Kubota L35 TLB, Safe Level Front Wheel Immersion In Lake?

[Keuka]

I live on a lake and I'm planning on using my Kubota L35 to launch and pull out boat trailers. I've installed a towing ball on the front bucket and I'm wondering if immersing the front wheel hubs will allow water to infiltrate the 4 wheel drive system in the front end and damage the bearings or drive system. The front drive is filled with hydraulic fluid so my thoughts are it's a sealed system or the hydraulic fluid would leak out. The machine is a shuttle shift, not a true hydrostatic if that makes any difference.

I could also possibly attach a ball on the backhoe bucket and that would allow me to back into the lake with the larger rear wheels in the deeper water but that would not be as easy to control the boat trailers.

 

[nbryan]

I mounted a towing ball near the tip of a pallet fork tine for shuttling trailers around the yard. Puts the ball about 3 feet further out from the tractor than on the bucket.
Just don't submerge the front axle vent tube and the water shouldn't hurt anything.

 

[goeduck]

I mounted a towing ball near the tip of a pallet fork tine for shuttling trailers around the yard. Puts the ball about 3 feet further out from the tractor than on the bucket.
Just don't submerge the front axle vent tube and the water shouldn't hurt anything.

Many forks swing out and are hinged/hooked at the top only. That would be a problem on a ramp (slope), the boat would pull the fork out. If the forks are held at the bottom, it would work. There are also booms that would work tha attach to a SSQA.

I do what Keuka describes in saltwater but my ramp is steep enough that the axle never reaches water.

 

[nbryan]

My forks are well supported at the bottom so that's not an issue for me. I couldn't use them for the hitch ball if they weren't.

 

[CurtisC]

I live on a lake and I'm planning on using my Kubota L35 to launch and pull out boat trailers. I've installed a towing ball on the front bucket and I'm wondering if immersing the front wheel hubs will allow water to infiltrate the 4 wheel drive system in the front end and damage the bearings or drive system. The front drive is filled with hydraulic fluid so my thoughts are it's a sealed system or the hydraulic fluid would leak out. The machine is a shuttle shift, not a true hydrostatic if that makes any difference.

I could also possibly attach a ball on the backhoe bucket and that would allow me to back into the lake with the larger rear wheels in the deeper water but that would not be as easy to control the boat trailers.

Not familiar with L35 front axle but B26 has a vent tube located on the right side of the axle tube next to fill port/dipstick. If you submerge a warm axle in cooler water the air on top of the oil will contract and suck water in thru your vent. Clamp a piece of tygon tubing to the end of the vent and route up into the engine cavity with sufficient slack to allow axle travel.

 

[Smokeydog]

Might consider a ssqa custom attachment for better visibility and longer length to put you in better position. Be a fairly easy fabrication for you or local shop.

 

[LouNY]

If you immerse a rotating componet in the water, it will get water in it.
Many seals in front hubs are lip type seals they seal against fluids leaking out as the lip keeps it in,
it does not work as well in the other direction.
Personally I would drain the hydraulic fluid from the front axle and use a marine grade gear lube and change it once or twice during the season,
it doesn't hold much and even with a synesthetic gear lube would not be that costly.
Something like this;
AMSOIL Synthetic Marine Gear Lube 75W-9? AGM - AMSOIL

 

[JWR]

I'm in a salt water area, not with fresh water lakes, so that is different for sure. Especially since you can raise and lower the FEL with the receiver hitch attached to it right down to ramp level you can effectively lower your entire boat trailer into the water (!) So why would you ever have need to immerse the front axle of the tractor? I don't think you do. Here we seldom immerse the rear tires of a pickup truck into water when backing a boat trailer down the ramp. I do not think you have a problem to start with.

I have not seen your receiver hitch or hitchball attached to the FEL bucket but hopefully it is at the front tip allowing you to adjust both angle and height. While you're at it you probably could fabricate or add an extension if desired.

 

[Keuka]

JWR,
My L35 TLB has the heavy duty, construction grade, bucket with the high strength reversible cutting edge. The leading edge of the bucket is reinforced with steel plating (OEM Design) and there is a lip formed in the inside of the bucket between the reinforced bucket plate and the underlying bolt on cutting edge. I removed the center bolt on the cutting edge and then enlarged the hole slightly to receive a 5/8 inch high strength bolt. Next I drilled a hole through a (3/4 inch drop) tow ball mount in order to bolt it to the inside of the bucket, using the enlarged 5/8 inch hole in the bucket. The ball mount arm I selected has a flat protruding lip formed where the drop angle is welded to the 2 inch square mounting arm. I noticed if I placed the ball mount upside down (riser up) on the inside of the bucket, the flat protruding lip of the ball mount sets firmly on the lip formed between the inside of the bucket and the cutting edge. This provides a wedged type connection between the ball mount and the inside of the bucket when the 5/8 inch bolt is torqued down. This wedged connection provides a two point fixed connection and holds the tow ball mount firmly in place so it can't rotate like a single bolt connection. I also use a lock nut on the 5/8 inch bolt. This system extends the tow ball out in front of the cutting edge approximately 12 inches and gives extra clearance when turning. The system works real well for quickly hooking up and moving trailers around.
The lake that I live on lowers about 2.5 feet during the winter months and that results in a shallow water launching condition. Unfortunately my lake shore drops off very gradually after the water level is lowered in the winter months. I do use the FEL to raise the trailer tongue but I still have to push the trailer out further into the lake or risk grounding and dragging the boat transom when the boat slides off my bunk type trailer. Then after I'm finished fishing, I have to load the boat back on the trailer and again that results in a sallow water condition and the same problem in reverse. My trailer is a heavy duty style and the boat sits fairly high on the trailer.
I'm trying to figure a way to mount a ball on the excavator bucket, to use just while launching. This would give me extended reach and the front tractor wheels could remain high and dry. I'm toying with a design but not real comfortable with it yet.

 

[oosik]

I have a 80' x 400' "moat" that connects my little and big lakes. In the spring the water in the moat will get deep enough that I don't cross it. It's deeper than the front axle.