Backhoe MT225S Backhoe Seat Question

[NorthWestKent]

Hi All,
I purchased a MT225s the other day and had the same issue with the seat. I realized was in fact a poor install. The issue is which orientation the track was in as they mounted it to the frame. Picture the sliding track mechanism on a kitchen cabinet drawer. It's like it was installed while the drawer was out and now the range of slide is skewed so that it can go only partly back into the cabinet and even further out into the kitchen. That's why the forward slide makes the seat almost touch the steering wheel!
To fix, remove the 4 allen bolts that mount the track to the seat lift frame. Then pull the slide lever up, and move the tracks to the opposite direction. Remount.

 

[Doofy]

Hi All,
I purchased a MT225s the other day and had the same issue with the seat. I realized was in fact a poor install. The issue is which orientation the track was in as they mounted it to the frame. Picture the sliding track mechanism on a kitchen cabinet drawer. It's like it was installed while the drawer was out and now the range of slide is skewed so that it can go only partly back into the cabinet and even further out into the kitchen. That's why the forward slide makes the seat almost touch the steering wheel!
To fix, remove the 4 allen bolts that mount the track to the seat lift frame. Then pull the slide lever up, and move the tracks to the opposite direction. Remount.

Figured as much. Good write up.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

That will just make the BH position worse (further away). The issue is not in the tractor operation position, the seat goes plenty far back from the steering wheel. When you turn it around for the BH, it won't slide forward enough!

 

[wraven]

Thank you. I will take a look this afternoon and report back.

 

[NorthWestKent]

That will just make the BH position worse (further away). The issue is not in the tractor operation position, the seat goes plenty far back from the steering wheel. When you turn it around for the BH, it won't slide forward enough!

Did you physically look at this, or are you just speculating? Your right, the issue was not in the loader operator position...but it's still same seat and same track. The seat rotates around, but the sliding track is fixed...so basically everything can shift back 6 inches based on where the seat is relative to the sliding track underneath at the time of mounting.....which means when the seat is spun around, it slides that 6 inches closer to the backhoe station. It also makes the sliding position in the operation station as designed with good adjustment that can make one too far back all the way to too close.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

No speculation.... sat on the tractor myself (I am 6') and could not sit back in the seat and reach the BH controls (with the seat moved fully towards the BH). This is my neighbors tractor... he is 6'4" and cannot reach the controls without leaning forward off the seat! We adjusted (turned) the control arms back towards the seat, but they are still too far away.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Maybe we don't have long arms?

 

[Doofy]

It just doesn't make any sense that it was designed this way. The tracks or something has to either be wrong or is installed wrong. No Engineer could let this slide.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

There were a few folks on the LS Facebook page complaining of the same issue, so I doubt it was an isolated dealer install issue. My neighbor initially had the tractor for about 6 weeks without the BH. The seat has a plate with 4 bolts holding it to the stationary mounts. When the dealer installed the BH, they change out the seat mount with the swivel mount.... again only 4 bolts.... only 4 holes.... impossible to screw up.... definitely a manufacturer boo-boo....

 

[Doofy]

Is there any way to mount a second separate seat for the backhoe and leave the original seat in the tractor position? Forget all that swiveling back and forth. My tractor is cabbed and the hoe has its own seat.