KingKutter weld breaks loose!

[MFL]

Afternoon guys,

Wanted to relay a story and find out if anyone has had a similar experience. Sorry if I'm a little thin on details, but it's what happened to a friend of mine over the weekend.

Mike purchased a KingKutter 6ft. tiller from TSC three weeks ago, and this last weekend while using it for only the third time, the right-hand weld that holds the triangular top brace containing the top link connection and the lower link pins gave way from where it connects to the main body of the tiller. Up until the weld broke, he had been pretty happy with how well the tiller worked and had been using it to put in food plots for the coming season. The soil he was working on is the typical N. Ga. sandy clay with some rocks mixed in. Not Midwest loam, but also not the granite boulders of New England. He doesn't remember hitting anything particularly difficult to cut through, and the tractors rpms weren't maxxed out. The original weld was only about 2 inches long, almost like a tack weld not the finished weld. So he could finish what he was doing, Mike re-welded the brace with a bead that runs the entire length of where the two pieces meet. A bead at least 3-4 times longer than the original.

Mike called TSC this morning and explained the situation. The folks there said that even with the re-weld, they would take it back and get him a new one, no problem. Mike's only concern is whether this is a one-off problem or a common problem with KK welds. Anybody else have anything like this happen?

Also, he is having a slight oil leak from the PTO gearbox. He tells me that the oil cap there seems to have a pressure relief valve that looks a little like a zerk, but since he filled it with the recommeded amount and type of oil, he's not sure what "pressure" would be created to cause the leak.

As always, all reponses are appreciated!!

Thanks.

 

[SnowRidge]

There is air in there, right? When heated, it expands and forces itself and a little oil residue out of the vent. Sounds normal to me.

 

[SkunkWerX]

My 48" KK had a small oil spot, appeared to be from the relief pin, but was the amount of what you'd get from 2 or 3 drops from an eye dropper.
No biggie.

In terms of the weld, I'll have to look at mine, tonight, a picture would be great. Before and after would have been even better. I cannot picture the area in question. Might be a QC issue? My visual inspection showed beefy metal all the way around and solid weld beads wherever there is a weld.
Can't picture it.

 

[MFL]

Thanks guys.

John, as I said, I'm relaying info so I apologize for the vague description. After checking with Mike, I think I can fill in the blanks a little.
If you're looking at the tiller and the PTO shaft is pointing towards you, the lower link pin on the right passes through a square piece of steel that runs all the way to the back of the tiller. Following that piece from the pin back, there is a triangular brace about 4-5 inches back and then another triangular brace towards the back of the tiller. From what Mike tells me there was about a 2-3 inch weld between the pin and the brace where the square steel tube meet the top of the tiller housing. The only other weld along that seam was an equally short weld towards the back of the square tube. Mike re-welded the tube along the entire length of the tube where it meets the tiller housing. As I said, it almost seems like they were tack welds to hold the bar on the housing while the rest of the tiller was assembled?!?

 

[jbrumberg]

FYI: Make sure that your fill and vent plugs remain unclogged. If they clog up the gearcase oil once it gets heated/pressurized will find other ways to exit the gearbox. You do not have to ask me how I know this, but I now check and clean my plugs with compressed air prior to use. Jay

 

[WayneB]

FYI: Make sure that your fill and vent plugs remain unclogged. If they clog up the gearcase oil once it gets heated/pressurized will find other ways to exit the gearbox. You do not have to ask me how I know this, but I now check and clean my plugs with compressed air prior to use. Jay

Come on Jay tell us how you know!

 

[john_bud]

I have beaten my 5' KK tiller and it keeps on going. Have done some damage. See pics. Sheetmetal is vibrating and cracking. broke a 3pt lift pin, broke tines, snagged the gasket and it leaked, but the gears look very good. The tiller is in it's 6th season and the ground I till is soft in the spring with roots and rocks, but hard clay in the fall and still full of roots and rocks. Largest rocks that get ejected out the back are in the 8"x8"x24". That was heavy! Lot's of 12x12" rocks on down. The big ones need the FEL to get out and the real big ones don't even wiggle with the FEL!












jb

 

[jbrumberg]

Come on Jay tell us how you know!

Wayne: I had 85-140 gear oil coming out ("misting" may be a better description) of strange places from the gear box pipe on my M-160 after tillling my garden! A CCM service representative suggested that I "blow the plugs". I followed his advise with my air compressor with good effect . I did not have the problem when I tilled a much larger "unknown" garden with a few hidden "surprises" later this Spring .

Jay