L3700 let me down

Tomtint · Mar 4, 2013

Well, I pulled the sander out of the back of my dump truck this afternoon, Went over to lift it out with the L3700 and a pair of Cat forks, No go ! With the loader all the way up and the chain wrapped around the forks about 2 1/2 feet away from the bucket pivot...It did not have the sack to curl and lift a 800 LB sander.....Depressing. Had to finish the job with my skidsteer. Im thinking the loader is just a glorified wheel barrel

allen in texas · Mar 4, 2013

If I understand the specs right, even with the 2 1/2 foot extension from the pivot, it should have been able to lift that 800 pounds. Maybe your pressure is low. There is a lot of discussion here about low pressure. The specs are written at about 17 to 18 inches from the pivot for bucket rollback and it is around 2000 pounds, again if I am reading the specs right.

Tomtint · Mar 4, 2013

I too think it should be capable of lifting and curling it as well...but it can't.

k0ua · Mar 4, 2013

Tomtint said:
I too think it should be capable of lifting and curling it as well...but it can't.

Time for a pressure check..it should have done it in my opinion.. When I had the L3400HST I believed it to be on spec as for what it would lift and curl or maybe a little better than spec. I have lifted the rears in the air with a 750 lb ballast barrel on the back, before I filled the rear tires.. What I am trying to say is the La463 loader was never wimpy.

James K0UA

Bluegill2 · Mar 4, 2013

Fix it, or get it fixed.

Verticaltrx · Mar 5, 2013

Doesn't sound good. My parents have a L3200 and it will lift a 1000lb round bale to full height.

kiotiken · Mar 5, 2013

This doesn't surprise me at all and I don't think you should bother looking at the pressure. That is simply WAY more than that loader can handle. Going by the specs at tractordata.com, the loader can lift 1142lbs to full height at the pivot point. At 500 mm (0.5 meters = approx 1.6 ft), it's down to 853lbs. Now unless your forks weigh less than 53lbs, the results are to be expected at 1.6ft in front of the pp, but you're 2.5 feet at full height.

My Kioti CK30 could out curl what it could lift and my Kioti DK45 can out lift what it can curl. Each is a little different, but lift cap. and curl cap are usually close.

TractorData.com Kubota L3700SU tractor attachments information

Bluegill2 · Mar 5, 2013

My L3800 can easily lift 800 lbs, don't see why the 3700 can't, unless it has a lesser loader?

kiotiken · Mar 5, 2013

Bluegill2 said:
My L3800 can easily lift 800 lbs, don't see why the 3700 can't, unless it has a lesser loader?

There's a very big difference between lifting 800# 2ft off the ground in the bucket of your tractor and lifting 800# at your loaders full height at the end of 4ft of pallet fork. The geometry of your load changes drastically as it raises in height.

The name of the Kubota loader represents it's lifting capacity. The L3700 has a LA463 FEL. The 463 is the lifting capacity in KG (I was recently corrected on this point and it's actually 460 KG, the 3 is the version number). You have an LA524, which should mean it's the 4th version with a 520 KG lift capacity and stronger than the OP's loader.

k0ua · Mar 5, 2013

kiotiken said:
There's a very big difference between lifting 800# 2ft off the ground in the bucket of your tractor and lifting 800# at your loaders full height at the end of 4ft of pallet fork. The geometry of your load changes drastically as it raises in height.

The name of the Kubota loader represents it's lifting capacity. The L3700 has a LA463 FEL. The 463 is the lifting capacity in KG (I was recently corrected on this point and it's actually 460 KG, the 3 is the version number). You have an LA524, which should mean it's the 4th version with a 520 KG lift capacity and stronger than the OP's loader.

Hmm.. from the Kubota spec. website for the La524... shows 1131 lbs at the pivot pin.. I thought we had all agreed some time back when the L3800' came out, that the LA524 loader while restyled, and quite a bit different than the La463, the lift capacity was about the same. The La524 is more accurate following of the numbering plan, but as far as I know the LA463 and the LA524 will lift the same.. The pressure will make a big difference. Several of the guys with the LA463 have adjusted them up a bit, to lift as much as 1400 lbs. at the pivot.

Kubota Tractor Corporation - Tractors | L Series | L3200 L3800

James K0UA

Verticaltrx · Mar 5, 2013

The reason for the difference in numbering (LA463 vs LA524) is they changed where they measure it from. It the weight capacity used to be measured at either the bucket mid point or bucket edge, now it is measured at the pins.

Tomtint · Mar 5, 2013

I have not checked the pressure as of yet. Back when the BH pin broke, I had the dealer do the 50 hour service ( it actually had 30 ish on it) and asked them to check the pressure. They said it was all good.... But I can not with 100% certainty they actually did check. I think one of the main problems is that I'm accustomed to my Cat 246 picking up anything I can fit into the bucket.

Sammy3700 · Mar 5, 2013

My L3700 was low, I have it set at 2500psi and it made all the difference in the world. Also set one of my friends L3400 this past weekend, first time we shimmed it it went to 2600 and he wanted it there. His frown is now a smile.

Gordon Gould · Mar 6, 2013

I don't think it will do it. Not at 2.5 feet out. I have the LA482 loader which is close to the same. Looking at the LA482 specs I can pick 1225 lb at the pivot points, 1060 lb (482 kg) bucket mid point or 10" out, 905 lb at cutting edge or 20" out. So you can see it drops off fast. And don't forget ... you have to subtract the bucket weight. I have the round 60" bucket which weighs 308 lbs. The square 60" bucket is 212 lbs. Thats abot 20% gone right there !!!
If your lift cylinders are 1.75" like mine then you will gain about 250 lbs at each cylinders for each 100 psi you raise you system pressure. You have to be a mathamatician to figure how much more lift that actually gives you from all that geometry. You should be able to gain a little just by adjusting your relief valve on the loader valve up.

Tomtint · Mar 7, 2013

I don't know what my forks weigh, I imagine they are north of 250 lbs. they are Cat skidsteer brand and are beefy. I suppose I need to build a pressure gauge and a washer........or .....trade it?

bullbreaker · Mar 7, 2013

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/128908-bump-up-lift-capacity-l3400.html

Boone

kiotiken · Mar 7, 2013

Tomtint said:
I don't know what my forks weigh, I imagine they are north of 250 lbs. they are Cat skidsteer brand and are beefy. I suppose I need to build a pressure gauge and a washer........or .....trade it?

It is what it is, most other compatible tractors ($ wise anyway) are going to be similar. Since you have a skid steer, does it really matter?

Tomtint · Mar 7, 2013

kiotiken said:
It is what it is, most other compatible tractors ($ wise anyway) are going to be similar. Since you have a skid steer, does it really matter?

Eeeech. I would say yes it is does. The SS is brutal on the lawn, around the driveway and just about anywhere there is finished areas. I was hoping to be able to remove the sander from the bed of the truck and place it on a trailer for the summer with the tractor, mainly because it is easier to move without jerking and hopping on asphalt. And if it is possible to get my loader to do it, it is worth it to me.

kiotiken · Mar 7, 2013

Tomtint said:
Eeeech. I would say yes it is does. The SS is brutal on the lawn, around the driveway and just about anywhere there is finished areas. I was hoping to be able to remove the sander from the bed of the truck and place it on a trailer for the summer with the tractor, mainly because it is easier to move without jerking and hopping on asphalt. And if it is possible to get my loader to do it, it is worth it to me.

I have no doubt there's a certain margin built in by Kubota, but a stronger FEL is a selling point and Kubota wants it to be as strong as it can be while not damaging the FEL or the tractor. If you could gain 500 lbs of lift by cranking the pressure up without doing any harm, wouldn't Kubota do that and splash it all over the glossy sales brochure? You may be over stressing the front axle or doing other damage you're not aware of.

I had a bit of a lemon Kioti, so I had some incentive to bail out but one of the other BIG reasons I traded is because I wanted a FEL that could move a full face cord of firewood on a pallet. The FEL on my new Kioti is 2.5X stronger, and I need and use that extra strength. BUT, I only need it for a couple of tasks, otherwise the old FEL would have been fine. Since you have a SS, you have the right tool when you need it and if the L3700 is good enough the other 95% of the time, is it really worth the expense of trading and upgrading?

Tomtint · Mar 7, 2013

So it was off to the dealer to get a few washers to have in inventory, Brought along a friend of mine that had been on the fence with a bit of Kubota envy. Well....we pick up his new BX25 tomorrow as well as my washers.....Peer pressure...peer pressure.