is already doing most or all the work dumping the bucket, you dont need power. You need speed so pressurized oil keeps worn seals from sucking air in. It really has 2 functions, fast dump & preventing air getting in (a.k.a. floppy bucket). Most modern loaders use it.

Economy L machines only have regen dump. Grand Ls have a 2 stage dump, regen dump, the further over normal power dump. Not sure what the smaller machines have. Its the valve design & cant be turned off, unless you count the premium machines having a 2 stage valve that goes into power dump after you move the valve spool past the regen section.

Our bx2660 has regen on it (it has a regen position and a non regen position) I almost think that it is standard on the BX series but I am not sure.

Aaron Z

 

[johann]

Thanks for all the excellent information, it will be a few days before I can get to machine to mess with it .I will keep you posted.