familyman
Platinum Member
I heartily disagree... Kubota can "fix" it -- with a new valve. This whole issue is a nuisance, especially when one sees similar tractors whose lifts work nicely.
3-Point Hitch L-series Jerky 3PH - Jeff's homebrew repair.
- Thread starter J252
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I heartily disagree... Kubota can "fix" it -- with a new valve. This whole issue is a nuisance, especially when one sees similar tractors whose lifts work nicely.
LD1
Epic Contributor
The only way kubota "can" fix it would be a fundamental re-design of the whole system and NOT just the valve. A perfect time to do this should have been with the L3200/3800, but they didnt for whatever reason.
But the issue is more than just throwing a valve at it. Because they are on their 4th or 5th valve now. And while the problem has gotten better, it still isnt right. And some of these valves are used on many different models with NO issues at all. So it aint the valve. Rather something else in the system not jiving with the valves they have tried.
rScotty
Super Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2001
- Messages
- 9,517
- Location
- Rural mountains - Colorado
- Tractor
- Kubota M59, JD530, JD310SG. Restoring Yanmar YM165D
Familyman, your post got me to thinking.....and I just started a new thread called "Is Kubota Listening?".
Maybe we can turn the nuisance into an advantage.
rScotty
Seriously, why would kubota spend money on designing or modifying the valve vs. using the Grand L valve that has been replaced in so many of these tractors. It could not cost that much more to use a prove design that's already built vs. doing sloppy patch work on a bad design. They are just trying to make one that *IS* worst than the Grand L (to make you upgrade). Besides a basic "economical" tractor should work like that...
kubota, if your listening... use the good valve and raise the stupid price. :2cents:
Personally, I think the valve is a safety hazard when you have two people trying to hook up an implement. "Just bump it up a little so I can line it up". Darn near took my finger off and I learn to not let anyone else "bump" it up.
Cool, yea, take your time... we asked a while back if anyone could produce a video like this (I'm sure smooth hitches are out there but those people use their tractors and are not on TBN
) Looking forward to it (and thanks in advance). :thumbsup:
kubotacres
Gold Member
So let me get this straight....Even with Kubota fixing the control valve it works fine until you use the FEL.. So is this using the FEL and rear 3pt at the same time???? Or each independently?? Just curious because I can't answer since I don't have a FEL.
Chilly807
Elite Member
Ok, here's the way mine acted.. it's a 2009 model L3400 with a middle-of-production version of the valve. Not the latest, but quite a bit better than the first ones.
When I adjusted the valve to the specs in the manual, it was silky smooth, and I DO mean smooth.. the problem was that it was constantly using hydraulic flow to maintain the position. In other words, it was both trying to lower and raise at the same time, both circuits were active, and it achieved a balance by doing that. When you operated either the loader or remote valves, that diverted some of the flow from the 3-point valve, which allowed the hitch to drop until the feedback linkage closed the lower circuit and the lift arms stopped. This is unfortunately a result of the way a power-beyond hydraulic system works, you don't have flow to any downstream valves when you have an upstream valve fully opened. Feathering the valve helps a bit, but I'm not going to do that all the time.
As soon as you released the hydraulic lever for the loader or remote, the hitch would raise back up again as pressure was once more made available to the 3 point valve. The implement would go up and down like a wh***'* drawers every time you used other hydraulics.
Another member has an MX4700 that acted the same when the dealer tried to tweak it, so we aren't the only ones having the problem.
I found it to be unacceptable, although it was hard to give up the smooth hitch motion. After trying quite a few variations of the settings, I set mine back to the original factory dimensions, which although giving a rough lifting motion are rock solid under any other conditions.
The fact that it was set that way tells me Kubota is aware of the problem, and have applied a band-aid fix at the factory that the folks writing the tech manuals aren't aware of. The corporate answer is "There IS no problem with this, it's supposed to work that way, and until we pull our heads out of the sand that's our final answer".
I could go out and buy the latest valve available for the L3800 and try it, it's basically the same tractor as my L3400, but here's the rub... I tried a new L3800 on the dealer's lot last year, and it was only marginally better than my 2009 L3400, if at all.
If you can corner a dealer before you sign for the tractor, you have half a chance of getting it looked at, after the sale you'd better hope they want to keep you as a customer. Mine helped as much as they could without digging into it themselves, they provided tech support and spoke with Kubota Canada on my behalf, but that was as far as it went. Looking back, their results would have been the same as mine unless they started swapping parts, and that gets hellishly expensive in a hurry.
Sean
Slimson
Member
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2011
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- 32
- Location
- Western Washington
- Tractor
- Kubota L3200, 1949 & 1953 Farmall Cubs
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ng/233308-l3400-3-point-hitch-adjustment.html
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ng/233308-l3400-3-point-hitch-adjustment.html
This is a well illustrated post detailing an attempt to adjust the valve by a member, where he was able to get smooth 3 point lift, but at the expense of other issues. He finally solved his problem by trading in his tractor.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ng/233308-l3400-3-point-hitch-adjustment.html
This is a well illustrated post detailing an attempt to adjust the valve by a member, where he was able to get smooth 3 point lift, but at the expense of other issues. He finally solved his problem by trading in his tractor.
kubotacres
Gold Member
I knew it had been attemped before, but just wanted to verify my idea of how it affected the FEL... I'm happy with my fix, but I guess I would've been thinking otherwise If i had the FEL on it.I guess I'll never know, since my next ride will be the Grand L.
Chilly807
Elite Member
Thanks for the credit, Doug, but I'm too stubborn to trade in the 3400. It's a nuisance, but weighed against the positive aspects of the 3400 I can live with it. And that's the reason Kubota hasn't redesigned the 3-point system on the economy L's, because although the tractor's not perfect it's good enough that they keep selling them hand over fist.
James traded his in on a Kioti a few months ago, we're still keeping him on probation for a while yet..:laughing:
Sean